1. And as David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I live in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh is under tent curtains.”
2. And Nathan said to David, “Whatever is in your heart, do, for God is with you.”
3. And it happened that same night the word of God came to Nathan, saying,
4. “Go and say to David my servant, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “You are not to build a house for me to live in,
5. for I have not lived in a house from the day that I brought out Israel unto this day. I have been from tent to tent and from tabernacle to tabernacle.
6. In every place I have moved about, did I say one word with the judges of Israel I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, ‘Why have you not built for me a house of cedar?’ ” ’
7. So now, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be leader over my people Israel,