8 So Shelomoh assembled the Israeli leaders, and the tribal and clan heads, in Yerushalem to celebrate the arrival of the box containing Yahweh’s agreement coming from David’s city, i.e., Tsiyyon/Zion.[ref] 2 This all happened during the Celebration in Shelters in the seventh month of Etanin.[ref] 3 The Israeli elders and the priests lifted the sacred box 4 and carried it to the temple. Other priests and Levites brought all the sacred objects from the sacred tent. 5 King Shelomoh and all the Israelis who were there, walked ahead of the box, sacrificing more sheep and cattle than could be counted, because there were so many.

6 Then the priests brought the box containing the agreement into the inner room in the temple (the very holy place), and placed it beneath the wings of the two wooden winged creatures, 7 The two creatures had their wings stretched out and touching in the middle of the room where the sacred box was placed, so their wings covered over the top of the box and its carrying poles. 8 The poles were very long and the ends of them could be seen from the entrance to that inner room, but otherwise they couldn’t be seen from the outside, and they’re still there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the box except for the two stone slabs that Mosheh (Moses) had put inside at Mt. Sinai (also called Horev) where Yahweh made the agreement with the Israelis after he’d brought them out of Egypt.[ref]

10 When the priests came back out of the holy place, a cloud filled Yahweh’s residence[ref] 11 and the priests were unable to stand to minister because of the cloud, because Yahweh’s presence had filled his temple. 12 Then Shelomoh said, “Yahweh stated that he would dwell in the cloudy darkness.[ref] 13 Actually, I’ve built a raised house for you—where you can live forever.”

2 Then Shelomoh assembled the Israeli elders, and all the heads of the tribes, the Israeli clan leaders to Yerushalem, to bring the box containing Yahweh’s agreement up the hill from the city of David, that is, Tsiyyon (Zion).[ref] 3 So in October, all those Israeli leaders gathered to be with the king for a feast, 4 and once everyone was there, the Levites lifted up the sacred chest 5 and carried it up towards the temple. The priests (who are also Levites) carried it, along with the sacred tent and everything that had been in it. 6 Then King Shelomoh and all the assembled Israelis with him, gathered in front of the box, sacrificing sheep and cattle which were too many to count. 7 The priests then took the box containing Yahweh’s agreement, in to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house (the holy of holies)—to under the winged creatures 8 whose outstretched wings would now be over the sacred chest and even over the top of its carrying poles. 9 Those long poles stuck out and could be seen from the front of that inner room, but couldn’t be seen from the main room, and they’re still there to this day. 10 There was nothing in the box except the two stone tablets that Mosheh (Moses) had put in at Horev (Mt. Sinai), which represented the agreement that Yahweh had made with the Israelis after they’d left Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim).[ref]

11 Then the priests left the holy place in the temple. All the priests who were there, consecrated themselves to serve the priestly duties, irrespective of which division they were part of. 12 All the Levites who were singers (Asaf, Heyman, Yedutun, and their sons and their brothers) stood on the east side of the altar. They were dressed in fine linen and had cymbals, and harps and lyres, along with 120 priests playing trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers performed together to praise and thank Yahweh, with the trumpets and cymbals on the highlights of the song to praise Yahweh:[ref]

“Yahweh is good to us,

because his loyal commitment continues forever.”

Then Yahweh’s temple filled with a cloud 14 and the priests weren’t able to stay on their feet and continue ministering because Yahweh’s brilliance had filled the temple.

6 Then Shelomoh prayed, “Yahweh, you said that you would live in a dark cloud, 2 but I’ve built a beautiful residence for you—a place for you to live in forever.”