The Ark Is Brought into the Temple

(A)Thus all the work that Solomon performed for the house of the Lord was finished. And Solomon brought in the [a](B)things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver and the gold and all the utensils, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

(C)Then Solomon assembled to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, (D)to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. (E)All the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at (F)the feast, that is in the seventh month. Then all the elders of Israel came, and (G)the Levites took up the ark. They brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing [b]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its [c]poles. The poles were so long that (H)the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and [d]they are there to this day. 10 (I)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

The Glory of God Fills the Temple

11 When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard (J)to divisions), 12 and all the Levitical singers, (K)Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, (L)with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests (M)blowing trumpets 13 in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice (N)accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “(O)He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for (P)the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 5:1 Lit dedicated things of David,
  2. 2 Chronicles 5:6 Lit sheep...numbered for multitude
  3. 2 Chronicles 5:8 Lit poles above
  4. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit it is

When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished,(A) he brought in the things his father David had dedicated(B)—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

The Ark Brought to the Temple(C)

Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark(D) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. And all the Israelites(E) came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests(F) carried them up; and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

The priests then brought the ark(G) of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim(H) spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 10 There was nothing in the ark except(I) the two tablets(J) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

11 The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.(K) 12 All the Levites who were musicians(L)—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.(M) 13 The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(N)

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud,(O) 14 and the priests could not perform(P) their service because of the cloud,(Q) for the glory(R) of the Lord filled the temple of God.