1 Kings 8:1-21

1Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel—all the heads of the tribes and the ancestral chieftains of the children of Israel—to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring the ark of the covenant of Adonai up from the city of David, which is Zion.

2All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the Feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3Then all the elders of Israel came and the kohanim brought up the ark.

4They brought up the ark of Adonai, the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent the kohanim and the Levites brought them up.

5Now King Solomon—and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled to him—were with him before the ark sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be numbered or counted.

6The kohanim brought the ark of the covenant of Adonai to its place, into the inner Sanctuary of the House, to the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cheruvim.

7For the cheruvim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, and the cheruvim covered the ark and its poles from above.

8But the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner Sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; there they are to this day.

9Nothing was in the ark except the two tables of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, when Adonai cut a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10Now when the kohanim came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the House of Adonai,

11so that the kohanim could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Adonai filled the House of Adonai.

12Then Solomon spoke: “Adonai said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

13I have surely built You a magnificent House, a place for Your dwelling forever.”

14Then the king turned his face about and blessed the whole congregation of Israel while the whole congregation of Israel was standing.

15He said: “Blessed be Adonai, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and has fulfilled it by His hand, saying:

16‘Since the day I brought My people Israel out from Egypt, I have not chosen a city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a House where My Name would be there. But I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

17“Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a House for the Name of Adonai, the God of Israel.

18But Adonai said to my father David: ‘Because it was in your heart to build a House for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart.

19Nevertheless you will not build the House, but your son who will come out of your loins, he shall build the House for My Name.’

20Now Adonai has fulfilled His word that He spoke, for I have risen in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as Adonai promised. Also I have built the House for the Name of Adonai, the God of Israel,

21and have set there a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Adonai, which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”