Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

1At that time Solomon assembled the eldersa of Israel,b all the tribal headsc and the ancestral leaders of the Israelites before him at Jerusalem in order to bring the ark of the LORD’s covenant from the city of David,d that is •Zion.e 2So all the men of Israel were assembled in the presence of King Solomon in the seventh month, the month of Ethanim,f at the festival.g

3All the eldersh of Israel came, and the priestsi picked up the ark.j 4The priests and the Levites brought the ark of the LORD, the tent of meeting,k and the holy utensils that were in the tent.l 5King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel, who had gathered around him and were with him in front of the ark, were sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered, because there were so many.m 6The priests brought the ark of the LORD’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy placen beneath the wings of the •cherubim. 7For the cherubim were spreading their wings overo the place of the ark, so that the cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above.p 8The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside the sanctuary; they are there to this day.q 9Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had put there at Horeb,r, s where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt.t

10When the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the LORD’s temple,u 11and because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the gloryv of the LORD filled the temple.

12Then Solomon said:

The LORD said that He would dwell in thick darkness.w

13I have indeed built an exalted templex for You,

a place for Your dwelling forever.y

14The king turned around and blessedz the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. 15He said:

May the LORD God of Israel be praised!

He spoke directly to my father David,

and He has fulfilled the promiseaa by His power.

He said,

16“Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt,ab

I have not chosen a city to build a temple in

among any of the tribes of Israel,

so that My nameac would be there.

But I have chosen David to rule My people Israel.”ad

17It was in the desire of my father David

to build a temple for the name of •Yahweh, the God of Israel.ae

18But the LORD said to my father David,

“Since it was your desire to build a temple for My name,

you have done well to have this desire.af

19Yet you are not the one to build it;

instead, your son, your own offspring,

will build it for My name.”ag

20The LORD has fulfilled what He promised.

I have taken the place of my father David,ah

and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised.ai

I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

21I have provided a place there for the ark,

where the LORD’s covenant is

that He made with our ancestors

when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.aj

Solomon’s Prayer

22Then Solomon stoodak before the altar of the LORD in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.al 23He said:

LORD God of Israel,

there is no God like You

in heaven above or on earth below,am

keeping the gracious covenant

with Your servants who walk before You

with their whole heart.an

24You have kept what You promised

to Your servant, my father David.

You spoke directly to him

and You fulfilled Your promise by Your power

as it is today.ao

25Therefore, LORD God of Israel,

keep what You promised

to Your servant, my father David:

You will never fail to have a man

to sit before Me on the throne of Israel,ap

if only your sons guard their walk before Me

as you have walked before Me.aq

26Now LORDar God of Israel,

please confirm what You promised

to Your servant, my father David.as

27But will God indeed live on earth?

Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You,

much less this temple I have built.at

28Listenau to Your servant’s prayer and his petition,av

LORD my God,

so that You may hear the cry and the prayer

that Your servant prays before You today,

29so that Your eyes may watch over this temple night and day,aw

toward the place where You said:

My name will be there,ax

and so that You may hear the prayer

that Your servant prays toward this place.

30Hear the petition of Your servantay

and Your people Israel,

which they pray toward this place.az

May You hear in Your dwelling place in heaven.

May You hear and forgive.

31When a man sins against his neighbor

and is forced to take an oath,ba, bb

and he comes to take an oath

before Your altar in this temple,

32may You hear in heaven and act.

May You judge Your servants,

condemning the wicked man by bringing

what he has done on his own head

and providing justice for the righteous

by rewarding him according to his righteousness.bc

33When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy,

because they have sinned against You,bd

and they return to You and praise Your name,

and they pray and plead with You

for mercy in this temple,

34may You hear in heaven

and forgive the sin of Your people Israel.

May You restore them to the land

You gave their ancestors.be

35When the skies are shut and there is no rain,

because they have sinned against You,bf

and they pray toward this place

and praise Your name,

and they turn from their sins

because You are afflicting them,bg

36may You hear in heaven

and forgive the sin of Your servants

and Your people Israel,

so that You may teach them the good way

they should walk in.bh

May You send rain on Your land

that You gave Your people for an inheritance.bi

37When there is famine on the earth,

when there is pestilence,

when there is blight, mildew, locust, or grasshopper,bj

when their enemy besieges them

in the region of their fortified cities,bk

when there is any plague or illness,

38whatever prayer or petition

anyone from Your people Israel might have —

each man knowing his own afflictionsbl, bm

and spreading out his hands toward this templebn —

39may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place,

and may You forgive, act, and repay the man,

according to all his ways, since You know his heart,

for You alone know every human heart,bo

40so that they may •fearbp You

all the days they live on the landbq

You gave our ancestors.

41Even for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel

but has come from a distant landbr

because of Your name —

42for they will hear of Your great name,

mighty hand,bs and outstretched arm,

and will comebt and pray toward this temple —

43may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place,

and do according to all the foreigner asks You for.

Then all the people on earth will knowbu Your name,

to fear You as Your people Israel do

and know that this temple I have built

is called by Your name.

44When Your people go out to fight against their enemies,bv

wherever You send them,

and they pray to Yahweh

in the direction of the city You have chosenbw

and the temple I have built for Your name,

45may You hear their prayer and petition in heaven

and uphold their cause.bx

46When they sin against You —

for there is no one who does not sinby —

and You are angry with them

and hand them over to the enemy,

and their captors deport them to the enemy’s countrybz —

whether distant or nearby —

47and when they come to their sensesca

in the land where they were deported

and repent and petition You in their captors’ land:

“We have sinned and done wrong;

we have been wicked,”cb

48and when they return to You with their whole mind and heart

in the land of their enemies who took them captive,cc

and when they pray to You in the direction of their land

that You gave their ancestors,

the city You have chosen,cd

and the temple I have built for Your name,

49may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place,

their prayer and petition and uphold their cause.

50May You forgive Your people

who sinned against You

and all their rebellionsce against You,

and may You give them compassion

in the eyes of their captors,

so that they may be compassionate to them.cf

51For they are Your people and Your inheritance;cg

You brought them out of Egypt,

out of the middle of an iron furnace.ch

52May Your eyes be open to Your servant’s petition

and to the petition of Your people Israel,

listening to them whenever they call to You.

53For You, Lord GOD, have set them apart as Your inheritance

from all the people on earth,

as You spoke through Your servant Moses

when You brought their ancestors out of Egypt.ci

Solomon’s Blessing

54When Solomon finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD, he got up from kneeling before the altar of the LORD, with his hands spread out toward heaven,cj 55and he stood and blessed the whole congregation of Israelck with a loud voice: 56“May the LORD be praised! He has given restcl to His people Israel according to all He has said. Not one of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses has failed.cm 57May the LORD our God be with us as He was with our ancestors. May He not abandon us or leave uscn 58so that He causes us to be devotedco to Him,cp to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, which He commanded our ancestors. 59May my words I have made my petition with before the LORD be near the LORD our God day and night, so that He may uphold His servant’s cause and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires,cq 60and so that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh is God. There is no other!cr 61Let your heart be completely devoted to the LORD our Godcs to walk in His statutes and to keep His commands, as it is today.”

62The king and all Israel with him were offering sacrifices in the LORD’s presence. 63Solomon offered a sacrifice of •fellowship offerings to the LORD: 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep.ct In this manner the king and all the Israelites dedicatedcu the LORD’s temple.cv

64On the same day, the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the LORD’s temple because that was where he offered the •burnt offering, the •grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offeringscw since the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to accommodate the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings.cx

65Solomon and all Israel with him — a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamathcy, cz to the Brook of Egyptda — observed the festival at that timedb in the presence of the LORD our God, seven days, and seven more days — 14 days.de, df 66On the fifteenth daydg he sent the people away. So they blessed the king and went home to their tents rejoicing and with joyful hearts for all the goodness that the LORD had done for His servant David and for His people Israel.dh