1 Kings 7:51–8:21

51 So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things awhich his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

The Ark Brought into the Temple

8 Now aSolomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, bthat they might bring cup the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. 2 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the dfeast in the month of 1Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 So all the elders of Israel came, eand the priests took up the ark. 4 Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, fthe 2tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, gsacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 6 Then the priests hbrought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to iits place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, junder the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 The poles kextended so that the 3ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9 lNothing was in the ark mexcept the two tablets of stone which Moses nput there at Horeb, owhen the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud pfilled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the qglory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

12 rThen Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell sin the dark cloud.

13 tI have surely built You an exalted house,

uAnd a place for You to dwell in forever.”

Solomon’s Speech at Completion of the Work

14 Then the king turned around and vblessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said: w“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who xspoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that yMy name might be there; but I chose zDavid to be over My people Israel.’ 17 Now ait was in the heart of my father David to build a 4temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 18 bBut the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless cyou shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’ 20 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have 5filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, das the Lord promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 21 And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is ethe covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”