8
1 Then
Solomon assembled
the elders of
Israel with all
the heads of
the tribes, the
princes of
the fathers’ households of
the children of
Israel, to King
Solomon in
Jerusalem, to
bring up the ark
of the LORD’s
covenant out of
David’s city,
which is Zion.
2 All
the men of
Israel assembled
themselves to King
Solomon at the
feast in the
month Ethanim, which
is the seventh
month.
3 All
the elders of
Israel came, and
the priests picked
up the ark.
4 They
brought up the
LORD’s ark, the Tent
of Meeting, and
all the holy
vessels that were
in the Tent. The
priests and the
Levites brought
these up.
5 King
Solomon and all
the congregation
of Israel, who
were assembled to
him, were with
him before the ark,
sacrificing sheep
and cattle
that could not be
counted or
numbered for
multitude.
6 The
priests brought in
the ark of the
LORD’s covenant to
its place, into
the inner
sanctuary of the
house, to the
most holy place,
even under the
cherubim’s wings.
7 For
the cherubim
spread their wings
out over the
place of the ark,
and the cherubim
covered the ark
and its poles
above.
8 The poles
were so long
that the ends
of the poles were
seen from the
holy place before
the inner
sanctuary, but
they were not
seen outside. They
are there to
this day.
9 There
was nothing in
the ark except the
two stone tablets
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 It
came to pass,
when the priests
had come out
of the holy
place, that the
cloud filled the
LORD’s house,
11 so
that the priests
could not stand
to minister by
reason of the
cloud; for the
LORD’s glory
filled the LORD’s
house.
12 Then
Solomon said, “The
LORD has said that
he would dwell
in the thick
darkness.
13 I
have surely built
you a house
of habitation, a
place for you
to dwell in
forever.”
14 The
king turned his
face around and
blessed all the
assembly of Israel;
and all the
assembly of Israel
stood.
15 He
said, “Blessed is
the LORD, the
God of Israel,
who spoke with
his mouth to
David your father,
and has with
his hand fulfilled
it, saying,
16 ‘Since
the day that
I brought my
people Israel out
of Egypt, I chose
no city out
of all the
tribes of Israel
to build a
house, that my
name might be
there; but I chose
David to be
over my people
Israel.’
17 “Now
it was in
the heart of
David my father to
build a house
for the name
of the LORD,
the God of
Israel.
18 But
the LORD said to
David my father, ‘Whereas
it was in
your heart to
build a house
for my name,
you did well
that it was
in your heart.
19 Nevertheless, you
shall not build
the house; but
your son who
shall come out
of your body, he
shall build the
house for my
name.’
20 The
LORD has
established his
word that he
spoke; for I
have risen up
in the place
of David my father,
and I sit
on the throne
of Israel, as
the LORD promised,
and have built
the house for
the name of
the LORD, the
God of Israel.
21 There
I have set
a place for
the ark, in which
is the LORD’s
covenant, which he
made with
our fathers when
he brought them
out of the
land of Egypt.”
22 Solomon
stood before the
LORD’s altar in
the presence of
all the assembly
of Israel, and
spread out his
hands toward
heaven;
23 and
he said, “LORD,
the God of
Israel, there is
no God like
you, in heaven
above, or on
earth beneath; who
keeps covenant
and loving kindness
with your servants
who walk before
you with all
their heart;
24 who
has kept with
your servant David
my father that
which you promised
him. Yes, you
spoke with your
mouth, and have
fulfilled it with
your hand, as
it is today.
25 Now
therefore, may
LORD, the God
of Israel, keep
with your servant
David my father
that which you
have promised him,
saying, ‘There
shall not fail
from you a
man in my
sight to sit
on the throne
of Israel, if
only your children
take heed to
their way, to
walk before me
as you have
walked before me.’
26 “Now
therefore, God of
Israel, please let
your word
be verified, which
you spoke to
your servant David
my father.
27 But
will God in
very deed dwell on
the earth? Behold,
heaven and the
heaven of heavens
can’t contain you;
how much less
this house that
I have built!
28 Yet
have respect for
the prayer of
your servant and
for his
supplication, LORD
my God, to
listen to the
cry and to
the prayer which
your servant prays
before you today;
29 that
your eyes may
be open toward
this house night
and day,
even toward the
place of which
you have said, ‘My
name shall be
there;’ to listen
to the prayer
which your servant
prays toward this
place.
30 Listen
to the
supplication of
your servant, and
of your people
Israel, when they
pray toward this
place. Yes, hear
in heaven, your
dwelling place;
and when you
hear, forgive.
31 “If
a man sins
against his
neighbor, and
an oath is laid
on him to cause
him to swear, and
he comes and swears
before your altar
in this house,
32 then
hear in heaven,
and act, and
judge your
servants, condemning
the wicked, to
bring his way
on his own head,
and justifying the
righteous, to give
him according to
his righteousness.
33 “When
your people Israel
are struck down
before the enemy
because they have
sinned against you,
if they turn
again to you
and confess your
name, and pray
and make
supplication to
you in this
house,
34 then
hear in heaven,
and forgive the
sin of your
people Israel, and
bring them again
to the land
which you gave
to their fathers.
35 “When
the sky is
shut up and
there is no
rain because they
have sinned
against you, if
they pray toward
this place and
confess your name,
and turn from
their sin when
you afflict them,
36 then
hear in heaven,
and forgive the
sin of your
servants, and of
your people Israel,
when you teach
them the good
way in which
they should walk;
and send rain
on your land
which you have
given to your
people for an
inheritance.
37 “If
there is famine
in the land, if
there is
pestilence, if
there is blight,
mildew, locust or
caterpillar; if
their enemy
besieges them in
the land of their
cities, whatever
plague, whatever
sickness there is,
38 whatever
prayer and
supplication is
made by any
man, or by
all your people
Israel, who shall
each know the
plague of his
own heart, and
spread out his
hands toward this
house,
39 then
hear in heaven,
your dwelling
place, and forgive,
and act, and
give to every
man according to
all his ways,
whose heart you
know (for you,
even you only,
know the hearts
of all the
children of men);
40 that
they may fear
you all the
days that they
live in the
land which you
gave to
our fathers.
41 “Moreover,
concerning the
foreigner, who is
not of your
people Israel,
when he comes out
of a far country
for your name’s
sake
42 (for
they shall hear
of your great
name and of
your mighty hand
and of your
outstretched arm),
when he comes and
prays toward this
house,
43 hear
in heaven, your
dwelling place,
and do according
to all that
the foreigner
calls to you
for; that all
the peoples of
the earth may
know your name,
to fear you,
as do your
people Israel, and
that they may
know that this
house which I
have built is
called by your
name.
44 “If
your people go
out to battle
against their enemy,
by whatever way
you shall send
them, and they
pray to the
LORD toward the
city which you
have chosen, and
toward the house
which I have
built for your
name,
45 then
hear in heaven
their prayer and
their supplication,
and maintain their
cause.
46 If
they sin against
you (for there
is no man
who doesn’t sin),
and you are angry
with them and
deliver them to
the enemy, so that
they carry them
away captive to
the land of
the enemy, far off
or near;
47 yet
if they repent
in the land where
they are carried
captive, and turn
again, and make
supplication to
you in the land
of those who carried
them captive, saying, ‘We
have sinned and
have done
perversely; we
have dealt
wickedly,’
48 if they
return to you
with all their
heart and with
all their soul
in the land of
their enemies who
carried them
captive, and 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,
49 then
hear their prayer
and their
supplication in
heaven, your
dwelling place,
and maintain their
cause;
50 and
forgive your
people who have
sinned against you,
and all their
transgressions in
which they have
transgressed against
you; and give
them compassion
before those who
carried them
captive, that they
may have
compassion on them
51 (for
they are your
people and your
inheritance, which
you brought out
of Egypt, from
the middle of
the iron furnace);
52 that
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
cry to you.
53 For
you separated them
from among all
the peoples of
the earth to be
your inheritance,
as you spoke
by Moses your
servant, when you
brought our fathers
out of Egypt,
Lord GOD.”
54 It
was so, that
when Solomon had
finished praying
all this prayer
and supplication
to the LORD,
he arose from
before the LORD’s
altar, from
kneeling on his
knees with his
hands spread out
toward heaven.
55 He
stood and blessed
all the assembly
of Israel with
a loud voice,
saying,
56 “Blessed
be the LORD,
who has given
rest to his
people Israel,
according to all
that he promised.
There has not
failed one word
of all his
good promise,
which he promised
by Moses his
servant.
57 May
the LORD our
God be with
us as he
was with
our fathers. Let
him not leave
us or forsake
us,
58 that
he may incline
our hearts to
him, to walk
in all his
ways, and to
keep his
commandments, his
statutes, and his
ordinances, which
he commanded
our fathers.
59 Let
these my words,
with which I
have made
supplication before
the LORD, be
near to the
LORD our God
day and night,
that he may
maintain the cause
of his servant
and the cause
of his people
Israel, as every
day requires;
60 that
all the peoples
of the earth may
know that the
LORD himself is
God. There is
no one else.
61 “Let
your heart
therefore be
perfect with the
LORD our God,
to walk in
his statutes, and
to keep his
commandments, as
it is today.”
62 The
king, and all
Israel with him,
offered sacrifice
before the LORD.
63 Solomon
offered for the
sacrifice of peace
offerings, which
he offered to
the LORD, twenty
two thousand head of
cattle and one
hundred twenty thousand
sheep. So the king
and all the
children of Israel
dedicated the
LORD’s house.
64 The
same day the
king made the
middle of the
court holy that
was before the
LORD’s house; for
there he offered
the burnt offering,
the meal offering,
and the fat
of the peace
offerings, because
the bronze altar
that was before
the LORD was too
little to receive
the burnt offering,
the meal offering,
and the fat
of the peace
offerings.
65 So
Solomon held the
feast at that
time, and all
Israel with him,
a great assembly,
from the entrance
of Hamath to
the brook of
Egypt, before the
LORD our God,
seven days and
seven more days,
even fourteen days.
66 On
the eighth day
he sent the
people away; and
they blessed the
king, and went
to their tents
joyful and glad
in their hearts
for all the
goodness that the
LORD had shown
to David his
servant, and to
Israel his people.