1 Kings 8:1–26
8 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefso of the Israelite families, to bring up the arkp of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.q 2 All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festivalr in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.s
3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priestst took up the ark, 4 and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meetingu and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levitesv carried them up, 5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificingw so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
6 The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenantx to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place,y and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.z 7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadoweda the ark and its carrying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.b 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tabletsc that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloudd filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their servicee because of the cloud, for the gloryf of the Lord filled his temple.
12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;g 13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwellh forever.”
14 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessedi them. 15 Then he said:
“Praise be to the Lord,j the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, 16 ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt,k I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Namel might be there, but I have chosenm Davidn to rule my people Israel.’
17 “My father David had it in his hearto to build a templep for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 19 Nevertheless, youq are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’r
20 “The Lord has kept the promise he made: I have succeededs David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have builtt the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his handsu toward heaven 23 and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God likev you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of lovew with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
25 “Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promisesx you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promisedy your servant David my father come true.