Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

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 (A)For Solomon had made a bronze platform, [a]five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the courtyard; and he stood on it, (B)knelt 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, (C)there is no god like You in heaven or on earth, (D)keeping [b]Your covenant and [c]Your faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart; 15 (E)You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You [d]promised 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 [e]promised him, saying, ‘[f](F)You 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 (G)will God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, (H)heaven and the [g]highest 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 (I)eye will be open toward this house day and night, toward (J)the 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; (K)hear 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, [h](L)punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by [i]repaying him according to his righteousness.

24 “If Your people Israel are [j]defeated before an enemy because (M)they 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 (N)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, 27 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; indeed, (O)teach 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 (P)famine 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 [k]cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer or plea is made by anyone or by all Your people Israel, [l]each 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—(Q)for You alone know the hearts of the sons of mankind— 31 so that they may [m]fear You, to walk in Your ways [n]as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.

32 “Also concerning (R)the 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 [o]fear You as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [p]this house which I have built is (S)called 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 ((T)for there is no one who does not sin), and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that [q]they take them away captive to a land far off or near, 37 if they [r]take 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 (U)if 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, (V)let Your eyes be open and (W)Your ears attentive to the prayer offered in this place.

41 (X)Now 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; (Y)remember Your faithfulness to Your servant David.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 6:13 About 7.5 ft. long and wide and 4.5 ft. high or 2.3 m and 1.4 m
  2. 2 Chronicles 6:14 Or the
  3. 2 Chronicles 6:14 Or the
  4. 2 Chronicles 6:15 Lit spoke to
  5. 2 Chronicles 6:16 Lit have spoken to
  6. 2 Chronicles 6:16 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man from before Me
  7. 2 Chronicles 6:18 Lit heaven of heavens
  8. 2 Chronicles 6:23 Lit returning
  9. 2 Chronicles 6:23 Lit giving
  10. 2 Chronicles 6:24 Lit struck
  11. 2 Chronicles 6:28 Lit gates
  12. 2 Chronicles 6:29 Lit whoever shall know
  13. 2 Chronicles 6:31 Or revere
  14. 2 Chronicles 6:31 Lit all the days that they live on the face of the land
  15. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Or revere
  16. 2 Chronicles 6:33 Lit Your name is called upon this house
  17. 2 Chronicles 6:36 Lit their captors lead them captive
  18. 2 Chronicles 6:37 Lit return to their heart

12 And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:

13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven.

14 And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

15 Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

16 Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

17 Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.

18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.

21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.

22 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;

25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:

29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:

30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)

31 That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;

33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;

35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

41 Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.

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