1 Kings 8

1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion.

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families of the people of Israel, before himself in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, that is, Zion.

2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, that is, the seventh month.

All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the feast, in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

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

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

4 And they brought up the ark of Jehovah, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent: the priests and the Levites brought them up.

They brought up the ark of Yahweh, the tent of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought these things up.

5 And king Solomon, and all the assembly of Israel that were assembled to him, [who were] with him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.

King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel came together before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted.

6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah to its place, into the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim;

The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the inner room of the house, to the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim.

7 for the cherubim stretched forth [their] wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its staves above.

For the cherubim spread out their wings to the place of the ark, and they covered the ark and the poles by which it was carried.

8 And the staves were long, so that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place before the oracle, but they were not seen without. And there they are to this day.

The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place in front of the inner room, but they could not be seen from outside. They are there to this day.

9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb, when Jehovah made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses had put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the people of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

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

It came about that when the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of Yahweh.

11 and the priests could not stand to do their service because of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah.

The priests could not stand to serve because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled his house.

12 Then said Solomon: Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would live in thick darkness,

13 I have indeed built a house of habitation for thee, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.

But I have built you a lofty residence, a place for you to live in forever.”

14 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel; and the whole congregation of Israel stood.

Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.

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

He said, “May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised, who spoke to David my father, and has fulfilled it with his own hands, saying,

16 Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; but I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

'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, in order for my name to be there. However, I chose David to rule over my people Israel.'

17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house unto the name of Jehovah the God of Israel.

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

18 But Jehovah said to 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;

But Yahweh said to David my father, 'In that it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well for it to be in your heart.

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

Nevertheless you will not build the house; instead, your son, one who will be born from your loins, will build the house for my name.'

20 And Jehovah has performed his word which he spoke; and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah promised, and I have built the house unto the name of Jehovah the God of Israel.

Yahweh has carried out the word that he had said, for I have arisen in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised. I have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

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

I have made a place for the ark there, in which is Yahweh's covenant, which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

22 And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of the whole congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward the heavens.

Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh, before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward the heavens.

23 And he said, Jehovah, God of Israel! there is no God like thee, in the heavens above, or on the earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart;

He said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no God like you in the heavens above or on the earth below, who keeps his covenant faithfulness with your servants who walk before you with all their heart;

24 who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him; thou spokest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled [it] with thy hand, as at this day.

you who have kept with your servant David my father, what you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today.

25 And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to their way, to walk before me as thou hast walked before me.

Now then, Yahweh, God of Israel, carry out what you have promised to your servant David my father, when you said, 'You will not fail to have a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful to walk before me, as you have walked before me.'

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

Now then, 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, the heavens, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

But will God actually live on the earth? Look, the entire universe and heaven itself cannot contain you—how much less can this temple that I have built!

28 Yet have respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, Jehovah, my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day;

Yet please respect this prayer of your servant and his request, Yahweh my God; listen to the cry and prayer that your servant prays before you today.

29 that thine eyes may be open upon this house night and day, upon the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.

May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, to the place about which you have said, 'My name and my presence will be there'—in order to listen to the prayers that your servant will pray toward this place.

30 And hearken unto the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place, and hear thou in thy dwelling-place, in the heavens, and when thou hearest, forgive.

So listen to the request of your servant and of your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, listen from the place where you live, from the heavens; and when you listen, forgive.

31 If a man have sinned against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to adjure him, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

If a man sins against his neighbor and is required to swear an oath, and if he comes and swears an oath before your altar in this house,

32 then hear thou in the heavens, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, giving him according to his righteousness.

listen from the heavens and act. Judge your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing what he has done upon his own head. Declare the innocent not guilty and give to him according to his righteousness.

33 When thy people Israel are put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house;

When your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, if they turn back to you, confess your name, pray, and request forgiveness from you in this temple—

34 then hear thou in the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land that thou gavest unto their fathers.

then please listen in the heavens and forgive the sin of your people Israel; bring them back to the land that you gave to their ancestors.

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

When the skies are shut up and there is no rain because the people have sinned against you—if they pray toward this place, confess your name, and turn from their sin when you have afflicted them—

36 then hear thou in the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

then listen in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk. Send rain on your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

37 If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust, caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their gates; whatever plague, whatever sickness there be:

Suppose there is famine in the land, or suppose that there is disease, blight or mildew, locusts or caterpillars; or suppose that an enemy attacks the city gates in their land, or that there is any plague or sickness—

38 what prayer, what supplication soever be made by any man, of all thy people Israel, when they shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house;

and suppose then that prayers and requests are made by a person or by all your people Israel—each knowing the plague in his own heart as he spreads out his hands toward this temple.

39 then hear thou in the heavens, the settled place of thy dwelling, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men),

Then listen from heaven, the place where you live, forgive and act, and reward every person for all he does; you know his heart, because you and you only know the hearts of all human beings.

40 that they may fear thee all the days that they live upon the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

Do this so that they may fear you all the days that they live on the land that you gave to our ancestors.

41 And as to the stranger also, who is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake

In addition, concerning the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel: When he comes from a distant country because of your name—

42 (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thy stretched-out arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house,

for they will hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your raised arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple,

43 hear thou in the heavens thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; in order that all peoples of the earth may know thy name, [and] that they may fear thee as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

then please listen from heaven, the place where you live, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you. Do this so that all the peoples on earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel. Do this so they might know that this house I have built is called by your name.

44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray to Jehovah toward the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;

Suppose that your people go out to battle against an enemy, by whatever way you may send them, and suppose that they pray to you, Yahweh, toward the city that you have chosen, and toward the house that I have built for your name.

45 then hear thou in the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their right.

Then listen in the heavens to their prayer and their request, and help their cause.

46 If they have sinned against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not, ) and thou be angry with them, and give them up to the enemy, and they have carried them away captives unto the enemy's land, far or near;

Suppose that they sin against you, since there is no one who does not sin, and suppose that you are angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, so that the enemy takes them away captive to their land, whether distant or near.

47 and if they shall take it to heart in the land whither they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done iniquity, we have dealt perversely;

Then suppose that they realize they are in the land where they have been exiled, and suppose that they repent and seek favor from you from the land of their captors. Suppose that they say, 'We have acted perversely and sinned. We have behaved wickedly.'

48 and if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;

Suppose that they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who captured them, and suppose that they pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their ancestors, and toward the city that you chose, and toward the house that I have built for your name.

49 then hear thou in the heavens, the settled place of thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their right;

Then from heaven, the place where you live, listen to their prayer and their request for help, and you will make matters right for them.

50 and forgive thy people their sin against thee, and all their transgressions whereby they have transgressed against thee, and give them to find compassion with those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

Forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and make them objects of compassion before their conquerors, and cause their conquerors to have compassion on them.

51 (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron) —

They are your people whom you have chosen, whom you rescued out of Egypt as if from the middle of a furnace where iron is forged.

52 thine eyes being open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.

May your eyes be open to the request of your servant and to the requests of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you.

53 For thou hast separated them from among all peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spokest through Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord Jehovah.

For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to belong to you and receive your promises, just as you explained by Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh.”

54 And it was so, that when Solomon had ended praying all this prayer and supplication to Jehovah, he arose from before the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth to the heavens,

So it was that when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and request to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread out toward the heavens.

55 and he stood and blessed the whole congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

He stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying,

56 Blessed be Jehovah, who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there has not failed one word of all his good promises which he spoke through Moses his servant!

“May Yahweh be praised, who has given rest to his people Israel, keeping all his promises. Not one word has failed out of all Yahweh's good promises that he made with Moses his servant.

57 Jehovah our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not forsake us nor cast us off:

May Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us or forsake us,

58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers.

that he may incline our hearts to him, to live in all his ways and keep his commandments and his regulations and his statutes, which he commanded our fathers.

59 And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Jehovah, be nigh to Jehovah our God day and night, that he maintain the right of his servant, and the right of his people Israel, as the matter of each day shall require;

Let these words I have spoken, by which I have made request before Yahweh, be near Yahweh our God day and night, so that he may help the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as every day will require;

60 that all peoples of the earth may know that Jehovah is God, that there is none else;

that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh, he is God, and there is no other God!

61 and that your heart may be perfect with Jehovah our God, to walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

Therefore let your heart be true to Yahweh our God, to walk in his statutes and keep his commandments, as on this day.”

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

So the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to Yahweh.

63 And Solomon sacrificed a sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he sacrificed to Jehovah, twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Jehovah.

Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to Yahweh: twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh.

64 The same day the king hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offerings, and the oblations, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar that was before Jehovah was too small to receive the burnt-offerings, and the oblations, and the fat of the peace-offerings.

The same day the king set apart the middle of the courtyard in front of the temple of Yahweh, for there he offered the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too small to receive the burnt offering, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings.

65 And at that time Solomon held the feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath unto the torrent of Egypt, before Jehovah our God, seven days and seven days, fourteen days.

So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God for seven days and also for another seven days, a total of fourteen days.

66 On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Jehovah had done to David his servant, and to Israel his people.

On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes with joyful and glad hearts for all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David, his servant, and to Israel, his people.