^aThen Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all ^bthe heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, ^cto bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from ^dthe City of David, which is Zion. 2 All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at ^athe feast in the month of Ethanim (September-October) , that is, the seventh month. 3 All the elders of Israel came, and ^athe priests carried the ark. 4 They brought up the ark of the LORD and the ^aTent of Meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, ^awere with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, so many that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then ^athe priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD ^bto its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, into the Holy of Holies, ^cunder the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its carrying poles from above. 8 ^aThe poles were so long that the ends of the poles were visible from the Holy Place that was in front of the ¹Holy of Holies, but they were not visible from the outside; they are there to this day (the date of this writing) . 9 ^aThere was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb (Sinai) , where ^bthe LORD made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt. Deut 10:2-5 10 Now it happened that when the priests had come out of the Holy Place, ^athe cloud filled the LORD’S house, 11 so the priests could not stand in their positions to minister because of the cloud, for the glory and brilliance of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house (temple) .

12 ^aThen Solomon said,“The LORD has said that ^bHe would dwell in the thick darkness of the cloud.

14 Then the king turned around and ^ablessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “^aBlessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, ^bwho spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it with His hand, saying, 16 ‘^aSince the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I did not choose a particular city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that ^bMy Name (Presence) would be in it, but ^cI chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 ^aNow it was determined in the heart of my father David to build a house (temple) for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 18 But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you did well, in that it was in your heart. 19 ^aNevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son, who shall be born to you, it is he who shall build it for My Name and My Presence.’ 20 Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; ^aI have risen in the place of my father David and have taken my seat on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and have built the house (temple) for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 21 There I have made a place in the Holy of Holies for the ark, ^ain which is the covenant (solemn agreement) of the LORD, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.” Ex 34:28

22 Then ^aSolomon stood in the courtyard before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and ^bspread out his hands toward heaven. 23 He said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, ^athere is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, who ^bkeeps the covenant and shows lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 24 You who have kept what You ¹promised to Your servant my father David. You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled Your word with Your hand, as it is this day. 25 Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep for Your servant my father David that which You promised him when You said, ‘You ^ashall not be without a man (descendant) to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way of life to walk before Me according to my laws as you have done.’ 26 Now, O God of Israel, please let Your word ^awhich You have spoken to Your servant David my father be confirmed.

27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, ^aheaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 28 Yet graciously consider the ^aprayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the loud cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today; 29 ^athat Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward ^bthe place of which You have said, ‘My Name (Presence) shall be there,’ that You may listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 30 ^aListen to the prayer of Your servant and of Your people Israel ^bwhich they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven, Your dwelling place; hear and ^cforgive.

31 “^aIf a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath of innocence and he comes to take the oath before Your altar in this house (temple) , 32 then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants, ^acondemning the wicked by bringing his guilt on his own head, and justifying the righteous by rewarding him in accordance with his righteousness.

33 “^aWhen Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, ^band then they turn to You again and praise Your Name and pray and ask for Your favor and compassion in this house (temple) , 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave their fathers.

35 “^aWhen the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel; ^aindeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk (live) . And ^bsend rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37 “^aIf there is famine in the land, or if there is pestilence (plague) , blight, mildew, migratory locusts, or grasshoppers, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities, whatever affliction or plague, whatever sickness there is, 38 whatever prayer or pleading is made by any individual, or by Your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his hands out toward this house; 39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to his ways, ^awhose heart (mind) You know, for ^bYou and You alone know the hearts of all the children of men, 40 so that they may fear You with reverence and awe all the days that they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

41 “Moreover, concerning a ¹foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, but comes from a far (distant) country for the sake of Your name to plead with You 42 (for they will hear of Your great name, ^aYour strong hand of power, and outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house (temple) , 43 hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls upon (prays to) You, so ^athat all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You with reverence and awe, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know without any doubt that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and ^athey pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the house that I have built for Your Name and Presence, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their right and defend their cause.

46 “When they sin against You (for ^athere is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they are carried away captive ^bto the enemy’s land, whether far away or near; 47 ^aif they ¹take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and they repent and pray to You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘^bWe have sinned and done wrong and we have acted wickedly;’ 48 ^aif they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and they ^bpray to You toward their land of Israel which You gave to their fathers, the city of Jerusalem which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your Name and Presence; 49 then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven Your dwelling place, and maintain their right and defend their cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions which they have committed against You, and ^amake them objects of compassion before their captors, that they will be merciful to them 51 (^afor they are Your people and Your heritage, whom You brought out of Egypt, ^bfrom the midst of the iron furnace of slavery and oppression), 52 ^athat Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them and be attentive to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You singled them out from all the peoples of the earth as Your heritage, ^ajust as You declared through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.”

54 ^aWhen Solomon finished offering this entire prayer and supplication to the LORD, ^bhe arose from before the LORD’S altar, where he had knelt down with his hands stretched toward heaven. 55 And he stood and ^ablessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, ^ain accordance with everything that He promised. ^bNot one word has failed of all His good promise, which He spoke through Moses His servant. 57 May the LORD our God be with us as He was with our fathers; ^amay He not leave us nor abandon us to our enemies, 58 that ^aHe may guide our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways following Him and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His precepts which He commanded our fathers. 59 Let these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, so that He will maintain the cause and right of His servant and of His people Israel as each day requires, 60 ^aso that all the peoples of the earth may know that ^bthe LORD is God; there is no one else. 61 ^aTherefore, your hearts are to be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as you are doing today.”

62 ^aThen the king and all the people of Israel with him repeatedly ^boffered sacrifice before the LORD. 63 Solomon offered as peace offerings to the LORD: 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. ^aSo the king and all the Israelites dedicated the house (temple) of the LORD. 64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house (temple) of the LORD; for he offered there the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because ^athe bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So at that time ^aSolomon held the ¹feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, ^bfrom the entrance of Hamath on the northern border of Israel ^cto the ²Brook of Egypt at Israel’s southern border, before the LORD our God, for seven days and seven more days beyond the prescribed period for the Feast of Booths, fourteen days in all. 66 On the eighth (fifteenth) day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and in good spirits because of all the goodness which the LORD had shown to David His servant and Israel His people.

^aThen Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all ^bthe heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, ^cto bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from ^dthe city of David, that is, Zion. 2 So all the men of Israel assembled themselves before King Solomon at ^athe feast, in the month Ethanim, that is, the seventh month. 3 Then all the elders of Israel came, and ^athe priests took up the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, ^athe tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were gathered together to him, ^awere with him before the ark, sacrificing ¹so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then ^athe priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD ^bto its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, ^cunder the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its carrying poles from above. 8 But ^athe poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; they are there to this day. 9 ^aThere was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, where ^bthe LORD made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 And it happened that when the priests came from the holy place, ^athe cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

12 ^aThen Solomon said,“The LORD has said that ^bHe would dwell in the thick darkness.

14 Then the king ¹turned around and ^ablessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “^aBlessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, ^bwho spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16 ‘^aSince the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that ^bMy name would be there, but ^cI chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 ^aNow it was ¹in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 18 But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Because it was ¹in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was ²in your heart. 19 ^aNevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who ¹will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for ^aI have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD ¹promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, ^ain which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

22 Then ^aSolomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he ^bspread out his hands toward heaven. 23 And he said, “LORD, God of Israel, ^athere is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, ^bkeeping the covenant and showing faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24 You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You ¹promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 25 Now then, LORD, God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have ¹promised him, saying, ‘^2aYou shall not be deprived of a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful about their way, to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26 Now then, God of Israel, let Your words, please, be confirmed, ^awhich You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.

27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, ^aheaven and the ¹highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the ^aprayer of Your servant and to his plea, LORD, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, 29 ^aso that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward ^bthe place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. 30 And ^alisten to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, ^bwhen they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and ^cforgive!

31 “^aIf a person sins against his neighbor and is compelled to take an oath of innocence, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, ^acondemning the wicked by ¹bringing his way on his own head, and acquitting the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33 “^aWhen Your people Israel are ¹defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, ^bif they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your ²favor in this house, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave their fathers.

35 “^aWhen the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; ^aindeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And ^bprovide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37 “^aIf there is a famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is ¹blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy harasses them in the land of their ²cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38 whatever prayer or plea ¹is offered by any person or by all Your people Israel, ²each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his ³hands toward this house; 39 then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, ^awhose heart You know—for ^bYou alone know the hearts of all ¹mankind— 40 so that they will ¹fear You all the days that they live on the ²land which You have given to our fathers.

41 “Also regarding the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country on account of Your name 42 (for they will hear of Your great name ^aand Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and act in accordance with all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order ^athat all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to ¹fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that ²this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against ¹their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and ^athey pray to the LORD ²toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their cause.

46 “When they sin against You (for ^athere is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that ¹they take them away captive ^bto the land of the enemy, distant or near; 47 ^aif they ¹take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and implore Your ²favor in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘^bWe have sinned and done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 ^aif they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and ^bpray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then hear their prayer and their pleading in heaven, Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their wrongdoings which they have committed against You, and ^amake them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, so that they will have compassion on them 51 ^a(for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought out of Egypt, ^bfrom the midst of the iron furnace), 52 ^aso that Your eyes may be open to the pleading of Your servant and to the pleading of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You have singled them out from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, ^ajust as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord ¹GOD.”

54 ^aWhen Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and plea to the LORD, ^bhe stood up from the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his ¹hands spread toward heaven. 55 And he stood and ^ablessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56 “Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel ^ain accordance with everything that He ¹promised; ^bnot one word has ²failed of all His good ³promise, which He ⁴promised through Moses His servant. 57 May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; ^amay He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 so that ^aHe may guide our hearts toward Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have implored the ¹favor of the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, so that He will maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, ²as each day requires, 60 so ^athat all the peoples of the earth may know that ^bthe LORD is God; there is no one else. 61 ^aYour hearts therefore shall be ¹wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

62 ^aThen the king and all Israel with him ^boffered sacrifice before the LORD. 63 And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. ^aSo the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. 64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the LORD, because there he ¹offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for ^athe bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So ^aSolomon held the ¹feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly ^bfrom the entrance of Hamath ^cto the brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, for seven days and seven more days, that is, fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the LORD had ¹shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.

^aThen Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all ^bthe heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, ^cto bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from ^dthe city of David, which is Zion. 2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at ^athe feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3 Then all the elders of Israel came, and ^athe priests carried the ark. 4 And they brought up the ark of Yahweh and ^athe tent of meeting and all the holy utensils, which were in the tent, and the priests and the Levites brought them up. 5 And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who congregated to him being ^awith him before the ark, were sacrificing ¹so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 6 Then ^athe priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh ^bto its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Holy of Holies, ^cunder the wings of the cherubim. 7 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its poles from above. 8 But ^athe poles were so long that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place before the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and they are there to this day. 9 ^aThere was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses laid there at Horeb, where ^bYahweh cut a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10 Now it happened that when the priests came out of the holy place, ^athe cloud filled the house of Yahweh, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.

12 ^aThen Solomon said,“Yahweh has said that ^bHe would dwell in the cloud of dense gloom.

14 Then the king turned his face around and ^ablessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 And he said, “^aBlessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, ^bwho spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled it by His hand, saying, 16 ‘^aSince the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that ^bMy name might be there, but ^cI have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 ^aAnd it was ¹in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 18 But Yahweh said to my father David, ‘Because it was ¹in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was ²in your heart. 19 ^aNevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will ^bcome forth from your loins, he shall build the house for My name.’ 20 And Yahweh has established His word which He spoke; and ^aI have been established in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh ¹promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, ^ain which is the covenant of Yahweh, which He cut with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt.”

22 Then ^aSolomon stood before the altar of Yahweh before all the assembly of Israel and ^bspread out his hands toward heaven. 23 And he said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, ^athere is no god like You in heaven above or upon earth beneath, ^bkeeping covenant and lovingkindness to Your slaves who walk before You with all their heart, 24 who have kept with Your ¹servant, my father David, that which You have ²promised him; indeed, You have ³promised with Your mouth and have fulfilled it by Your hand as it is this day. 25 So now, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with Your ¹servant David my father that which You have ²promised him, saying, ‘^aYou shall not have a man cut off from before Me who is to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons keep their way to walk as you have walked before Me.’ 26 So now, O God of Israel, let Your word truly ¹endure ^awhich You have spoken to Your ²servant, my father David.

27 “But will God truly dwell on the earth? Behold, ^aheaven and the ¹highest heaven cannot ²contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 28 Yet have regard to the ^aprayer of Your slave and to his supplication, O Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your slave prays before You today; 29 ^athat Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward ^bthe place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your slave shall pray toward this place. 30 ^aAnd listen to the supplication of Your slave and of Your people Israel, ^bwhen they pray toward this place; listen in heaven Your dwelling place; listen and ^cforgive.

31 “^aIf 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, 32 then listen in heaven and act and judge Your slaves, ^acondemning the wicked by ¹bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by ²bringing him reward according to his righteousness.

33 “^aWhen Your people Israel are ¹defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against You, ^bif they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34 then listen in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.

35 “^aWhen 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, 36 then listen in heaven and forgive the sin of Your slaves and of Your people Israel; ^aindeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And ^bgive rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

37 “^aIf there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is scorching wind or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy besieges them in the land of their ¹cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38 whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each of whom knows the ¹affliction of his own heart, and spreads his ²hands toward this house; 39 then listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive and act and give to each according to all his ways, ^awhose heart You know, for ^bYou alone know the hearts of all the sons of men, 40 that they may ¹fear You all the days that they live upon the face of the land which You have given to our fathers.

41 “Also concerning the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, if he comes from a far country for Your name’s sake 42 (for they will hear of Your great name ^aand Your strong hand, and of Your outstretched arm); so if he comes and prays toward this house, 43 listen in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order ^athat all the peoples of the earth may know Your name to ¹fear You, as do Your people Israel, and to know that Your name is called upon this house which I have built.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against ¹their enemy, by whatever way You shall send them, and ^athey pray to Yahweh ²toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45 then listen in heaven to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice.

46 “When they sin against You (for ^athere is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and give them over to an enemy, so that ¹they take them away captive ^bto the land of the enemy, far off or near; 47 ^aand if they cause these things to return to their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and ¹return and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘^bWe have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’; 48 ^aand if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and ^bpray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then listen in heaven Your dwelling place to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice for them, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You, and ^agive them over as objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 ^a(for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought forth from Egypt, ^bfrom the midst of the iron furnace), 52 ^athat Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your slave and to the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53 For You have separated them from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, ^aas You spoke by the hand of Moses Your ¹servant, when You brought our fathers forth from Egypt, O Lord Yahweh.”

54 ^aNow it happened that when Solomon had ¹finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to Yahweh, ^bhe arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his ²hands spread toward heaven. 55 And he stood and ^ablessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56 “Blessed be Yahweh, who has given rest to His people Israel, ^aaccording to all that He ¹promised; ^bnot one promise has ²failed of all His good ³promises, which He ⁴promised by the hand of Moses His ⁵servant. 57 May Yahweh our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; ^amay He not forsake us or abandon us, 58 that ^aHe may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59 And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that He may do justice for His slave and justice for His people Israel, ¹as each day requires, 60 so ^athat all the peoples of the earth may know that ^bYahweh is God; there is no one else. 61 ^aLet your heart therefore be ¹wholly devoted to Yahweh our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

62 ^aNow the king and all Israel with him were ^boffering sacrifices before Yahweh. 63 And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. ^aSo the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh. 64 On the same day the king set apart as holy the middle of the court that was before the house of Yahweh, because there he ¹offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings; for ^athe bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too small to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So ^aSolomon celebrated the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly ^bfrom ¹Lebo-hamath ^cto the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, for seven days and seven more days, even fourteen days. 66 On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents with gladness and goodness of heart because of all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David His ¹servant and to Israel His people.