9. There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a promise to the Israelites after they left Egypt.
10. When the priests left the holy place, a cloud filled the Lord’s temple.
11. The priests couldn’t serve because of the cloud. The Lord’s glory filled his temple.
12. Then Solomon said, “The Lord said he would live in a dark cloud.
13. I certainly have built you a high temple, a home for you to live in permanently.”
14. Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel while they were standing.
15. “Thanks be to the Lord God of Israel. With his mouth he made a promise to my father David; with his hand he carried it out. He said,
16. ‘Ever since I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I didn’t choose any city in any of the tribes of Israel as a place to build a temple for my name. But now I’ve chosen David to rule my people Israel.’
17. “My father David had his heart set on building a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
18. However, the Lord said to my father David, ‘Since you had your heart set on building a temple for my name, your intentions were good.
19. But you must not build the temple. Instead, your own son will build the temple for my name.’
20. The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place, and I sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised. I’ve built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
21. I’ve made a place there for the ark which contains the Lord’s promise that he made to our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”