The Ark Brought to the Temple(A)

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(B) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. And all the Israelites(C) 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(D) 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(E) 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(F) 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(G) the two tablets(H) 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.(I) 12 All the Levites who were musicians(J)—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.(K) 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.”(L)

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

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Then Solomon called Israel’s elders together, including all the leaders of the tribes and families of Israel. They met in Jerusalem to transfer the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Zion, the City of David. All the men of Israel assembled in front of the king during the Festival of Tents[a] that takes place in the seventh month[b] of the year.[c]

As soon as all of Israel’s elders had arrived, the descendants of Levi lifted the ark and carried it, the tent where God met with his people,[d] and all of the sacred implements that belonged in the tent. The Levitical priests carried these up to the City of David.[e] King Solomon and all the Israelis who had assembled together proceeded ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and oxen than could be counted or recorded due to the number of sacrifices.[f]

The priests transported the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to the place created for it within the inner sanctuary of the Temple, into the Most Holy Place under the wings of the cherubim. The wings of the cherubim extended over where the ark and its carrying poles[g] had been placed, but the poles were long enough for their ends to extend to the front of the inner sanctuary, even though they could not be seen from outside. They remain there to this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except for the two tablets that Moses had placed there while Israel was encamped[h] at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelis after he had brought them out of the land of Egypt.

11 After this, the priests vacated the Holy Place. (Meanwhile, all the priests who were participating consecrated themselves, irrespective of their Levitical divisions. 12 All the musicians who were descendants of Levi, including Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives wore linen and played cymbals and stringed instruments as they stood east of the altar. Accompanied by 120 priests who played trumpets, 13 the trumpeters and musicians played in union, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. They praised the Lord loudly and sang, “He is good, and his gracious love is eternal,” accompanied by the trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments.) As they did this,[i] a cloud filled the Temple, that is, the Lord’s Temple, 14 and the priests were unable to complete their duties because of the cloud, since the glory of the Lord had filled God’s Temple.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 5:3 The Heb. lacks of Tents
  2. 2 Chronicles 5:3 I.e. sometime during mid-September to mid-October
  3. 2 Chronicles 5:3 The Heb. lacks of the year
  4. 2 Chronicles 5:5 Lit. the Tent of Meeting
  5. 2 Chronicles 5:5 The Heb. lacks to the City of David
  6. 2 Chronicles 5:6 The Heb. lacks due to the number of sacrifices
  7. 2 Chronicles 5:8 Cf. Ex 25:13-15
  8. 2 Chronicles 5:10 The Heb. lacks while Israel was encamped
  9. 2 Chronicles 5:13 The Heb. lacks As they did this

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims:

For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day.

10 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

11 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course:

12 Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:)

13 It came even to pass, as 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 musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;

14 So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.

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