1So Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the LORD. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Temple of God.

The Ark Brought to the Temple

2Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of tribes—the leaders of the ancestral families of Israel. They were to bring the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion. 3So all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn.a

4When all the elders of Israel arrived, the Levites picked up the Ark. 5The priests and Levites brought up the Ark along with the special tentb and all the sacred items that had been in it. 6There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count!

7Then the priests carried the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place—and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8The cherubim spread their wings over the Ark, forming a canopy over the Ark and its carrying poles. 9These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place,c which is in front of the Most Holy Place, but not from the outside. They are still there to this day. 10Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai,d where the LORD made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left Egypt.

11Then the priests left the Holy Place. All the priests who were present had purified themselves, whether or not they were on duty that day. 12And the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and all their sons and brothers—were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets. 13The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the LORD with these words:

“He is good!

His faithful love endures forever!”

At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the LORD. 14The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple of God.