62 The king and all Israel with him were offering sacrifices in the Lord’s presence. 63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep and goats.(A) In this manner the king and all the Israelites dedicated(B) the Lord’s temple.(C)

64 On the same day, the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the Lord’s temple because that was where he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offerings,(D) since the bronze altar before the Lord was too small to accommodate the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings.(E)

65 Solomon and all Israel with him—a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath[a](F) to the Brook of Egypt(G)—observed the festival at that time(H) in the presence of the Lord our God, seven days, and seven more days—fourteen days.[b](I) 66 On the fifteenth day[c] he sent the people away. So they blessed the king and went to their homes[d] rejoicing and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had done for his servant David and for his people Israel.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 8:65 Or from Lebo-hamath
  2. 8:65 Temple dedication lasted seven days, and the Festival of Shelters lasted seven days.
  3. 8:66 Lit the eighth day
  4. 8:66 Lit tents

62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. 63 Solomon offered to the Lord a peace offering of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the Temple of the Lord.

64 That same day the king consecrated the central area of the courtyard in front of the Lord’s Temple. He offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of peace offerings there, because the bronze altar in the Lord’s presence was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 Then Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters[a] in the presence of the Lord our God. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. The celebration went on for fourteen days in all—seven days for the dedication of the altar and seven days for the Festival of Shelters.[b] 66 After the festival was over,[c] Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad because the Lord had been good to his servant David and to his people Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. 8:65a Hebrew the festival; see note on 8:2.
  2. 8:65b Hebrew seven days and seven days, fourteen days; compare parallel text at 2 Chr 7:8-10.
  3. 8:66 Hebrew On the eighth day, probably referring to the day following the seven-day Festival of Shelters; compare parallel text at 2 Chr 7:9-10.