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

Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would live in the thick cloud.

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

I have built a great house for You. It is a place for You to live in forever.”

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 prayed that good would come to all the people of Israel, while all the people of Israel stood.

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,

Solomon said, “Honor and thanks be to the Lord, the God of Israel. He spoke with His mouth to my father David. And He has kept His promises with His hands, 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 from the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the families of Israel in which to build a house for My name. I did not choose any man to be a leader 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.

But I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there. And I have chosen David to rule 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 house for the name of the Lord, the 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, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well 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.

But you will not build the house. Your son who will be born to you will build the house 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.

Now the Lord has kept His promise which He made. For I have taken the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. And I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the 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.

There I have put the special box with the Law of the Lord which He gave to the people of Israel.” Solomon’s Prayer

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 front of all the people 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

Solomon had made a special place to stand, out of brass. It was as long and as wide as three steps, and as high as a man’s chest. And he had put it in the center of the open space. He stood on it, then got down on his knees in front of all the people 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;

He said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth. You keep Your promises and show loving-kindness to Your servants who walk with 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 Your promises to Your servant David my father. Yes, You have spoken with Your mouth, and have done all You said You would do, as it is today.

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.

So now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep Your promise which You made to Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You will never be without a man to sit on the throne of Israel. But your sons must be careful to walk in My Law, as you have done.’

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

So now, O Lord, God of Israel, let Your Word be made sure 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 is it true that God will live with man on the earth? See, heaven and the highest heaven cannot hold You. How much less can this house hold You 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

But respect the prayer of Your servant and what he asks of You, O Lord my God. Listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays to 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.

May Your eyes be open day and night toward this house, the place where You have promised to put Your name. Listen to the prayer which Your servant prays 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.

Listen to what Your servant and Your people Israel ask for when they pray toward this place. Hear from the place where You live, from heaven. Hear and 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 a man sins against his neighbor, and has to make a promise, and he comes and makes a promise before Your altar in this house,

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. Judge Your servants. Punish the sinful by bringing his actions on his own head. And make it known that the one who is right and good is not guilty. Bring good to him because he is right and good.

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,

“If Your people Israel lose a battle against those who hate them, because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and tell of Your name, and pray and ask of You in this house,

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 listen to them from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. Bring them back to the land You have given to them and to 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 give no rain because the people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and tell of Your name, and turn from their sin when You bring trouble to 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 and Your people Israel. Teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people.

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;

“If there is a time of no food in the land, and if there is a disease that kills the plants, or if there are locusts or grasshoppers, if those who hate Your people send armies to trap them in their cities, whatever trouble or 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,

hear the prayer made by any man or by all Your people Israel. Each one will know his own trouble and his own pain. And when he spreads his hands toward this house,

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 where You live, and forgive. Give to each man what he should have. For You, and only You, know the hearts 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.

May they fear You and walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land You have given 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,

“If a stranger who is not from Your people Israel comes from a far country because of Your great name, Your powerful hand, and Your strong arm, when he comes and prays toward this house,

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.

hear from heaven where You live. Do all that the stranger asks of You. Then all the people of the earth may know Your name and honor You with fear, as Your people Israel do. And then they may know that this house 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 those who hate them, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house 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 their prayer from heaven and help them.

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 man who does not sin), and You are angry with them and give them to those who hate them, they will be carried away against their will to a land far away 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,

If they think about it in the land where they have been taken, and are sorry for their sins and turn away from them and pray to You in the land where they have been taken, saying, ‘We have sinned. We have been bad and have done wrong.’

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,

If they come back to You with all their heart and soul in the land where they have been taken and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers and toward the city You have chosen and toward the house 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 where You live. Hear their prayer and what they ask for, and help them. 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, O my God, I ask You, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears listen to the prayer given 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 rise up, O Lord God. Go to Your resting place, You and the special box of Your power. O Lord God, let Your religious leaders be dressed in saving power. Let those who belong to You be filled with joy in what is good.

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 chosen one. Remember Your loving-kindness to Your servant David.”