5. King Solomon and all Israel met together before the Box of the Agreement and sacrificed so many sheep and cattle that no one was able to count them all.
6. The priests carried the Box of the Lord’S Agreement to its proper place inside the Most Holy Place in the Temple, under the wings of the Cherub angels.
7. The wings of the Cherub angels spread out over the Holy Box, and they covered the Holy Box and its carrying poles.
8. The poles are still there today. They are too long for the Most Holy Place, so anyone standing in the Holy Place can see the ends of the poles, although no one outside can see them.
9. The only things inside the Holy Box are the two tablets that Moses put there at Mt. Horeb. This is where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
10. When the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the Lord’S Temple.
11. The priests could not continue their work because the Temple was filled with the Glory of the Lord.
12. Then Solomon said, “The Lord caused the sun to shine in the sky, but he chose to live in a dark cloud.
13. Now, Lord, I have built a beautiful Temple for you, where you may live forever.”
14. Then King Solomon turned toward all the Israelites who were standing there and asked God to bless them.
15. He prayed this long prayer to the Lord: “The Lord, the God of Israel, is great. He has done what he promised my father David. He told my father,
16. ‘I brought my people, Israel, out of Egypt, but I had not yet chosen a city from among the tribes of Israel for a temple to honor me. And I had not chosen a man to be leader over my people, Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem to be the city where I will be honored. And I have chosen David to rule over my people, Israel.’
17. “My father David wanted very much to build a temple to honor the Lord, the God of Israel.
18. But the Lord said to my father, ‘I know that you want very much to build a temple to honor me, and it is good that you want to build it.
19. But you are not the one to build my temple. Your son will build my temple.’
20. “So the Lord has kept his promises. I am the king now in place of my father David. I rule the people of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.
21. I have made a place in the Temple for the Holy Box. Inside that Holy Box is the agreement that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
22. Then Solomon stood in front of whole assembly of Israel and faced the Lord’S altar. Solomon spread his hands and looked toward heaven
23. and said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no other god like you in heaven or on the earth. You keep the agreement that you made with your people. You are kind and loyal to those who follow you with all their heart.