1 Kings 8:9

⁷ For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles.

⁸ The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.

There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD

¹¹ so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of the land of Egypt.
KJV: There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
WEB: There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
ASV: There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
DARBY: There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb, when Jehovah made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
BLB: Nothing [was] in the ark except the two tablets of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb when YHWH cut with the sons of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

ÅB: Det var ikke noe i arken uten de to stentavler som Moses hadde lagt ned der ved Horeb, dengang Herren gjorde pakt med Israels barn da de dro ut av Egypt.
OTB: Det var ingenting i arken unntatt de to steintavlene som Moses la der ved Horeb, der Herren inngikk en pakt med Israels barn da de kom ut av landet Egypt.
B1930: Det var ikke noget i arken uten de to stentavler som Moses hadde lagt ned der ved Horeb, dengang Herren gjorde pakt med Israels barn da de drog ut av Egyptens land.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Exodus 25:21
Set the mercy seat atop the ark, and put the Testimony that I will give you into the ark.
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Hebrews 9:4
containing the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. Inside the ark were the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.
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Exodus 40:20
Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.
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Deuteronomy 10:2–5
And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke; and you are to place them in the ark.”
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Exodus 34:27–28
The LORD also said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”
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2 Chronicles 7:1–3
When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
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Deuteronomy 4:13
He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.
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2 Chronicles 5:10
There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt.
Read in context