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Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. O Lord,[a] I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” Then the king turned around[b] and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there.[c] He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled[d] what he promised[e] my father David. He told David,[f] ‘Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live.[g] Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place to live,[h] and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel.[i] The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me.[j] But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’[k] 10 The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel 11 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 6:2 tn The words “O Lord” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but they are supplied in the translation for clarification; Solomon addresses the Lord in prayer at this point.
  2. 2 Chronicles 6:3 tn Heb “turned his face.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 6:3 tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 6:4 tn The Hebrew text reads, “fulfilled by his hand,” but the phrase “by his hand” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  5. 2 Chronicles 6:4 tn The Hebrew text reads, “promised by his mouth,” but the phrase “by his mouth” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  6. 2 Chronicles 6:5 tn Heb “saying.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 6:5 tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.” Here “name” is used by metonymy for the Lord himself, and thus the expression “to be there” refers to his taking up residence there (hence the translation, “a temple in which to live”). In this case the temple is referred to as a “house” where the Lord himself can reside.
  8. 2 Chronicles 6:6 tn Heb “for my name to be there.” See also the note on the word “live” in v. 5.
  9. 2 Chronicles 6:7 tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.”sn On the significance of the Lord’s “name,” see the note on the word “live” in v. 5.
  10. 2 Chronicles 6:8 tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 6:9 tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”

Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;(A) I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.(B)

While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. Then he said:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, ‘Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem(C) for my Name(D) to be there, and I have chosen David(E) to rule my people Israel.’

“My father David had it in his heart(F) to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’

10 “The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant(G) of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

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