Add parallel Print Page Options

So all the work Solomon did for the Lord’s temple was completed. Then Solomon brought the consecrated things of his father David – the silver, the gold, and all the utensils – and put them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

Preparations for the Temple Dedication

At that time(A) Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel – all the tribal heads, the ancestral chiefs of the Israelites – in order to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David,(B) that is, Zion. So all the men of Israel were assembled in the king’s presence at the festival; this was in the seventh month.[a]

All the elders of Israel came, and the Levites picked up the ark. They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and the holy utensils that were in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought them up. King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who had gathered around him were in front of the ark sacrificing sheep, goats, and cattle that could not be counted or numbered because there were so many. The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.(C) And the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark so that the cherubim formed a cover above the ark and its poles. The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place[b](D) in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside; they are still there today. 10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had put in it at Horeb,[c](E) where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.

11 Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions.(F) When the priests came out of the holy place, 12 the Levitical singers dressed in fine linen and carrying cymbals, harps, and lyres(G) were standing east of the altar, and with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets.(H) The Levitical singers were descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun and their sons(I) and relatives. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments,(J) in praise to the Lord:

For he is good;
his faithful love endures for ever.(K)

The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud.(L) 14 And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled God’s temple.(M)

Footnotes

  1. 5:3 = Tishri (September–October)
  2. 5:9 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read the ark; 1Kg 8:8
  3. 5:10 = Sinai

The Ark Is Brought into the Temple

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

(C)Then Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, (D)to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, which is Zion. (E)All the men of Israel assembled themselves before the king at (F)the feast, that is in the seventh month. Then all the elders of Israel came, and (G)the Levites picked up the ark. They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils that were in the tent. The Levitical priests brought them up. And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had 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 Most Holy Place, 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 out 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 120 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 raised their voices (N)accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, and when they praised the Lord saying, “(O)He indeed is good for His [e]kindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not rise 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 his
  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
  5. 2 Chronicles 5:13 Or faithfulness

The Ark Brought into the Temple

So (A)all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and all the furnishings. And he put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

The Ark Brought into the Temple(B)

(C)Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, in Jerusalem, that they might bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up (D)from the City of David, which is Zion. (E)Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with the king (F)at the feast, which was in the seventh month. So all the elders of Israel came, and the (G)Levites took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the (H)inner sanctuary of the [a]temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. The poles extended so that the ends of the (I)poles of the ark could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And [b]they are there to this day. 10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets which Moses (J)put there at Horeb, [c]when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they had come out of Egypt.

11 And it came to pass when the priests came out of the Most Holy Place (for all the priests who were present had [d]sanctified themselves, without keeping to their (K)divisions), 12 (L)and the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, (M)and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets— 13 indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

(N)For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”

that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not [e]continue ministering because of the cloud; (O)for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 5:7 Lit. house
  2. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit. it is
  3. 2 Chronicles 5:10 Or where
  4. 2 Chronicles 5:11 consecrated
  5. 2 Chronicles 5:14 Lit. stand to minister