2. All of the men of Israel came together to where King Solomon was. It was at the time of the Feast of Booths. The feast was held in the month of Ethanim. That's the seventh month.
3. All of the elders of Israel arrived. Then the priests picked up the ark and carried it.
4. They brought up the ark of the Lord. They also brought up the Tent of Meeting and all of the sacred articles that were in the tent. The priests and Levites carried everything up.
5. The entire community of Israel had gathered around King Solomon. All of them were in front of the ark. They sacrificed huge numbers of sheep and cattle. There were so many that they couldn't be recorded. In fact, they couldn't even be counted.
6. The priests brought the ark of the Lord's covenant to its place in the Most Holy Room of the temple. They put it under the wings of the cherubim.
7. The cherubim's wings were spread out over the place where the ark was. They covered the ark. They also covered the poles that were used to carry it.
8. The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Room in front of the Most Holy Room. But they couldn't be seen from outside the Holy Room. They are still there to this very day.
9. There wasn't anything in the ark except the two stone tablets. Moses had placed them in it at Mount Horeb. That's where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites. He made it after they came out of Egypt.
10. The priests left the Holy Room. Then the cloud filled the temple of the Lord.
11. The priests couldn't do their work because of it. That's because the glory of the Lord filled his temple.
12. Then Solomon said, "Lord, you have said you would live in a dark cloud.
13. As you can see, I've built a beautiful temple for you. You can live in it forever."
14. The whole community of Israel was standing there. The king turned around and gave them his blessing.