1 Kings 8
8
The Box of the Agreement in the Temple
1Then King Solomon told all the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families of Israel to come together in Jerusalem. Solomon wanted them to join in moving the Box of the Lord’s Agreement from the City of David up to the Temple. 2So during the special festival#8:2 the special festival That is, the Festival of Shelters. See “Festival of Shelters” in the Word List. in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month of the year, all the men of Israel came to the meeting with King Solomon.
3-4When all the elders of Israel arrived, the priests and Levites carried the Holy Box of the Lord up to the Temple. They also carried the Meeting Tent and all the holy things that were in it up to the Temple. 5King Solomon and all Israel met together before the Box of the Agreement and sacrificed so many sheep and cattle that no one was able to count them all. 6The priests carried the Box of the Lord’s Agreement to its proper place inside the Most Holy Place in the Temple, under the wings of the Cherub angels. 7The wings of the Cherub angels spread out over the Holy Box, and they covered the Holy Box and its carrying poles. 8The poles are still there today. They are too long for the Most Holy Place, so anyone standing in the Holy Place can see the ends of the poles, although no one outside can see them. 9The only things inside the Holy Box are the two tablets that Moses put there at Mt. Horeb. This is where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
10When the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud#8:10 cloud The special sign that showed God was with his people. filled the Lord’s Temple. 11The priests could not continue their work because the Temple was filled with the Glory of the Lord. 12Then Solomon said,
“The Lord caused the sun to shine in the sky,
but he chose to live in a dark cloud.#8:12 The Lord … dark cloud This is from the ancient Greek version, which places verses 12-13 after verse 53. In verse 12 the standard Hebrew text has only “The Lord said he would live in darkness.”
13Now, Lord, I have built a beautiful Temple for you,
where you may live forever.”
14Then King Solomon turned toward all the Israelites who were standing there and asked God to bless them. 15He prayed this long prayer to the Lord:
“The Lord, the God of Israel, is great. He has done what he promised my father David. He told my father, 16‘I brought my people, Israel, out of Egypt, but I had not yet chosen a city from among the tribes of Israel for a temple to honor me. And I had not chosen a man to be leader over my people, Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem to be the city where I will be honored.#8:16 And I … honored This is from the ancient Greek version. It is found in the standard Hebrew text of 2 Chron. 6:5-6, but not here. And I have chosen David to rule over my people, Israel.’
17“My father David wanted very much to build a temple to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. 18But the Lord said to my father, ‘I know that you want very much to build a temple to honor me, and it is good that you want to build it. 19But you are not the one to build my temple. Your son will build my temple.’
20“So the Lord has kept his promises. I am the king now in place of my father David. I rule the people of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. 21I have made a place in the Temple for the Holy Box. Inside that Holy Box is the agreement that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
22Then Solomon stood in front of whole assembly of Israel and faced the Lord’s altar. Solomon spread his hands and looked toward heaven 23and said,
“Lord, God of Israel, there is no other god like you in heaven or on the earth. You keep the agreement that you made with your people. You are kind and loyal to those who follow you with all their heart. 24You made a promise to your servant, my father David, and you kept that promise. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you made it come true today. 25Now, Lord, God of Israel, keep the other promises you made to your servant David, my father. You said, ‘David, if your sons carefully obey me as you did, you will always have someone from your family ruling the people of Israel.’ 26Again, God of Israel, I ask you to keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David.
27“But, God, will you really live here with us on the earth? The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you. Certainly this Temple that I built cannot contain you either. 28But please listen to my prayer and my request. I am your servant, and you are the Lord my God. Hear this prayer that I am praying to you today. 29In the past you said, ‘I will be honored there.’ So please watch over this Temple, night and day. And please listen to my prayer as I turn toward this Temple and pray to you. 30And please listen to our prayers in the future when I and your people Israel turn to this place and pray to you. We know that you live in heaven. We ask you to hear our prayer there and forgive us.
31“Those who wrong others will be brought to this altar. If they are not guilty, they will make an oath and promise that they are innocent. 32Please listen from heaven and judge them. If they are guilty, please show us that they are guilty. And if they are innocent, please show us that they are not guilty.
33“Sometimes your people Israel will sin against you, and their enemies will defeat them. Then the people will come back to you and praise you. They will pray to you in this Temple. 34Please listen in heaven, please listen to the prayers of your people Israel. Forgive them for their sins and let them have their land again. You gave this land to their ancestors.
35“Sometimes they will sin against you, and you will stop the rain from falling on their land. Then they will pray toward this place and praise your name. You make them suffer, and they will be sorry for their sins. 36So please listen in heaven to their prayer. Then forgive us for our sins. Teach the people to live right. Then, Lord, please send rain to the land you gave them.
37“The land might become very dry and no food will grow on it. Or maybe a great sickness will spread among the people. Maybe all the food that is growing will be destroyed by insects. Or your people might be attacked in some of their cities by their enemies. Or many of your people might get sick. 38When any of these things happen, and people feel compelled in their hearts to spread their hands in prayer toward this Temple, 39please listen to their prayer. Listen while you are in your home in heaven and forgive them and help them. Only you know what people are really thinking, so only you can judge them fairly. 40Do this so that your people will fear and respect you all the time that they live in this land that you gave to our ancestors.
41-42“People from other places will hear about your greatness and your power. They will come from far away to pray at this Temple. 43From your home in heaven, please listen to their prayers. Please do everything the people from other places ask you. Then they will fear and respect you the same as your people in Israel. Then all people everywhere will know that I built this Temple to honor you.
44“Sometimes you will command your people to go and fight against their enemies. Then your people will turn toward the city that you have chosen and the Temple that I built in your honor, and they will pray to you, Lord. 45Please listen to their prayers from your home in heaven, and help them.
46“Your people will sin against you. I know this because everyone sins. And you will be angry with your people. You will let their enemies defeat them. Their enemies will make them prisoners and carry them to some faraway land. 47In that faraway land, your people will think about what happened. They will be sorry for their sins, and they will pray to you. They will say, ‘We have sinned and done wrong.’ 48They will be in that faraway land of their enemies, but they will turn back to you. They will feel sorry for their sins with their whole heart and soul. They will turn toward the land you gave their ancestors. They will look toward the city you chose and toward the Temple I built, and they will pray to you. 49Please listen to their prayers from your home in heaven, and do what is right. 50Forgive your sinful people for all the things they have done against you. Make their enemies be kind to them. 51Remember that they are your people and that you brought them out of Egypt. It was as if you saved them by pulling them out of a hot oven!
52“Please listen to my prayers and to the prayers of your people Israel. Listen to their prayers any time that they ask you for help. 53You have chosen them from all the peoples of the earth to be your own special people. Lord GOD, you promised to do that for us. You used your servant Moses to make that promise when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
54When Solomon prayed this prayer to the Lord, he was on his knees in front of the Lord’s altar and his arms were raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he stood up. 55Then, in a loud voice, he asked God to bless all the people of Israel. Solomon said,
56“Praise the Lord! He promised to give rest to his people, Israel. And he has given us rest! He used his servant Moses and made many good promises to the people of Israel. And he has kept every one of them! 57I pray that the Lord our God will be with us, as he was with our ancestors. I pray that he will never leave us. 58I pray that we will turn to him and follow him. Then we will obey all the laws, decisions, and commands that he gave our ancestors. 59I pray that the Lord our God will always remember this prayer and what I have asked. I pray that he will do these things for his servant, the king, and for his people, Israel. I pray that he will do this every day. 60If he will do these things, all the people of the world will know that the Lord is the only true God. 61You people must be loyal and true to the Lord our God. You must always follow and obey all of his laws and commands. You must continue to obey in the future as you do now.”
62Then King Solomon and all the Israelites with him offered sacrifices to the Lord. 63Solomon killed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep as fellowship offerings to the Lord. In this way the king and the people showed that they had dedicated the Temple to the Lord.
64King Solomon also dedicated the yard right in front of the Lord’s Temple. He offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat from the animals that were used as fellowship offerings. King Solomon made these offerings there in the yard. He did this because the bronze altar in front of the Lord was too small to hold them all.
65So there at the Temple, King Solomon and all the people of Israel celebrated the festival.#8:65 festival The Festival of Shelters. See verse 2. People came from as far away as Hamath Pass in the north and the border of Egypt in the south. This huge crowd of people ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves together with the Lord for seven days. Then they stayed for another seven days. They celebrated for a total of 14 days.#8:65 Then … 14 days This is not in the ancient Greek version. 66The next day Solomon told the people to go home. All the people thanked the king, said goodbye, and went home. They were happy because of all the good things that the Lord had done for David his servant and for his people Israel.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
1 Kings 8
8
The Ark Brought into the Temple
1 # For ver. 1-9, see 2 Chr. 5:2-10 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, #Num. 1:16 the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, #[2 Sam. 6:17] to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of #See 2 Sam. 5:7the city of David, which is Zion. 2And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at #ver. 65; Lev. 23:34; See 2 Chr. 7:8-10the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3And all the elders of Israel came, and #[Num. 4:15; Deut. 31:9; Josh. 3:3, 6; 1 Chr. 15:14, 15]the priests took up the ark. 4And they brought up the ark of the Lord, #[ch. 3:4; 2 Chr. 1:3]the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, #[2 Sam. 6:13]sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6#2 Sam. 6:17 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord #Ex. 26:33, 34 to its place in #See ch. 6:5the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 7For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8#Ex. 25:13-15 And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before #[See ver. 6 above]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 #Ex. 25:21; 40:20; Deut. 10:2, 5; Heb. 9:4 the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where #Ex. 34:27, 28; Deut. 4:13the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, #Ex. 40:34, 35; 2 Chr. 5:13, 14; 7:1, 2; [Ezek. 10:3, 4]a 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 Blesses the Lord
12 # For ver. 12-50, see 2 Chr. 6:1-39 Then Solomon said, “The Lord#8:12 Septuagint The Lord has set the sun in the heavens, but has said that he would dwell #Ps. 18:11; 97:2; [Lev. 16:2]in thick darkness. 13#2 Sam. 7:13 I have indeed built you an exalted house, #Ex. 15:17; [Ps. 132:14]a place for you to dwell in forever.” 14Then the king turned around and #ver. 55; 2 Sam. 6:18blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. 15And he said, #Luke 1:68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled #ch. 6:12what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, 16#See 2 Sam. 7:4-16, 25 ‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, #ver. 29; Deut. 12:11 that my name might be there. #1 Sam. 16:1; 2 Sam. 7:8; 1 Chr. 28:4But I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ 17#2 Sam. 7:2, 3; 1 Chr. 17:1, 2Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19#ch. 5:3, 5; 2 Sam. 7:5, 12, 13Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ 20Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, #1 Chr. 28:5, 6as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21And there I have provided a place for the ark, #ver. 9; Deut. 31:26in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22Then Solomon #ver. 54; 2 Chr. 6:12, 13 stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and #[Ex. 9:33; Ezra 9:5; Isa. 1:15]spread out his hands toward heaven, 23and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, #Ex. 15:11; 2 Sam. 7:22 there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, #See Deut. 7:9keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; 24you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. #[See ver. 15 above]You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 25Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, #See ch. 2:4‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ 26#2 Sam. 7:25Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father.
27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, #2 Chr. 2:6; [Isa. 66:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 7:49; 17:24]heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 28Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, 29#ver. 52; [2 Chr. 7:15; Neh. 1:6] that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, #ver. 16; ch. 9:3; Deut. 12:11‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 30And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
31“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take #[Ex. 22:11]an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 32then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants, #Deut. 25:1condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
33 #
Lev. 26:17; Deut. 28:45 “When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and #Lev. 26:40; [Neh. 1:9]if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 34then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.
35 #
Deut. 11:17; Luke 4:25; [Lev. 26:17; Deut. 28:25] “When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, 36then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when #[Ps. 25:4; 27:11; 86:11] you teach them #1 Sam. 12:23the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
37 # [Lev. 26:16, 25, 26; Deut. 28:21, 22, 37, 38, 42, 52; 2 Chr. 20:9] “If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates,#8:37 Septuagint, Syriac in any of their cities whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, 39then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (#1 Chr. 28:9; Acts 1:24; [1 Sam. 16:7; Jer. 17:10]for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), 40that they may fear you #Deut. 12:1all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.
41“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake 42(for they shall hear of your great name #Deut. 3:24; 2 Chr. 6:32and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, 43hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order #ver. 60; [Josh. 4:24] that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and #Ps. 102:15fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.
44“If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the Lord #[ver. 48]toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 45then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.
46“If they sin against you—#Prov. 20:9; Eccles. 7:20; Rom. 3:23; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8, 10 for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive #Lev. 26:34, 44; Deut. 28:36, 64to the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47yet #Lev. 26:40 if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, #Neh. 1:6; Ps. 106:6; Dan. 9:5‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 48#1 Sam. 7:3; Jer. 29:12-14 if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you #Dan. 6:10; [ver. 44; Ps. 5:7; Jonah 2:4]toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and #Ps. 106:46grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51(#Deut. 9:29; [Neh. 1:10] for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, #Deut. 4:20; Jer. 11:4from the midst of the iron furnace). 52#[ver. 29]Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you. 53For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage, #Ex. 19:5, 6; Deut. 9:26, 29; 14:2as you declared through Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.”
Solomon’s Benediction
54 #
2 Chr. 7:1 Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had #[2 Chr. 6:13]knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. 55And he stood and #ver. 14blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. #Josh. 21:45; 23:14Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. 57The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. #[Deut. 31:6; Josh. 1:5; 1 Sam. 12:22]May he not leave us or forsake us, 58that he may #Ps. 119:36incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. 59Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires, 60that #ver. 43 all the peoples of the earth may know that #Deut. 4:35, 39; [ch. 18:39]the Lord is God; there is no other. 61#2 Kgs. 20:3; [ch. 11:4; 15:3, 14]Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.”
Solomon’s Sacrifices
62 # For ver. 62-66, see 2 Chr. 7:4-10 Then #[Ezra 6:16, 17]the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. 63Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord. 64The same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings, because #See 2 Chr. 4:1the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings.
65So Solomon held #ver. 2; Lev. 23:34 the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from #Num. 13:21; 34:8 Lebo-hamath to #Num. 34:5; 2 Kgs. 24:7the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days.#8:65 Septuagint; Hebrew seven days and seven days, fourteen days 66On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.
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