ark of the covenant

¹Certainly, the former also had the justifications of worship and a holy place for that age. ²For a tabernacle was made at first, in which were the lampstand, and the table, and the bread of the Presence, which is called Holy. ³Then, beyond the second veil, was the tabernacle, which is called the Holy of Holies, ⁴having a golden censer, and the ark of the testament, covered all around and on every part with gold, in which was a golden urn containing manna, and the rod of Aaron which had blossomed, and the tablets of the testament. ⁵And over the ark were the Cherubim of glory, overshadowing the propitiatory. There is not enough time to speak about each of these things.

⁹Now inside the ark, there was nothing other than the two tablets of stone, which Moses had placed in it at Horeb, when the Lord formed a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they departed from the land of Egypt.

¹⁹Then he struck down some of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had seen the ark of the Lord. And he struck down some of the people: seventy men, and fifty thousand of the common people. And the people lamented, because the Lord had struck the people with a great slaughter.

¹Now Bezalel also made the ark from setim wood, having two and one half cubits in length, and one and one half cubits in width, and the height was also one and one half cubits. And he clothed it with the purest gold, inside and out. ²And for it he made a crown of gold all around, ³casting four gold rings at its four corners: two rings on one side, and two on the other. ⁴Likewise, he made bars from setim wood, which he clothed with gold, ⁵and he placed them into the rings, which were at the sides of the ark, to carry it. ⁶He also made the propitiatory, that is, the oracle, from the finest gold, two and one half cubits in length, and one and one half cubits in width,

²²From there, I will warn you and speak to you, above the propitiatory and from the middle of the two Cherubim, which will be over the ark of the testimony, about everything that I will command of the sons of Israel through you.

¹Then David again gathered together all the elect men of Israel, thirty thousand. ²And David arose and went away, with the entire people who were with him from the men of Judah, so that they might lead back the ark of God, over which is invoked the name of the Lord of hosts, who sits upon the cherubim above it. ³And they placed the ark of God on a new cart. And they took it from the house of Abinadab, who was in Gibeon. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart. ⁴And when they had taken it from the house of Abinadab, who was in Gibeon, Ahio preceded the ark as the keeper of the ark of God. ⁵But David and all of Israel played before the Lord on every kind of musical instrument made of wood, and on harps, and lyres, and timbrels, and bells, and cymbals. ⁶And after they had arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah extended his hand to the ark of God, and he touched it, because the oxen were kicking and had caused it to tip.

¹⁹And the temple of God was opened in heaven. And the Ark of his Testament was seen in his temple. And there were lightnings and voices and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail.

¹⁶And when you have been multiplied and increased in the land in those days, says the Lord, they will no longer say: ‘The Ark of the covenant of the Lord!’ And it will not enter into the heart, and they will not call it to mind. It will neither be visited, nor made use of, any longer.

³Also, he spoke with the Levites, by whose instruction all of Israel was sanctified to the Lord, saying: “Place the ark in the sanctuary of the temple, which Solomon, the son of David, the king of Israel, built. For never again shall you carry it. Instead, now you shall minister to the Lord your God, and to his people Israel.

⁸⁹And when Moses entered into the tabernacle of the covenant, to consult the oracle, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from the propitiatory, which is over the ark of the testimony between the two cherubim, and there he also spoke to him.

⁶And he said to the priests: “Take up the ark of the covenant, and go before the people.” And they fulfilled the orders, and they took it and walked before them.

⁴having a golden censer, and the ark of the testament, covered all around and on every part with gold, in which was a golden urn containing manna, and the rod of Aaron which had blossomed, and the tablets of the testament.

¹“At that time, the Lord said to me: ‘Hew for yourself two tablets of stone, like those that were before, and ascend to me on the mountain. And you shall make an ark of wood. ²And I will write on the tablets the words which were on those that you broke before, and you shall place them in the ark.’ ³And so, I made an ark of setim wood. And when I had hewn two tablets of stone like the former, I ascended onto the mountain, having them in my hands. ⁴And he wrote on the tablets, according to that which he had written before, the ten words, which the Lord spoke to you on the mountain from the midst of fire, when the people were assembled. And he gave them to me. ⁵And returning from the mountain, I descended and placed the tablets in the ark, which I had made, and they are still there even now, just as the Lord instructed me.

³³Therefore, they set out from the Mountain of the Lord on a journey of three days. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord preceded them, for three days, in order to provide a place for the camp.

¹⁵Then Solomon awakened, and he understood that it was a dream. And when he had arrived in Jerusalem, he stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and he offered holocausts and made victims of peace offerings, and he held a great feast for all his servants.

³And so, to prevent the lamp of God from going out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.

¹⁰Join together an ark of setim wood, whose length shall hold two and one half cubits; the width, one and one half cubits; the height, likewise, one and one half cubits. ¹¹And you shall overlay it with the finest gold, inside and out. And over it, you shall fashion a gold crown all around, ¹²and four gold rings, which you shall set into the four corners of the ark. Let two rings be on one side and two on the other. ¹³Likewise, you shall make bars of setim wood and cover them with gold. ¹⁴And you shall put them through the rings that are in the sides of the ark, so that it may be carried on them. ¹⁵These must always be in the rings, neither shall they ever be drawn out of them.