1 ¶ Then Solomon said, The LORD has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Then Solomon spoke: “The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

2 I , therefore, have built a house of habitation for thee and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

I have surely built You an exalted house, And a place for You to dwell in forever.” Solomon’s Speech upon Completion of the Work

3 A nd the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel was standing.

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

4 A nd he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has with his hand fulfilled that which he spoke with his mouth to my father David, saying,

And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying,

5 S ince 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 a house in, that my name might be there; neither did I choose any man to be a prince over my people Israel.

‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel.

6 B ut I have chosen Jerusalem that my name might be there and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

7 N ow it was in the heart of David, my father, to build a house unto the name of the LORD God of Israel.

Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

8 B ut the LORD said to David, my father, Forasmuch as it was in thy heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thy heart;

But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart.

9 n otwithstanding, thou shalt not build the house, but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build a house for my name.

Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’

10 T he LORD, therefore, has performed his word that he has spoken, for I am risen up in the place of David, my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD had said, and have built the house unto the name of the LORD God of Israel.

So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

11 A nd in it I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the sons of Israel.

And there I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the children of Israel.” Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

12 ¶ Then he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands

13 F or Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, five cubits long and five cubits wide and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and upon it he stood and knelt down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven

(for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven);

14 a nd said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven nor in the earth who keeps covenant and shows mercy unto thy slaves that walk before thee with all their hearts;

and he said: “ Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.

15 w ho hast kept unto thy slave David, my father, that which thou hast promised him; thou didst say it with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thy hand, as it is this day.

You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

16 N ow, therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy slave 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, under the condition that thy sons keep their way, walking in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’

17 N ow then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word stand firm, which thou hast spoken unto thy slave David.

And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 I s it true that God is to 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!

“But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!

19 B ut thou shalt look upon the prayer of thy slave and upon his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer with which thy slave prays before thee

Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You:

20 t hat thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there, to hearken unto the prayer which thy slave prays in this place.

that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.

21 H earken, likewise, unto the supplications of thy slave and of thy people Israel when they shall pray in this place; hear thou from the heavens, from thy dwelling place, even hear and forgive.

And may You hear the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive.

22 I f a man sins against his neighbour and an oath is laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath comes before thy altar in this house,

“If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,

23 t hou shalt hear from heaven and do right unto thy slaves, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head, and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

24 A nd if thy people Israel should fall before their enemies because they have sinned against thee and if they should convert and confess thy name and pray and make supplication before thee in this house,

“Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple,

25 t hou shalt hear 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.

then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.

26 I f the heavens should become shut up, that there be no rain because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray in this place and confess thy name and become converted from their sins when thou dost afflict them,

“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

27 t hou shalt hear them from heaven and forgive the sin of thy slaves and of thy people Israel, and thou shalt teach them the good way, that they may walk therein, and send rain upon thy land which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 I f there should be famine in the land, or if there should be pestilence, if there should be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatever affliction or sickness there may be;

“When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;

29 e very prayer and every supplication made of any man, or of all thy people Israel or of anyone who knows his affliction and his grief in his heart, if they shall extend their hands towards this house,

whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple:

30 t hou shalt hear from the heavens, from the place of thy habitation, and forgive and render unto each one according to his ways, having known his heart (for thou only knowest the hearts of the sons of men),

then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men),

31 t hat they may fear thee and walk in thy ways all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

32 A nd also unto the stranger, who 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,

“Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple;

33 t hou shalt hear from the heavens, from the habitation of thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calls unto thee for, that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name and fear thee, as do thy people Israel, and let them know that thy name is invoked upon this house which I have built.

then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

34 I f 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, toward the house which I have built for thy name,

“When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name,

35 t hou shalt hear from the heavens their prayer and their supplication and do them judgment.

then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 I f they sin against thee (for there is no man who does not sin,)and thou art angry with them and deliver them over before their enemies so that those that take them carry them away captives unto an enemy land far off or near,

“When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near;

37 a nd they come into their right mind in the land where they are carried captive, if they convert and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done iniquity and have dealt wickedly,

yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’;

38 i f they convert unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captives and pray toward their land, which thou didst give unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen and toward the house which I have built unto thy name,

and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name:

39 t hou shalt hear from the heavens, from the dwelling place of thy habitation, their prayer and their supplications and do their judgment and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee.

then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

40 N ow, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open and let thine ears be attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place.

Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.

41 N ow, therefore, arise, O LORD God, to inhabit thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength; let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation and let thy merciful ones rejoice in goodness.

“Now therefore, Arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.

42 O LORD God, do not turn away the face of thy anointed one; remember the mercies of David, thy slave.

“O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed; Remember the mercies of Your servant David.”