12 Then Solomon said:

The Lord said that he would dwell in total darkness.(A)
13 I have indeed built an exalted temple(B) for you,
a place for your dwelling forever.(C)

14 The king turned around and blessed(D) the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. 15 He said:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel!
He spoke directly to my father David,
and he has fulfilled the promise(E) by his power.
He said,
16 “Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt,(F)
I have not chosen a city to build a temple in
among any of the tribes of Israel,
so that my name(G) would be there.
But I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.”(H)
17 My father David had his heart set
on building a temple for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.(I)
18 But the Lord said to my father David,
“Since your heart was set on building a temple for my name,
you have done well to have this desire.[a](J)
19 Yet you are not the one to build it;
instead, your son, your own offspring,
will build it for my name.”(K)
20 The Lord has fulfilled what he promised.
I have taken the place of my father David,(L)
and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised.(M)
I have built the temple for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
21 I have provided a place there for the ark,
where the Lord’s covenant is
that he made with our ancestors
when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. 8:18 Lit well because it was with your heart

Solomon Addresses the People

12 (A)Then Solomon said,

“The Lord has said that (B)He would dwell in the thick darkness.
13 (C)I have truly built You a lofty house,
(D)A place for Your dwelling forever.”

14 Then the king [a]turned around and (E)blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “(F)Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, (G)who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16 (H)Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that (I)My name would be there, but (J)I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 (K)Now it was [b]in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was [c]in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was [d]in your heart. 19 (L)Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who [e]will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for (M)I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord [f]promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, (N)in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:14 Lit turned his face about
  2. 1 Kings 8:17 Lit with
  3. 1 Kings 8:18 Lit with
  4. 1 Kings 8:18 Lit with
  5. 1 Kings 8:19 Lit will come forth from your loins
  6. 1 Kings 8:20 Lit spoke