Then ^aSolomon said,“The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

3 Then the king turned around and blessed the entire assembly of Israel, while they were all standing. 4 And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David and has fulfilled with His hands what He promised, saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I did not choose a city among all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name (Presence) might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a leader over My people Israel; 6 but ^aI have chosen Jerusalem that My Name might be there, and ^bI have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 7 ^aNow it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 8 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 in your heart. 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he shall build the house for My Name.’ 10 Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark the symbol of His Presence ^ain which is the covenant of the LORD the Ten Commandments, which He made with the people (descendants) of Israel.”

12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 ^aFor Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits square and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the courtyard; and he stood on it, and he ^bknelt down on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, 14 and he said, “O LORD, God of Israel, ^athere is no god like You in heaven or on the earth, ^bkeeping covenant and showing mercy and lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You in obedience with all their heart, 15 You ^awho have kept Your promise to Your servant David, my father, that which You told him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is today. 16 Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with Your servant David, my father, that which You promised him, saying, ‘You ^ashall not fail to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, provided your sons are careful to walk in My law as you, David, have walked before Me.’ 17 Now then, O LORD, the God of Israel, let Your word which You have spoken to Your servant David be confirmed (verified) .

18 “But ^awill God actually dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, ^bheaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 19 Yet have regard for the prayer of Your servant and for his supplication, O LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You, 20 that Your ^aeyes may be open toward this house day and night, toward ^bthe place in which You have said that You would put Your Name (Presence) , to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. 21 So listen to the requests of Your servant and Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; and when You ^ahear, forgive.

22 “If a man sins against his neighbor, and he is required to take an ¹oath, and he comes and takes the oath before Your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants, ^apunishing the wicked by bringing his conduct on his own head, and providing justice to the righteous by giving to him in accordance with his righteousness (innocence) .

24 “If Your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because ^athey have sinned against You, and they return to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this house, 25 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 to their fathers.

26 “When the ^aheavens are shut up and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict and humble them; 27 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel, indeed, ^ateach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “If there is ^afamine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there are migratory locusts or grasshoppers, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, 29 then whatever prayer or request is made by any man or all of Your people Israel, each knowing his own suffering and his own pain, and stretching out his hands toward this house, 30 then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each ¹in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know; ^afor You alone know the hearts of the sons of men, 31 so that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways in obedience to You as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

32 “Also in regard to ^athe foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty power and Your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this house, 33 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and fear You reverently and worshipfully, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is ^acalled by Your Name.

34 “When Your people go out to war against their enemies, by the way that You send them, and they pray to You facing this city Jerusalem which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their request, and maintain their cause and do justice.

36 “When they sin against You (^afor there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and hand them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to a land far away or near, 37 if they take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and pray to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and have acted wickedly’; 38 ^aif they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, and pray facing their land which You have given to their fathers and toward the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your Name; 39 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and requests, and maintain their cause and do justice and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

40 ¹“Now, O my God, I pray, ^alet Your eyes be open and ^bYour ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

41 “Now ^athen arise, O LORD God, and come to 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 godly ones rejoice in Your goodness.

42 “O LORD God, do not turn away and reject the face of Your anointed; ^aremember Your lovingkindness and faithfulness to Your servant David.”

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

3 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 4 He said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, 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, so that My name might be there, nor did I choose a man to be the leader over My people Israel; 6 but ^aI have chosen Jerusalem so that My name might be there, and I ^bhave chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ 7 ^aNow it was ¹in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 8 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. 9 Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who ¹will be born to you, he shall build the house for My name.’ 10 Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD ¹promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark ^ain which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with the sons of Israel.”

12 Then he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 ^aFor Solomon had made a bronze platform, ¹five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the courtyard; and he stood on it, ^bknelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said, “LORD, God of Israel, ^athere is no god like You in heaven or on earth, ^bkeeping ¹Your covenant and ²Your faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 15 ^aYou 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. 16 Now then, LORD, God of Israel, keep to Your servant David, my father, that which You ¹promised him, saying, ‘^2aYou shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay attention to their way, to walk in My Law as you have walked before Me.’ 17 Now then, LORD, God of Israel, let Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.

18 “But ^awill God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, ^bheaven and the ¹highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! 19 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the prayer 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; 20 that Your ^aeye will be open toward this house day and night, toward ^bthe 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. 21 Listen to the pleadings of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; ^ahear and forgive.

22 “If someone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and take action and judge Your servants, ^1apunishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by ²repaying him according to his righteousness.

24 “If Your people Israel are ¹defeated before an enemy because ^athey have sinned against You, and they return to You and praise Your name, and pray and plead before You in this house, 25 then 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.

26 “When the ^aheavens 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, 27 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; indeed, ^ateach them the good way in which they are to walk. And provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

28 “If there is a ^afamine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their ¹cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer or plea is made by anyone or by all Your people Israel, ¹each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, 30 then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know—^afor You alone know the hearts of the sons of mankind— 31 so that they may ¹fear You, to walk in Your ways ²as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

32 “Also concerning ^athe foreigner who is not from Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country on account of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house, 33 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, and ¹fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that ²this house which I have built is ^acalled by Your name.

34 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their cause.

36 “When they sin against You ^a(for there is no one who does not sin), and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that ¹they take them away captive to a land far off or near, 37 if they ¹take it to heart in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and plead to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and have acted wickedly’; 38 ^aif 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, 39 then hear from heaven, from Your dwelling place, their prayer and pleadings, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

40 “Now, my God, please, ^alet Your eyes be open and ^bYour ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

41 “^aNow then arise, LORD God, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your might; let Your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let Your godly ones rejoice in what is good.

42 “LORD God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; ^aremember Your faithfulness to Your servant David.”