2 Chronicles

Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

1At last all the work Solomon did for the LORD's house was done. Solomon brought in the things his father David had given to God. He put the silver, the gold, and all the objects in the treasure rooms.

2Then 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.

2Then Solomon called Israel's leaders to Jerusalem. He called the elders, the heads of each tribe, and the leaders of the families. They came to carry up the ark of the covenant of the LORD. The ark was a gold-covered chest that held God's agreement with Israel. It was in Zion, the city of David.

3Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

3So all the men of Israel came to the king. They came at the feast held in the seventh month of the year.

4And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

4All the elders of Israel came. Then the Levites lifted up the ark. The Levites were the helpers who worked at God's house.

5And 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.

5They carried up the ark. They also carried the Tent of Meeting, the old tent where people met with God. They carried every holy object that was inside that tent. The priests and the Levites brought all of it up.

6Also 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.

6King Solomon was there in front of the ark. All the people of Israel who had come were there too. They offered sheep and cattle to God. There were so many that no one could count them.

7And 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:

7Then the priests carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place. They put it in the inner room of the house, the Most Holy Place. It sat under the wings of the cherubim, two large carved figures with wings.

8For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

8The cherubim spread their wings over the place where the ark sat. Their wings covered the ark and the poles used to carry it.

9And 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.

9The poles were so long that their ends could be seen. Anyone standing in front of the inner room could see them. But no one outside that room could see them. The poles are still there today.

10There 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.

10Nothing was inside the ark but two flat stones. Moses had put them there at Mount Horeb. That is where the LORD made his agreement with the people of Israel. It happened after they came out of Egypt.

Note"The two tables" in the old wording means two flat stones with writing on them, not tables you sit at.

11And 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:

11Then the priests came out of the holy room. Every priest who was there had made himself ready for God. They did not take turns that day, as they usually did.

NotePriests normally worked in groups that took turns through the year. "Did not then wait by course" means that this time every group served at once.

12Also 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:)

12The Levites who sang were all there. They came from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Their sons and relatives came too. They wore white linen clothes. They played cymbals, harps, and lyres. They stood on the east side of the altar. With them stood one hundred and twenty priests blowing trumpets.

Note"Psalteries" were stringed instruments, a bit like small harps.

13It 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;

13The trumpet players and the singers made one single sound together. They praised the LORD and thanked him with one voice. They lifted their voices with trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments. They sang, "He is good. His faithful love lasts forever." Then a cloud filled the house, 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 had filled the house of God.

14The priests could not stand up and do their work. The cloud was too thick. The shining glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.