1 Kings 8:12-29

English Standard Version

Solomon Blesses the Lord

¹²^(A)Then Solomon said, “The Lord^[a] has said that he would dwell ^(B)in thick darkness. ¹³^(C)I have indeed built you an exalted house, ^(D)a place for you to dwell in forever.” ¹⁴Then the king turned around and ^(E)blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. ¹⁵And he said, ^(F)“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled ^(G)what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, ¹⁶^(H)‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, ^(I)that my name might be there. ^(J)But I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ ¹⁷^(K)Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁸But 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^(L)Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ ²⁰Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, ^(M)as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ²¹And there I have provided a place for the ark, ^(N)in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

²²Then Solomon ^(O)stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and ^(P)spread out his hands toward heaven, ²³and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, ^(Q)there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, ^(R)keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; ²⁴you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. ^(S)You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. ²⁵Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ^(T)‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ ²⁶^(U)Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father.

²⁷“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, ^(V)heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! ²⁸Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, ²⁹^(W)that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ^(X)‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.