1 Kings 8:22-53

22Then 1Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and 2spread out his hands toward heaven. 23He said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, 3there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, 4keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have 5promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day. 25Now therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have 6promised him, saying, ‘78You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26Now therefore, O God of Israel, let Your word, I pray, be confirmed 9which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.

27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, 10heaven and the 11highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28Yet have regard to the 12prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; 2913that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward 14the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 3015Listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, 16when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and 17forgive.

31“18If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, 19condemning the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33“20When Your people Israel are 21defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, 22if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.

35“23When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, 24indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And 25send rain on Your land, which You have given Your people for an inheritance.

37“26If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their 27cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, 28each knowing the 29affliction of his own heart, and spreading his 30hands toward this house; 39then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and render to each according to all his ways, 31whose heart You know, for 32You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, 40that they may 33fear You all the days that they live 34in the land which You have given to our fathers.

41“Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake 42(for they will hear of Your great name 35and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, 43hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order 36that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to 37fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that 38this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44“When Your people go out to battle against 39their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and 40they pray to the Lord 41toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their 42cause.

46“When they sin against You (for 43there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that 44they take them away captive 45to the land of the enemy, far off or near; 4746if they 47take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘48We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’; 4849if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and 50pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their 51cause, 50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and 52make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51(53for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, 54from the midst of the iron furnace), 5255that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, 56as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord 57God.”