aThen Solomon
assembled
the elders
of Israel
and all
bthe heads
of the tribes
, the leaders
of the fathers'
households of the sons
of Israel
, to King
Solomon
in Jerusalem
, cto bring
up the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
from dthe city
of David
, which
is Zion
.
All the men
of Israel
assembled
themselves to King
Solomon
at athe feast
, in the month
Ethanim
, which
is the seventh
month
.
Then all the elders
of Israel
came
, and athe priests
took
up the ark
.
They brought up the ark
of the LORD
and athe tent
of meeting
and all
the holy
utensils
, which
were in the tent
, and the priests
and the Levites
brought
them up.
And King Solomon
and all
the congregation
of Israel
, who were assembled
to him, awere with him before
the ark
, sacrificing
1so
many
sheep
and oxen
they could not be counted
or numbered
.
Then athe priests brought
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
bto its place
, into the inner
sanctuary
of the house
, to the most
holy
place
, cunder
the wings
of the cherubim
.
For the cherubim spread
their wings
over
the place
of the ark
, and the cherubim
made
a covering
over
the ark
and its poles
from above
.
But athe poles were so long
that the ends
of the poles
could be seen
from the holy
place before
the inner
sanctuary
, but they could not be seen
outside
; they are there
to this
day
.
aThere was nothing
in the ark
except
the two
tablets
of stone
which
Moses
put
there
at Horeb
, where
bthe LORD
made
a covenant with the sons
of Israel
, when they came
out of the land
of Egypt
.
It happened that when the priests
came
from the holy
place, athe cloud
filled
the house
of the LORD
,
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
.
aThen Solomon
said
, "The LORD
has said
that bHe would dwell
in the thick
cloud
.
" aI have surely built
You a lofty
house
, bA place
for Your dwelling
forever
."
Then the king 1faced
about
and ablessed
all
the assembly
of Israel
, while all
the assembly
of Israel
was standing
.
He said, " aBlessed
be the LORD
, the God
of Israel
, bwho
spoke
with His mouth
to my father
David
and has fulfilled
it with His hand
, saying
,
` aSince 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
that bMy name
might be there
, but cI chose
David
to be over
My people
Israel
.'
" aNow it was 1in the heart of my father
David
to build
a house
for the name
of the LORD
, the God
of Israel
.
"But the LORD said
to my father
David
, `Because
it was 1in your heart
to build
a house
for My name
, you did
well
that it was 1in your heart
.
` aNevertheless you shall not build
the house
, but your son
who 1will be born
to you, he will build
the house
for My name
.'
"Now the LORD has fulfilled
His word
which
He spoke
; for aI have risen
in place
of my father
David
and sit
on the throne
of Israel
, as the LORD
1promised
, and have built
the house
for the name
of the LORD
, the God
of Israel
.
"There I have set
a place
for the ark
, ain which
is the covenant
of the LORD
, which
He made
with our fathers
when He brought
them from the land
of Egypt
."
Then aSolomon stood
before
the altar
of the LORD
in the presence
of all
the assembly
of Israel
and bspread
out his hands
toward heaven
.
He said, "O LORD
, the God
of Israel
, athere
is no
God
like
You in heaven
above
or on earth
beneath
, bkeeping
covenant
and showing lovingkindness
to Your servants
who walk
before
You with all
their heart
,
who have kept
with Your servant
, my father
David
, that which
You have 1promised
him; indeed, You have spoken
with Your mouth
and have fulfilled
it with Your hand
as it is this
day
.
"Now therefore, O LORD
, the God
of Israel
, keep
with Your servant
David
my father
that which
You have 1promised
him, saying
, ` 2 aYou shall not lack
a man
to sit
on the throne
of Israel
, if
only
your sons
take
heed
to their way
to walk
before
Me as you have walked
.'
"Now therefore, O God
of Israel
, let Your word
, I pray
, be confirmed
awhich
You have spoken
to Your servant
, my father
David
.
"But will God indeed
dwell
on the earth
? Behold
, aheaven
and the 1highest
heaven
cannot
contain
You, how
much
less
this
house
which
I have built
!
"Yet have regard
to the aprayer
of Your servant
and to his supplication
, O LORD
my God
, to listen
to the cry
and to the prayer
which
Your servant
prays
before
You today
;
athat Your eyes may be open
toward
this
house
night
and day
, toward
bthe place
of which
You have said
, `My name
shall be there
,' to listen
to the prayer
which
Your servant
shall pray
toward
this
place
.
" aListen to the supplication
of Your servant
and of Your people
Israel
, bwhen
they pray
toward
this
place
; hear
in heaven
Your dwelling
place
; hear
and cforgive
.
" aIf a man
sins
against his neighbor
and is made
to take
an oath
, and he comes
and takes
an oath
before
Your altar
in this
house
,
then hear in heaven
and act
and judge
Your servants
, acondemning
the wicked
by bringing
his way
on his own head
and justifying
the righteous
by giving
him according to his righteousness
.
" aWhen Your people Israel
are 1defeated
before
an enemy
, because
they have sinned
against You, bif they turn
to You again
and confess
Your name
and pray
and make
supplication
to You in this
house
,
then hear in heaven
, and forgive
the sin
of Your people
Israel
, and bring
them back
to the land
which
You gave
to their fathers
.
" aWhen the heavens are shut
up and there is no
rain
, because
they have sinned
against You, and they pray
toward
this
place
and confess
Your name
and turn
from their sin
when
You afflict
them,
then hear in heaven
and forgive
the sin
of Your servants
and of Your people
Israel
, aindeed
, teach
them the good
way
in which
they should walk
. And bsend
rain
on Your land
, which
You have given
Your people
for an inheritance
.
" aIf there is famine
in the land
, if
there is pestilence
, if
there is blight
or mildew
, locust
or grasshopper
, if
their enemy
besieges
them in the land
of their 1cities
, whatever
plague
, whatever
sickness
there is,
whatever prayer
or supplication
is made
by any
man
or by all
Your people
Israel
, 1each
knowing
the 2affliction
of his own heart
, and spreading
his 3hands
toward
this
house
;
then hear in heaven
Your dwelling
place
, and forgive
and act
and render
to each
according to all
his ways
, awhose
heart
You know
, for bYou alone
know
the hearts
of all
the sons
of men
,
that they may 1fear You all
the days
that they live
2in the land
which
You have given
to our fathers
.
"Also concerning
the foreigner
who
is not of Your people
Israel
, when he comes
from a far
country
for Your name's
sake
(for they will hear of Your great
name
aand Your mighty
hand
, and of Your outstretched
arm
); when he comes
and prays
toward
this
house
,
hear in heaven
Your dwelling
place
, and do
according to all
for which
the foreigner
calls
to You, in order
athat all
the peoples
of the earth
may know
Your name
, to 1fear
You, as do Your people
Israel
, and that they may know
that 2this
house
which
I have built
is called
by Your name
.
"When Your people
go
out to battle
against
1their enemy
, by whatever
way
You shall send
them, and athey pray
to the LORD
2toward
the city
which
You have chosen
and the house
which
I have built
for Your name
,
then hear in heaven
their prayer
and their supplication
, and maintain
their 1cause
.
"When they sin
against You (for athere
is no
man
who
does not sin
) and You are angry
with them and deliver
them to an enemy
, so that 1they take
them away captive
bto the land
of the enemy
, far
off or
near
;
aif they 1take thought
in the land
where
they have been taken
captive
, and repent
and make
supplication
to You in the land
of those who have taken
them captive
, saying
, ` bWe have sinned
and have committed
iniquity
, we have acted
wickedly
';
aif 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 bpray
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
;
then hear their prayer
and their supplication
in heaven
Your dwelling
place
, and maintain
their 1cause
,
and forgive Your people
who
have sinned
against You and all
their transgressions
which
they have transgressed
against You, and amake
them objects of compassion
before
those who have taken
them captive
, that they may have
compassion
on them
( afor they are Your people and Your inheritance
which
You have brought
forth
from Egypt
, bfrom the midst
of the iron
furnace
),
athat Your eyes may be open
to the supplication
of Your servant
and to the supplication
of Your people
Israel
, to listen
to them whenever
they call
to You.
"For You have separated them from all
the peoples
of the earth
as Your inheritance
, aas You spoke
through
Moses
Your servant
, when You brought
our fathers
forth
from Egypt
, O Lord
1GOD
."
aWhen Solomon had finished
praying
this
entire
prayer
and supplication
to the LORD
, bhe arose
from before
the altar
of the LORD
, from kneeling
on his knees
with his 1hands
spread
toward heaven
.
And he stood and ablessed
all
the assembly
of Israel
with a loud
voice
, saying
:
"Blessed be the LORD
, who
has given
rest
to His people
Israel
, aaccording to all
that He 1promised
; bnot one
word
has 2failed
of all
His good
3promise
, which
He 1promised
through
Moses
His servant
.
"May the LORD our God
be with us, as He was with our fathers
; amay He not leave
us or forsake
us,
that aHe may incline our hearts
to Himself, to walk
in all
His ways
and to keep
His commandments
and His statutes
and His ordinances
, which
He commanded
our fathers
.
"And may these words
of mine, with which
I have made
supplication
before
the LORD
, be near
to the LORD
our God
day
and night
, that He may maintain
the 1cause
of His servant
and the 1cause
of His people
Israel
, 2as each
day
requires
,
so athat all
the peoples
of the earth
may know
that bthe LORD
is God
; there
is no
one
else
.
" aLet your heart therefore be 1wholly
devoted
to the LORD
our God
, to walk
in His statutes
and to keep
His commandments
, as at this
day
."
aNow the king and all
Israel
with him boffered
sacrifice
before
the LORD
.
Solomon offered
for the sacrifice
of peace
offerings
, which
he offered
to the LORD
, 22,000
oxen
and 120,000
sheep
. aSo the king
and all
the sons
of Israel
dedicated
the house
of the LORD
.
On the same day
the king
consecrated
the middle
of the court
that was before
the house
of the LORD
, because
there
he 1offered
the burnt
offering
and the grain offering
and the fat
of the peace
offerings
; for athe bronze
altar
that was before
the LORD
was too
small
to hold
the burnt
offering
and the grain offering
and the fat
of the peace
offerings
.
So aSolomon observed
the feast
at that time
, and all
Israel
with him, a great
assembly
bfrom the entrance
of Hamath
cto the brook
of Egypt
, before
the LORD
our God
, for seven
days
and seven
more days
, even fourteen
days
.
On the eighth day
he sent
the people
away
and they blessed
the king
. Then they went
to their tents
joyful
and glad
of heart
for all
the goodness
that the LORD
had 1shown
to David
His servant
and to Israel
His people
.