(A)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, (B)to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, which is Zion. (C)All the men of Israel assembled themselves before the king at (D)the feast, that is in the seventh month. Then all the elders of Israel came, and (E)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 [a]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 [b]poles. The poles were so long that (F)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 [c]they are there to this day. 10 (G)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 (H)to divisions), 12 and all the Levitical singers, (I)Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, (J)with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them 120 priests (K)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 (L)accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, and when they praised the Lord saying, “(M)He indeed is good for His [d]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 (N)the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

(O)Then Solomon said,

“The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.
I have built You a lofty house,
And a place for Your dwelling forever.”

Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, ‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, so that My name might be there, nor did I choose a man to be the leader over My people Israel; but (P)I have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there, and I (Q)have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ (R)Now it was [e]in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was [f]in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [g]in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who [h]will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.’ 10 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord [i]promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark (S)in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 5:6 Lit sheep...numbered for multitude
  2. 2 Chronicles 5:8 Lit poles above
  3. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Lit it is
  4. 2 Chronicles 5:13 Or faithfulness
  5. 2 Chronicles 6:7 Lit with
  6. 2 Chronicles 6:8 Lit with
  7. 2 Chronicles 6:8 Lit with
  8. 2 Chronicles 6:9 Lit will come forth from your loins
  9. 2 Chronicles 6:10 Lit spoke

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.

Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.

And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying,

Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

But the Lord said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:

Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.

10 The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

11 And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel.

Solomon now summoned to Jerusalem all of the leaders of Israel—the heads of the tribes and clans—for the ceremony of transferring the Ark from the Tabernacle in the[a] City of David, also known as Zion, to its new home in the Temple. This celebration took place in October at the annual Festival of Tabernacles. 4-5 As the leaders of Israel watched, the Levites lifted the Ark and carried it out of the Tabernacle, along with all the other sacred vessels. King Solomon and the others sacrificed sheep and oxen before the Ark in such numbers that no one tried to keep count!

7-8 Then the priests carried the Ark into the inner room of the Temple—the Holy of Holies—and placed it beneath the wings of the Guardian Angels; their wings spread over the Ark and its carrying poles. These carrying poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the outer room, but not from the outside doorway.

The Ark is still there at the time of this writing. 10 Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had put there at Mount Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel as they were leaving Egypt.

11-12 When the priests had undergone the purification rites for themselves, they all took part in the ceremonies without regard to their normal duties. And how the Levites were praising the Lord as the priests came out of the Holy of Holies! The singers were Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and all their sons and brothers, dressed in finespun linen robes and standing at the east side of the altar. The choir was accompanied by 120 priests who were trumpeters, while others played the cymbals, lyres, and harps. 13-14 The band and chorus united as one to praise and thank the Lord; their selections were interspersed with trumpet obbligatos, the clashing of cymbals, and the loud playing of other musical instruments—all praising and thanking the Lord. Their theme was “He is so good! His loving-kindness lasts forever!”

And at that moment the glory of the Lord, coming as a bright cloud, filled the Temple so that the priests could not continue their work.

1-2 This is the prayer prayed by Solomon on that occasion:

“The Lord has said that he would live in the thick darkness,

But I have made a Temple for you, O Lord, to live in forever!”

Then the king turned around to the people and they stood to receive his blessing:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” he said to them, “the God who talked personally to my father David and has now fulfilled the promise he made to him. For he told him, 5-6 ‘I have never before, since bringing my people from the land of Egypt, chosen a city anywhere in Israel as the location of my Temple where my name will be glorified; and never before have I chosen a king for my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem as that city, and David as that king.’

“My father David wanted to build this Temple, but the Lord said not to. It was good to have the desire, the Lord told him, but he was not the one to build it: his son was chosen for that task. 10 And now the Lord has done what he promised, for I have become king in my father’s place, and I have built the Temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel 11 and placed the Ark there. And in the Ark is the Covenant between the Lord and his people Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 5:2 Tabernacle in the, and to its new home in the Temple, implied.