³ Then ^(A)David assembled all Israel at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of Yahweh ^(B)to its place which he had prepared for it.

A Tent for the Ark

16 And they brought in the ark of God and ^(A)placed it inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and they brought burnt offerings and peace offerings near before God.

The Ark of God Inhabits a Tent

17 ^(A)Now it happened when David inhabited his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I inhabit a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of Yahweh is under tent curtains.” ² So Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

³ Now it happened in the same night, that the word of God came to Nathan, saying, ⁴ “Go and say to David My servant, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “^(B)You shall not build Me a house to inhabit; ⁵ for I have not inhabited a house since the day that I brought up Israel to this day, ^(C)but I have been from tent to tent and from one ^[a]dwelling place to another.