1 Kings 8:1-11

New English Translation

Solomon Moves the Ark into the Temple

8 ^[a] Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem Israel’s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the City of David (that is, Zion).^{[b] 2} All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival^[c] in the month of Ethanim^[d] (the seventh month). ³ When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the priests lifted the ark. ⁴ The priests and Levites carried the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting,^[e] and all the holy items in the tent.^{[f] 5} Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered.^[g]

⁶ The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its assigned^[h] place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁷ The cherubim’s wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.^{[i] 8} The poles were so long their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point.^[j] They have remained there to this very day. ⁹ There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb.^[k] It was there that^[l] the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt. ¹⁰ Once the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. ¹¹ The priests could not carry out their duties^[m] because of the cloud; the Lord’s glory filled his temple.^[n]