Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the
tribes, the princes of the children of Israel, to bring up the ark of
the covenant of the Lord. And the priests brought in the ark of the
covenant of the Lord unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to
the most holy place. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out
of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord so that
the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the
glory of the Lord filled the house.
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all
the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; and he
said, "O Lord, the God of Israel, who keepest covenant and
lovingkindness with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their
heart, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto
thy servant David my father. But will God in very deed dwell on the
earth? behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how
much less this house that I have builded! Yet hearken thou to the
supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall
pray toward this place: yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and
when thou hearest, forgive."