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

Then said Solomon, `Jehovah said -- to dwell in thick darkness,

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

and I -- I have built a house of habitation for Thee, and a fixed place for Thy dwelling to the ages.'

3 T hen the king turned around and prayed that good would come to all the people of Israel, while all the people of Israel stood.

And the king turneth round his face, and blesseth the whole assembly of Israel, and the whole assembly of Israel is standing,

4 S olomon 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,

and he saith, `Blessed Jehovah, God of Israel, who hath spoken with His mouth with David my father, and with His hands hath fulfilled, saying:

5 ‘ 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.

`From the day that I brought out My people from the land of Egypt, I have not fixed on a city out of any of the tribes of Israel to build a house for my name being there, and I have not fixed on a man to be leader over My people Israel;

6 B ut I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there. And I have chosen David to rule My people Israel.’

and I fix on Jerusalem for My name being there, and I fix on 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.

`And it is with the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Jehovah 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.

and Jehovah saith unto David my father, Because that it hath been with thy heart to build a house for My name, thou hast done well that it hath been with thy heart,

9 B ut you will not build the house. Your son who will be born to you will build the house for My name.’

but thou dost not build the house, for thy son who cometh forth out from thy loins, he doth build the house for My name.

10 N ow 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.

`And Jehovah doth establish His word that He spake, and I rise up in the stead of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah spake, and I build the house for the name of Jehovah, God of Israel,

11 T here I have put the special box with the Law of the Lord which He gave to the people of Israel.” Solomon’s Prayer

and I place there the ark, where the covenant of Jehovah that He made with the sons of Israel.'

12 T hen Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in front of all the people of Israel, and spread out his hands.

And he standeth before the altar of Jehovah, over-against all the assembly of Israel, and spreadeth out his hand, --

13 S olomon 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.

for Solomon hath made a scaffold of brass, and putteth it in the midst of the court, five cubits its length, and five cubits its breadth, and three cubits its height, and he standeth upon it, and kneeleth on his knees over-against all the assembly of Israel, and spreadeth forth his hands towards the heavens --

14 H e 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.

and saith, `O Jehovah God of Israel, there is not like Thee a god in the heavens and in the earth, keeping the covenant and the kindness for Thy servants who are walking before Thee with all their heart;

15 Y ou 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.

who hast kept for Thy servant David my father that which Thou didst speak to him; yea, Thou dost speak with Thy mouth, and with Thy hand hast fulfilled, as at this day.

16 S o 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.’

`And now, O Jehovah, God of Israel, keep for Thy servant David my father that which Thou didst speak to him, saying, There is not cut off to thee a man from before Me, sitting on the throne of Israel, only, if thy sons watch their way to walk in My law, as thou hast walked before Me.

17 S o now, O Lord, God of Israel, let Your Word be made sure which You have spoken to Your servant David.

`And now, O Jehovah, God of Israel, is Thy word stedfast that Thou hast spoken to Thy servant, to David,

18 “ 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!

(for is it true? -- God dwelleth with man on the earth! Lo, the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens, do not contain Thee, how much less this house that I have built?)

19 B ut 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.

`And Thou hast turned unto the prayer of Thy servant, and unto his supplication, O Jehovah my God, to hearken unto the cry and unto the prayer that Thy servant is praying before Thee,

20 M ay 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.

for Thine eyes being open towards this house by day and by night, towards the place that Thou hast said to put Thy name there, to hearken unto the prayer that Thy servant prayeth towards this place.

21 L isten 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.

`And Thou hast hearkened unto the supplications of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, that they pray towards this place, and Thou dost hear from the place of Thy dwelling, from the heavens, and hast hearkened, and forgiven.

22 “ 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,

`If a man doth sin against his neighbour, and he hath lifted up on him an oath to cause him to swear, and the oath hath come in before Thine altar in this house --

23 t hen 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.

then Thou dost hear from the heavens, and hast done, and hast judged Thy servants, to give back to the wicked, to put his way on his head, and to declare righteous the righteous, to give to him according to his righteousness.

24 “ 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,

`And if Thy people Israel is smitten before an enemy, because they sin against Thee, and they have turned back and confessed Thy name, and prayed and made supplication before Thee in this house --

25 t hen 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.

then Thou dost hear from the heavens, and hast forgiven the sin of Thy people Israel, and caused them to turn back unto the ground that Thou hast given to them, and to their fathers.

26 “ 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,

`In the heavens being restrained, and there is no rain, because they sin against Thee, and they have prayed towards this place, and confessed Thy name -- from their sin they turn back because Thou dost afflict them --

27 t hen 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.

then Thou dost hear in the heavens, and hast forgiven the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, because Thou directest them unto the good way in which they walk, and hast given rain on Thy land that Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance.

28 “ 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,

`Famine, when it is in the land, pestilence, when it is, blasting, and mildew, locust, and caterpillar, when they are, when its enemies have distressed it in the land -- its gates, any plague and any sickness;

29 h ear 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,

any prayer, any supplication that is for any man, and for all Thy people Israel, when they know each his own plague, and his own pain, and he hath spread out his hands towards this house:

30 t hen 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.

then Thou dost hear from the heavens, the settled place of Thy dwelling, and hast forgiven, and hast given to each according to all his ways (because Thou knowest his heart, for Thou -- Thou only -- hast known the heart of the sons of men),

31 M ay they fear You and walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land You have given to our fathers.

so that they fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways, all the days that they are living on the face of the ground that Thou hast given to our fathers.

32 “ 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,

`And also, unto the stranger who is not of Thy people Israel, and he hath come from a land afar off for the sake of Thy great name, and Thy strong hand, and Thy stretched-out arm, and they have come in and prayed towards this house:

33 h ear 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.

then Thou dost hear from the heavens, from the settled place of Thy dwelling, and hast done according to all that the stranger calleth unto Thee for: so that all the peoples of the earth do know Thy name, so as to fear Thee, as Thy people Israel, and to know that Thy name is called on this house that I have built.

34 “ 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,

`When Thy people doth go out to battle against its enemies in the way that Thou dost send them, and they have prayed unto Thee the way of this city that Thou hast fixed on, and the house that I have built for Thy name:

35 t hen hear their prayer from heaven and help them.

then Thou hast heard from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and hast maintained their cause.

36 “ 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.

`When they sin against Thee -- for there is not a man who sinneth not -- and Thou hast been angry with them, and hast given them before an enemy, and taken them captive have their captors, unto a land far off or near;

37 I f 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.’

and they have turned back unto their heart in the land whither they have been taken captive, and have turned back, and made supplication unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have done wickedly;

38 I f 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,

yea, they have turned back unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, whither they have taken them captive, and they have prayed the way of their land that Thou hast given to their fathers, and of the city that Thou hast chosen, and of the house that I have built for Thy name:

39 t hen 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.

then Thou hast heard from the heavens, from the settled place of Thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplications, and hast maintained their cause, and forgiven Thy people who have sinned against Thee.

40 “ Now, O my God, I ask You, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears listen to the prayer given in this place.

`Now, my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and Thine ears attentive, to the prayer of this place:

41 N ow 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.

and now, rise, O Jehovah God, to Thy rest, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength; Thy priests, O Jehovah God, are clothed with salvation, and Thy saints rejoice in the goodness,

42 O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your chosen one. Remember Your loving-kindness to Your servant David.”

O Jehovah God, turn not back the face of Thine anointed, be mindful of the kind acts of David Thy servant.'