Then said Solomon
, The LORD
hath said
that he would dwell
in the thick darkness
.
But I have built an house
of habitation
for thee, and a place
for thy dwelling
for ever
.
And the king turned
his face
, and blessed
the whole congregation
of Israel
: and all the congregation
of Israel
stood
.
And he said, Blessed
be the LORD
God
of Israel
, who hath with his hands
fulfilled
that which he spake
with his mouth
to my father
David
, saying
,
Since the day that I brought forth
my people
out of the land
of Egypt
I chose
no city
among all the tribes
of Israel
to build
an house
in, that my name
might be there; neither chose
I any man
to be a ruler
over my people
Israel
:
But I have chosen Jerusalem
, that my name
might be there; and have chosen
David
to be over my people
Israel
.
Now it was in the heart of David
my father
to build
an house
for the name
of the LORD
God
of Israel
.
But the LORD said
to David
my father
, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart
to build
an house
for my name
, thou didst well
in that it was in thine heart
:
Notwithstanding thou shalt not build
the house
; but thy son
which shall come forth
out of thy loins
, he shall build
the house
for my name
.
The LORD therefore hath performed
his word
that he hath spoken
: for I am risen up
in the room of David
my father
, and am set
on the throne
of Israel
, as the LORD
promised
, and have built
the house
for the name
of the LORD
God
of Israel
.
And in it have I put
the ark
, wherein is the covenant
of the LORD
, that he made
with the children
of Israel
.
And he stood before
the altar
of the LORD
in the presence of all the congregation
of Israel
, and spread forth
his hands
:
For Solomon had made
a brasen
scaffold
, of five
cubits
long
, and five
cubits
broad
, and three
cubits
high
, and had set
it in the midst
of the court
: and upon it he stood
, and kneeled down
upon his knees
before all the congregation
of Israel
, and spread forth
his hands
toward heaven
,
And said, O LORD
God
of Israel
, there is no God
like thee in the heaven
, nor in the earth
; which keepest
covenant
, and shewest mercy
unto thy servants
, that walk
before
thee with all their hearts
:
Thou which hast kept with thy servant
David
my father
that which thou hast promised
him; and spakest
with thy mouth
, and hast fulfilled
it with thine hand
, as it is this day
.
Now therefore, O LORD 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
upon the throne
of Israel
; yet so
that thy children
take heed
to their way
to walk
in my law
, as thou hast walked
before
me.
Now then, O LORD God
of Israel
, let thy word
be verified
, which thou hast spoken
unto thy servant
David
.
But will God in very deed
dwell
with men
on the earth
? behold, heaven
and the heaven
of heavens
cannot contain
thee; how much less this house
which I have built
!
Have respect therefore to the prayer
of thy servant
, and to his supplication
, O LORD
my God
, to hearken
unto the cry
and the prayer
which thy servant
prayeth
before
thee:
That thine eyes may be open
upon this house
day
and night
, upon the place
whereof thou hast said
that thou wouldest put
thy name
there; to hearken
unto the prayer
which thy servant
prayeth
toward this place
.
Hearken therefore unto the supplications
of thy servant
, and of thy people
Israel
, which they shall make
toward this place
: hear
thou from thy dwelling
place
, even from heaven
; and when thou hearest
, forgive
.
If a man sin
against his neighbour
, and an oath
be laid
upon him to make him swear
, and the oath
come
before
thine altar
in this house
;
Then hear thou from heaven
, and do
, and judge
thy servants
, by requiting
the wicked
, by recompensing
his way
upon his own head
; and by justifying
the righteous
, by giving
him according to his righteousness
.
And if thy people Israel
be put to the worse
before
the enemy
, because they have sinned
against thee; and shall return
and confess
thy name
, and pray
and make supplication
before
thee in this house
;
Then hear thou from the heavens
, and forgive
the sin
of thy people
Israel
, and bring them again
unto the land
which thou gavest
to them and to their fathers
.
When the heaven is shut up
, and there is no rain
, because they have sinned
against thee; yet if they pray
toward this place
, and confess
thy name
, and turn
from their sin
, when thou dost afflict
them;
Then hear thou from heaven
, and forgive
the sin
of thy servants
, and of thy people
Israel
, when thou hast taught
them the good
way
, wherein they should walk
; and send
rain
upon thy land
, which thou hast given
unto thy people
for an inheritance
.
If there be dearth in the land
, if there be pestilence
, if there be blasting
, or mildew
, locusts
, or caterpillers
; if their enemies
besiege
them in the cities
of their land
; whatsoever sore
or whatsoever sickness
there be :
Then what prayer or what supplication
soever shall be made of any man
, or of all thy people
Israel
, when every one
shall know
his own sore
and his own grief
, and shall spread forth
his hands
in this house
:
Then hear thou from heaven
thy dwelling
place
, and forgive
, and render
unto every man
according unto all his ways
, whose heart
thou knowest
; (for thou only knowest
the hearts
of the children
of men
:)
That they may fear thee, to walk
in thy ways
, so long as
they live
in the land
which thou gavest
unto our fathers
.
Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people
Israel
, but is come
from a far
country
for thy great
name's
sake, and thy mighty
hand
, and thy stretched out
arm
; if they come
and pray
in this house
;
Then hear thou from the heavens
, even from thy dwelling
place
, and do
according to all that the stranger
calleth
to thee for; that all people
of the earth
may know
thy name
, and fear
thee, as doth thy people
Israel
, and may know
that this house
which I have built
is called
by thy name
.
If thy people go out
to war
against their enemies
by the way
that thou shalt send
them, and they pray
unto thee toward
this city
which thou hast chosen
, and the house
which I have built
for thy name
;
Then hear thou from the heavens
their prayer
and their supplication
, and maintain
their cause
.
If they sin against thee, (for there is no man
which sinneth
not,) and thou be angry
with them, and deliver
them over before
their enemies
, and they carry them away
captives
unto a land
far off
or near
;
Yet if they bethink themselves in the land
whither they are carried captive
, and turn
and pray
unto thee in the land
of their captivity
, saying
, We have sinned
, we have done amiss
, and have dealt wickedly
;
If they return to thee with all their heart
and with all their soul
in the land
of their captivity
, whither they have carried them captives
, and pray
toward
their land
, which thou gavest
unto their fathers
, and toward the city
which thou hast chosen
, and toward the house
which I have built
for thy name
:
Then hear thou from the heavens
, even from thy dwelling
place
, their prayer
and their supplications
, and maintain
their cause
, and forgive
thy people
which have sinned
against thee.
Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes
be open
, and let thine ears
be attent
unto the prayer
that is made in this place
.
Now therefore arise, O LORD
God
, into thy resting
place, thou, and the ark
of thy strength
: let thy priests
, O LORD
God
, be clothed
with salvation
, and let thy saints
rejoice
in goodness
.
O LORD God
, turn not away
the face
of thine anointed
: remember
the mercies
of David
thy servant
.