1 Kings 8

1 Then Solomon sent for all the responsible men of Israel, and all the chiefs of the tribes, and the heads of families of the children of Israel, to come to him in Jerusalem to take the ark of the Lord's agreement up out of the town of David, which is Zion.

Then did Solomon assemble the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the divisions of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.

2 And all the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, the seventh month.

And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3 And all the responsible men of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

4 They took up the ark of the Lord, and the Tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels which were in the Tent; all these the priests and the Levites took up.

And they brought up the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle: even these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

5 And King Solomon and all the men of Israel who had come together there, were with him before the ark, making offerings of sheep and oxen more than might be numbered.

And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

6 And the priests took the ark of the agreement of the Lord and put it in its place in the inner room of the house, in the most holy place, under the wings of the winged ones.

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto its place, into the debir of the house, into the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim.

7 For their wings were outstretched over the place where the ark was, covering the ark and its rods.

For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its staves from above.

8 The rods were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place, in front of the inmost room; but they were not seen from outside: and there they are to this day.

And they had made the staves so long, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place in the front of the debir, but they were not seen without; and they have remained there until this day.

9 There was nothing in the ark but the two flat stones which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made an agreement with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses had placed therein at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 Now when the priests had come out of the holy place, the house of the Lord was full of the cloud,

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord:

11 So that the priests were not able to keep their places to do their work because of the cloud, for the house of the Lord was full of the glory of the Lord.

And the priests were not able to stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

12 Then Solomon said, O Lord, to the sun you have given the heaven for a living-place, but your living-place was not seen by men;

Then said Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

13 So I have made for you a living-place, a house in which you may be for ever present.

I have indeed built a dwelling-house for thee, a settled place for thy abode for ever.

14 Then, turning his face about, the king gave a blessing to all the men of Israel; and they were all on their feet together.

And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel; and all the congregation of Israel was standing;

15 And he said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who himself gave his word to David my father, and with his strong hand has made his word come true, saying,

And he said, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, when he said,

16 From the day when I took my people Israel out of Egypt, no town in all the tribes of Israel has been marked out by me for the building of a house for the resting-place of my name; but I made selection of David to be king over my people Israel.

Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I did not make choice of any city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be therein; but I made choice of David to be over my people Israel.

17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to put up a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

18 But the Lord said to David my father, You did well to have in your heart the desire to make a house for my name;

But the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart:

19 But you yourself will not be the builder of my house; but your son, the offspring of your body, he it is who will put up a house for my name.

Nevertheless, thou shalt not thyself build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.

20 And the Lord has made his word come true; for I have taken my father David's place on the seat of the kingdom of Israel, as the Lord gave his word; and I have made a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

And the Lord hath fulfilled his word that he hath spoken: and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord hath spoken, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord the God of Israel.

21 In it I have made a place for the ark, in which is the agreement which the Lord made with our fathers, when he took them out of the land of Egypt.

And I have assigned there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt.

22 Then Solomon took his place before the altar of the Lord, all the men of Israel being present, and stretching out his hands to heaven,

And Solomon now placed himself before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

23 Said, O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on the earth; keeping faith and mercy unchanging for your servants, while they go in your ways with all their hearts.

And he said, O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no god like thee, in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath, thou who keepest the covenant and the kindness for thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart;

24 And you have kept the word which you gave to your servant David, my father; with your mouth you said it and with your hand you have made it come true this day.

Who hast kept for thy servant David my father what thou hadst promised him; and thou spokest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day.

25 So now, O Lord, the God of Israel, let your word to your servant David, my father, come true, when you said, You will never be without a man to take his place on the seat of the kingdom of Israel before me, if only your children give attention to their ways, walking before me as you have done.

And now, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep for thy servant David my father what thou hast spoken concerning him, saying, There shall never fail thee a man in my sight who sitteth on the throne of Israel; if thy children but take heed to their way to walk before me, as thou hast walked before me.

26 So now, O God of Israel, it is my prayer that you will make your word come true which you said to your servant David, my father.

And now, O God of Israel, I pray thee, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David my father.

27 But is it truly possible that God may be housed on earth? see, heaven and the heaven of heavens are not wide enough to be your resting-place; how much less this house which I have made!

For in truth will God then dwell on the earth? behold, the heavens and the heavens of heavens cannot contain thee: how much less then this house that I have built!

28 Still, let your heart be turned to the prayer of your servant, O Lord God, and to his prayer for grace; give ear to the cry and the prayer which your servant sends up to you this day;

Yet wilt thou turn thy regard unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen unto the entreaty and unto the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee today;

29 That your eyes may be open to this house night and day, to this place of which you have said, My name will be there; hearing the prayer which your servant may make, turning to this place.

That thy eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there; that thou mayest listen unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray at this place.

30 Give ear to the prayers of your servant, and the prayers of your people Israel, when they make their prayers, turning to this place; give ear in heaven your living-place, and hearing, have mercy.

And listen thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they will pray at this place: and oh, do thou hear in heaven thy dwelling-place; and hear, and forgive.

31 If a man does wrong to his neighbour, and has to take an oath, and comes before your altar to take his oath in this house:

If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thy altar in this house:

32 Then let your ear be open in heaven, and be the judge of your servants, giving your decision against the wrongdoer, so that punishment for his sins may come on his head; and, by your decision, keeping from evil him who has done no wrong.

Then do thou hear in heaven, and act, and judge thy servants, by condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and by justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

33 When your people Israel are overcome in war, because of their sin against you; if they are turned to you again, honouring your name, making prayers to you and requesting your grace in this house:

When thy people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and they return then to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:

34 Then give ear in heaven, and let the sin of your people Israel have forgiveness, and take them back again into the land which you gave to their fathers.

Then do thou hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and cause them to return unto the land which thou hast given unto their fathers.

35 When heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because of their sin against you; if they make prayers with their faces turned to this place, honouring your name and turning away from their sin when you send trouble on them:

When the heavens be shut up, and there be no rain, because they have sinned against thee, and they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, because thou hast afflicted them:

36 Then give ear in heaven, so that the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, may have forgiveness, when you make clear to them the good way in which they are to go; and send rain on your land which you have given to your people for their heritage.

Then do thou hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel; for thou wilt teach them the good way wherein they should walk; and give then rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

37 If there is no food in the land, or if there is disease, or if the fruits of the earth are damaged through heat or water, locust or worm; if their towns are shut in by their attackers; whatever trouble, whatever disease there may be:

If there be a famine in the land, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, or if there be locust, caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their gates; at whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness;

38 Whatever prayer or request for your grace is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, whatever his trouble may be, whose hands are stretched out to this house:

What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, of all thy people Israel, when they shall be conscious every man of the plague of his own heart, and he then spread forth his hands toward this house:

39 Give ear in heaven your living-place, acting in mercy; and give to every man whose secret heart is open to you, the reward of all his ways; for you, and you only, have knowledge of the hearts of all the children of men:

Then do thou hear in heaven the place of thy dwelling, and forgive, and act, and give to every man in accordance with all his ways, as thou mayest know his heart; for thou, thyself alone, knowest the heart of all the children of men;

40 So that they may give you worship all the days of their life in the land which you gave to our fathers.

In order that they may fear thee all the days that they live on the face of the land which thou hast given unto our fathers.

41 And as for the man from a strange land, who is not of your people Israel; when he comes from a far country because of the glory of your name:

But also to the stranger, who is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far-off country for the sake of thy name;

42 (For they will have news of your great name and your strong hand and your out-stretched arm; ) when he comes to make his prayer, turning to this house:

For they will hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy outstretched arm; when he will come and pray at this house:

43 Give ear in heaven your living-place, and give him his desire, whatever it may be; so that all the peoples of the earth may have knowledge of your name, worshipping you as do your people Israel, and that they may see that this house which I have put up is truly named by your name.

Mayest thou listen in heaven the place of thy dwelling, and do according to all that the stranger will call on thee for; in order that all the nations of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as [do] thy people Israel; and that they may understand that this house, which I have built, is called by thy name.

44 If your people go out to war against their attackers, by whatever way you may send them, if they make their prayer to the Lord, turning their faces to this town of yours and to this house which I have made for your name:

If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, on the way on which thou mayest send them, and they do pray unto the Lord in the direction of the city which thou hast chosen, and of the house that I have built for thy name:

45 Give ear in heaven to their prayer and their cry for grace, and see right done to them.

Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and procure them justice.

46 If they do wrong against you, (for no man is without sin, ) and you are angry with them and give them up into the power of those who are fighting against them, so that they take them away as prisoners into a strange land, far off or near;

If they sin against thee, [for there is no man that may not sin, ] and thou be angry with them, and give them up before the enemy, so that their captors carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, [be it] far or near;

47 And if they take thought, in the land where they are prisoners, and are turned again to you, crying out in prayer to you in that land, and saying, We are sinners, we have done wrong, we have done evil;

And if they then take it to their heart in the land whither they have been carried captive, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of their captors, saying, We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly;

48 And with all their heart and soul are turned again to you, in the land of those who took them prisoners, and make their prayer to you, turning their eyes to this land which you gave to their fathers, and to the town which you took for yourself, and the house which I made for your name:

And they return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, who have led them away captive, and they pray unto thee in the direction of their land, which thou hast given unto their fathers, of the city which thou hast chosen, and of the house which I have built for thy name:

49 Then give ear to their prayer and to their cry in heaven your living-place, and see right done to them;

Then hear thou in heaven the place of thy dwelling their prayer and their supplication, and procure them justice;

50 Answering with forgiveness the people who have done wrong against you, and overlooking the evil which they have done against you; let those who made them prisoners be moved with pity for them, and have pity on them;

And forgive thy people for what they have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions whereby they have transgressed against thee, and cause them to find mercy before their captors, that they may have mercy on them;

51 For they are your people and your heritage, which you took out of Egypt, out of the iron fireplace;

For they are thy people, and thy heritage, whom thou hast brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace;

52 Let your eyes be open to your servant's prayer for grace and to the prayer of your people Israel, hearing them when their cry comes to you.

That thy eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to listen unto them in all for which they call unto thee;

53 For you made them separate from all the peoples of the earth, to be your heritage, as you said by Moses your servant, when you took our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.

For thou hast separated them unto thee as a heritage from all the people of the earth, as thou spokest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest forth our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord Eternal.

54 Then Solomon, after making all these prayers and requests for grace to the Lord, got up from his knees before the altar of the Lord, where his hands had been stretched out in prayer to heaven;

And it happened, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord from kneeling on his knees, with his hands spread out toward heaven.

55 And, getting on his feet, he gave a blessing to all the men of Israel, saying with a loud voice,

And he stood up, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

56 Praise be to the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, as he gave them his word to do; every word of all his oath, which he gave by the hand of Moses his servant, has come true.

Blessed be the Lord, who hath given rest unto his people Israel, in accordance with all that he hath spoken: [so that] there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he spoke by the hand of Moses his servant.

57 Now may the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; let him never go away from us or give us up;

The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; oh may he not leave us, nor forsake us;

58 Turning our hearts to himself, guiding us to go in all his ways, to keep his orders and his laws and his decisions, which he gave to our fathers.

That he may incline our heart unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers.

59 And may these my words, the words of my prayer to the Lord, be before the Lord our God day and night, so that he may see right done to his servant and to his people Israel, day by day as we have need.

And may these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel in their daily requirements;

60 So that all the peoples of the earth may see that the Lord is God, and there is no other.

In order that all the nations of the earth may know that the Lord is the [true] God, and none else.

61 Then let your hearts be without sin before the Lord our God, walking in his laws and keeping his orders as at this day.

Let your heart therefore be entire with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

62 Now the king, and all Israel with him, were making offerings before the Lord.

And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifices before the Lord.

63 And Solomon gave to the Lord for peace-offerings, twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel kept the feast of the opening of the Lord's house.

And Solomon offered [as] the sacrifice of peace-offering which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. And thus did the king and all the children of Israel dedicate the house of the Lord.

64 The same day the king made holy the middle of the open square in front of the house of the Lord, offering there the burned offering and the meal offering and the fat of the peace-offerings; for there was not room on the brass altar of the Lord for the burned offerings and the meal offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings.

On the same day did the king hallow the interior of the court that was before the house of the Lord; for he prepared there the burnt-offerings, and the meat-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings; because the copper altar that was before the Lord was too small to contain the burnt-offerings, and the meat-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings.

65 So Solomon and all Israel with him, a very great meeting, (for the people had come together from the way into Hamath to the river of Egypt, ) kept the feast at that time before the Lord our God, for two weeks, even fourteen days.

And Solomon held at that time the feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Chamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

66 And on the eighth day he sent the people away, and, blessing the king, they went to their tents full of joy and glad in their hearts, because of all the good which the Lord had done to David his servant and to Israel his people.

On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king; and they went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart, because of all the good that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.