5 Finally all the work Solomon did for the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord was finished. He brought in everything his father David had ·set apart [dedicated] for the ·Temple [^Lhouse]—all the silver and gold and other ·articles [utensils]. And he ·put [stored] everything in the treasuries of God’s ·Temple [^Lhouse].

The Ark Is Brought into the Temple^(A)

² Solomon ·called for [summoned; assembled; convened] the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the ·leaders [chiefs] of the ·families [clans] to come to him in Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; ^LTestimony] with the Lord from ·the older part of the city [^Lthe city of David, that is, Zion]. ³ So all the Israelites came together with the king during the festival in the seventh month [^Cthe Festival of Shelters or Tabernacles or Booths held in early autumn].

⁴ When all the ·elders [men] of Israel arrived, the Levites ·lifted [picked; took] up the Ark. ⁵ They ·carried [brought up] the ·Ark of the Agreement [^Lark; Ex. 25:10], the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], and the ·holy utensils [sacred furnishings] in it; the ·priests and the Levites [Levitical priests] brought them up. ⁶ King Solomon and all the ·Israelites [^Lcongregation/community of Israel] gathered before the ·Ark of the Agreement [^Lark] and sacrificed so many sheep and ·bulls [oxen] no one could count or record them.

⁷ Then the priests put the Ark of the ·Agreement [covenant; treaty; ^LTestimony] with the Lord in its place inside the inner sanctuary of the ·Temple [^Lhouse], the ·Most Holy Place [^THoly of Holies], under the wings of the ·golden creatures [^Lcherubim]. ⁸ The wings of ·these creatures [^Lcherubim] were spread out over the place for the Ark, ·covering [forming a canopy over] it and its carrying poles. ⁹ The carrying poles were so long that anyone standing in the ·Holy Place [inner sanctuary] in front of the ·Most Holy Place [^THoly of Holies] could see the ends of the poles. But no one could see them from outside the Holy Place. The poles are still there today. ¹⁰ The only things inside the Ark were two stone tablets [^Cinscribed with the Ten Commandments] that Moses had put in the Ark at ·Mount Sinai [^LHoreb]. That was where the Lord made his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ Then all the priests ·left [came out of; withdrew from] the Holy Place. (All the priests ·from each group [regardless of their divisions/orders; or whether they were serving that day or not] had ·made themselves ready to serve the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves].) ¹² All the Levite ·musicians [singers]—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun [^Call associated with certain psalms; see titles of Ps. 50, 73–83 (Asaph), 88 (Heman), 39, 62, 77 (Jeduthun)], and all their sons and ·relatives [kinsmen; ^Lbrothers]—stood on the east side of the altar. They were dressed in ·white [fine] linen and played cymbals, harps, and lyres. ·With [Accompanying] them were one hundred twenty priests who blew trumpets. ¹³ Those who blew the trumpets and those who sang ·together sounded like one person [performed in unison] as they praised and thanked the Lord. They sang ·as others played their [accompanied by] trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments. They praised the Lord with this song:

Then the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord was filled with a cloud. ¹⁴ The priests could not continue their ·work [service] because of the cloud, because the Lord’s ·glory [splendor] filled the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of God.