The feast of the dedication of the Temple.

1 ¶ Then² Solomonº assembledºª² the eldersº of Israel,º and² all² the headsº of the tribes,º the chiefº of the fathersº of the childrenº of Israel,º unto² kingº Solomonº in Jerusalem,º that they might bring upºª² the arkº of the covenantº of the LORDº out of the cityº² of David,º which² [is] Zion.º 2 And all² the menº of Israelº assembled¹ª themselves² unto² kingº Solomonº at the feastº in the monthº Ethanim,º which² [is] the seventhº month.º 3 And all² the eldersº of Israelº came,ºª and the priestsº took upºª² the ark.º 4 And they brought upºª² the arkº of the LORD,º and the tabernacleº of the congregation,º and all² the holyº vesselsº that² [were] in the tabernacle,º even those did the priestsº and the Levitesº bring up.ºª 5 And kingº Solomon,º and all² the congregationº of Israel,º that were assembledºª unto² him, [were] with² him beforeº the ark,º sacrificingºª sheepº and oxen,º that² could not² be toldºª nor² numberedºª for multitude.º² 6 And the priestsº brought inºª² the arkº of the covenantº of the LORDº unto² his place,º into² the oracleº of the house,º to² the mostº holyº [place, even] under²² the wingsº of the cherubims.º 7 For² the cherubimsº spread forthºª [their] two wingsº over² the placeº of the ark,º and the cherubimsº coveredºª² the arkº and the stavesº thereof above.º² 8 And they drew outºª the staves,º that the endsº of the stavesº were seen² out¹ª² in the holyº [place] beforeº² the oracle,º and they were not² seenºª without:º and there² they are² unto² this² day.º 9 [There was] nothing² in the arkº saveº the twoº tablesº of stone,º which² Mosesº put¹ª² there² at Horeb,º when² the LORDº madeºª [a covenant] with² the childrenº of Israel,º when they came outºª of the landº² of Egypt.º 10 And it came to pass,² when the priestsº were come outºª of² the holyº [place], that the cloudº filledºª² the houseº of the LORD,º 11 So that the priestsº couldºª not² standºª to ministerºª becauseº² of the cloud:º for² the gloryº of the LORDº had filledºª² the houseº of the LORD.º

Solomon's blessing.

12 ¶ Then² spakeºª Solomon,º The LORDº saidºª that he would dwellºª in the thick darkness.º 13 I have surely¹ª builtºª thee an houseº to dwell in,º a settled placeº for thee to abide inºª for ever.º 14 And the kingº turnedºª² his faceº about,¹ª and blessedºª² all² the congregationº of Israel:º (and all² the congregationº of Israelº stood;)ºª 15 And he said,ºª Blessedºª [be] the LORDº Godº of Israel,º which² spakeºª with his mouthº unto² Davidº my father,º and hath with his handº fulfilledºª [it], saying,ºª 16 Since² the dayº that² I brought forthºª² my peopleº² Israelº out of Egypt,º² I choseºª no² cityº out of all²² the tribesº of Israelº to buildºª an house,º that my nameº might be² therein;² but I choseºª Davidº to be² over² my peopleº Israel.º 17 And it was² in² the heartº of Davidº my fatherº to buildºª an houseº for the nameº of the LORDº Godº of Israel.º 18 And the LORDº saidºª unto² Davidº my father,º Whereasºº it was² in² thine heartº to buildºª an houseº unto my name,º thou didst wellºª that² it was² in² thine heart.º 19 Neverthelessº thou² shalt not² buildºª the house;º but²² thy sonº that shall come forth² out¹ª of thy loins,º² he² shall buildºª the houseº unto my name.º 20 And the LORDº hath performedºª² his wordº that² he spake,ºª and I am risen upºª in the room² of Davidº my father,º and sitºª on² the throneº of Israel,º as² the LORDº promised,ºª and have builtºª an houseº for the nameº of the LORDº Godº of Israel.º 21 And I have setºª there² a placeº for the ark,º wherein²² [is] the covenantº of the LORD,º which² he madeºª with² our fathers,º when he brought them outºª² of the landº² of Egypt.º

Solomon's prayer.

22 ¶ And Solomonº stoodºª beforeº the altarº of the LORDº in the presence² of¹ all² the congregationº of Israel,º and spread forthºª his handsº toward heaven:º 23 And he said,ºª LORDº Godº of Israel,º [there is] no² Godº like thee,² in heavenº above,º² or on² earthº beneath,²² who keepestºª covenantº and mercyº with thy servantsº that walkºª beforeº thee with all² their heart:º 24 Who² hast keptºª with thy servantº Davidº my fatherº² that² thou promisedstºª him: thou spakestºª also with thy mouth,º and hast fulfilledºª [it] with thine hand,º as [it is] this² day.º 25 Therefore now,² LORDº Godº of Israel,º keepºª with thy servantº Davidº my fatherº² that² thou promisedstºª him, saying,ºª There shall not² failºª thee a manº in my sightº² to sitºª on² the throneº of Israel;º soº that² thy childrenº take heed¹ª to²² their way,º that they walk¹ª² beforeº me as² thou hast walkedºª beforeº me. 26 And now,² O Godº of Israel,º let thy word,º I pray thee,² be verified,ºª which² thou spakestºª unto thy servantº Davidº my father.º 27 But² will Godº indeedº dwellºª on² the earth?º behold,² the heavenº and heavenº of heavensº cannot² containºª thee; how much lessº² this² houseº that² I have builded?ºª 28 Yet have thou respectºª unto² the prayerº of thy servant,º and to² his supplication,º O LORDº my God,º to hearkenºª unto² the cryº and to² the prayer,º which² thy servantº prayethºª beforeº thee to day:º 29 That thine eyesº may be² openºª toward² this² houseº nightº and day,º [even] toward² the placeº of which² thou hast said,ºª My nameº shall be² there:² that thou mayest hearkenºª unto² the prayerº which² thy servantº shall makeºª toward² this² place.º 30 And hearkenºª thou to² the supplicationº of thy servant,º and of thy peopleº Israel,º when² they shall prayºª toward² this² place:º and hearºª thou² in² heavenº thy dwellingºª place:º and when thou hearest,ºª forgive.ºª

31 ¶² If² any manº trespassºª against his neighbour,º and an oathº be laid¹ª² upon him to cause him to swear,ºª and the oath¹² comeºª beforeº thine altarº in this² house:º 32 Then hearºª thou² in heaven,º and do,ºª and judgeºª² thy servants,º condemningºª the wicked,º to bringºª his wayº upon his head;º and justifyingºª the righteous,º to giveºª him according to his righteousness.º

33 ¶ When thy peopleº Israelº be smitten downºª beforeº the enemy,ºª because² they have sinnedºª against thee, and shall turn againºª to² thee, and confessºª² thy name,º and pray,ºª and make supplicationºª unto² thee in this² house:º 34 Then hearºª thou² in heaven,º and forgiveºª the sinº of thy peopleº Israel,º and bring them againºª unto² the landº which² thou gavestºª unto their fathers.º

35 ¶ When heavenº is shut up,ºª and there is² no² rain,º because² they have sinnedºª against thee; if they prayºª toward² this² place,º and confessºª² thy name,º and turnºª from their sin,º² when² thou afflictestºª them: 36 Then hearºª thou² in heaven,º and forgiveºª the sinº of thy servants,º and of thy peopleº Israel,º that² thou teachºª them² the² goodº wayº wherein they should walk,¹ª² and giveºª rainº upon² thy land,º which² thou hast givenºª to thy peopleº for an inheritance.º

37 ¶ If² there be² in the landº famine,º if² there be² pestilence,º blasting,º mildew,º locust,º [or] if² there be² caterpiller;º if² their enemyºª besiegeºª them in the landº of their cities;º whatsoever² plague,º whatsoever² sicknessº [there be]; 38 What² prayerº and supplicationº soever²² be² [made] by any² man,º [or] by all² thy peopleº Israel,º which² shall knowºª every manº the plagueº of his own heart,º and spread forthºª his handsº toward² this² house:º 39 Then hearºª thou² in heavenº thy dwellingºª place,º and forgive,ºª and do,ºª and giveºª to every manº according to² his ways,º whose²² heartº thou knowest;ºª (for² thou,² [even] thou only,² knowestºª² the heartsº of all² the childrenº of men;)º 40 That² they may fearºª thee all² the daysº that² they² liveº inº² the landº which² thou gavestºª unto our fathers.º 41 Moreover² concerning² a stranger,º that² [is] not² of thy peopleº² Israel,º but cometh² out¹ª of a far¹ countryº²² for¹ thy name's¹ sake;²² 42 (For² they shall hear¹ª of²² thy greatº name,º and of thy strongº hand,º and of thy stretched outºª arm;)º when he shall comeºª and prayºª toward² this² house;º 43 Hearºª thou² in heavenº thy dwellingºª place,º and doºª according to all² that² the strangerº callethºª to² thee for: that² all² peopleº of the earthº may knowºª² thy name,º to fearºª thee, as [do] thy peopleº Israel;º and that they may knowºª that² this² house,º which² I have builded,ºª is calledºª by² thy name.º

44 ¶ If² thy peopleº go outºª to battleº against² their enemy,ºª whithersoeverº² thou shalt sendºª them, and shall prayºª unto² the LORDº towardº the cityº which² thou hast chosen,ºª and [toward] the houseº that² I have builtºª for thy name:º 45 Then hearºª thou in heavenº² their prayerº and their supplication,º and maintainºª their cause.º 46 If² they sinºª against thee, (for² [there is] no² manº that² sinnethºª not,)² and thou be angryºª with them, and deliverºª them to² the enemy,ºª so that they carry them awayºª captivesºª unto¹² the landº of the enemy,ºª farº or² near;º 47 [Yet] if they shall bethink¹ª themselves²²² in the landº whither²² they were carried captives,ºª and repent,ºª¹ and make supplicationºª unto² thee in the landº of them that carried them captives,ºª saying,ºª We have sinned,ºª and have done perversely,ºª we have committed wickedness;ºª 48 And [so] returnºª unto² thee with all² their heart,º and with all² their soul,º in the landº of their enemies,ºª which² led them away captive,ºª² and prayºª unto² thee towardº their land,º which² thou gavestºª unto their fathers,º the cityº which² thou hast chosen,ºª and the houseº which² I have builtºª for thy name:º 49 Then hearºª thou² their prayerº and their supplicationº in heavenº thy dwellingºª place,º and maintainºª their cause,º 50 And forgiveºª thy peopleº that² have sinnedºª against thee, and all² their transgressionsº wherein² they have transgressedºª against thee, and giveºª them compassionº beforeº them who carried them captive,ºª that they may have compassion¹ª on² them: 51 For² they² [be] thy people,º and thine inheritance,º which² thou broughtest forthºª out of Egypt,º² from the midstº² of the furnaceº of iron:º 52 That thine eyesº may be² openºª unto² the supplicationº of thy servant,º and unto² the supplicationº of thy peopleº Israel,º to hearkenºª unto² them in all² that they callºª for unto² thee. 53 For² thou² didst separateºª them from among all²² the peopleº of the earth,º [to be] thine inheritance,º as² thou spakestºª by the handº of Mosesº thy servant,º when thou broughtestºª² our fathersº out of Egypt,º² O Lordº GOD.¹²

Solomon's blessing.

54 And it was² [so], that when Solomonº had made an endºª of prayingºª² all² this² prayerº and supplicationº unto² the LORD,º he aroseºª from beforeº² the altarº of the LORD,º from kneelingºª² on² his kneesº with his handsº spread upºª to heaven.º 55 And he stood,ºª and blessedºª² all² the congregationº of Israelº with a loudº voice,º saying,ºª 56 Blessedºª [be] the LORD,º that² hath givenºª restº unto his peopleº Israel,º according to all² that² he promised:ºª there hath not² failedºª oneº wordº of all²² his goodº promise,º which² he promisedºª by the handº of Mosesº his servant.º 57 The LORDº our Godº be² with² us, as² he was² with² our fathers:º let him not² leaveºª us, nor² forsakeºª us: 58 That he may inclineºª our heartsº unto² him, to walk¹ª² in all² his ways,º and to keepºª his commandments,º and his statutes,º and his judgments,º which² he commandedºª² our fathers.º 59 And let these² my words,º wherewith² I have made supplicationºª beforeº the LORD,º be² nighº unto² the LORDº our Godº dayº and night,º that he maintainºª the causeº of his servant,º and the causeº of his peopleº Israelº at all times,º as the matterº shall require:² 60 That² all² the peopleº of the earthº may knowºª that² the LORDº [is] God,º [and that there is] none² else.² 61 Let your heartº therefore be² perfectº with² the LORDº our God,º to walk¹ª² in his statutes,º and to keepºª his commandments,º as at this² day.º

His sacrifice of peace offerings.

62 ¶ And the king,º and all² Israelº with² him, offeredºª sacrificeº beforeº the LORD.º 63 And Solomonº offeredºª² a sacrificeº of peace offerings,º which² he offeredºª unto the LORD,º twoº and twentyº thousandº oxen,º and an hundredº and twentyº thousandº sheep.º So the kingº and all² the childrenº of Israelº dedicatedºª² the houseº of the LORD.º 64 The same² dayº did the kingº hallowºª² the middleº of the courtº that² [was] beforeº the houseº of the LORD:º for² there² he offeredºª² burnt offerings,º and meat offerings,º and the fatº of the peace offerings:º because² the brasenº altarº that² [was] beforeº the LORDº [was] too littleº to receiveºª²² the burnt offerings,º and meat offerings,º and the fatº of the peace offerings.º 65 And at that² timeº Solomonº heldºª² a feast,º and all² Israelº with² him, a greatº congregation,º from the entering¹ª in²² of Hamathº unto² the riverº of Egypt,º beforeº the LORDº our God,º sevenº daysº and sevenº days,º [even] fourteenºº days.º 66 On the eighthº dayº he sentºª² the peopleº away:¹ª and they blessedºª² the king,º and went¹ª² unto their tentsº joyfulº and gladº of heartº for² all² the goodnessº that² the LORDº had doneºª for Davidº his servant,º and for Israelº his people.º