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 Blessing to the Assembly(A)

54 When Solomon had completed saying this entire prayer to the Lord, he got up from kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven in the presence of the Lord’s altar, 55 stood up, and blessed all of the assembly of Israel in a loud voice. He said:

56 “Blessed is the Lord, who has given security to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one of his promises has failed to come about that he gave through his servant Moses. 57 May the Lord our God be with us, just as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us or abandon us, 58 so that he may turn our hearts toward him, so that we may live life[a] his way, keeping his commands, statutes, and ordinances that he gave to our ancestors. 59 And may what I’ve had to say to the Lord remain with the Lord our God both day and night, so that he may defend the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as the need of the day may require it, 60 so that, in turn,[b] all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God—there is no one else. 61 Now let your heart be completely devoted to the Lord our God, to live according to his statutes and to keep his commands, as we are doing today.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:58 Lit. may walk in
  2. 1 Kings 8:60 Lit. therefore