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54 When Solomon finished presenting all these prayers and requests to the Lord, he got up from before the altar of the Lord where he had kneeled and spread out his hands toward the sky.[a] 55 When he stood up, he pronounced a blessing over the entire assembly of Israel, saying in a loud voice: 56 “The Lord is worthy of praise because he has made Israel his people secure[b] just as he promised! Not one of all the faithful promises he made through his servant Moses is left unfulfilled![c] 57 May the Lord our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he not abandon us or leave us. 58 May he make us submissive,[d] so we can follow all his instructions[e] and obey[f] the commandments, rules, and regulations he commanded our ancestors. 59 May the Lord our God be constantly aware of these requests of mine I have presented to him,[g] so that he might vindicate[h] his servant and his people Israel as the need arises. 60 Then[i] all the nations of the earth will recognize that the Lord is the only genuine God.[j] 61 May you demonstrate wholehearted devotion to the Lord our God[k] by following[l] his rules and obeying[m] his commandments, as you are now doing.”[n]

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:54 tn Or “toward heaven.”
  2. 1 Kings 8:56 tn Heb “he has given a resting place to his people Israel.”
  3. 1 Kings 8:56 tn Heb “not one word from his entire good word he spoke by Moses his servant has fallen.”
  4. 1 Kings 8:58 tn Heb “to bend our hearts toward him.” The infinitive is subordinate to the initial prayer, “may the Lord our God be with us.” The Hebrew term לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the people’s volition and will.
  5. 1 Kings 8:58 tn Heb “to walk in all his ways.”
  6. 1 Kings 8:58 tn Heb “keep.”
  7. 1 Kings 8:59 tn Heb “May these words of mine, which I have requested before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night.”
  8. 1 Kings 8:59 tn Heb “accomplish the justice of.”
  9. 1 Kings 8:60 tn Heb “so that.”
  10. 1 Kings 8:60 tn Heb “the Lord, he is the God, there is no other.”
  11. 1 Kings 8:61 tn Heb “may your hearts be complete with the Lord our God.”
  12. 1 Kings 8:61 tn Heb “walking in.”
  13. 1 Kings 8:61 tn Heb “keeping.”
  14. 1 Kings 8:61 tn Heb “as this day.”

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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