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1 Kings 8
Living Bible

8 Then Solomon called a convocation at Jerusalem of all the leaders of Israel—the heads of the tribes and clans—to observe the transferring of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the Tabernacle in Zion, the City of David, to the Temple. 2 This celebration occurred at the time of the Tabernacle Festival in the month of October. 3-4 During the festivities the priests carried the Ark to the Temple, along with all the sacred vessels that had previously been in the Tabernacle. 5 King Solomon and all the people gathered before the Ark, sacrificing uncounted sheep and oxen.

6 Then the priests took the Ark into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place—and placed it under the wings of the statues of the Guardian Angels. 7 The Angels had been constructed in such a manner that their wings spread out over the spot where the Ark would be placed; so now their wings overshadowed the Ark and its carrying poles. 8 The poles were so long that they stuck out past the Angels and could be seen from the next room, but not from the outer court; and they remain there to this day. 9 There was nothing in the Ark at that time except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed there at Mount Horeb at the time the Lord made his covenant with the people of Israel after they left Egypt.

10 Look! As the priests are returning from the inner sanctuary, a bright cloud fills the Temple! 11 The priests have to go outside because the glory of the Lord is filling the entire building!

12-13 Now King Solomon prayed this invocation:

“The Lord has said that he would live in the thick darkness;

But, O Lord, I have built you a lovely home on earth, a place for you to live forever.”

14 Then the king turned around and faced the people as they stood before him, and blessed them.

15 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,” he said, “who has done today what he promised my father David: 16 for he said to him, ‘When I brought my people from Egypt, I didn’t appoint a place for my Temple, but I appointed a man to be my people’s leader.’ 17 This man was my father David. He wanted to build a Temple for the Lord God of Israel, 18 but the Lord told him not to. ‘I am glad you want to do it,’ he said, 19 ‘but your son is the one who shall build my Temple.’ 20 And now the Lord has done what he promised; for I have followed my father as king of Israel, and now this Temple has been built for the Lord God of Israel. 21 And I have prepared a place in the Temple for the Ark that contains the covenant made by the Lord with our fathers, at the time that he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

22-23 Then, as all the people watched, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord with his hands spread out toward heaven and said, “O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or earth, for you are loving and kind and you keep your promises to your people if they do their best to do your will. 24 Today you have fulfilled your promise to my father David, who was your servant; 25 and now, O Lord God of Israel, fulfill your further promise to him: that if his descendants follow your ways and try to do your will as he did, one of them shall always sit upon the throne of Israel. 26 Yes, O God of Israel, fulfill this promise too.

27 “But is it possible that God would really live on earth? Why, even the skies and the highest heavens cannot contain you, much less this Temple I have built! 28 And yet, O Lord my God, you have heard and answered my request: 29 Please watch over this Temple night and day—this place you have promised to live in—and as I face toward the Temple and pray, whether by night or by day, please listen to me and answer my requests. 30 Listen to every plea of the people of Israel whenever they face this place to pray; yes, hear in heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

31 “If a man is accused of doing something wrong and then, standing here before your altar, swears that he didn’t do it, 32 hear him in heaven and do what is right; judge whether or not he did it.

33-34 “And when your people sin and their enemies defeat them, hear them from heaven and forgive them if they turn to you again and confess that you are their God. Bring them back again to this land which you have given to their fathers.

35-36 “And when the skies are shut up and there is no rain because of their sin, hear them from heaven and forgive them when they pray toward this place and confess your name. And after you have punished them, help them to follow the good ways in which they should walk, and send rain upon the land that you have given your people.

37 “If there is a famine in the land caused by plant disease or locusts or caterpillars, or if Israel’s enemies besiege one of her cities, or if the people are struck by an epidemic or plague—or whatever the problem is— 38 then when the people realize their sin and pray toward this Temple, 39 hear them from heaven and forgive and answer all who have made an honest confession; for you know each heart. 40 In this way they will always learn to reverence you as they continue to live in this land that you have given their fathers.

41-42 “And when foreigners hear of your great name and come from distant lands to worship you (for they shall hear of your great name and mighty miracles) and pray toward this Temple, 43 hear them from heaven and answer their prayers. And all the nations of the earth will know and fear your name just as your own people Israel do; and all the earth will know that this is your Temple.

44 “When you send your people out to battle against their enemies and they pray to you, looking toward your chosen city of Jerusalem and toward this Temple that I have built in your name, 45 hear their prayer and help them.

46 “If they sin against you (and who doesn’t?) and you become angry with them and let their enemies lead them away as captives to some foreign land, whether far or near, 47 and they come to their senses and turn to you and cry to you saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong’; 48 if they honestly return to you and pray toward this land that you have given their fathers, and toward this city of Jerusalem that you have chosen, and toward this Temple that I have built for your name, 49 hear their prayers and pleadings from heaven where you live, and come to their assistance.

50 “Forgive your people for all of their evil deeds, and make their captors merciful to them; 51 for they are your people—your inheritance that you brought out from the Egyptian furnace. 52 May your eyes be open and your ears listening to their pleas. O Lord, hear and answer them whenever they cry out to you, 53 for when you brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt, you told your servant Moses that you had chosen Israel from among all the nations of the earth to be your own special people.”

54-55 Solomon had been kneeling with his hands outstretched toward heaven. As he finished this prayer, he rose from before the altar of Jehovah and cried out this blessing upon all the people of Israel:

56 “Blessed be the Lord who has fulfilled his promise and given rest to his people Israel; not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises proclaimed by his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never forsake us. 58 May he give us the desire to do his will in everything, and to obey all the commandments and instructions he has given our ancestors. 59 And may these words of my prayer be constantly before him day and night, so that he helps me and all of Israel in accordance with our daily needs. 60 May people all over the earth know that the Lord is God and that there is no other god at all. 61 O my people, may you live good and perfect lives before the Lord our God; may you always obey his laws and commandments, just as you are doing today.”

62-63 Then the king and all the people dedicated the Temple by sacrificing peace offerings to the Lord—a total of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep and goats! 64 As a temporary measure the king sanctified the court in front of the Temple for the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: for the bronze altar was too small to handle so much. 65 The celebration lasted for fourteen days, and a great crowd came from one end of the land to the other. 66 Afterwards Solomon sent the people home, happy for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to his servant David and to his people Israel. And they blessed the king.

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1 Kings 8
New King James Version

The Ark Brought into the Temple(A)

8 Now (B)Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, (C)that they might bring (D)up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. 2 Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the (E)feast in the month of [a]Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 So all the elders of Israel came, (F)and the priests took up the ark. 4 Then they brought up the ark of the Lord, (G)the [b]tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, (H)sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. 6 Then the priests (I)brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to (J)its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, (K)under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8 The poles (L)extended so that the [c]ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. 9 (M)Nothing was in the ark (N)except the two tablets of stone which Moses (O)put there at Horeb, (P)when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud (Q)filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the (R)glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

12 (S)Then Solomon spoke:

“The Lord said He would dwell (T)in the dark cloud.
13 (U)I have surely built You an exalted house,
(V)And a place for You to dwell in forever.”

Solomon’s Speech at Completion of the Work(W)

14 Then the king turned around and (X)blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said: (Y)“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who (Z)spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying, 16 ‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that (AA)My name might be there; but I chose (AB)David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 Now (AC)it was in the heart of my father David to build a [d]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 18 (AD)But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19 Nevertheless (AE)you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’ 20 So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have [e]filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, (AF)as the Lord promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 21 And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is (AG)the covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(AH)

22 Then Solomon stood before (AI)the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and (AJ)spread out his hands toward heaven; 23 and he said: “Lord God of Israel, (AK)there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, (AL)who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who (AM)walk before You with all their hearts. 24 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. 25 Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, (AN)‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ 26 (AO)And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father.

27 “But (AP)will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the (AQ)heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! 28 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 today: 29 that Your eyes may be open toward this [f]temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, (AR)‘My name shall be (AS)there,’ that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes (AT)toward this place. 30 (AU)And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

31 “When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take (AV)an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, 32 then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, (AW)condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33 (AX)“When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and (AY)when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their (AZ)fathers.

35 (BA)“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may (BB)teach them (BC)the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37 (BD)“When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their [g]cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; 38 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone (BE)know the hearts of all the sons of men), 40 (BF)that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

41 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name’s sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your (BG)strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, (BH)that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and (BI)fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their [h]cause.

46 “When they sin against You (BJ)(for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive (BK)to the land of the enemy, far or near; 47 (BL)yet when they [i]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, (BM)saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’; 48 and when they (BN)return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and (BO)pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: 49 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their [j]cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and (BP)grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 (for (BQ)they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, (BR)out of the iron furnace), 52 (BS)that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, (BT)as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”

Solomon Blesses the Assembly(BU)

54 (BV)And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55 Then he stood (BW)and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: 56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given (BX)rest[k] to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. (BY)There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. (BZ)May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that He may (CA)incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, 60 (CB)that all the peoples of the earth may know that (CC)the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 Let your (CD)heart therefore be [l]loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”

Solomon Dedicates the Temple(CE)

62 Then (CF)the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63 And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64 On (CG)the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the (CH)bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 At that time Solomon held (CI)a feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from (CJ)the entrance of Hamath to (CK)the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, (CL)seven days and seven more days—fourteen days. 66 (CM)On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they [m]blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the Lord had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:2 Or Tishri, September or October
  2. 1 Kings 8:4 tent
  3. 1 Kings 8:8 heads
  4. 1 Kings 8:17 Lit. house, and so in vv. 18–20
  5. 1 Kings 8:20 risen in the place of
  6. 1 Kings 8:29 Lit. house
  7. 1 Kings 8:37 Lit. gates
  8. 1 Kings 8:45 justice
  9. 1 Kings 8:47 Lit. bring back to their heart
  10. 1 Kings 8:49 justice
  11. 1 Kings 8:56 peace
  12. 1 Kings 8:61 Lit. at peace with
  13. 1 Kings 8:66 thanked
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1 Kings 8
Legacy Standard Bible

The Ark Brought into the House of Yahweh

8 (A)Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all (B)the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, (C)to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from (D)the city of David, which is Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at (E)the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 Then all the elders of Israel came, and (F)the priests carried the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of Yahweh and (G)the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils, which were in the tent, and the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who congregated to him being (H)with him before the ark, were sacrificing [a]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then (I)the priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh (J)to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Holy of Holies, (K)under the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above. 8 But (L)the poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and they are there to this day. 9 (M)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses laid there at Horeb, where (N)Yahweh cut a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 Now it happened that when the priests came out of the holy place, (O)the cloud filled the house of Yahweh, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.

Solomon Blesses the People

12 (P)Then Solomon said,

“Yahweh has said that (Q)He would dwell in the cloud of dense gloom.
13 (R)I have surely built You a lofty house,
(S)A place for Your dwelling forever.”

14 Then the king turned his face around and (T)blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said, “(U)Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, (V)who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it by His hand, saying, 16 ‘(W)Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that (X)My name might be there, but (Y)I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 (Z)And it was [b]in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 18 But Yahweh said to my father David, ‘Because it was [c]in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [d]in your heart. 19 (AA)Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will (AB)come forth from your loins, he shall build the house for My name.’ 20 And Yahweh has established His word which He spoke; and (AC)I have been established in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh [e]promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, (AD)in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which He cut with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt.”

Solomon’s Prayer for Israel

22 Then (AE)Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh before all the assembly of Israel and (AF)spread out his hands toward heaven. 23 And he said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, (AG)there is no god like You in heaven above or upon earth beneath, (AH)keeping covenant and lovingkindness to Your slaves who walk before You with all their heart, 24 who have kept with Your [f]servant, my father David, that which You have [g]promised him; indeed, You have [h]promised with Your mouth and have fulfilled it by Your hand as it is this day. 25 So now, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with Your [i]servant David my father that which You have [j]promised him, saying, ‘(AI)You shall not have a man cut off from before Me who is to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons keep their way to walk as you have walked before Me.’ 26 So now, O God of Israel, let Your word truly [k]endure (AJ)which You have spoken to Your [l]servant, my father David.

27 “But will God truly dwell on the earth? Behold, (AK)heaven and the [m]highest heaven cannot [n]contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 28 Yet have regard to the (AL)prayer of Your slave and to his supplication, O Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your slave prays before You today; 29 (AM)that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward (AN)the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your slave shall pray toward this place. 30 (AO)And listen to the supplication of Your slave and of Your people Israel, (AP)when they pray toward this place; listen in heaven Your dwelling place; listen and (AQ)forgive.

31 “(AR)If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32 then listen in heaven and act and judge Your slaves, (AS)condemning the wicked by [o]bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by [p]bringing him reward according to his righteousness.

33 “(AT)When Your people Israel are [q]defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, (AU)if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34 then listen in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.

35 “(AV)When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then listen in heaven and forgive the sin of Your slaves and of Your people Israel; (AW)indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And (AX)give rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

37 “(AY)If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is scorching wind or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their [r]cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each of whom knows the [s]affliction of his own heart, and spreads his [t]hands toward this house; 39 then listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to all his ways, (AZ)whose heart You know, for (BA)You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, 40 that they may [u]fear You all the days that they live upon the face of the land which You have given to our fathers.

41 “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, if he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great name (BB)and Your strong hand, and of Your outstretched arm); so if he comes and prays toward this house, 43 listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order (BC)that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name to [v]fear You, as do Your people Israel, and to know that Your name is called upon this house which I have built.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against [w]their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and (BD)they pray to Yahweh [x]toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45 then listen in heaven to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice.

46 “When they sin against You (for (BE)there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and give them over to an enemy, so that [y]they take them away captive (BF)to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47 (BG)and if they cause these things to return to their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and [z]return and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘(BH)We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’; 48 (BI)and if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and (BJ)pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then listen in heaven Your dwelling place to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice for them, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and (BK)give them over as objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 ((BL)for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, (BM)from the midst of the iron furnace), 52 (BN)that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your slave and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, (BO)as You spoke by the hand of Moses Your [aa]servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord Yahweh.”

Solomon Blesses Yahweh

54 (BP)Now it happened that when Solomon had [ab]finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to Yahweh, (BQ)he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his [ac]hands spread toward heaven. 55 And he stood and (BR)blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56 “Blessed be Yahweh, who has given rest to His people Israel, (BS)according to all that He [ad]promised; (BT)not one promise has [ae]failed of all His good [af]promises, which He [ag]promised by the hand of Moses His [ah]servant. 57 May Yahweh our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; (BU)may He not forsake us or abandon us, 58 that (BV)He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that He may do justice for His slave and justice for His people Israel, [ai]as each day requires, 60 so (BW)that all the peoples of the earth may know that (BX)Yahweh is God; there is no one else. 61 (BY)Let your heart therefore be [aj]wholly devoted to Yahweh our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

The Offering for the House of Yahweh

62 (BZ)Now the king and all Israel with him were (CA)offering sacrifices before Yahweh. 63 And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. (CB)So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh. 64 On the same day the king set apart as holy the middle of the court that was before the house of Yahweh, because there he [ak]offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings; for (CC)the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too small to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So (CD)Solomon celebrated the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly (CE)from [al]Lebo-hamath (CF)to the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, for seven days and seven more days, even fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents with gladness and goodness of heart because of all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David His [am]servant and to Israel His people.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:5 Lit sheep and oxen...numbered for multitude
  2. 1 Kings 8:17 Lit with
  3. 1 Kings 8:18 Lit with
  4. 1 Kings 8:18 Lit with
  5. 1 Kings 8:20 Lit spoke
  6. 1 Kings 8:24 Or slave, cf. 8:23; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  7. 1 Kings 8:24 Lit spoken to
  8. 1 Kings 8:24 Lit spoken to
  9. 1 Kings 8:25 Or slave, cf. 8:23; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  10. 1 Kings 8:25 Lit spoken to
  11. 1 Kings 8:26 Or be true
  12. 1 Kings 8:26 Or slave, cf. 8:23; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  13. 1 Kings 8:27 Lit heaven of heavens
  14. 1 Kings 8:27 Or uphold; lit sustain
  15. 1 Kings 8:32 Lit giving
  16. 1 Kings 8:32 Lit giving
  17. 1 Kings 8:33 Lit smitten
  18. 1 Kings 8:37 Lit gates
  19. 1 Kings 8:38 Lit plague
  20. 1 Kings 8:38 Lit palms
  21. 1 Kings 8:40 Or reverence
  22. 1 Kings 8:43 Or reverence
  23. 1 Kings 8:44 Lit his
  24. 1 Kings 8:44 Lit in the way of
  25. 1 Kings 8:46 Lit their captors take them captive
  26. 1 Kings 8:47 Or repent
  27. 1 Kings 8:53 Or slave, cf. 8:52; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  28. 1 Kings 8:54 Or completed, cf. 9:1; 2 Chr 7:11; 8:16
  29. 1 Kings 8:54 Lit palms
  30. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit spoke
  31. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit fallen
  32. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit word
  33. 1 Kings 8:56 Lit spoke
  34. 1 Kings 8:56 Or slave, cf. 8:52; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
  35. 1 Kings 8:59 Lit the thing of a day in its day
  36. 1 Kings 8:61 Lit complete with
  37. 1 Kings 8:64 Lit made
  38. 1 Kings 8:65 Or the entrance of Hamath
  39. 1 Kings 8:66 Or slave, cf. 8:52; see Foreword, “The Terminology of Slave”
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