The Ark Enters the Temple
וַתִּשְׁלַם֙ כָּל־הַמְּלָאכָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה שְׁלֹמֹ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה ס וַיָּבֵ֨א שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה אֶת־קָדְשֵׁ֣י׀ דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֗יו וְאֶת־הַכֶּ֤סֶף וְאֶת־הַזָּהָב֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הַכֵּלִ֔ים נָתַ֕ן בְּאֹצְר֖וֹת בֵּ֥ית הָאֱלֹהִֽים׃ פ
So all the work that Solomon had performed for the house of the LORD was completed. Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of God.
אָז֩ יַקְהֵ֨יל שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה אֶת־זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְאֶת־כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֨י הַמַּטּ֜וֹת נְשִׂיאֵ֧י הָאָב֛וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם לְֽהַעֲל֞וֹת אֶת־אֲר֧וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֛ה מֵעִ֥יר דָּוִ֖יד הִ֥יא צִיּֽוֹן׃
At that time Solomon assembled in Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites—to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David.
וַיִּקָּהֲל֧וּ אֶל־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ כָּל־אִ֥ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בֶּחָ֑ג ה֖וּא הַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִֽי׃
So all the men of Israel came together to the king at the feast in the seventh month.
וַיָּבֹ֕אוּ כֹּ֖ל זִקְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּשְׂא֥וּ הַלְוִיִּ֖ם אֶת־הָאָרֽוֹן׃
When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark,
וַיַּעֲל֤וּ אֶת־הָאָרוֹן֙ וְאֶת־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וְאֶת־כָּל־כְּלֵ֥י הַקֹּ֖דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּאֹ֑הֶל הֶעֱל֣וּ אֹתָ֔ם הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים הַלְוִיִּֽם׃
and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. The Levitical priests carried them up.
וְהַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה וְכָל־עֲדַ֧ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הַנּוֹעָדִ֥ים עָלָ֖יו לִפְנֵ֣י הָאָר֑וֹן מְזַבְּחִים֙ צֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹֽא־יִסָּפְר֛וּ וְלֹ֥א יִמָּנ֖וּ מֵרֹֽב׃
There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assembled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.
וַיָּבִ֣יאוּ הַ֠כֹּהֲנִים אֶת־אֲר֨וֹן בְּרִית־יְהוָ֧ה אֶל־מְקוֹמ֛וֹ אֶל־דְּבִ֥יר הַבַּ֖יִת אֶל־קֹ֣דֶשׁ הַקְּדָשִׁ֑ים אֶל־תַּ֖חַת כַּנְפֵ֥י הַכְּרוּבִֽים׃
Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.
וַיִּהְי֤וּ הַכְּרוּבִים֙ פֹּרְשִׂ֣ים כְּנָפַ֔יִם עַל־מְק֖וֹם הָאָר֑וֹן וַיְכַסּ֧וּ הַכְּרוּבִ֛ים עַל־הָאָר֥וֹן וְעַל־בַּדָּ֖יו מִלְמָֽעְלָה׃
For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles.
וַֽיַּאֲרִיכוּ֮ הַבַּדִּים֒ וַיֵּרָאוּ֩ רָאשֵׁ֨י הַבַּדִּ֤ים מִן־הָאָרוֹן֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הַדְּבִ֔יר וְלֹ֥א יֵרָא֖וּ הַח֑וּצָה וַֽיְהִי־שָׁ֔ם עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
אֵ֚ין בָּֽאָר֔וֹן רַ֚ק שְׁנֵ֣י הַלֻּח֔וֹת אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥ן מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּחֹרֵ֑ב אֲשֶׁ֨ר כָּרַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ עִם־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּצֵאתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃ פ
There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt.
וַיְהִ֕י בְּצֵ֥את הַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים מִן־הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ כִּ֠י כָּל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֤ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִים֙ הִתְקַדָּ֔שׁוּ אֵ֖ין לִשְׁמ֥וֹר לְמַחְלְקֽוֹת׃
Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place,
וְהַלְוִיִּ֣ם הַמְשֹׁרֲרִ֣ים לְכֻלָּ֡ם לְאָסָ֡ף לְהֵימָ֣ן לִֽ֠ידֻתוּן וְלִבְנֵיהֶ֨ם וְלַאֲחֵיהֶ֜ם מְלֻבָּשִׁ֣ים בּ֗וּץ בִּמְצִלְתַּ֙יִם֙ וּבִנְבָלִ֣ים וְכִנֹּר֔וֹת עֹמְדִ֖ים מִזְרָ֣ח לַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ וְעִמָּהֶ֤ם כֹּֽהֲנִים֙ לְמֵאָ֣ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֔ים מַחְצְרִ֖ים בַּחֲצֹֽצְרֽוֹת׃
all the Levitical singers—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, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.
וַיְהִ֣י כְ֠אֶחָד לַמְחַצְּרִ֨ים וְלַמְשֹֽׁרֲרִ֜ים לְהַשְׁמִ֣יעַ קוֹל־אֶחָ֗ד לְהַלֵּ֣ל וּלְהֹדוֹת֮ לַיהוָה֒ וּכְהָרִ֣ים ק֠וֹל בַּחֲצֹצְר֨וֹת וּבִמְצִלְתַּ֜יִם וּבִכְלֵ֣י הַשִּׁ֗יר וּבְהַלֵּ֤ל לַיהוָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב כִּ֥י לְעוֹלָ֖ם חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְהַבַּ֛יִת מָלֵ֥א עָנָ֖ן בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃
The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud