Solomon’s Blessing

54 When Solomon finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the Lord, he got up from kneeling before the altar of the Lord, with his hands spread out toward heaven,(A) 55 and he stood and blessed the whole congregation of Israel(B) with a loud voice: 56 “Blessed be the Lord! He has given rest(C) to his people Israel according to all he has said. Not one of all the good promises he made through his servant Moses has failed.(D) 57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors. May he not abandon us or leave us(E) 58 so that he causes us to be devoted[a] to him,(F) to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commands, statutes, and ordinances, which he commanded our ancestors. 59 May my words with which I have made my petition before the Lord be near the Lord our God day and night. May he uphold his servant’s cause and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires.(G) 60 May all the peoples of the earth know that the Lord is God. There is no other!(H) 61 Be wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord our God(I) to walk in his statutes and to keep his commands, as it is today.”

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Footnotes

  1. 8:58 Lit causes our hearts to be inclined

Solomon's Benediction

54 (A)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 (B)knelt with hands outstretched 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, according to all that he promised. (D)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. (E)May he not leave us or forsake us, 58 that he may (F)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 (G)all the peoples of the earth may know that (H)the Lord is God; there is no other. 61 (I)Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”

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