1 Kings 8
8
Solomon Brings the Sacred Chest to the Temple
(2 Chronicles 5.2—6.2)
1-2 #
2 S 6.11-16; 1 Ch 15.25-29;
Lv 23.34. The sacred chest had been kept on Mount Zion, also known as the city of David. But Solomon decided to have the chest moved to the temple while everyone was in Jerusalem, celebrating the Festival of Shelters during Ethanim,#8.1,2 Ethanim: The seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October. the seventh month of the year.
Solomon called together the important leaders of Israel. 3-4Then the priests and the Levites carried to the temple the sacred chest, the sacred tent, and the objects used for worship. 5Solomon and a crowd of people stood in front of the chest and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted.
6The priests carried the chest into the most holy place and put it under the winged creatures, 7whose wings covered both the chest and the poles used for carrying it. 8The poles were so long that they could be seen from right outside the most holy place, but not from anywhere else. And they stayed there from then on.
9 #
Dt 10.5. The only things kept in the chest were the two flat stones Moses had put there when the Lord made his agreement with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai,#8.9 Sinai: Hebrew “Horeb.” after bringing them out of Egypt.
10 #
Ex 40.34,35. Suddenly a cloud filled the temple as the priests were leaving the most holy place. 11The Lord's glory was in the cloud, and the light from it was so bright that the priests could not stay inside to do their work. 12#Ps 18.11; 97.2. Then Solomon prayed:
“Our Lord, you said that you
would live in a dark cloud.
13Now I have built a glorious temple
where you can live forever.”
Solomon Speaks to the People
(2 Chronicles 6.3-11)
14Solomon turned toward the people standing there. Then he blessed them 15-16#2 S 7.4-11; 1 Ch 17.3-10. and said:
Praise the Lord God of Israel! Long ago he brought his people out of Egypt. He did not choose a city from any tribe in Israel where his temple would be built, but he kept his promise to make my father David the king of Israel.
17 #
2 S 7.1-3; 1 Ch 17.1,2. So when David wanted to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel, 18the Lord said, “It's good that you want to build a temple where I can be worshiped. 19#2 S 7.12,13; 1 Ch 17.11,12. But you're not the one to do it. Your son will build a temple to honor me.”
20The Lord has done what he promised. I am the king of Israel like my father, and I've built a temple for the Lord our God. 21I've also made a place in the temple for the sacred chest. And in that chest are the two flat stones on which is written the solemn agreement the Lord made with our ancestors when he led them out of Egypt.
Solomon Prays at the Temple
(2 Chronicles 6.12-42)
22Solomon stood facing the altar with everyone standing behind him. Then he lifted his arms toward heaven 23and prayed:
Lord God of Israel, no other god in heaven or on earth is like you!
You never forget the agreement you made with your people, and you are loyal to anyone who faithfully obeys your teachings. 24My father David was your servant, and today you have kept every promise you made to him.
25 #
1 K 2.4. Lord God of Israel, you promised my father that someone from his family would always be king of Israel, if they do their best to obey you, just as he did. 26Please keep this promise you made to your servant David.
27 #
2 Ch 2.6; 3 Macc 2.15. There's not enough room in all of heaven for you, Lord God. How could you possibly live on earth in this temple I have built? 28But I ask you to answer my prayer. 29#Dt 12.5-19. This is the temple where you have chosen to be worshiped. Please watch over it day and night and listen when I turn toward it and pray. 30I am your servant, and the people of Israel belong to you. So whenever any of us look toward this temple and pray, answer from your home in heaven and forgive our sins.
31Suppose someone accuses a person of a crime, and the accused has to stand in front of the altar in your temple and say, “I swear I am innocent!” 32Listen from heaven and decide who is right. Then punish the guilty person and let the innocent one go free.
33 #
3 Macc 2.10. Suppose your people Israel sin against you, and then an enemy defeats them. If they come to this temple and beg for forgiveness, 34listen from your home in heaven. Forgive them and bring them back to the land you gave their ancestors.
35Suppose your people sin against you, and you punish them by holding back the rain. If they turn toward this temple and pray in your name and stop sinning, 36listen from your home in heaven and forgive them. The people of Israel are your servants, so teach them to live right. And please send rain on the land you gave them to be theirs forever.
37Sometimes the crops may dry up or rot or be eaten by locusts#8.37 locusts: A type of grasshopper that comes in swarms and causes great damage to plant life. or grasshoppers, and your people will be starving. Sometimes enemies may surround their towns, or your people will become sick with deadly diseases. 38Listen when anyone in Israel truly feels sorry and sincerely prays with arms lifted toward your temple. 39You know what is in everyone's heart. So from your home in heaven answer their prayers, according to the way they live and what is in their hearts. 40Then your people will worship and obey you for as long as they live in the land you gave their ancestors.
41-42Foreigners will hear about you and your mighty power, and some of them will come to live among your people Israel. If any of them pray toward this temple, 43listen from your home in heaven and answer their prayers. Then everyone on earth will worship you, just like your people Israel, and they will know that I have built this temple to honor you.
44Our Lord, sometimes you will order your people to attack their enemies. Then your people will turn toward this temple I have built for you in your chosen city, and they will pray to you. 45Answer their prayers from heaven and give them victory.
46Everyone sins. But when your people sin against you, suppose you get angry enough to let their enemies drag them away to foreign countries. 47-49Later, they may feel sorry for what they did and ask your forgiveness. Answer them when they pray toward this temple I have built for you in your chosen city, here in this land you gave their ancestors. From your home in heaven, listen to their sincere prayers and do what they ask. 50Forgive your people no matter how much they have sinned against you. Make the enemies who defeated them be kind to them. 51Remember, they are the people you chose and rescued from Egypt that was like a blazing fire to them.
52I am your servant, and the people of Israel belong to you. So listen when any of us pray and cry out for your help. 53When you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, you told your servant Moses to say to them, “From all people on earth, the Lord God has chosen you to be his very own.”
Solomon Blesses the People
54When Solomon finished his prayer at the altar, he was kneeling with his arms lifted toward heaven. He stood up, 55turned toward the people, blessed them, and said loudly:
56 #
Dt 12.5-19; Js 21.44,45. Praise the Lord! He has kept his promise and given us peace. Every good thing he promised to his servant Moses has happened.
57The Lord our God was with our ancestors to help them, and I pray that he will be with us and never abandon us. 58May the Lord help us obey him and follow all the laws and teachings he gave our ancestors.
59I pray that the Lord our God will remember my prayer day and night. May he help everyone in Israel each day, in whatever way we need it. 60Then every nation will know that the Lord is the only true God.
61Obey the Lord our God and follow his commands with all your heart, just as you are doing today.
Solomon Dedicates the Temple
(2 Chronicles 7.4-10)
62-63Solomon and the people dedicated the temple to the Lord by offering 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep as sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing.#8.62,63 sacrifices to ask the Lord's blessing: See Leviticus 3.1-17. 64On that day, Solomon dedicated the courtyard in front of the temple and made it acceptable for worship. He offered the sacrifices there because the bronze altar in front of the temple was too small.
65Solomon and the huge crowd celebrated the Festival of Shelters at the temple for seven days.#8.65 seven days: One ancient translation; Hebrew “seven days and seven more days, fourteen days in all.” There were people from as far away as the Egyptian Gorge in the south and Lebo-Hamath in the north. 66Then on the eighth day, he sent everyone home. They said goodbye and left, very happy, because of all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
1 Kings 8
8
The Ark Brought to the Temple
2Ch 5:2–6:11
1Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the Israelites, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, so that they could ensure that the ark of the covenant of the Lord would be brought out of the City of David in Zion. # 2Sa 6:12–17; 2Ch 5:2–10 2All the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. # Lev 23:34; 2Ch 7:8–10
3All the elders of Israel came, and the priests carried the ark. # Dt 31:9; Jos 3:6 4The priests and Levites brought up the ark of the Lord, the tabernacle of the congregation, # 1Ki 3:4; 2Ch 1:3 and all the holy implements that were in the tabernacle. 5King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled before him stood together in front of the ark, # 2Sa 6:13 sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be told or numbered.
6The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, # 2Sa 6:17; 1Ki 6:19 to the Most Holy Place under the wings of the cherubim. 7For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and the poles from above. 8The poles were so long that the ends of the poles # Ex 25:13–15; 37:4–5 could be seen out in the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside, and they are there to this day. 9There was nothing in the ark except for the two tablets of stone # Ex 25:21; 40:20; Heb 9:4 that Moses put there at Horeb when the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of the land of Egypt.
10And when the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, # Ex 40:34–35; 2Ch 7:1–2 11so that the priests could not continue to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
12Then Solomon spoke, saying, “The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. # Lev 16:2; Ps 97:2 13I have surely built You a house to dwell in, a settled place for You to abide in forever.” # Ex 15:17; 2Sa 7:13
14Then the king turned around and blessed all the congregation of Israel # 2Sa 6:18 (and all the congregation of Israel stood), 15and he said,
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, # 1Ch 29:10; Lk 1:68 who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has with His hand fulfilled His word, saying, 16‘Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city from any tribe of Israel # Dt 12:11 to build a house where My name might be praised, but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ # 1Sa 16:1
17“My father David had it in mind to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. # 2Sa 7:2–3 18The Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you had good intentions. 19Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who will come out of your loins, he shall build the house for My name.’ # 2Sa 7:5, 12–13
20“The Lord has fulfilled His word that He spoke, and I have been elevated to the position of my father David, to sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised, and have built a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. # 1Ch 28:5–6 21I have set a place there for the ark, which houses the covenant of the Lord which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.” # Dt 31:26; 1Ki 8:9
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
2Ch 6:12–40
22Then Solomon stood in front of the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spread his hands toward heaven. # Ex 9:33; Ezr 9:5 23and he said,
“Lord God of Israel, there is no God like You # 2Sa 7:22 in heaven above or on earth below who keeps covenant and mercy # Dt 7:9 with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts, 24who have kept what You promised Your servant David my father. You spoke also with Your mouth # 1Ki 8:15 and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
25“Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You will not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, # 1Ki 2:4 so long as your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ 26Now, O God of Israel, let Your word, I pray, be fulfilled, which You spoke to Your servant David my father.
27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. # 2Ch 2:6; Jer 23:24 How much less can this house that I have built? # Isa 66:1 28Yet give consideration to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God; listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, 29that Your eyes may be upon this house night and day, even toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ # Dt 12:11 that You may listen to the prayer which Your servant # Ne 1:6 shall make toward this place. 30Please listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. # 1Ki 8:34, 36
31“If any man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, # Ex 22:8–11 and the oath comes before Your altar in this house, 32then may You hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, # Dt 25:1 giving him according to his righteousness.
33“When Your people Israel are defeated by their enemies, # Lev 26:17; Dt 28:25 because they have sinned against You, and they turn back to You and call upon Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34then may You hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel and bring them again to the land which You gave to their fathers.
35“When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, # Lev 26:19; Dt 11:17 because they have sinned against You, if they pray toward this place and call upon Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36then may You hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk # 1Sa 12:23; Ps 27:11 and give rain upon Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.
37“When there is famine in the land, if there is plague, blight, mildew, # Lev 26:16; Dt 28:21–22 locust, or grasshopper; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; 38whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands toward this house; 39then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and render to everyone according to all his ways, whose hearts You know—for only You know the hearts of the sons of men— # 1Sa 16:7; 1Ch 28:9 40so that they may fear You # Ps 130:4 all the days that they live in the land that You gave to our fathers.
41“Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel and comes from a far country for Your name’s sake # 1Ki 10:1–2 42(for they will hear of Your great name and of Your strong hand and of Your outstretched arm), # Dt 3:24 when he comes and prays toward this house, 43may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and do all that the foreigner asks of You, so all people of the earth will know Your name, to fear You as Your people Israel do, and that they may know that this house, which I have built, is called by Your name. # 1Sa 17:46; Ps 102:15
44“If Your people go out to battle against their enemy wherever You send them, and they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and toward the house that I have built for Your name, 45then may You hear their prayer and supplication in heaven and maintain their cause.
46“If they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin), # Pr 20:9; Ecc 7:20 and You get angry with them and hand them over to the enemy so that they are carried away as captives to the land of the enemy, # Lev 26:34–39 far or near, 47yet when they come to their senses while in the land where they were carried captives and repent and make supplication to You, saying, ‘We have sinned # Ezr 9:6–7; Ps 106:6 and have acted perversely and have committed wickedness,’ 48and so return to You with all their hearts and with all their souls # Dt 4:29 in the land of their enemies, who carried them away as captives, and pray to You toward their land, # Da 6:10 which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 49then may You hear their prayers and supplications in heaven, Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they committed against You and grant them compassion before those who carried them away as captives, # 2Ch 30:9; Ps 106:46 so they will have compassion on them. 51For they are Your people and Your inheritance whom You brought forth out of Egypt from the midst of the furnace of iron. # Dt 4:20; Jer 11:4
52“Let Your eyes be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them regarding all for which they call upon You. # 1Ki 8:29 53For You did call them out from among all the people of the earth to be Your inheritance, # Ex 19:5–6; Dt 32:9 as You spoke by the hand of Moses Your servant when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”
54Now when Solomon finished praying this prayer and making supplication to the Lord, he arose # Lk 22:45 from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55He stood up and blessed all the congregation of Israel # 2Sa 6:18; 1Ki 8:14 with a loud voice, saying,
56“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to His people Israel # Dt 12:10 according to all that He promised. Not one word of His promises which He gave by the hand of Moses His servant has failed. # Jos 23:14–15 57The Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. Let Him neither leave us nor forsake us, # Dt 31:6; Jos 1:5 58that He may incline our hearts to Him, # Ps 119:36; Jer 31:33 to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, statutes, and judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be close to the Lord our God day and night, that He will maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel at all times as the situation demands, 60so that all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is none else. # Dt 4:35; 1Ki 18:39 61Let your hearts, therefore, be perfect with the Lord our God, # 1Ki 11:4; 2Ki 20:3 to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
The Dedication of the Temple
2Ch 7:1–10
62The king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. # 2Sa 6:17–19 63Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the house of the Lord. # Ezr 6:16–17; Ne 12:27
64The same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord, for there he offered burnt offerings and meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar # 2Ch 4:1 that was before the Lord was too little to receive the burnt offerings and meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings.
65At that time, Solomon held a feast for all Israel, # 1Ki 8:2 a great congregation, from the entry of Lebo Hamath # Nu 34:8 to the Brook of Egypt, # Nu 34:5 before the Lord our God, seven days and another seven days, a total of fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their tents rejoicing in their hearts for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David His servant and for Israel His people.
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