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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1 Kings 8: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Melaḵim Aleph (1 Kings) 8
8
1Then Shelomoh assembled the elders of Yisra’ĕl and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Yisra’ĕl, to Sovereign Shelomoh in Yerushalayim, to bring up the ark of the covenant of יהוה from the City of Dawiḏ, which is Tsiyon.
2And all the men of Yisra’ĕl assembled to Sovereign Shelomoh at the festival in the month of Ěythanim, which is the seventh new moon.
3And all the elders of Yisra’ĕl came, and the priests took up the ark,
4and brought up the ark of יהוה, and the Tent of Appointment, and all the set-apart utensils that were in the Tent. And the priests and the Lĕwites brought them up,
5and Sovereign Shelomoh, and all the congregation of Yisra’ĕl who had assembled with him, were with him before the ark, slaughtering so many sheep and cattle, that they could not be counted or numbered.
6And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of יהוה to its place, into the Speaking Place of the House, to the Most Set-apart Place, under the wings of the keruḇim,
7for the keruḇim spread two wings over the place of the ark, and the keruḇim covered over the ark and its poles.
8And the poles extended so that the ends of the poles were seen from the set-apart place, in front of the Speaking Place, but they were not seen from outside. And they are there to this day.
9There was naught in the ark, only the two tablets of stone which Mosheh put there at Ḥorĕḇ, where יהוה made a covenant with the children of Yisra’ĕl, when they came out of the land of Mitsrayim.
10And it came to be, when the priests came out of the Set-apart Place, that the cloud filled the House of יהוה,
11so that the priests were unable to stand and perform the service because of the cloud, for the esteem of יהוה filled the House of יהוה.
12And Shelomoh said, “יהוה has said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
13I have indeed built You an exalted house, an established place for You to dwell in forever.”
14And the sovereign turned around and blessed all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, while all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl was standing.
15And he said, “Blessed be יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, who spoke with His mouth to my father Dawiḏ, and with His hand has filled it, saying,
16Since the day I brought My people Yisra’ĕl out of Mitsrayim, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Yisra’ĕl in which to build a house for My Name to be there, but I chose Dawiḏ to be over My people Yisra’ĕl.’
17“And it was in the heart of my father Dawiḏ to build a house for the Name of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl.
18“But יהוה said to my father Dawiḏ, ‘Because it has been in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well that it was in your heart.
19Only, you do not build the house, but your son, who is coming from your loins, he does build the house for My Name.’
20“Now יהוה has established His word which He spoke, and I have been raised up instead of my father Dawiḏ, and sit on the throne of Yisra’ĕl, as יהוה promised, and built a house for the Name of יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl,
21and have appointed there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of יהוה which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim.”
22And Shelomoh stood before the slaughter-place of יהוה in front of all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl, and spread out his hands toward the heavens,
23and said, “יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, there is no Elohim in the heavens above or on earth below like You, guarding Your covenant and loving-commitment with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,
24who has guarded that which You did promise Your servant Dawiḏ my father. Indeed, You have both spoken with Your mouth and have filled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
25“And now, יהוה Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, guard what You promised Your servant Dawiḏ my father, saying, ‘There is not to cease a man of yours before Me, sitting on the throne of Yisra’ĕl – only, if your sons guard their way, to walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’
26“And now, O Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, please let Your word come true which You have spoken to Your servant Dawiḏ my father.
27“For is it true: Elohim dwells on the earth? See, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens are unable to contain You, how much less this House which I have built!
28“Yet, shall You turn to the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O יהוה my Elohim, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today?
29“For Your eyes to be open toward this House night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name is there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.
30“Then, shall You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Yisra’ĕl when they pray toward this place, when You hear in Your dwelling place, in the heavens? And shall You hear, and forgive?
31“If anyone sins against his neighbour, and he has lifted up an oath on him, to cause him to swear, and comes and swears before Your slaughter-place in this House,
32then hear in the heavens, and act and rightly rule Your servants, declaring the wrongdoer wrong, bringing his way on his head, and declaring the righteous right by giving him according to his righteousness.
33“When Your people Yisra’ĕl are smitten before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, and they shall turn back to You and confess Your Name, and pray and make supplication to You in this House,
34then hear in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your people Yisra’ĕl, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.
35“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they sin against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your Name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,
36then hear in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Yisra’ĕl – for You teach them the good way in which they should walk – and shall give rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.
37“When there is scarcity of food in the land; when there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts, grasshoppers; when their enemy distresses them in the land of their cities; any plague, any sickness,
38whatever prayer, whatever supplication made by anyone of all Your people Yisra’ĕl, each knowing the plague of his own heart, and shall spread out his hands toward this House,
39then hear in the heavens, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and render unto everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know. Because You – You alone – know the hearts of all the sons of men,
40so that they fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
41“Also, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Yisra’ĕl, but has come from a far land for Your Name’s sake –
42since they hear of Your great Name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm – and he shall come and pray toward this House,
43hear in the heavens Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all peoples of the earth know Your Name and fear You, as do Your people Yisra’ĕl, and know that this House which I have built is called by Your Name.
44“When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, in the way that You send them, and they shall pray to יהוה toward the city which You have chosen and toward the House which I have built for Your Name,
45then shall You hear in the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause?
46“When they sin against You – for there is no one who does not sin – and You become enraged with them and give them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near;
47and they shall turn back unto their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and shall turn, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and acted crookedly, we have committed wrong,’
48and they shall turn back to You with all their heart and with all their being in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and shall pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the House which I have built for Your Name,
49then shall You hear in the heavens Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause,
50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You? And give them compassion before those who took them captive, and they shall have compassion on them.
51For they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Mitsrayim, out of the iron furnace.
52“Let Your eyes be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Yisra’ĕl, to listen to them whenever they call to You.
53“For You have separated them unto Yourself for an inheritance, out of all the peoples of the earth, as You spoke by the hand of Your servant Mosheh, when You brought our fathers out of Mitsrayim, O Master יהוה.”
54And it came to be, when Shelomoh had ended praying all this prayer and supplication to יהוה, that he rose up from before the slaughter-place of יהוה, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to the heavens.
55And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Yisra’ĕl with a loud voice, saying,
56“Blessed be יהוה, who has given rest to His people Yisra’ĕl, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good word, which He promised through His servant Mosheh.
57“יהוה our Elohim is with us as He was with our fathers – He does not leave us nor forsake us –
58to incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to guard His commands and His laws and His right-rulings, which He commanded our fathers.
59“And let these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before יהוה, be near יהוה our Elohim day and night, to maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Yisra’ĕl, the matter of each day in its day,
60so that all the peoples of the earth might know that יהוה is Elohim, there is no one else.
61“Let your heart therefore be perfect to יהוה our Elohim, to walk in His laws and guard His commands, as at this day.”
62And the sovereign and all Yisra’ĕl with him slaughtered slaughterings before יהוה.
63And Shelomoh slaughtered slaughterings of peace offerings, which he slaughtered to יהוה, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. Thus the sovereign and all the children of Yisra’ĕl dedicated the House of יהוה.
64On that day the sovereign set apart the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the House of יהוה, for there he made ascending offerings, and the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze slaughter-place that was before יהוה was too small to contain the ascending offerings, and the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.
65And Shelomoh at that time performed the Festival, and all Yisra’ĕl with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Ḥamath to the wadi of Mitsrayim, before יהוה our Elohim, seven days and seven days – fourteen days.#It seems that the first seven were the Festival of Ḥanukkah (Dedication), and the last seven the Festival of Sukkot (Booths).
66On the eighth day he sent the people away. And they blessed the sovereign, and went to their tents rejoicing and glad of heart for all the goodness that יהוה had done for His servant Dawiḏ, and for Yisra’ĕl His people.
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