^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.