1 Kings 8:1-21

1Then Solomon told all the leaders of Israel to come to him in Jerusalem. They were all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families. He wanted them to bring the Lord's Covenant Box from Mount Zion, the City of David, to put it in the temple.

2So all the Israelite leaders came together to meet with King Solomon. This happened during the Festival of Huts in the seventh month of the year, called Ethanim.

3When all Israel's leaders had arrived, the priests lifted up the Covenant Box.

4The priests and the Levites carried the Lord's Covenant Box, the Tent of Meeting and all the holy things that were in the tent.

5King Solomon and all the Israelites who were with him walked in front of the Covenant Box. They offered many sheep and bulls as sacrifices. There were more animals than anyone could count.

6Then the priests brought the Lord's Covenant Box to its proper place in the inside room of the temple. That was the Most Holy Place. They put it under the wings of the cherubs.

7The wings of the cherubs touched each other above the place where the Covenant Box was. The cherubs covered the Covenant Box and the poles that the Levites used to carry it.

8The poles were very long. The priests could see their ends from the Holy Place, if they stood in front of the Most Holy Place. But nobody could see the poles from outside the temple. And they are still there today.

9There was nothing in the Covenant Box, except the two flat stones that Moses had put there at Sinai. That was where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out from Egypt.

10When the priests came out from the Holy Place, a cloud filled the Lord's temple.

11The priests could not do their work to serve the Lord, because of the cloud. The Lord's bright glory filled his temple.

12Then Solomon prayed, ‘Lord, you have said that you live in a dark cloud.

13Now I have built a great temple for you. It is a place where you can live for ever.’

14While all the Israelite people stood there, the king turned round towards them. He prayed that God would bless them.

15He said, ‘Praise the Lord, Israel's God, as he deserves. He has used his power to do what he promised to do for my father David.

16He told David, “I brought my people, the Israelites, out from Egypt. From that time, I have not chosen a city in any of Israel's tribes to build a temple where my people would worship me. Now I have chosen David to rule Israel, my people, as king.”

17My father David wanted very much to build a temple to give honour to the Lord, Israel's God.

18But the Lord said to my father David, “It was good that you wanted to build a temple to give me honour.

19But you will not build the temple. Instead, one of your own sons will build it to give honour to me.”

20Now the Lord has done what he promised to do. I now rule Israel as king on the throne of my father David, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple to give honour to the Lord, Israel's God.

21I have made a place there for the Covenant Box. It contains the covenant that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.’