1 When David was settled into his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, "I’m living in a cedar palace while the chest containing the Lord’s covenant is under curtains."
2 Nathan replied, "Go ahead and do whatever you are thinking, because God is with you."
3 But that very night God’s word came to Nathan:
4 Go to my servant David and tell him, This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build the temple for me to live in.
5 In fact, I haven’t lived in a temple from the day I brought Israel out until this very day. I’ve been traveling from tent to tent and from dwelling to dwelling.
6 Throughout my traveling with the Israelites, did I ever ask one of Israel’s tribal leaders, whom I appointed to shepherd my people, Why haven’t you built me a cedar temple?