1 Kings 8:1-21 ▼

1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, which is Zion.

2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3 Then all the elders of Israel came, and the priests carried the ark.

4 And they brought up the ark of Yahweh and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils, which were in the tent, and the priests and the Levites brought them up.

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

6 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim.

7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above.

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

9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses laid there at Horeb, where Yahweh cut a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 Now it happened that when the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the house of Yahweh,

11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.

12 Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that He would dwell in the cloud of dense gloom.

13 I have surely built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever.”

14 Then the king turned his face around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.

15 And he said, “Blessed be Yahweh, 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 that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, but I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

17 And it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

18 But Yahweh 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.

19 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will come forth from your loins, he shall build the house for My name.’

20 And Yahweh has established His word which He spoke; and I have been established in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

21 And there I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which He cut with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt.”