5. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen they could not be counted or numbered.
6. Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, 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; they are there to this day.
9. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10. It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord,
11. so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
12. Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.
13. "I have surely built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever."
14. Then the king faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.
15. He said, "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with 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 chose David to be over My people Israel.'
17. Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
18. But the Lord 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 be born to you, he will build the house for My name.'
20. Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
21. There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt."
22. Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.
23. He said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,