houses 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. 3And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4And all the elders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the ark. 5And they brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these did the priests and the Levites bring up. 6And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 7And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto its place, into the Sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 8For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the Sanctuary; but they could not be seen without; and there they are unto this day. 10There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
11And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place—for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses; 12also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets—13it came even to pass, when 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 music, and praised the Lord: '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, 14so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.
6 Then spoke Solomon:
- The Lord hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.
- 2But I have built Thee a house of habitation,
- And a place for Thee to dwell in for ever.
3And the king turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel stood. 4And he said: 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth unto David my father, and hath with His hands fulfilled it, saying: 5Since the day that I brought forth My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that My name might be there; neither chose I any man to be prince over My people Israel; 6but I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there; and have chosen David to be over My people Israel. 7Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8But the Lord said unto David my father: Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for My name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart; 9never-
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