1 Kings 8:31-53

31“1If 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, 2condemning the wicked by 3bringing his way on his own head, and acquitting the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33“4When Your people Israel are 5defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, 6if they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your 7favor 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“8When 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; 9indeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And 10provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37“11If there is a famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is 12blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy harasses them in the land of their 13cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38whatever prayer or plea 14is offered by any person or by all Your people Israel, 15each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his 16hands toward this house; 39then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, 17whose heart You know--for 18You alone know the hearts of all 19mankind-- 40so that they will 20fear You all the days that they live on the 21land 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 22and 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 23that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to 24fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that 25this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44“When Your people go out to battle against 26their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and 27they pray to the Lord 28toward 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 29there is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that 30they take them away captive 31to the land of the enemy, distant or near; 4732if they 33take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and implore Your 34favor in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘35We have sinned and done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 4836if 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 37pray 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 38make them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, so that they will have compassion on them 51(39for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought out of Egypt, 40from the midst of the iron furnace), 5241so 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, 42just as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord 43God.”