Part 254 (1/2)

5:5. And brought it in, together with all the furniture of the tabernacle. And the priests with the Levites carried the vessels of the sanctuary, which were in the tabernacle.

5:6. And king Solomon and all the a.s.sembly of Israel and all that were gathered together before the ark, sacrificed rams, and oxen without number: so great was the mult.i.tude of the victims.

5:7. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, that is, to the oracle of the temple, into the holy of holies under the wings of the cherubims:

5:8. So that the cherubims spread their wings over the place, in which the ark was set, and covered the ark itself and its staves.

5:9. Now the ends of the staves wherewith the ark was carried, because they were some thing longer, were seen before the oracle: but if a man were a little outward, he could not see them. So the ark has been there unto this day.

5:10. And there was nothing else in the ark but the two tables which Moses put there at h.o.r.eb when the Lord gave the law to the children of Israel, at their coming out of Egypt.

5:11. Now when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, for all the priests that could be found there, were sanctified: and as yet at that time the courses and orders of the ministries were not divided among them,

5:12. Both the Levites and the singing men, that is, both they that were under Asaph, and they that were under Heman, and they that were under Idithun, with their sons, and their brethren, clothed with fine linen, sounded with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, standing on the east side of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests, sounding with trumpets.

5:13. So when they all sounded together, both with trumpets, and voice, and cymbals, and organs, and with divers kind of musical instruments, and lifted up their voice on high: the sound was heard afar off, so that when they began to praise the Lord, and to say: Give glory to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: the house of G.o.d was filled with a cloud.

5:14. Nor could the priests stand and minister by reason of the cloud.

For the glory of the Lord had filled the house of G.o.d.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 6

Solomon's blessings and prayer.

6:1. Then Solomon said: The Lord promised that he would dwell in a cloud.

6:2. But I have built a house to his name, that he might dwell there for ever.

6:3. And the king turned his face, and blessed all the mult.i.tude of Israel for all the mult.i.tude stood attentive and he said:

6:4. Blessed be the Lord the G.o.d of Israel, who hath accomplished in deed that which he spoke to David my father, saying:

6:5. From the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel, for a house to be built in it to my name: neither chose I any other man, to be the ruler of my people Israel.

6:6. But I chose Jerusalem, that my name might be there: and I chose David to set him over my people Israel.

6:7. And whereas David my father had a mind to build a house to the name of the Lord the G.o.d of Israel,

6:8. The Lord said to him: Forasmuch as it was thy will to build a house to my name, thou hast done well indeed in having such a will:

6:9. But thou shalt not build the house, but thy son, who shall come out of thy loins, he shall build a house to my name.

6:10. The Lord therefore hath accomplished his word which he spoke: and I am risen up in the place of David my father, and sit upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised: and have built a house to the name of the Lord G.o.d of Israel.

6:11. And I have put in it the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with the children of Israel.

6:12. And he stood before the altar of the Lord, in presence of all the mult.i.tude of Israel, and stretched forth his hands.

6:13. For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, and had set it in the midst of the temple, which was five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high: and he stood upon it: then kneeling down in the presence of all the mult.i.tude of Israel, and lifting up his hands towards heaven,