8 Then Solomon told all the leaders of Israel to come to him in Jerusalem. They were all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families. He wanted them to bring the Lord 's Covenant Box from Mount Zion, the City of David, to put it in the temple. [ a ] 2 So all the Israelite leaders came together to meet with King Solomon. This happened during the Festival of Huts in the seventh month of the year, called Ethanim. [ b ] 3 When all Israel's leaders had arrived, the priests lifted up the Covenant Box.
4 The priests and the Levites carried the Lord 's Covenant Box, the Tent of Meeting and all the holy things that were in the tent.
5 King Solomon and all the Israelites who were with him walked in front of the Covenant Box. They offered many sheep and bulls as sacrifices. There were more animals than anyone could count.
6 Then the priests brought the Lord 's Covenant Box to its proper place in the inside room of the temple. That was the Most Holy Place. They put it under the wings of the cherubs. 7 The wings of the cherubs touched each other above the place where the Covenant Box was. The cherubs covered the Covenant Box and the poles that the Levites used to carry it. [ c ] 8 The poles were very long. The priests could see their ends from the Holy Place, if they stood in front of the Most Holy Place. But nobody could see the poles from outside the temple. And they are still there today.
9 There was nothing in the Covenant Box, except the two flat stones that Moses had put there at Sinai. That was where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out from Egypt.
10 When the priests came out from the Holy Place, a cloud filled the Lord 's temple. 11 The priests could not do their work to serve the Lord , because of the cloud. The Lord 's bright glory filled his temple.
12 Then Solomon prayed, ‘ Lord , you have said that you live in a dark cloud. 13 Now I have built a great temple for you. It is a place where you can live for ever.’
14 While all the Israelite people stood there, the king turned round towards them. He prayed that God would bless them. 15 He said, ‘Praise the Lord , Israel's God, as he deserves. He has used his power to do what he promised to do for my father David. 16 He told David, “I brought my people, the Israelites, out from Egypt. From that time, I have not chosen a city in any of Israel's tribes to build a temple where my people would worship me. Now I have chosen David to rule Israel, my people, as king.” 17 My father David wanted very much to build a temple to give honour to the Lord , Israel's God. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, “It was good that you wanted to build a temple to give me honour. 19 But you will not build the temple. Instead, one of your own sons will build it to give honour to me.” 20 Now the Lord has done what he promised to do. I now rule Israel as king on the throne of my father David, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple to give honour to the Lord , Israel's God. 21 I have made a place there for the Covenant Box. It contains the covenant that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.’
22 Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord 's altar. All the Israelite people who had come together there could see him. He lifted up his hands towards the sky. [ d ] 23 He prayed,
‘ Lord , Israel's God, there is no God like you, either in heaven above or down here on the earth. You continue to do what you have promised to do for your people. You faithfully love those who want to serve you. 24 You have done what you promised to do for your servant, my father David. You have used your power to finish today everything that you said you would do. 25 Now Lord , Israel's God, there is another promise that you spoke to my father David. I pray that you will do that too. You said to David, “There will always be one of your descendants to rule Israel as my chosen king. But for this to happen, your sons must be careful to serve me well, as you have done.” 26 So now, God of Israel, please cause what you promised to my father, your servant David, to happen.
27 But surely God, you do not live on the earth! The whole sky, or even heaven itself, is too small to contain you! So how can you live in this temple that I have built? 28 But Lord , my God, please listen to my prayer, as I ask you for help. Please answer me, your servant, because I need your help today. 29 Watch over this temple and take care of it day and night. This is the place about which you said, “People will give honour to my name there.” Please answer my prayers when I turn towards this place to pray to you. 30 Hear the prayers of me, your servant, and the prayers of your people, the Israelites. Please answer us when we turn towards this place and we pray to you. Hear us from heaven, the place where you live. And when we pray, forgive us for our sins.
31 Somebody may do a bad thing against another person. Then he may come to this temple and stand in front of your altar. He may say to you that he is not guilty of any wrong thing. 32 Then listen from heaven to what these people are saying. Decide who is right. Punish the guilty person as he deserves. Show clearly that the other person is right, because he has not done any wrong thing.
33 Perhaps an enemy will win against your people, the Israelites, because we have not obeyed you. But then your people may turn back to you and worship you. They may come into this temple and pray that you will help them. 34 If they do that, please hear them from heaven! Please forgive the sins of your people, the Israelites. Please bring them back to the land that you gave to their ancestors.
35 Sometimes, there may be no rain from the sky because your people have not obeyed you. Then they may turn towards this place and pray to you. They may give honour to your name and turn away from their sins, because you have punished them. 36 If they do that, please hear them from heaven! Please forgive the sins of your servants, your people, the Israelites. Teach them to live in the right way. And please send rain onto this land that you gave to your people to belong to them for ever.
37 Sometimes, there may be other troubles in our land. There may be a famine or a bad disease. Our crops may not grow and our animals may be ill. Locusts may destroy our crops. An enemy may attack some cities in our land. Or there may be other kinds of disease or trouble. 38 Then, some of your people may pray to you and ask you for help. If someone is sad and upset, he may turn towards this temple and lift up his hands in prayer. 39 If someone does that, please hear him from your home in heaven. Please forgive the sins of your people and help them. Only you know what people are thinking. So please give to each person as they deserve. 40 Then your people will respect and obey you as they live in this land that you gave to our ancestors.
41 Foreigners, who do not belong to your people, the Israelites, will hear how great you are. Then they will come here from other countries far away. 42 They will hear about you and your power to do great things. Then they will turn towards this temple and pray to you. 43 When that happens, please hear them from your home in heaven. Please answer all the prayers of these foreign people. Then people from all the nations in the world will realize how great you are. They also will respect you and obey you, as your own people do. They will understand that this temple that I have built belongs to you.
44 Sometimes, your people will go to fight against their enemies at the place where you have sent them. Then they may turn towards this city and pray to the Lord . This is the city that you have chosen for me to build the temple to give you honour. 45 When they pray to you, please hear them from your home in heaven. Do what is right to help them win against their enemies.
46 There is nobody who never does a wrong thing. So when your people do not obey you, you will be angry with them. You will put them under the power of their enemies. Those enemies will take them as prisoners to their own country. Perhaps it will be a country that is far away. Perhaps it will be near. 47 Then your people may think about the bad things that they have done. While they are prisoners in their enemy's country, they may be sorry about their sins. They may pray to you and ask you to forgive them. They may say, “We have turned away from God and we have done wicked things.” 48 In the country where they are prisoners, they may turn back to you and worship you truly. They may turn towards this land that you gave to their ancestors. They may pray to you as they look towards this city that you have chosen. They may look towards the temple that I have built to give you honour. 49 If they do that, please hear them from your home in heaven. Please answer their prayers and do what is right to help them.
50 Please forgive your people for all the sins that they have done against you. Please cause their enemies to be kind to them. 51 Remember that they are your special people who belong to you. You brought them out of Egypt where they were like prisoners in a very hot oven.
52 I pray that you will carefully watch over me, your servant. Please answer my prayers and the prayers of your people, the Israelites. Whenever we pray to you, please listen to us. 53 From all the nations of the world you chose Israel to belong to you as your special people. Almighty Lord , this is what you promised to your servant Moses when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.’
54 So Solomon finished all his prayers and everything that he wanted to ask the Lord for. He had been down on his knees with his hands lifted up towards the sky in front of the Lord 's altar. Now he stood up. 55 When he stood up, he asked God to bless all the people in Israel. He said with a loud voice, 56 ‘Praise the Lord as he deserves! He has given his people, the Israelites, a safe place to live, as he has promised to do. Every great promise that the Lord gave to his servant Moses has now happened! 57 I pray that the Lord our God will be with us, as he was with our ancestors. I pray that he will never leave us or turn away from us. 58 I pray that the Lord will cause us to respect his authority. Then we will do what he wants us to do. We will obey all his commands, rules and laws that he gave to our ancestors. 59 I pray that the Lord our God will continue to remember these words that I have prayed. May he keep them in his thoughts. I pray that he will do what is right to help me and his people, the Israelites. May he give us the help that we need each day. 60 Then all the nations of the earth will understand that the Lord is the only true God. There is no other God. 61 I pray that you will continue to serve the Lord our God faithfully. You must continue to obey his rules and his commands, as you do now.’
62 Then the king and all the Israelite people who were with him offered sacrifices to the Lord .
63 These are the friendship offerings that Solomon offered to the Lord :
22,000 cows.
120,000 sheep and goats.
In this way, King Solomon and all the Israelite people offered the temple as a gift to the Lord .
64 On the same day, the king gave to the Lord the yard that was in front of the temple. King Solomon offered burnt offerings and grain offerings to the Lord . He also offered the fat from the friendship offerings. The bronze altar in front of the temple was too small to contain all these offerings. [ e ] So Solomon made these sacrifices in the middle of the yard instead. 65 At that time, Solomon and the big crowd of Israelites who were with him had a festival for seven days. [ f ] They gave honour to the Lord our God. There were people from everywhere in Israel, from Hamath in the north to the Stream of Egypt in the south. 66 The day after the festival, Solomon sent the people away to their homes. They thanked God for the king and were very happy. They were full of joy because the Lord had done many good things for his servant David and for his people, the Israelites.
8 Then King Solomon told all the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families of Israel to come together in Jerusalem. Solomon wanted them to join in moving the Box of the Lord ’s Agreement from the City of David up to the Temple. 2 So during the special festival [ a ] in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month of the year, all the men of Israel came to the meeting with King Solomon.
3-4 When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests and Levites carried the Holy Box of the Lord up to the Temple. They also carried the Meeting Tent and all the holy things that were in it up to the Temple. 5 King Solomon and all Israel met together before the Box of the Agreement and sacrificed so many sheep and cattle that no one was able to count them all. 6 The priests carried the Box of the Lord ’s Agreement to its proper place inside the Most Holy Place in the Temple, under the wings of the Cherub angels. 7 The wings of the Cherub angels spread out over the Holy Box, and they covered the Holy Box and its carrying poles. 8 The poles are still there today. They are too long for the Most Holy Place, so anyone standing in the Holy Place can see the ends of the poles, although no one outside can see them. 9 The only things inside the Holy Box are the two tablets that Moses put there at Mt. Horeb. This is where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
10 When the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud [ b ] filled the Lord ’s Temple. 11 The priests could not continue their work because the Temple was filled with the Glory of the Lord . 12 Then Solomon said,
“The Lord caused the sun to shine in the sky,
but he chose to live in a dark cloud. [ c ]
13 Now, Lord, I have built a beautiful Temple for you,
where you may live forever.”
14 Then King Solomon turned toward all the Israelites who were standing there and asked God to bless them. 15 He prayed this long prayer to the Lord:
“The Lord , the God of Israel, is great. He has done what he promised my father David. He told my father, 16 ‘I brought my people, Israel, out of Egypt, but I had not yet chosen a city from among the tribes of Israel for a temple to honor me. And I had not chosen a man to be leader over my people, Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem to be the city where I will be honored. [ d ] And I have chosen David to rule over my people, Israel.’
17 “My father David wanted very much to build a temple to honor the Lord , the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father, ‘I know that you want very much to build a temple to honor me, and it is good that you want to build it. 19 But you are not the one to build my temple. Your son will build my temple.’
20 “So the Lord has kept his promises. I am the king now in place of my father David. I rule the people of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built the Temple for the Lord , the God of Israel. 21 I have made a place in the Temple for the Holy Box. Inside that Holy Box is the agreement that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
22 Then Solomon stood in front of whole assembly of Israel and faced the Lord ’s altar. Solomon spread his hands and looked toward heaven 23 and said,
“ Lord , God of Israel, there is no other god like you in heaven or on the earth. You keep the agreement that you made with your people. You are kind and loyal to those who follow you with all their heart. 24 You made a promise to your servant, my father David, and you kept that promise. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you made it come true today. 25 Now, Lord , God of Israel, keep the other promises you made to your servant David, my father. You said, ‘David, if your sons carefully obey me as you did, you will always have someone from your family ruling the people of Israel.’ 26 Again, God of Israel, I ask you to keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David.
27 “But, God, will you really live here with us on the earth? The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you. Certainly this Temple that I built cannot contain you either. 28 But please listen to my prayer and my request. I am your servant, and you are the Lord my God. Hear this prayer that I am praying to you today. 29 In the past you said, ‘I will be honored there.’ So please watch over this Temple, night and day. And please listen to my prayer as I turn toward this Temple and pray to you. 30 And please listen to our prayers in the future when I and your people Israel turn to this place and pray to you. We know that you live in heaven. We ask you to hear our prayer there and forgive us.
31 “Those who wrong others will be brought to this altar. If they are not guilty, they will make an oath and promise that they are innocent. 32 Please listen from heaven and judge them. If they are guilty, please show us that they are guilty. And if they are innocent, please show us that they are not guilty.
33 “Sometimes your people Israel will sin against you, and their enemies will defeat them. Then the people will come back to you and praise you. They will pray to you in this Temple. 34 Please listen in heaven, please listen to the prayers of your people Israel. Forgive them for their sins and let them have their land again. You gave this land to their ancestors.
35 “Sometimes they will sin against you, and you will stop the rain from falling on their land. Then they will pray toward this place and praise your name. You make them suffer, and they will be sorry for their sins. 36 So please listen in heaven to their prayer. Then forgive us for our sins. Teach the people to live right. Then, Lord, please send rain to the land you gave them.
37 “The land might become very dry and no food will grow on it. Or maybe a great sickness will spread among the people. Maybe all the food that is growing will be destroyed by insects. Or your people might be attacked in some of their cities by their enemies. Or many of your people might get sick. 38 When any of these things happen, and people feel compelled in their hearts to spread their hands in prayer toward this Temple, 39 please listen to their prayer. Listen while you are in your home in heaven and forgive them and help them. Only you know what people are really thinking, so only you can judge them fairly. 40 Do this so that your people will fear and respect you all the time that they live in this land that you gave to our ancestors.
41-42 “People from other places will hear about your greatness and your power. They will come from far away to pray at this Temple. 43 From your home in heaven, please listen to their prayers. Please do everything the people from other places ask you. Then they will fear and respect you the same as your people in Israel. Then all people everywhere will know that I built this Temple to honor you.
44 “Sometimes you will command your people to go and fight against their enemies. Then your people will turn toward the city that you have chosen and the Temple that I built in your honor, and they will pray to you, Lord . 45 Please listen to their prayers from your home in heaven, and help them.
46 “Your people will sin against you. I know this because everyone sins. And you will be angry with your people. You will let their enemies defeat them. Their enemies will make them prisoners and carry them to some faraway land. 47 In that faraway land, your people will think about what happened. They will be sorry for their sins, and they will pray to you. They will say, ‘We have sinned and done wrong.’ 48 They will be in that faraway land of their enemies, but they will turn back to you. They will feel sorry for their sins with their whole heart and soul. They will turn toward the land you gave their ancestors. They will look toward the city you chose and toward the Temple I built, and they will pray to you. 49 Please listen to their prayers from your home in heaven, and do what is right. 50 Forgive your sinful people for all the things they have done against you. Make their enemies be kind to them. 51 Remember that they are your people and that you brought them out of Egypt. It was as if you saved them by pulling them out of a hot oven!
52 “Please listen to my prayers and to the prayers of your people Israel. Listen to their prayers any time that they ask you for help. 53 You have chosen them from all the peoples of the earth to be your own special people. Lord God , you promised to do that for us. You used your servant Moses to make that promise when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
54 When Solomon prayed this prayer to the Lord , he was on his knees in front of the Lord ’s altar and his arms were raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he stood up. 55 Then, in a loud voice, he asked God to bless all the people of Israel. Solomon said,
56 “Praise the Lord ! He promised to give rest to his people, Israel. And he has given us rest! He used his servant Moses and made many good promises to the people of Israel. And he has kept every one of them! 57 I pray that the Lord our God will be with us, as he was with our ancestors. I pray that he will never leave us. 58 I pray that we will turn to him and follow him. Then we will obey all the laws, decisions, and commands that he gave our ancestors. 59 I pray that the Lord our God will always remember this prayer and what I have asked. I pray that he will do these things for his servant, the king, and for his people, Israel. I pray that he will do this every day. 60 If he will do these things, all the people of the world will know that the Lord is the only true God. 61 You people must be loyal and true to the Lord our God. You must always follow and obey all of his laws and commands. You must continue to obey in the future as you do now.”
62 Then King Solomon and all the Israelites with him offered sacrifices to the Lord . 63 Solomon killed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep as fellowship offerings to the Lord . In this way the king and the people showed that they had dedicated the Temple to the Lord .
64 King Solomon also dedicated the yard right in front of the Lord ’s Temple. He offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat from the animals that were used as fellowship offerings. King Solomon made these offerings there in the yard. He did this because the bronze altar in front of the Lord was too small to hold them all.
65 So there at the Temple, King Solomon and all the people of Israel celebrated the festival. [ e ] People came from as far away as Hamath Pass in the north and the border of Egypt in the south. This huge crowd of people ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves together with the Lord for seven days. Then they stayed for another seven days. They celebrated for a total of 14 days. [ f ] 66 The next day Solomon told the people to go home. All the people thanked the king, said goodbye, and went home. They were happy because of all the good things that the Lord had done for David his servant and for his people Israel.
8 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4 And they brought up the ark of the Lord , and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.
5 And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims.
7 For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
8 And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord ,
11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord .
12 Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
13 I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.
14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)
15 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,
16 Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
18 And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.
19 Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.
20 And the Lord hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord , which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
23 And he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart:
24 Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
25 Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
28 Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day:
29 That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.
30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
31 If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:
32 Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
34 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.
35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
36 Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.
37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;
38 What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
39 Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
40 That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
41 Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;
42 (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;
43 Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.
44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:
45 Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;
47 Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
48 And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
49 Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause,
50 And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:
52 That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.
54 And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord , he arose from before the altar of the Lord , from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
56 Blessed be the Lord , that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.
57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
58 That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord , be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require:
60 That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God, and that there is none else.
61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord .
63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the Lord , two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord .
64 The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord : for there he offered burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar that was before the Lord was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.
65 And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
66 On the eighth day he sent the people away: and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.
8 ( A ) Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all ( B ) the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, ( C ) to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from ( D ) the city of David, that is, Zion. 2 So all the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at ( E ) the feast, in the month Ethanim, that is, the seventh month. 3 Then all the elders of Israel came, and ( F ) the priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of the Lord , ( G ) the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were gathered together to him, ( H ) were with him before the ark, sacrificing [ a ] so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then ( I ) the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord ( J ) to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, ( K ) under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its carrying poles from above. 8 But ( L ) the poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; they are there to this day. 9 ( M ) There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where ( N ) the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, ( O ) the cloud filled the house of the Lord , 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord .
12 ( P ) Then Solomon said,
“The Lord has said that ( Q ) He would dwell in the thick darkness.
13 ( R ) I have truly built You a lofty house,
( S ) A place for Your dwelling forever.”
14 Then the king [ b ] turned around and ( T ) blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “ ( U ) Blessed be the Lord , the God of Israel, ( V ) who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16 ‘ ( W ) Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that ( X ) My name would be there, but ( Y ) I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 ( Z ) Now it was [ c ] in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord , the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was [ d ] in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [ e ] in your heart. 19 ( AA ) Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who [ f ] will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for ( AB ) I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord [ g ] promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord , the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, ( AC ) in which is the covenant of the Lord , which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
22 Then ( AD ) Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he ( AE ) spread out his hands toward heaven. 23 And he said, “ Lord , God of Israel, ( AF ) there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, ( AG ) keeping the covenant and showing faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24 You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You [ h ] promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 25 Now then, Lord , God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have [ i ] promised him, saying, ‘ [ j ] ( AH ) You shall not be deprived of a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful about their way, to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26 Now then, God of Israel, let Your words, please, be confirmed, ( AI ) which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.
27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, ( AJ ) heaven and the [ k ] highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the ( AK ) prayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord , my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, 29 ( AL ) so that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward ( AM ) the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. 30 And ( AN ) listen to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, ( AO ) when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and ( AP ) forgive!
31 “ ( AQ ) If a person sins against his neighbor and is compelled to take an oath of innocence , and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, ( AR ) condemning the wicked by [ l ] bringing his way on his own head, and acquitting the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.
33 “ ( AS ) When Your people Israel are [ m ] defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, ( AT ) if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your [ n ] favor in this house, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave their fathers.
35 “ ( AU ) When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; ( AV ) indeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And ( AW ) provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.
37 “ ( AX ) If there is a famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is [ o ] blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy harasses them in the land of their [ p ] cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is , 38 whatever prayer or plea [ q ] is offered by any person or by all Your people Israel, [ r ] each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his [ s ] hands toward this house; 39 then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, ( AY ) whose heart You know—for ( AZ ) You alone know the hearts of all [ t ] mankind— 40 so that they will [ u ] fear You all the days that they live on the [ v ] land which You have given to our fathers.
41 “Also regarding the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country on account of Your name 42 (for they will hear of Your great name ( BA ) and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and act in accordance with all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order ( BB ) that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to [ w ] fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [ x ] this house which I have built is called by Your name.
44 “When Your people go out to battle against [ y ] their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and ( BC ) they pray to the Lord [ z ] toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their cause.
46 “When they sin against You (for ( BD ) there is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that [ aa ] they take them away captive ( BE ) to the land of the enemy, distant or near; 47 ( BF ) if they [ ab ] take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and implore Your [ ac ] favor in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘ ( BG ) We have sinned and done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 ( BH ) if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and ( BI ) pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then hear their prayer and their pleading in heaven, Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their wrongdoings which they have committed against You, and ( BJ ) make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, so that they will have compassion on them 51 ( ( BK ) for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought out of Egypt, ( BL ) from the midst of the iron furnace), 52 ( BM ) so that Your eyes may be open to the pleading of Your servant and to the pleading of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You have singled them out from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, ( BN ) just as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord [ ad ] God .”
54 ( BO ) When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and plea to the Lord , ( BP ) he stood up from the altar of the Lord , from kneeling on his knees with his [ ae ] hands spread toward heaven. 55 And he stood and ( BQ ) blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:
56 “Blessed be the Lord , who has given rest to His people Israel ( BR ) in accordance with everything that He [ af ] promised; ( BS ) not one word has [ ag ] failed of all His good [ ah ] promise, which He [ ai ] promised through Moses His servant. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; ( BT ) may He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 so that ( BU ) He may guide our hearts toward Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have implored the [ aj ] favor of the Lord , be near to the Lord our God day and night, so that He will maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, [ ak ] as each day requires, 60 so ( BV ) that all the peoples of the earth may know that ( BW ) the Lord is God; there is no one else. 61 ( BX ) Your hearts therefore shall be [ al ] wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”
62 ( BY ) Then the king and all Israel with him ( BZ ) offered sacrifice before the Lord . 63 And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord , twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. ( CA ) So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord . 64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the Lord , because there he [ am ] offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for ( CB ) the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.
65 So ( CC ) Solomon held the [ an ] feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly ( CD ) from the entrance of Hamath ( CE ) to the brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days and seven more days, that is , fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had [ ao ] shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.
8 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs ( B ) of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark ( C ) of the Lord ’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. ( D ) 2 All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival ( E ) in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. ( F )
3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests ( G ) took up the ark, 4 and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting ( H ) and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites ( I ) carried them up, 5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing ( J ) so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
6 The priests then brought the ark of the Lord ’s covenant ( K ) to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, ( L ) and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. ( M ) 7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed ( N ) the ark and its carrying poles. 8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. ( O ) 9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets ( P ) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud ( Q ) filled the temple of the Lord . 11 And the priests could not perform their service ( R ) because of the cloud, for the glory ( S ) of the Lord filled his temple.
12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; ( T ) 13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell ( U ) forever.”
14 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed ( V ) them. 15 Then he said:
“Praise be to the Lord , ( W ) the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, 16 ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, ( X ) I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name ( Y ) might be there, but I have chosen ( Z ) David ( AA ) to rule my people Israel.’
17 “My father David had it in his heart ( AB ) to build a temple ( AC ) for the Name of the Lord , the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 19 Nevertheless, you ( AD ) are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’ ( AE )
20 “The Lord has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded ( AF ) David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built ( AG ) the temple for the Name of the Lord , the God of Israel. 21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands ( AI ) toward heaven 23 and said:
“ Lord , the God of Israel, there is no God like ( AJ ) you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love ( AK ) with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
25 “Now Lord , the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises ( AL ) you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26 And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised ( AM ) your servant David my father come true.
27 “But will God really dwell ( AN ) on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, ( AO ) cannot contain ( AP ) you. How much less this temple I have built! 28 Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29 May your eyes be open ( AQ ) toward ( AR ) this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name ( AS ) shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray ( AT ) toward this place. Hear ( AU ) from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive. ( AV )
31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath ( AW ) before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence. ( AX )
33 “When your people Israel have been defeated ( AY ) by an enemy because they have sinned ( AZ ) against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, ( BA ) 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain ( BB ) because your people have sinned ( BC ) against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach ( BD ) them the right way ( BE ) to live, and send rain ( BF ) on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
37 “When famine ( BG ) or plague ( BH ) comes to the land, or blight ( BI ) or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, ( BJ ) or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands ( BK ) toward this temple— 39 then hear ( BL ) from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive ( BM ) and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know ( BN ) their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear ( BO ) you all the time they live in the land ( BP ) you gave our ancestors.
41 “As for the foreigner ( BQ ) who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear ( BR ) of your great name and your mighty hand ( BS ) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know ( BT ) your name and fear ( BU ) you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. ( BV )
44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray ( BW ) to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. ( BX )
46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin ( BY ) —and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive ( BZ ) to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead ( CA ) with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; ( CB ) 48 and if they turn back ( CC ) to you with all their heart ( CD ) and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray ( CE ) to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple ( CF ) I have built for your Name; ( CG ) 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; ( CH ) 51 for they are your people and your inheritance, ( CI ) whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace. ( CJ )
52 “May your eyes be open ( CK ) to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. ( CL ) 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, ( CM ) just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord , brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord , he rose from before the altar of the Lord , where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed ( CN ) the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
56 “Praise be to the Lord , who has given rest ( CO ) to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises ( CP ) he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake ( CQ ) us. 58 May he turn our hearts ( CR ) to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord , be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples ( CS ) of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. ( CT ) 61 And may your hearts ( CU ) be fully committed ( CV ) to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices ( CX ) before the Lord . 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord : twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated ( CY ) the temple of the Lord .
64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord , and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat ( CZ ) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar ( DA ) that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. ( DB )
65 So Solomon observed the festival ( DC ) at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath ( DD ) to the Wadi of Egypt. ( DE ) They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good ( DF ) things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
