1 Kings 8:1-13

The Ark Brought to the Temple 1Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD ’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.

2All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. 3When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, 4and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up,

5and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted. 6The priests then brought the ark of the LORD ’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. 8These 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.

9There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt. 10When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD .

11And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple. 12Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;

13I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”