Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

Then Solomon said:(A)

The Lord said He would dwell in thick darkness,(B)
but I have built an exalted temple for You,
a place for Your residence forever.

Then the king turned and blessed the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. He said:

May the Lord God of Israel be praised!
He spoke directly to my father David,
and He has fulfilled the promise
by His power.
He said,
“Since the day I brought My people Israel
out of the land of Egypt,(C)
I have not chosen a city to build a temple in
among any of the tribes of Israel,
so that My name would be there,
and I have not chosen a man
to be ruler over My people Israel.
But I have chosen Jerusalem
so that My name will be there,(D)
and I have chosen David
to be over My people Israel.”(E)

Now it was in the heart of my father David
to build a temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.(F)
However, Yahweh said to my father David,
“Since it was your desire to build a temple for My name,
you have done well to have this desire.
Yet, you are not the one to build the temple,
but your son, your own offspring,
will build the temple for My name.”
10 So Yahweh has fulfilled what He promised.
I have taken the place of my father David
and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised.
I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
11 I have put the ark there,
where Yahweh’s covenant is
that He made with the Israelites.(G)

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Solomon Praises the Lord

Then Solomon prayed, “O Lord, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness. Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever!”

Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing before him and gave this blessing: “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father, ‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name. Nor have I chosen a king to lead my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name to be honored, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.’”

Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good, but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’

10 “And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the Lord made with the people of Israel.”

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