| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; | 1Then Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud; |
| 2I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever." | 2and I have built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever.” |
| 3While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. | 3And as the whole assembly of Israel stood there, the king turned around and blessed them all |
| 4Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, | 4and said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His own hand what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying, |
| 5Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel. | 5‘Since the day I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over My people Israel. |
| 6But now I have chosen Jerusalem for my Name to be there, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.' | 6But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ |
| 7"My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. | 7Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. |
| 8But the LORD said to my father David, 'You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. | 8But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart. |
| 9Nevertheless, you 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.' | 9Nevertheless, you are not the one to build it; but your son, your own offspring, will build the house for My Name.’ |
| 10"The LORD has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. | 10Now the LORD has fulfilled the word that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. |
| 11There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel." | 11And there I have provided a place for the ark, which contains the covenant of the LORD that He made with the children of Israel.” |
| 12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. | 12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. |
| 13Now he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. | 13Now Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had placed it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, |
| 14He said: "LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth--you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. | 14and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth, keeping Your covenant of loving devotion with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. |
| 15You 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. | 15You have kept Your promise to Your servant, my father David. What You spoke with Your mouth You have fulfilled with Your hand this day. |
| 16"Now, LORD, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises 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 according to my law, as you have done.' | 16Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: ‘You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants guard their way to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ |
| 17And now, LORD, the God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true. | 17And now, O LORD, God of Israel, please confirm what You promised to Your servant David. |
| 18"But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! | 18But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. |
| 19Yet, LORD my God, give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. | 19Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You. |
| 20May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name there. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. | 20May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. |
| 21Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive. | 21Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive. |
| 22"When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, | 22When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple, |
| 23then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence. | 23then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness. |
| 24"When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, | 24When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, praying and pleading before You in this temple, |
| 25then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors. | 25then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. May You restore them to the land You gave to them and their fathers. |
| 26"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned 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, | 26When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, |
| 27then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance. | 27then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance. |
| 28"When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, | 28When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemies besiege them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come, |
| 29and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel--being aware of their afflictions and pains, and spreading out their hands toward this temple-- | 29then may whatever prayer or petition Your people Israel make—each knowing his own afflictions and spreading out his hands toward this temple— |
| 30then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart), | 30be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of men— |
| 31so that they will fear you and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors. | 31so that they may fear You and walk in Your ways all the days they live in the land that You gave to our fathers. |
| 32"As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm--when they come and pray toward this temple, | 32And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your great name and Your mighty hand and outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple, |
| 33then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. | 33then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You. Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and they will know that this house I have built is called by Your Name. |
| 34"When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, | 34When Your people go to war against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You in the direction of the city You have chosen and the house I have built for Your Name, |
| 35then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. | 35then may You hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and may You uphold their cause. |
| 36"When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to a land far away or near; | 36When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to a land far or near, |
| 37and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly'; | 37and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’ |
| 38and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; | 38and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name, |
| 39then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive your people, who have sinned against you. | 39then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause. May You forgive Your people who sinned against You. |
| 40"Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. | 40Now, my God, may Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place. |
| 41"Now arise, LORD God, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. May your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness. | 41Now therefore, arise, O LORD God, and enter Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might. May Your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and may Your godly ones rejoice in goodness. |
| 42LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember the great love promised to David your servant." | 42O LORD God, do not reject Your anointed one. Remember Your loving devotion to Your servant David.” |
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