The Ark Brought into the Temple^(A)

8 Now ^(B)Solomon 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, ^(C)that they might bring ^(D)up 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 ^(E)feast in the month of ^[a]Ethanim, which is the seventh month. ³ So all the elders of Israel came, ^(F)and the priests took up the ark. ⁴ Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, ^(G)the ^[b]tabernacle 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, ^(H)sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. ⁶ Then the priests ^(I)brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to ^(J)its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, ^(K)under 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 ^(L)extended so that the ^[c]ends 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 (M)Nothing was in the ark ^(N)except the two tablets of stone which Moses ^(O)put there at Horeb, ^(P)when 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 ^(Q)filled the house of the Lord, ¹¹ so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the ^(R)glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

^12 (S)Then Solomon spoke:

Solomon’s Speech at Completion of the Work^(W)

¹⁴ Then the king turned around and ^(X)blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. ¹⁵ And he said: ^(Y)“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who ^(Z)spoke 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 ^(AA)My name might be there; but I chose ^(AB)David to be over My people Israel.’ ¹⁷ Now ^(AC)it was in the heart of my father David to build a ^[d]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. ^18 (AD)But 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 ^(AE)you 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 ^[e]filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, ^(AF)as 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 ^(AG)the covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”