2 Chronicles 6:1-21

New King James Version

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

6 Then ^(A)Solomon spoke:

Solomon’s Speech upon Completion of the Work^(D)

³ Then the king turned around and ^(E)blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. ⁴ And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, ^(F)saying, ⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel. ^6 (G)Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I ^(H)have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ ⁷ Now ^(I)it was in the heart of my father David to build a ^[a]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. ⁸ But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart. ⁹ Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My ^(J)name.’ ¹⁰ So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and ^(K)sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. ¹¹ And there I have put the ark, ^(L)in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the children of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication^(M)

^12 (N)Then ^[b]Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands ¹³ (for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven); ¹⁴ and he said: “Lord God of Israel, ^(O)there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your ^(P)covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. ^15 (Q)You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. ¹⁶ Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ^(R)‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, ^(S)only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ ¹⁷ And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.

¹⁸ “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? ^(T)Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this ^[c]temple which I have built! ¹⁹ Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You: ²⁰ that Your eyes may be ^(U)open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes ^(V)toward this place. ²¹ And may You hear 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, ^(W)forgive.