40 that they may fear you (A)all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

41 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name (B)and 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 for which the foreigner calls to you, in order (C)that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and (D)fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that 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 (E)toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

46 “If they sin against you—(F)for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive (G)to the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47 yet (H)if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, (I)‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 48 (J)if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you (K)toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and (L)grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 ((M)for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, (N)from the midst of the iron furnace). 52 (O)Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you. 53 For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage, (P)as you declared through Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”

Solomon's Benediction

54 (Q)Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had (R)knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. 55 And he stood and (S)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. (T)Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57 The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. (U)May he not leave us or forsake us, 58 that he may (V)incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. 59 Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60 that (W)all the peoples of the earth may know that (X)the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 (Y)Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

Solomon's Sacrifices

62 (Z)Then (AA)the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63 Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64 The same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings, because (AB)the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings.

65 So Solomon held (AC)the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from (AD)Lebo-hamath to (AE)the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days.[a] 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:65 Septuagint; Hebrew seven days and seven days, fourteen days

40 so that they will fear(A) you all the time they live in the land(B) you gave our ancestors.

41 “As for the foreigner(C) who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear(D) of your great name and your mighty hand(E) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know(F) your name and fear(G) you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.(H)

44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray(I) to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.(J)

46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin(K)—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive(L) to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead(M) with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’;(N) 48 and if they turn back(O) to you with all their heart(P) and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray(Q) to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple(R) I have built for your Name;(S) 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy;(T) 51 for they are your people and your inheritance,(U) whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.(V)

52 “May your eyes be open(W) to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you.(X) 53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance,(Y) just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”

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(Z) the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

56 “Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest(AA) to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises(AB) 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(AC) us. 58 May he turn our hearts(AD) 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(AE) of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other.(AF) 61 And may your hearts(AG) be fully committed(AH) to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

The Dedication of the Temple(AI)

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices(AJ) 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(AK) 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(AL) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar(AM) that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.(AN)

65 So Solomon observed the festival(AO) at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(AP) to the Wadi of Egypt.(AQ) 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(AR) things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

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