Solomon’s Benediction

54 (A)When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and plea to the Lord, (B)he stood up from the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his [a]hands spread toward heaven. 55 And he stood and (C)blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel (D)in accordance with everything that He [b]promised; (E)not one word has [c]failed of all His good [d]promise, which He [e]promised through Moses His servant. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; (F)may He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 so that (G)He may guide our hearts toward Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have implored the [f]favor of the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, so that He will maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, [g]as each day requires, 60 so (H)that all the peoples of the earth may know that (I)the Lord is God; there is no one else. 61 (J)Your hearts therefore shall be [h]wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

Dedicatory Sacrifices

62 (K)Then the king and all Israel with him (L)offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63 And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. (M)So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the Lord, because there he [i]offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for (N)the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So (O)Solomon held the [j]feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly (P)from the entrance of Hamath (Q)to the brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days and seven more days, that is, fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had [k]shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:54 Lit palms
  2. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit spoke
  3. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit fallen
  4. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit word
  5. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit spoke
  6. 1 Kings 8:59 Or compassion
  7. 1 Kings 8:59 Lit the matter of a day in its day
  8. 1 Kings 8:61 Lit complete with
  9. 1 Kings 8:64 Lit made
  10. 1 Kings 8:65 I.e., of Booths
  11. 1 Kings 8:66 Lit done

54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55 He stood and blessed(A) the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest(B) to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises(C) he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake(D) us. 58 May he turn our hearts(E) to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60 so that all the peoples(F) of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.(G) 61 And may your hearts(H) be fully committed(I) to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

The Dedication of the Temple(J)

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices(K) before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated(L) the temple of the Lord.

64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat(M) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar(N) that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.(O)

65 So Solomon observed the festival(P) at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(Q) to the Wadi of Egypt.(R) They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good(S) things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

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The Shekinah Glory

(A)Now when Solomon had finished praying, (B)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. (C)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lords house. All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “(D)Certainly He is good, certainly His faithfulness is everlasting.”

Sacrifices Offered

(E)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. The priests stood at their posts, and (F)the Levites also, with the musical instruments for the Lord, which King David had made for giving praise to the Lord—“for His faithfulness is everlasting”—whenever David gave praise through their [a]ministry; (G)the priests on the other side blew trumpets and all Israel was standing.

(H)Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the house of the Lord, for he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat.

The Feast of Dedication

So (I)Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly that came from the entrance of Hamath to the (J)brook of Egypt. And on the eighth day they held (K)a solemn assembly, because they held the dedication of the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days. 10 Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:6 Lit hand

The Dedication of the Temple(A)

When Solomon finished praying, fire(B) came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled(C) the temple.(D) The priests could not enter(E) the temple of the Lord because the glory(F) of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(G)

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. The priests took their positions, as did the Levites(H) with the Lord’s musical instruments,(I) which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat(J) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.

So Solomon observed the festival(K) at that time for seven days, and all Israel(L) with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(M) to the Wadi of Egypt.(N) On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated(O) the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival(P) for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

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God’s Promise and Warning

(A)Now it came about when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and (B)the king’s house, and (C)all [a]that Solomon desired to do, that (D)the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as He had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him, “(E)I have heard your prayer and your plea which you have offered before Me; I have consecrated this house which you have built, (F)by putting My name there forever, and (G)My eyes and My heart will be there [b]always. As for you, (H)if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and honesty, acting in accordance with everything that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My ordinances, then (I)I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I [c]promised to your father David, saying, ‘[d]You shall not be deprived of a man on the throne of Israel.’

(J)But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have placed before you, but you go and serve other gods and worship them, (K)then I will cut Israel off from the land which I have given them, and (L)the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will [e]expel from My sight. So (M)Israel will become a saying and an object of derision among all peoples. And this house will become (N)a heap of ruins; everyone who passes by it will be appalled and [f]hiss and say, ‘(O)Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and this house?’ And they will say, ‘(P)Because they abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and they [g]adopted other gods and worshiped and served them, for that reason the Lord has brought all this adversity on them.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 9:1 Lit Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do
  2. 1 Kings 9:3 Lit all the days
  3. 1 Kings 9:5 Lit spoke
  4. 1 Kings 9:5 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man
  5. 1 Kings 9:7 Lit send
  6. 1 Kings 9:8 Or whistle
  7. 1 Kings 9:9 Lit laid hold of

The Lord Appears to Solomon(A)

When Solomon had finished(B) building the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had achieved all he had desired to do, the Lord appeared(C) to him a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. The Lord said to him:

“I have heard(D) the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name(E) there forever. My eyes(F) and my heart will always be there.

“As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart(G) and uprightness, as David(H) your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws,(I) I will establish(J) your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail(K) to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

“But if you[a] or your descendants turn away(L) from me and do not observe the commands and decrees I have given you[b] and go off to serve other gods(M) and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land(N) I have given them and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name.(O) Israel will then become a byword(P) and an object of ridicule(Q) among all peoples. This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[c] who pass by will be appalled(R) and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’(S) People will answer,(T) ‘Because they have forsaken(U) the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them—that is why the Lord brought all this disaster(V) on them.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 9:6 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. 1 Kings 9:6 The Hebrew is plural.
  3. 1 Kings 9:8 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now imposing, all

God’s Promise and Warning

11 (A)So Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s palace, and successfully completed everything that [a]he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace.

12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and (B)have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (C)If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14 (D)and My people [b]who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 (E)Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the [c]prayer offered in this place. 16 For (F)now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there [d]always. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, to do according to everything that I have commanded you, and keep My statutes and My ordinances, 18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘[e](G)You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’

19 (H)But if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 (I)then I will uproot [f]you from My land which I have given [g]you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it (J)a proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples. 21 As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘(K)Why has the Lord done these things to this land and to this house?’ 22 And they will say, ‘Because (L)they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:11 Lit came upon the heart of Solomon to do
  2. 2 Chronicles 7:14 Lit over whom My name is called
  3. 2 Chronicles 7:15 Lit prayer of this place
  4. 2 Chronicles 7:16 Lit all the days
  5. 2 Chronicles 7:18 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man
  6. 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in ancient versions; MT them
  7. 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in some ancient versions; MT them

The Lord Appears to Solomon(A)

11 When Solomon had finished(B) the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared(C) to him at night and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen(D) this place for myself(E) as a temple for sacrifices.

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,(F) or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name,(G) will humble(H) themselves and pray and seek my face(I) and turn(J) from their wicked ways, then I will hear(K) from heaven, and I will forgive(L) their sin and will heal(M) their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.(N) 16 I have chosen(O) and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully(P) as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees(Q) and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted(R) with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor(S) to rule over Israel.’(T)

19 “But if you[a] turn away(U) and forsake(V) the decrees and commands I have given you[b] and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot(W) Israel from my land,(X) which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule(Y) among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[c] who pass by will be appalled(Z) and say,(AA) ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them(AB)—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  3. 2 Chronicles 7:21 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now so imposing, all

Cities Given to Hiram

10 (A)Now it came about (B)at the end of twenty years in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the Lord and the king’s house 11 (Hiram king of Tyre had supplied Solomon with cedar and juniper timber and gold, [a]satisfying all his desire), that King Solomon then gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee. 12 So Hiram left Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they [b]did not please him. 13 And he said, “What are these cities which you have given me, my brother?” So [c]they have been called the land of [d](C)Cabul to this day. 14 (D)And Hiram sent to the king [e]120 talents of gold.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 9:11 Lit to all
  2. 1 Kings 9:12 Lit were not right in his sight
  3. 1 Kings 9:13 Lit he called them
  4. 1 Kings 9:13 I.e., like nothing
  5. 1 Kings 9:14 About 4.5 tons or 4 metric tons

Solomon’s Other Activities(A)

10 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built these two buildings—the temple of the Lord and the royal palace— 11 King Solomon gave twenty towns in Galilee to Hiram king of Tyre, because Hiram had supplied him with all the cedar and juniper and gold(B) he wanted. 12 But when Hiram went from Tyre to see the towns that Solomon had given him, he was not pleased with them. 13 “What kind of towns are these you have given me, my brother?” he asked. And he called them the Land of Kabul,[a](C) a name they have to this day. 14 Now Hiram had sent to the king 120 talents[b] of gold.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 9:13 Kabul sounds like the Hebrew for good-for-nothing.
  2. 1 Kings 9:14 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons