1 T hen Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

Then Solomon said, The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness;

2 “ I have built You a lofty house, And a place for Your dwelling forever.”

I have built You a house, a abode for You, a place for You to dwell in forever.

3 T hen the king faced about and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.

And the king turned his face and blessed all the assembly of Israel, and they all stood.

4 H e said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hands, saying,

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

5 ‘ Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man for a leader over My people Israel;

Since the day that I brought 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 chose I any man to be a ruler over My people Israel;

6 b ut I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there, and I 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 be over My people Israel.

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

Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the Name and renown of the Lord, the God of Israel.

8 B ut 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.

But the Lord said to David my father, Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name and renown, you did well that it was in your heart.

9 N evertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.’

Yet you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall be born to you—he shall build the house for My Name.

10 N ow the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

The Lord therefore has performed His word that He has spoken, for I have risen up in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

11 T here I have set the ark in which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with the sons of Israel.” Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

In it have I put the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the people of Israel.

12 T hen he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread forth his hands.

13 N ow 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 on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

For he had made a bronze scaffold, five cubits square and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; upon it he stood, and he knelt upon his knees before all the assembly of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

14 H e said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart;

And said, O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in the heavens or in the earth, keeping covenant and showing mercy and loving-kindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts,

15 w ho has kept with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him; indeed You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

You Who have kept Your promises to my father David and fulfilled with Your hand what You spoke with Your mouth, as it is today.

16 N ow therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, that which You have promised him, saying, ‘ You shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’

Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You promised him, saying, There shall not fail a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel, provided your children are careful to walk in My law as you, David, have walked before Me.

17 N ow therefore, O Lord, the God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.

Now then, O Lord, God of Israel, let Your word to Your servant David be verified.

18 “ But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.

But will God actually dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!

19 Y et have regard to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You;

Yet have respect for the prayer of Your servant and for his supplication, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant prays before You,

20 t hat Your eye may be open toward this house day and night, toward the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place.

That Your eyes may be open upon this house day and night, toward the place in which You have said You would put Your Name, to listen to and heed the prayer which Your servant prays facing this place.

21 L isten to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; hear and forgive.

So listen to and heed the requests of Your servant and Your people Israel which they shall make facing this place. Hear from Your dwelling place, heaven; and when You hear, forgive.

22 “ If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,

If a man sins against his neighbor, and he is required to take an oath, and the oath comes before Your altar in this house,

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

Then hear from heaven and do; and judge Your servants, requiting the wicked by bringing his conduct upon his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness (his uprightness and right standing with God).

24 “ If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house,

If Your people Israel have been defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against You, and shall return, confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house,

25 t hen hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.

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

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

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

27 t hen hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

Then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, when You have taught them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain upon Your land which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

28 “ If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is,

If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts, or caterpillars, if their enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever plague or sickness there may be,

29 w hatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house,

Then whatever prayer or supplication any man or all of Your people Israel shall make—each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house—

30 t hen hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men,

Then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart You know; for You, You only, know men’s hearts,

31 t hat they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

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

32 “ Also concerning the foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country for Your great name’s sake and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house,

Also concerning the stranger who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a far country for Your great name’s sake and Your mighty power and Your outstretched arm—if he comes and prays toward this house,

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

Hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do all for which the stranger calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by Your Name.

34 “ When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You shall send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name,

If Your people go out to war against their enemies by the way that You send them, and they pray to You facing this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your Name,

35 t hen hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

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

36 “ When they sin against You ( for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and deliver them to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far off or near,

If they sin against You—for there is no man who does not sin—and You are angry with them and give them to enemies who take them captive to a land far or near;

37 i f they take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly’;

Yet if they repent in the land to which they have been carried captive, and turn and pray there, saying, We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have dealt wickedly;

38 i f they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name,

If they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity, and pray facing their land which You gave to their fathers and toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your Name;

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

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

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

Now, O my God, I beseech You, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this temple.

41 “ Now therefore arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might; let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good.

So now arise, O Lord God, and come into Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength and power. Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your saints (Your zealous ones) rejoice in good and in Your goodness.

42 “ O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember Your lovingkindness to Your servant David.”

O Lord God, turn not away the face of Your anointed one; remember Your good deeds, mercy, and steadfast love for David Your servant.