1 Kings 8

1 Thanne alle the gretter men in birthe in Israel, with the princes of lynagis, and the duykis of meynees of the sones of Israel, weren gaderid to kyng Salomon, in to Jerusalem, that thei schulden bere the arke of boond of pees of the Lord fro the citee of Dauid, that is, fro Syon.

Then all those greater by birth of Israel, with the leaders of the tribes and the rulers of the families of the sons of Israel, gathered together before king Solomon at Jerusalem, so that they might carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, from the city of David, that is, from Zion.

2 And al Israel cam to gidere in the moneth Bethanym, in the solempne dai; thilke is the seuenthe moneth.

And all of Israel assembled before king Solomon, on the solemn day in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3 And alle the elde men of Israel camen; and the preestis token the arke,

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

4 and baren the arke of the Lord, and the tabernacle of boond of pees, and alle vessels of the seyntuarye, that weren in the tabernacle; and the preestis and dekenes baren tho.

And they carried the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle of the covenant, and all the vessels of the Sanctuary, which were in the tabernacle; and the priests and the Levites carried these.

5 Sotheli kyng Salomon, and al the multitude of Israel, that camen togidere to hym, yede with hym bifor the arke; and thei offriden scheep and oxis, with out gessyng and noumbre.

Then king Solomon, and the entire multitude of Israel, who had assembled before him, advanced with him before the ark. And they immolated sheep and oxen, which could not be numbered or estimated.

6 And prestis brouyten the arke of boond of pees of the Lord in to his place, in to Goddis answerynge place of the temple, in to the hooli of hooli thingis, vndur the wengis of cherubyns.

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the oracle of the temple, in the Holy of Holies, under the wings of the cherubim.

7 Forsothe cherubyns spredden forth wengis ouer the place of the arke; and hiliden the arke, and the barris therof aboue.

For indeed, the cherubim extended their wings over the place of the ark, and they protected the ark and its bars from above.

8 And whanne the barris stoden forth, and the hiynesse of tho apperiden with out the seyntuarye, bifor `Goddis answerynge place, tho apperyden no ferther with outforth; whiche barris also weren there `til in to present day.

And since the bars projected outward, their ends were visible from without, in the Sanctuary before the oracle; but they were not visible farther outward. And they have been in that place even to the present day.

9 Forsothe in the arke is noon other thing, no but twei tablis of stoon, whiche tablis Moyses in Oreb hadde put in the ark, whanne the Lord made boond of pees with the sones of Israel, whanne thei yeden out of the loond of Egipt.

Now inside the ark, there was nothing other than the two tablets of stone, which Moses had placed in it at Horeb, when the Lord formed a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they departed from the land of Egypt.

10 Forsothe it was doon whanne the preestis hadden go out of the seyntuarie, a cloude fillide the hows of the Lord;

Then it happened that, when the priests had exited from the Sanctuary, a cloud filled the house of the Lord.

11 and the preestis myyten not stonde and mynystre, for the cloude; for whi the glorye of the Lord hadde fillid the hows of the Lord.

And the priests were unable to stand and minister, because of the cloud. For the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

12 Thanne Salomon seide, The Lord seide, that he wolde dwelle in a cloude.

Then Solomon said: “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a cloud.

13 Y bildynge haue bildid an hows in to thi dwelling place, in to thi moost stidefast trone with outen ende.

Building, I have built a house as your dwelling place, your most firm throne forever.”

14 And the kyng turnede his face, and blesside al the chirche in Israel; for al the chirche of Israel stood.

And the king turned his face, and he blessed the entire assembly of Israel. For the entire assembly of Israel was standing.

15 And Salomon seide, Blessid be the Lord God of Israel, that spak with his mouth to Dauid, my fadir, and performyde in hise hondis, and seide,

And Solomon said: “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to my father David, and who, with his own hands, has perfected it, saying:

16 Fro the dai in which Y ledde my puple Israel out of Egipt, Y chees not a citee of alle the lynagis of Israel, that an hows schulde be bildid, and my name schulde be there; but Y chees Dauid, that he schulde be ouer my puple Israel.

‘From the day when I led my people Israel away from Egypt, I did not choose any city out of all the tribes of Israel, so that a house would be built, and so that my name might be there. Instead, I chose David to be over my people Israel.’

17 And Dauid, my fadir, wolde bilde an hows to the name of the Lord God of Israel.

And my father David wanted to build a house to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

18 And the Lord seide to Dauid, my fadir, That thou thouytist in thin herte to bilde an hows to my name, thou didist wel, tretynge this same thing in soule;

But the Lord said to my father David: ‘Since you have planned in your heart to build a house to my name, you have done well by considering this plan in your mind.

19 netheles thou schalt not bilde an hows to me, but thi sone, that schal go out of thi reynes, he schal bilde an hows to my name.

Yet truly, you shall not build a house for me. Instead, your son, who shall go forth from your loins, he himself shall build a house to my name.’

20 The Lord hath confermyd his word, which he spak; and Y stood for Dauid, my fadir, and Y sat on the trone of Israel, as the Lord spak; and Y haue bildid an hows to the name of the Lord God of Israel.

The Lord has confirmed his word which he spoke. And so I stand in place of my father David, and I sit upon the throne of Israel, just as the Lord said. And I have built a house to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

21 And Y haue ordeyned there a place of the arke, in which arke the boond of pees of the Lord is, which he smoot with oure fadris, whanne thei yeden out of the lond of Egipt.

And there I have appointed a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he struck with our fathers, when they went forth from the land of Egypt.”

22 Forsothe Salomon stood bifoor the auter of the Lord, in the siyt of the chirch of Israel; and he helde forth hise hondis ayens heuene,

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the sight of the assembly of Israel, and he extended his hands toward heaven.

23 and seide, Lord God of Israel, no God in heuene aboue, nether on erthe bynethe, is lijk thee, which kepist couenaunt and mercy to thi seruauntis, that goon bifor thee in al her herte;

And he said: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, nor on the earth below. You preserve covenant and mercy with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart.

24 and thou kepist to Dauid, my fadir, thi seruaunt, tho thingis whiche thou hast spoke to him; bi mouth thou hast spoke, and bi hondis thou hast fillid, as this day preueth.

You have fulfilled, for your servant David, my father, that which you said to him. With your mouth, you spoke; and with your hands, you completed; just as this day proves.

25 Now therfor, Lord God of Israel, kepe thou to thi seruaunt Dauid, my fadir, tho thingis whiche thou spakist to hym, and seidist, A man of thee schal not be taken awei bifor me, which man schal sitte on the trone of Israel, so netheles if thi sones kepen thi weye, that thei go bifor me, as thou yedist in my siyt.

Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, fulfill, for your servant David, my father, that which you spoke to him, saying, ‘There shall not be taken away from you a man before me, who may sit upon the throne of Israel, if only your sons will guard their way, so that they walk before me, just as you have walked in my sight.’

26 And now, Lord God of Israel, thi wordis be maad stidfast, whiche thou spakist to thi seruaunt Dauid, my fadir.

And now, O Lord God of Israel, establish your words, which you spoke to your servant David, my father.

27 Therfor whether it is to gesse, that God dwellith verily on erthe; for if heuene, and heuene of heuenes moun not take thee, how myche more this hows, which Y bildid to thee, `mai not take thee.

Is it, then, to be understood that truly God would dwell upon the earth? For if heaven, and the heavens of heavens, are not able to contain you, how much less this house, which I have built?

28 But, my Lord God, biholde thou to the preiere of thi seruaunt, and to the bisechyngis of hym; here thou the `ympne, ether preysing, and preiere, which thi seruaunt preieth bifor thee to day;

Yet look with favor upon the prayer of your servant and upon his petitions, O Lord, my God. Listen to the hymn and the prayer, which your servant prays before you this day,

29 that thin iyen be openyd on this hows bi niyt and dai, on the hows, of which thou seidist, My name schal be there; that thou here the preier, which thi seruaunt preieth to thee in this place; that thou here the bisechyng of thi seruaunt,

so that your eyes may be open over this house, night and day, over the house about which you said, ‘My name shall be there,’ so that you may heed the prayer that your servant is praying in this place to you.

30 and of thi puple Israel, what euer thing he preieth in this place, and here thou in the place of thi dwellyng in heuene; and whanne thou hast herd, thou schalt be mercyful.

So may you heed the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel, whatever they will pray for in this place, and so may you heed them in your dwelling place in heaven. And when you heed, you will be gracious.

31 If a man synneth ayens a man, and hath ony ooth, bi which he is holdun boundun, and cometh for the ooth in to thin hows, bifor thin auter, thou schalt here in heuene,

But if any man sins against his neighbor, and he has any kind of an oath by which he is bound, and he arrives because of the oath, before your altar in your house,

32 and thou schalt do, and thou schalt deme thi seruauntis; and thou schalt condempne the wickid man, and schalt yelde his weie on his heed, and thou schalt iustifie the iust man, and schalt yelde to hym vp his riytfulnesse.

you will hear in heaven, and you will act and judge your servants, condemning the impious, and repaying his own way upon his own head, but justifying the just, and rewarding him in accord with his justice.

33 If thi puple Israel fleeth hise enemyes, for he schal do synne to thee, and thei doen penaunce, and knoulechen to thi greet name, and comen, and worschipen, and bisechen thee in this hows,

And if your people Israel will have fled from their enemies, because they have sinned against you, and doing penance and confessing to your name, shall arrive and pray and petition you in this house,

34 here thou in heuene, and foryyue thou the synne of thi puple; and thou schalt lede hem ayen in to the lond, which thou hast youe to the fadris of hem.

listen in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and lead them back to the land, which you gave to their fathers.

35 If heuene is closid, and reyneth not for the synnes of hem, and thei preyen in this place, and doen penaunce to thi name, and ben conuertid fro her synnes for her turment,

And if the heavens have closed, so that there is no rain, because of their sins, and they, praying in this place, shall do penance to your name, and shall be converted from their sins, by occasion of their afflictions,

36 here thou hem in heuene, and foryyue thou the synnes of thi seruauntis, and of thi puple Israel, and schewe thou to hem good weie, bi which thei schulen go, and yyue thou reyn to hem on the lond, which thou hast youe to hem in to possessioun.

hear them from heaven, and forgive the sins of your servants and of your people Israel. And reveal to them the good way, along which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as a possession.

37 If hungur risith in the lond, ether pestilence is, ether corrupt eyr is, ether rust, ether locuste, ether myldew, and his enemy turmentith hym, and bisegith the yatis, al wounde, al sikenesse, al cursyng,

Then, if famine rises over the land, or pestilence, or corrupt air, or blight, or locust, or mildew, or if their enemy afflicts them, besieging the gates, or any harm or infirmity,

38 and wichyng of yuel, that bifallith to ech man of thi puple Israel, if ony man knowith the wounde of his herte, and holdith forth hise hondis in this hows,

or whatever curse or divine intervention may happen to any man among your people Israel, if anyone understands, having been wounded in his heart, and if he will have extended his hands in this house,

39 thou schalt here in heuene, in the place of thi dwellyng, and thou schalt do mercy, and thou schalt do that thou yyue to ech man vpe alle hise weies, as thou seest his herte; for thou aloone knowist the herte of alle the sones of men,

you will hear in heaven, in your dwelling place, and you will forgive. And you will act so that you give to each one in accord with his own ways, just as you see in his heart, for you alone know the heart of all the sons of men.

40 that thei drede thee in alle daies in whiche thei lyuen on the face of the lond, which thou hast youe to oure fadrys.

So may they fear you, all the days that they live upon the face of the land, which you have given to our fathers.

41 Ferthermore and whanne an alien, which is not of thi puple Israel, cometh fro a fer lond for thi name; for thi grete name, and thi strong hond,

Moreover, the foreigner too, who is not of your people Israel, when he will have arrived from a distant land because of your name, for they shall hear about your great name, and your strong hand,

42 and thin arm `holdun forth schal be herd euery where; therfor whanne he cometh, and preieth in this place,

and your outstretched arm everywhere: so when he arrives and prays in this place,

43 thou schalt here in heuene, in the firmament of thi dwellyng place, and thou schalt do alle thingis, for whiche the alien clepith thee, that alle puplis of londis lerne to drede thi name, as thi puple Israel doith, and preue, that thi name is clepid on this hows, which Y bildide.

you will listen in heaven, in the firmament of your dwelling place. And you will do all the things, for which that foreigner will have called upon you. So may all the peoples of the earth learn to fear your name, just as your people Israel do. And so may they show that your name has been invoked over this house, which I have built.

44 If thi puple goith out to batel ayens hise enemyes, bi the weie whidir euer thou sendist hem, thei schulen preye thee ayens the weie of the citee which thou hast chose, and ayens the hows which Y bildide to thi name,

And if your people have gone out to war against their enemies, along whatever way you will send them, they shall pray to you in the direction of the city, which you have chosen, and toward the house, which I have built to your name.

45 and thou schalt here in heuene the preyeris of hem, and the bisechyngis of hem, and thou schalt make the doom of hem.

And you will hear in heaven their prayers and their petitions. And you will accomplish judgment for them.

46 That if thei synnen to thee, for no man is that synneth not, and thou art wrooth, and bitakist hem to her enemyes, and thei ben led prisoneris in to the lond of enemyes,

But if they sin against you, for there is no man who does not sin, and you, being angry, deliver them to their enemies, and they will have been led away as captives to the land of their enemies, whether far or near,

47 fer ether nyy, and thei doon penaunce in her herte in the place of prisonyng, and ben conuertid, and bisechen in her prisonyng, and seien, We han synned, we han do wickidli, we han do vnfeithfuli;

and if they do penance in their heart, in the place of captivity, and having been converted, make supplication to you in their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned; we acted unjustly; we committed impiety,’

48 and thei turnen ayen to thee in al her herte and al her soule, in the lond of her enemyes, to which thei ben led prisoneris, and thei preyen thee ayens the weie of her lond which thou hast youe to her fadris, and of the citee which thou hast chose, and of the temple which Y bildide to thi name, thou schalt here in heuene,

and they return to you with all their heart and all their soul, in the land of their enemies, to which they have been led away as captives, and if they pray to you in the direction of their land, which you gave to their fathers, and of the city, which you have chosen, and of the temple, which I have built to your name:

49 in the firmament of thi seete, the preiers of hem, and the bisechingis of hem, and thou shalt make the doom of hem;

you will hear in heaven, in the firmament of your throne, their prayers and their petitions. And you will accomplish their judgment.

50 and thou schalt be merciful to thi puple, that synnede to thee, and to alle the wickidnessis, bi whiche thei trespassiden ayens thee; and thou schalt do merci bifor tho men, that hadden hem prisoneris, that tho men do mercy to hem.

And you will forgive your people, who have sinned against you, and all their iniquities, by which they have transgressed against you. And you will grant to them mercy in the sight of those who have made them captives, so that they may take pity on them.

51 For it is thi puple, and thin erytage, whiche thou leddist out of the lond of Egipt, fro the myddis of yrone furneis;

For they are your people and your inheritance, whom you have led away from the land of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron.

52 that thin yyen be opyn to the bisechyng of thi seruaunt, and of thi puple Israel; and thou schalt here hem in alle thingis, for whiche thei clepen thee.

So may your eyes be open to the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel. And so may you heed them in all the things about which they will call upon you.

53 For thou hast departid hem to thee in to heritage fro alle the puplis of erthe, as thou spakist bi Moyses, thi seruaunt, whanne thou, Lord God, leddist oure fadris out of Egipt.

For you have separated them to yourself as an inheritance, from among all the peoples of the earth, just as you spoke by Moses, your servant, when you led our fathers away from Egypt, O Lord God.”

54 Forsothe it was don, whanne Salomon, preiynge the Lord, hadde fillid al this preier and bisechyng, he roos fro the siyt of the auter of the Lord; for he hadde set fast euer either kne to the erthe, and hadde holde forth the hondis to heuene.

And it happened that, when Solomon had completed praying this entire prayer and supplication to the Lord, he rose up from the sight of the altar of the Lord. For he had fixed both knees upon the ground, and he had extended his hands toward heaven.

55 Therfor he stood, and blesside al the chirche of Israel, and seide with greet vois,

Then he stood and blessed the entire assembly of Israel in a great voice, saying:

56 Blessid be the Lord God of Israel, that yaf reste to his puple Israel, bi alle thingis whiche he spak; a word felde not doun, sotheli nether oon, of alle goodis whiche he spak bi Moises, his seruaunt.

“Blessed is the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel, in accord with all that he said. Not even one word, out of all the good things that he spoke by his servant Moses, has fallen away.

57 Oure Lord God be with vs, as he was with oure fadris, and forsake not vs, nether caste awey;

May the Lord our God be with us, just as he was with our fathers, not abandoning us, and not rejecting us.

58 but bowe he oure hertis to hym silf, that we go in alle hise weies, and kepe hise comaundementis, and cerymonyes, and domes, whiche euere he comaundide to oure fadris.

But may he incline our hearts to himself, so that we may walk in all his ways, and keep his commandments, and his ceremonies, and whatever judgments he commanded to our fathers.

59 And these wordis of me, bi whiche Y preiede bifor the Lord, be neiyynge to oure Lord God bi dai and niyt, that he make doom to his seruaunt, and to his puple Israel bi alle daies;

And may these my words, by which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God, day and night, so that he may accomplish judgment for his servant and for his people Israel, throughout each day.

60 and alle the puplis of erthe wite, that the Lord hym silf is God, and noon `is ouer `with out hym.

So may all the peoples of the earth know that the Lord himself is God, and there is no other beside him.

61 Also oure herte be perfit with oure Lord God, that we go in hise domes, and kepe hise comaundementis, as and to dai.

Also, may our hearts be perfect with the Lord our God, so that we may walk in his decrees, and keep his commandments, as also on this day.”

62 Therfor the kyng, and al Israel with hym, offriden sacrifices bifor the Lord.

Then the king, and all of Israel with him, immolated victims before the Lord.

63 And Salomon killide pesible sacrifices, whiche he offride to the Lord; of oxis two and twenti thousynde, and of scheep sixe score thousynde; and the king and the sones of Israel halewiden the temple of the Lord.

And Solomon slew sacrifices of peace offerings, which he immolated to the Lord: twenty-two thousand oxen, and twenty thousand one hundred sheep. And the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the temple of the Lord.

64 In that dai the kyng halewide the myddil of the greet street, that was bifor the hows of the Lord; for he made there brent sacrifice, and sacrifice, and the innere fatnesse of pesible thingis; for the brasun auter that was bifor the Lord, was to litil, and myyte not take the brent sacrifice, and the sacrifice, and the ynnere fatnesse of pesible thingis.

On that day, the king sanctified the middle of the atrium, which was before the house of the Lord. For in that place, he offered holocaust, and sacrifice, and the fat of peace offerings. For the bronze altar, which was before the Lord, was too small and was not able to hold the holocaust, and the sacrifice, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 Therfor Salomon made in that tyme a solempne feeste, and al Israel with hym, a grete multitude, fro the entryng of Emath `til to the stronde of Egipt, bifor oure Lord God, in seuene daies and seuene daies, that is, fourtene daies.

Then Solomon made, at that time, a celebratory festival, and all of Israel with him, a great multitude, from the entrance of Hamath to the river of Egypt, in the sight of the Lord our God, for seven days plus seven days, that is, fourteen days.

66 And in the eiythe day he delyueryde the puplis, whiche blessiden the kyng, and yeden forth in to her tabernaclis, and weren glade and of ioyful herte on alle the goodis whiche God hadde do to Dauid, his seruaunt, and to Israel, his puple.

And on the eighth day, he dismissed the people. And blessing the king, they set out for their tents, rejoicing and cheerful in heart over all the good things that the Lord had done for his servant David and for his people Israel.