1 Kings 8:12-61

121Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that 2He would dwell in the thick darkness.133I have truly built You a lofty house, 4A place for Your dwelling forever.”

14Then the king 5turned around and 6blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15He said, “7Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, 8who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16‘9Since 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 10My name would be there, but 11I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 1712Now it was 13in 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 14in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was 15in your heart. 1916Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who 17will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for 18I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord 19promised, 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, 20in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

22Then 21Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he 22spread out his hands toward heaven. 23And he said, “Lord, God of Israel, 23there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, 24keeping 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 25promised 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 26promised him, saying, ‘2728You 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, 29which You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.

27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, 30heaven and the 31highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the 32prayer 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, 2933so that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward 34the 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 35listen to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, 36when they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and 37forgive!

31“38If 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, 39condemning the wicked by 40bringing his way on his own head, and acquitting the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33“41When Your people Israel are 42defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, 43if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your 44favor 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“45When 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; 46indeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And 47provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37“48If there is a famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is 49blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy harasses them in the land of their 50cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38whatever prayer or plea 51is offered by any person or by all Your people Israel, 52each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his 53hands toward this house; 39then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, 54whose heart You know--for 55You alone know the hearts of all 56mankind-- 40so that they will 57fear You all the days that they live on the 58land 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 59and 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 60that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to 61fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that 62this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44“When Your people go out to battle against 63their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and 64they pray to the Lord 65toward 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 66there is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that 67they take them away captive 68to the land of the enemy, distant or near; 4769if they 70take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and implore Your 71favor in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘72We have sinned and done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 4873if 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 74pray 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 75make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, so that they will have compassion on them 51(76for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought out of Egypt, 77from the midst of the iron furnace), 5278so 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, 79just as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord 80God.”

5481When Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and plea to the Lord, 82he stood up from the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his 83hands spread toward heaven. 55And he stood and 84blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56“Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel 85in accordance with everything that He 86promised; 87not one word has 88failed of all His good 89promise, which He 90promised through Moses His servant. 57May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; 91may He not leave us nor forsake us, 58so that 92He 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 93favor 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, 94as each day requires, 60so 95that all the peoples of the earth may know that 96the Lord is God; there is no one else. 6197Your hearts therefore shall be 98wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”