1Then Shelomoh assembled the elders of Yisra’ĕl and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Yisra’ĕl, to Sovereign Shelomoh in Yerushalayim, to bring up the ark of the covenant of יהוה from the City of Dawiḏ, which is Tsiyon.

2And all the men of Yisra’ĕl assembled to Sovereign Shelomoh at the festival in the month of Ěythanim, which is the seventh month.

3And all the elders of Yisra’ĕl came, and the priests took up the ark,

4and brought up the ark of יהוה, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the set-apart utensils that were in the Tent. And the priests and the Lĕwites brought them up,

5and Sovereign Shelomoh, and all the congregation of Yisra’ĕl who had assembled with him, were with him before the ark, slaughtering so many sheep and cattle, that they could not be counted or numbered.

6And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of יהוה to its place, into the Speaking Place of the House, to the Most Set-apart Place, under the wings of the keruḇim,

7for the keruḇim spread two wings over the place of the ark, and the keruḇim covered over the ark and its poles.

8And the poles extended so that the ends of the poles were seen from the set-apart place, in front of the Speaking Place, but they were not seen from outside. And they are there to this day.

9There was naught in the ark, only the two tablets of stone which Mosheh put there at Ḥorĕḇ, where יהוה made a covenant with the children of Yisra’ĕl, when they came out of the land of Mitsrayim.

10And it came to be, when the priests came out of the Set-apart Place, that the cloud filled the House of יהוה,

11so that the priests were unable to stand and perform the service because of the cloud, for the esteem of יהוה filled the House of יהוה.

12And Shelomoh said, “יהוה has said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

13I have indeed built You an exalted house, an established place for You to dwell in forever.”

14And the sovereign turned around and blessed all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, while all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl was standing.

15And he said, “Blessed be יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, who spoke with His mouth to my father Dawiḏ, and with His hand has filled it, saying,

16‘Since the day I brought My people Yisra’ĕl out of Mitsrayim, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Yisra’ĕl in which to build a house for My Name to be there, but I chose Dawiḏ to be over My people Yisra’ĕl.’

17“And it was in the heart of my father Dawiḏ to build a house for the Name of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.

18“But יהוה said to my father Dawiḏ, ‘Because it has been in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart.

19‘Only, you do not build the house, but your son, who is coming from your loins, he does build the house for My Name.’

20“Now יהוה has established His word which He spoke, and I have been raised up instead of my father Dawiḏ, and sit on the throne of Yisra’ĕl, as יהוה promised, and built a house for the Name of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl,

21and have appointed there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of יהוה which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim.”

22And Shelomoh stood before the altar of יהוה in front of all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, and spread out his hands toward the heavens,

23and said, “יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, there is no Elohim in the heavens above or on earth below like You, guarding Your covenant and kindness with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,

24who has guarded that which You did promise Your servant Dawiḏ my father. Indeed, You have both spoken with Your mouth and have filled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

25“And now, יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, guard what You promised Your servant Dawiḏ my father, saying, ‘There is not to cease a man of yours before Me, sitting on the throne of Yisra’ĕl – only, if your sons guard their way, to walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’

26“And now, O Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, please let Your word come true which You have spoken to Your servant Dawiḏ my father.

27“For is it true: Elohim dwells on the earth? See, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens are unable to contain You, how much less this House which I have built!

28“Yet, shall You turn to the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O יהוה my Elohim, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today?

29“For Your eyes to be open toward this House night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name is there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.

30“Then, shall You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Yisra’ĕl when they pray toward this place, when You hear in Your dwelling place, in the heavens? And shall You hear, and forgive?

31“If anyone sins against his neighbour, and he has lifted up an oath on him, to cause him to swear, and comes and swears before Your altar in this House,

32then hear in the heavens, and act and rightly rule Your servants, declaring the wrongdoer wrong, bringing his way on his head, and declaring the righteous right by giving him according to his righteousness.

33“When Your people Yisra’ĕl are smitten before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, and they shall turn back to You and confess Your Name, and pray and make supplication to You in this House,

34then hear in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your people Yisra’ĕl, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.

35“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they sin against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your Name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

36then hear in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Yisra’ĕl – for You teach them the good way in which they should walk – and shall give rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37“When there is scarcity of food in the land; when there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts, grasshoppers; when their enemy distresses them in the land of their cities; any plague, any sickness,

38whatever prayer, whatever supplication made by anyone of all Your people Yisra’ĕl, each knowing the plague of his own heart, and shall spread out his hands toward this House,

39then hear in the heavens, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and render unto everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know. Because You – You alone – know the hearts of all the sons of men,

40so that they fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

41“Also, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Yisra’ĕl, but has come from a far land for Your Name’s sake –

42since they hear of Your great Name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm – and he shall come and pray toward this House,

43hear in the heavens Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all peoples of the earth know Your Name and fear You, as do Your people Yisra’ĕl, and know that this House which I have built is called by Your Name.

44“When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, in the way that You send them, and they shall pray to יהוה toward the city which You have chosen and toward the House which I have built for Your Name,

45then shall You hear in the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause?

46“When they sin against You – for there is no one who does not sin – and You become enraged with them and give them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near;

47and they shall turn back unto their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and shall turn, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and acted crookedly, we have committed wrong,’

48and they shall turn back to You with all their heart and with all their being in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and shall pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the House which I have built for Your Name,

49then shall You hear in the heavens Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause,

50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You? And give them compassion before those who took them captive, and they shall have compassion on them.

51‘For they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Mitsrayim, out of the iron furnace.

52“Let Your eyes be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Yisra’ĕl, to listen to them whenever they call to You.

53“For You have separated them unto Yourself for an inheritance, out of all the peoples of the earth, as You spoke by the hand of Your servant Mosheh, when You brought our fathers out of Mitsrayim, O Master יהוה.”

54And it came to be, when Shelomoh had ended praying all this prayer and supplication to יהוה, that he rose up from before the altar of יהוה, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to the heavens.

55And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl with a loud voice, saying,

56“Blessed be יהוה, who has given rest to His people Yisra’ĕl, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good word, which He promised through His servant Mosheh.

57“יהוה our Elohim is with us as He was with our fathers – He does not leave us nor forsake us –

58to incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to guard His commands and His laws and His right- rulings, which He commanded our fathers.

59“And let these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before יהוה, be near יהוה our Elohim day and night, to maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Yisra’ĕl, the matter of each day in its day,

60so that all the peoples of the earth might know that יהוה is Elohim, there is no one else.

61“Let your heart therefore be perfect to יהוה our Elohim, to walk in His laws and guard His commands, as at this day.”

62And the sovereign and all Yisra’ĕl with him made slaughterings before יהוה.

63And Shelomoh brought peace offerings, which he slaughtered to יהוה, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. Thus the sovereign and all the children of Yisra’ĕl dedicated the House of יהוה.

64On that day the sovereign set apart the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the House of יהוה, for there he made burnt offerings, and the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before יהוה was too small to contain the burnt offerings, and the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65And Shelomoh at that time observed the Festival, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Ḥamath to the wadi of Mitsrayim, before יהוה our Elohim, seven days and seven days – fourteen days.

66On the eighth day he sent the people away. And they blessed the sovereign, and went to their tents rejoicing and glad of heart for all the goodness that יהוה had done for His servant Dawiḏ, and for Yisra’ĕl His people.