Study Desk

The cohanim brought the ark for the covenant of Adonai in to its place inside the sanctuary of the house, to the Especially Holy Place, under the wings of the k'ruvim.

For the k'ruvim spread out their wings over the place for the ark, covering the ark and its poles from above.

When the cohanim came out of the Holy Place (for all the cohanim who were present had consecrated themselves; they didn't keep to their divisions;

then, when the trumpeters and singers were playing in concord, to be heard harmoniously praising and thanking Adonai , and they lifted their voices together with the trumpets, cymbals and other musical instruments to praise Adonai : "for he is good, for his grace continues forever" — then, the house, the house of Adonai , was filled with a cloud;

so that because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of Adonai filled the house of God.

It was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Adonai the God of Isra'el;

but Adonai said to David my father, ‘Although it was in your heart to build a house for my name, and you did well that it was in your heart,

nevertheless you will not build the house. Rather, you will father a son, and it will be he who will build the house for my name.'

Now Adonai has fulfilled this spoken word of his; for I have succeeded my father and sit on the throne of Isra'el, as Adonai promised; and I have built the house for the name of Adonai the God of Isra'el.

for Shlomo had made a bronze platform eight-and-three quarters feet long, eight-and-three-quarters feet wide and five-and-a-quarter feet high and had set it up in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, then got down on his knees before the whole community, spread out his hands toward heaven,

then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Isra'el makes — for each individual will know his own plague and his own pain — and the person spreads out his hands toward this house;

"If your people go out to fight their enemies, no matter by which way you send them, and they pray to you toward the city you chose and the house I built for your name;

"If they sin against you — for there is no one who doesn't sin — and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to a land far away or nearby;

if, in the land where they were brought and are being held captive, they return to you with all their heart and being and pray to you toward their own land, which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you chose and toward the house I have built for your name;

All the people of Isra'el saw when the fire came down, and the glory of Adonai was on the house; they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the flooring; prostrating themselves, they gave thanks to Adonai , "for he is good, for his grace continues forever."

The cohanim stood at their appointed stations, while the L'vi'im used the instruments that David the king had provided for making music to Adonai in order to "give thanks to Adonai , for his grace continues forever," by means of the praises David had composed. Opposite them the cohanim sounded trumpets; and all Isra'el stood up.

Shlomo also consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of Adonai ; because he had to offer the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar which Shlomo had made could not receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat.

So Shlomo celebrated the festival at that time for seven days, together with all Isra'el, an enormous gathering; [they had come all the way] from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi [of Egypt].

On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, having observed the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days.

Then, on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness Adonai had shown to David, to Shlomo and to Isra'el his people.