Then Solomon assembled
the elders
of Israel
, and all the heads
of the tribes
, the chief
of the fathers
of the children
of Israel
, unto king
Solomon
in Jerusalem
, that they might bring up
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
out of the city
of David
, which is Zion
.
And all the men of Israel
assembled
themselves unto king
Solomon
at the feast
in the month
Ethanim
, which is the seventh
month
.
And all the elders of Israel
came
, and the priests
took up
the ark
.
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 those did the priests
and the Levites
bring up
.
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
.
And the priests brought in
the ark
of the covenant
of the LORD
unto his place
, into the oracle
of the house
, to the most
holy
place, even under the wings
of the cherubims
.
For the cherubims spread forth
their two wings
over the place
of the ark
, and the cherubims
covered
the ark
and the staves
thereof above
.
And they drew out the staves
, that the ends
of the staves
were seen out
in the holy
place before
the oracle
, and they were not seen
without
: and there they are unto this day
.
There was nothing in the ark save
the two
tables
of stone
, which Moses
put
there at Horeb
, when the LORD
made
a covenant with the children
of Israel
, when they came out
of the land
of Egypt
.
And it came to pass, when the priests were come out
of the holy
place , that the cloud
filled
the house
of the LORD
,
So that the priests could
not stand
to minister
because
of the cloud
: for the glory
of the LORD
had filled
the house
of the LORD
.
Then spake Solomon
, The LORD
said
that he would dwell
in the thick darkness
.
I have surely built
thee an house
to dwell in
, a settled place
for thee to abide in
for ever
.
And the king turned
his face
about
, and blessed
all the congregation
of Israel
: (and all the congregation
of Israel
stood
;)
And he said, Blessed
be the LORD
God
of Israel
, which spake
with his mouth
unto David
my father
, and hath with his hand
fulfilled
it , saying
,
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
an house
, that my name
might be therein; but I chose
David
to be over my people
Israel
.
And it was in the heart of David
my father
to build
an house
for the name
of the LORD
God
of Israel
.
And the LORD said
unto David
my father
, Whereas
it was in thine heart
to build
an house
unto my name
, thou didst well
that it was in thine heart
.
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
.
And the LORD hath performed
his word
that he spake
, and I am risen up
in the room of David
my father
, and sit
on the throne
of Israel
, as the LORD
promised
, and have built
an house
for the name
of the LORD
God
of Israel
.
And I have set there a place
for the ark
, wherein is the covenant
of the LORD
, which he made
with our fathers
, when he brought them out
of the land
of Egypt
.
And Solomon stood
before
the altar
of the LORD
in the presence of
all the congregation
of Israel
, and spread forth
his hands
toward heaven
:
And he said, LORD
God
of Israel
, there is no God
like thee, in heaven
above
, or on earth
beneath, who keepest
covenant
and mercy
with thy servants
that walk
before
thee with all their heart
:
Who hast kept with thy servant
David
my father
that thou promisedst
him: thou spakest
also with thy mouth
, and hast fulfilled
it with thine hand
, as it is this day
.
Therefore now, LORD God
of Israel
, keep
with thy servant
David
my father
that thou promisedst
him, saying
, There shall not fail
thee a man
in my sight
to sit
on the throne
of Israel
; so
that thy children
take heed
to their way
, that they walk
before
me as thou hast walked
before
me.
And now, O God of Israel
, let thy word
, I pray thee, be verified
, which thou spakest
unto thy servant
David
my father
.
But will God indeed
dwell
on the earth
? behold, the heaven
and heaven
of heavens
cannot contain
thee; how much less
this house
that I have builded
?
Yet have thou respect unto the prayer
of thy servant
, and to his supplication
, O LORD
my God
, to hearken
unto the cry
and to the prayer
, which thy servant
prayeth
before
thee to day
:
That thine eyes may be open
toward this house
night
and day
, even toward the place
of which thou hast said
, My name
shall be there: that thou mayest hearken
unto the prayer
which thy servant
shall make
toward this place
.
And hearken thou to the supplication
of thy servant
, and of thy people
Israel
, when they shall pray
toward this place
: and hear
thou in heaven
thy dwelling
place
: and when thou hearest
, forgive
.
If any man trespass
against his neighbour
, and an oath
be laid
upon him to cause him to swear
, and the oath
come
before
thine altar
in this house
:
Then hear thou in heaven
, and do
, and judge
thy servants
, condemning
the wicked
, to bring
his way
upon his head
; and justifying
the righteous
, to give
him according to his righteousness
.
When thy people Israel
be smitten down
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
:
Then hear thou in heaven
, and forgive
the sin
of thy people
Israel
, and bring them again
unto the land
which thou gavest
unto their fathers
.
When heaven is 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
, when thou afflictest
them:
Then hear thou in heaven
, and forgive
the sin
of thy servants
, and of thy people
Israel
, that thou teach
them the good
way
wherein they should walk
, and give
rain
upon thy land
, which thou hast given
to thy people
for an inheritance
.
If there be in the land famine
, if there be pestilence
, blasting
, mildew
, locust
, or if there be caterpiller
; if their enemy
besiege
them in the land
of their cities
; whatsoever plague
, whatsoever sickness
there be ;
What prayer and supplication
soever be made by any man
, or by all thy people
Israel
, which shall know
every man
the plague
of his own heart
, and spread forth
his hands
toward this house
:
Then hear thou in heaven
thy dwelling
place
, and forgive
, and do
, and give
to every man
according to his ways
, whose heart
thou knowest
; (for thou, even thou only, knowest
the hearts
of all the children
of men
;)
That they may fear thee all the days
that they live
in
the land
which thou gavest
unto our fathers
.
Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people
Israel
, but cometh out
of a far
country
for
thy name's
sake;
(For they shall hear of thy great
name
, and of thy strong
hand
, and of thy stretched out
arm
;) when he shall come
and pray
toward this house
;
Hear thou in heaven
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
, to fear
thee, as do thy people
Israel
; and that they may know
that this house
, which I have builded
, is called
by thy name
.
If thy people go out
to battle
against their enemy
, whithersoever
thou shalt send
them, and shall pray
unto the LORD
toward
the city
which thou hast chosen
, and toward the house
that I have built
for thy name
:
Then hear thou in heaven
their prayer
and their supplication
, and maintain
their cause
.
If they sin against thee, (for there is no man
that sinneth
not,) and thou be angry
with them, and deliver
them to the enemy
, so that they carry them away
captives
unto
the land
of the enemy
, far
or near
;
Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land
whither they were carried captives
, and repent
, and make supplication
unto thee in the land
of them that carried them captives
, saying
, We have sinned
, and have done perversely
, we have committed wickedness
;
And so return unto thee with all their heart
, and with all their soul
, in the land
of their enemies
, which led them away captive
, and pray
unto thee toward
their land
, which thou gavest
unto their fathers
, the city
which thou hast chosen
, and the house
which I have built
for thy name
:
Then hear thou their prayer
and their supplication
in heaven
thy dwelling
place
, and maintain
their cause
,
And forgive thy people
that have sinned
against thee, and all their transgressions
wherein they have transgressed
against thee, and give
them compassion
before
them who carried them captive
, that they may have compassion
on them:
For they be thy people, and thine inheritance
, which thou broughtest forth
out of Egypt
, from the midst
of the furnace
of iron
:
That thine eyes may be 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.
For thou didst separate them from among all the people
of the earth
, to be thine inheritance
, as thou spakest
by the hand
of Moses
thy servant
, when thou broughtest
our fathers
out of Egypt
, O Lord
GOD
.
And it was so , 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 up
to heaven
.
And he stood, and blessed
all the congregation
of Israel
with a loud
voice
, saying
,
Blessed be the LORD
, that hath given
rest
unto his people
Israel
, according to all that he promised
: there hath not failed
one
word
of all his good
promise
, which he promised
by the hand
of Moses
his servant
.
The LORD our God
be with us, as he was with our fathers
: let him not leave
us, nor forsake
us:
That he may incline our hearts
unto him, to walk
in all his ways
, and to keep
his commandments
, and his statutes
, and his judgments
, which he commanded
our fathers
.
And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication
before
the LORD
, be nigh
unto the LORD
our God
day
and night
, that he maintain
the cause
of his servant
, and the cause
of his people
Israel
at all times
, as the matter
shall require:
That all the people of the earth
may know
that the LORD
is God
, and that there is none else.
Let your heart therefore be perfect
with the LORD
our God
, to walk
in his statutes
, and to keep
his commandments
, as at this day
.
And the king, and all Israel
with him, offered
sacrifice
before
the LORD
.
And Solomon offered
a sacrifice
of peace offerings
, which he offered
unto the LORD
, two
and twenty
thousand
oxen
, and an hundred
and twenty
thousand
sheep
. So the king
and all the children
of Israel
dedicated
the house
of the LORD
.
The same day did the king
hallow
the middle
of the court
that was before
the house
of the LORD
: for there he offered
burnt offerings
, and meat offerings
, and the fat
of the peace offerings
: because the brasen
altar
that was before
the LORD
was too little
to receive
the burnt offerings
, and meat offerings
, and the fat
of the peace offerings
.
And at that time Solomon
held
a feast
, and all Israel
with him, a great
congregation
, from the entering
in of Hamath
unto the river
of Egypt
, before
the LORD
our God
, seven
days
and seven
days
, even fourteen
days
.
On the eighth day
he sent
the people
away
: and they blessed
the king
, and went
unto their tents
joyful
and glad
of heart
for all the goodness
that the LORD
had done
for David
his servant
, and for Israel
his people
.