1 Kings 8
8
The Dedication of the Temple
1At that time, Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families#Literally “fathers” of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” before King Solomon, in order to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, that is, Zion. 2All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the festival in the month of Ethnaim, that is, the seventh month. 3All the elders of Israel came, and the priests carried the ark. 4So they brought up the ark of Yahweh and the tent of assembly#Or “meeting” and all of the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel who were assembling with him in the presence of the ark were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted nor numbered because of abundance. 6The priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, to the most holy place,#Literally “holy of the holiest” under the wings of the cherubim, 7for the cherubim were spreading their wings over the place of the ark. The cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles from above. 8The poles were long, and the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place in front of#Literally “on the face of” the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from the outside, and they are there until this day. 9There was not anything in the ark except#Hebrew “only” the two tablets of stone which Moses had placed there at Horeb, where Yahweh made#Literally “cut” a covenant with the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” after they went out from the land of Egypt. 10When the priests went out from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of Yahweh. 11The priests were not able to stand to minister because of the presence of#Literally “from the face of” the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.
Solomon’s Proclamation to the Assembly of Israel
12Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the very thick cloud. 13I have certainly built a lofty house for you, a place for you to live forever.” 14Then the king turned his face around, and he blessed all of the assembly of Israel. (Now all the assembly of Israel was standing). 15Then he said, “Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel who has promised with his mouth to David my father and fulfilled by his oath,#Literally “by his hand” saying, 16‘From the day that I brought out my people Israel from Egypt I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a house where my name might be, but I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ 17David my father desired#Literally “It had been within the heart of David my father” to build a house for the name of Yahweh the God of Israel, 18but Yahweh said to David my father, ‘Because you desired#Literally “it was within your heart” to build a house for my name, you did well in that it was within your heart. 19However, you will not build the house, but your son who has come from your loins, he shall build the house for my name.’ 20Yahweh has carried out his promise which he had made; I have risen in place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel as Yahweh promised, and I have built the house for the name of Yahweh the God of Israel. 21I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant which Yahweh made with our ancestors#Or “fathers” when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”
Solomon’s Prayer to Yahweh
22Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all of the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands to the heavens, 23and he said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in the heavens above or on the earth beneath, keeping the covenant and the loyal love for your servants who are walking before you with all their heart. 24You have kept for your servant David my father what you promised to him, and you have spoken with your mouth, and with your hand you have fulfilled it this very day. 25So then, O Yahweh, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you promised to him, saying, ‘For you, no man will be cut off from before me who will be sitting on the throne of Israel, if only your sons keep their ways to walk before me just as you have walked before me.’ 26So then, O God of Israel, please let your word be confirmed which you have promised#Or “spoken” to your servant David my father. 27For will God really dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens could not contain you! How could#Literally “Even that” this house that I have built? 28You must regard the prayer of your servant and his plea! O Yahweh my God, listen to the pleading and to the prayer that your servant is praying before you this day, 29so that your eyes will be open to this house night and day, to the place which you said, ‘My name will be there,’ to hear the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. 30You must listen to the plea of your servant and your people Israel which they pray toward this place; and you must hear from the place where you live, from heaven you must hear and you must forgive. 31If a man sins against his neighbor and he pronounces an oath against him to curse him, and the curse comes before your altar in this house, 32then you shall hear in heaven and you shall act and you shall judge your servant, to declare the wicked guilty by bringing his way upon his head and to declare the righteous innocent#Literally “to declare righteous the righteous” by rewarding him according to his righteousness. 33When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because#Literally “who” they sinned against you, and when they turn to you and confess your name and pray and beg for mercy from you in this house, 34then you shall hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and you shall bring them back to the ground which you gave to their ancestors.#Or “fathers” 35When you shut up the heavens so there is no rain because they have sinned against you, then they pray to this place and they confess your name and they return from their sin because you punished them, 36then you shall hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, for you will teach them the good way in which they should go, and you will give rain upon your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance. 37If there should be in the land famine or disease, if there should be blight or mildew or locust or caterpillars, if it happens that his enemy lays siege against him in the land of his gates, if any plague or any disease, 38any prayer or any plea which is offered by any person for all of your people Israel, who each knows the infestation of his own heart and spreads out his palms to this house, 39then you shall hear in heaven the place of your dwelling, and you shall forgive and act and give to the man whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you alone know the heart of all the sons of man. 40Do these things so that they may fear you all the days that they live on the face of the land that you gave to our ancestors.#Or “fathers” 41Also for the foreigner who is not from your people Israel, and he comes from a distant land because of your name, 42(for they shall hear of your great name and your powerful hand and your outstretched arm), and he shall come and pray toward this house, 43you shall hear in heaven, the place of your dwelling, and act according to all that the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you as your people Israel, and to know that your name has been invoked over this house that I have built. 44If your people go out to battle against his enemy in the way that you shall send them and they pray to Yahweh, toward the city which you have chosen and the house which I have built for your name, 45then you shall hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and you shall vindicate#Literally “their judgment” them.
46“If they sin against you (for there is not a person who does not sin) and you are angry with them and you give them to an enemy and they take them captive to the land of the enemy far or near, 47and then they return their heart in the land where they have been taken captive and they return and plead to you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and we did wrong. We acted wickedly,’ 48if they return to you with all of their heart and with all of their soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive and they pray to you toward their land which you gave to their ancestors,#Or “fathers” the city that you have chosen and the house that you#The Hebrew Masoretic text (Kethib) reads “you have built”;Qere reads “I have built” built for your name, 49then you shall hear in heaven, the place of your dwelling, their prayer and their plea, and you shall vindicate them.#Literally “and you shall do their justice” 50You shall forgive your people who sinned against you, even for all their transgressions which they committed against you. You shall give them compassion before their captors so that they may have compassion on them, 51for they are your people and your inheritance whom you brought from Egypt from the middle of the smelter of iron. 52O, that your eyes may be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, to listen to them in all things when they call to you. 53For you have separated them for yourself as an inheritance from all the peoples of the earth, as you promised through the hand of Moses your servant when you brought out our ancestors#Or “fathers” from Egypt, my Lord Yahweh!”
Solomon Charges the People Israel
54It happened that when Solomon finished praying to Yahweh all of the prayer and this plea, he got up from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling down on his knees with his palms outstretched to heaven. 55He stood and blessed all of the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56“Blessed be Yahweh who gave a resting place to his people Israel. According to all that he promised, not one word has fallen from all of his promises concerning the good which he spoke through the hand of Moses his servant. 57May Yahweh our God be with us as he was with our ancestors,#Or “fathers” and may he not leave us or abandon us, 58to incline our hearts toward him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his judgments which he commanded our ancestors.#Or “fathers” 59Let these my words which I pleaded before Yahweh be near to Yahweh our God, by day and by night, to maintain the justice of his servant and the justice of his people Israel as each day requires#Literally “the word of the day on its day” 60so that all of the people of the earth may know that Yahweh, he is God; there is none other. 61Let your heart be completely with Yahweh our God by walking in his statutes, by keeping his commands as this day.”
The Great Confirming Sacrifice
62Then the king and all of Israel with him offered a sacrifice in the presence of Yahweh. 63Solomon sacrificed the fellowship offerings which he offered to Yahweh: twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep; and the king and all of the Israelites#Literally “sons/children of Israel” dedicated the house of Yahweh. 64On that day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard before the house of Yahweh because he offered there the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings because the bronze altar that was in the presence of Yahweh was too small to hold the burnt offerings and the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. 65Solomon held the festival at that time and all of Israel with him, a great assembly from Lebo Hamath up to the wadi#A valley that is dry most of the year, but contains a stream during the rainy season of Egypt before Yahweh our God, for seven days and seven days, a total of fourteen days. 66On the eighth day, he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and they went to their tents rejoicing and in good spirits#Literally “and good of heart” because of all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.
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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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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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