1 Kings 8

The Ark Brought into the Temple

11Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all 2the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, 3to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from 4the city of David, that is, Zion. 2So all the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at 5the feast, in the month Ethanim, that is, the seventh month. 3Then all the elders of Israel came, and 6the priests took up the ark. 4And they brought up the ark of the Lord, 7the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were gathered together to him, 8were with him before the ark, sacrificing 9so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6Then 10the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord 11to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, 12under the wings of the cherubim. 7For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its carrying poles from above. 8But 13the poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; they are there to this day. 914There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where 15the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10And it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, 16the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

Solomon Addresses the People

1217Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that 18He would dwell in the thick darkness.1319I have truly built You a lofty house, 20A place for Your dwelling forever.”

14Then the king 21turned around and 22blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15He said, “23Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 24who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16‘25Since 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 26My name would be there, but 27I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 1728Now it was 29in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was 30in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was 31in your heart. 1932Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who 33will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for 34I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord 35promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21And there I have set a place for the ark, 36in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

The Prayer of Dedication

22Then 37Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he 38spread out his hands toward heaven. 23And he said, “Lord, God of Israel, 39there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, 40keeping the covenant and showing faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You 41promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 25Now then, Lord, God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have 42promised him, saying, ‘4344You shall not be deprived of a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful about their way, to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26Now then, God of Israel, let Your words, please, be confirmed, 45which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.

27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, 46heaven and the 47highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the 48prayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, 2949so that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward 50the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. 30And 51listen to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, 52when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and 53forgive!

31“54If a person sins against his neighbor and is compelled to take an oath of innocence, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, 55condemning the wicked by 56bringing his way on his own head, and acquitting the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33“57When Your people Israel are 58defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, 59if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your 60favor 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 their fathers.

35“61When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; 62indeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And 63provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37“64If there is a famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is 65blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy harasses them in the land of their 66cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38whatever prayer or plea 67is offered by any person or by all Your people Israel, 68each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his 69hands toward this house; 39then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, 70whose heart You know--for 71You alone know the hearts of all 72mankind-- 40so that they will 73fear You all the days that they live on the 74land which You have given to our fathers.

41“Also regarding the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country on account of Your name 42(for they will hear of Your great name 75and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, 43hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and act in accordance with all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order 76that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to 77fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that 78this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44“When Your people go out to battle against 79their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and 80they pray to the Lord 81toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45then hear in heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their cause.

46“When they sin against You (for 82there is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that 83they take them away captive 84to the land of the enemy, distant or near; 4785if they 86take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and implore Your 87favor in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘88We have sinned and done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 4889if 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 90pray 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 pleading in heaven, Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their wrongdoings which they have committed against You, and 91make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, so that they will have compassion on them 51(92for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought out of Egypt, 93from the midst of the iron furnace), 5294so that Your eyes may be open to the pleading of Your servant and to the pleading of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53For You have singled them out from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, 95just as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord 96God.”

Solomon’s Benediction

5497When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and plea to the Lord, 98he stood up from the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his 99hands spread toward heaven. 55And he stood and 100blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel 101in accordance with everything that He 102promised; 103not one word has 104failed of all His good 105promise, which He 106promised through Moses His servant. 57May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; 107may He not leave us nor forsake us, 58so that 108He may guide our hearts toward Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. 59And may these words of mine, with which I have implored the 109favor of the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, so that He will maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, 110as each day requires, 60so 111that all the peoples of the earth may know that 112the Lord is God; there is no one else. 61113Your hearts therefore shall be 114wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

Dedicatory Sacrifices

62115Then the king and all Israel with him 116offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. 117So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the Lord, because there he 118offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for 119the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65So 120Solomon held the 121feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly 122from the entrance of Hamath 123to the brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days and seven more days, that is, fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had 124shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.