1 Kings 8:1-21

1Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem Israel’s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the city of David (that is, Zion).

2All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival in the month Ethanim (the seventh month).

3When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the priests lifted the ark.

4The priests and Levites carried the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy items in the tent.

5Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered.

6The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its assigned place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubs.

7The cherubs’ wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and its poles.

8The poles were so long their ends were visible from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point. They have remained there to this very day.

9There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb. It was there that the Lord made an agreement with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

10Once the priests left the holy place, a cloud filled the Lord’s temple.

11The priests could not carry out their duties because of the cloud; the Lord’s glory filled his temple.

12Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness.

13O Lord, truly I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.”

14Then the king turned around and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there.

15He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled what he promised my father David.

16He told David, ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’

17Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel.

18The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me.

19But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’

20The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel

21and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”