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All the work Solomon did on the Lord’s temple was finished. He brought the holy things that had belonged to his father David—the silver, gold, and all the utensils—and put them in the storerooms of God’s temple.

The Lord Comes to His Temple(A)

Then Solomon assembled the respected leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the Israelite families. They came to Jerusalem to take the ark of the Lord’s promise from the City of David (that is, Zion). All the men of Israel gathered around the king at the Festival ⌞of Booths⌟ in the seventh month.

When all the leaders of Israel had arrived, the Levites picked up the ark. They brought the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils in it ⌞to the temple⌟. The priests and the Levites carried them while King Solomon and the whole assembly from Israel were offering countless sheep and cattle sacrifices in front of the ark. The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s promise to its place in the inner room of the temple (the most holy place) under the wings of the angels.[a]

The angels’ outstretched wings were over the place where the ark ⌞rested⌟ so that the angels became a covering above the ark and its poles. The poles were so long that their ends could be seen in the holy place by anyone standing in front of the inner room,[b] but they couldn’t be seen outside. (They are still there today.) 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moses placed there at Horeb, where the Lord made a promise to the Israelites after they left Egypt.

11 All the priests who were present had performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy to God without regard to staying in their divisions. 12 All the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, their sons, and their relatives—were dressed in fine linen and stood east of the altar with cymbals, harps, and lyres. With the musicians were 120 priests blowing trumpets. When the priests left the holy place,[c] 13 the trumpeters and singers praised and thanked the Lord in unison. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, they sang in praise to the Lord: “He is good; his mercy endures forever.” Then the Lord’s temple was filled with a cloud. 14 The priests couldn’t serve because of the cloud. The Lord’s glory filled God’s temple.

Solomon Addresses the People(B)

Then Solomon said, “The Lord said he would live in a dark cloud. But I have built you a high temple, a home for you to live in permanently.”

Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly from Israel while they were standing. “Thanks be to the Lord God of Israel. With his mouth he made a promise to my father David; with his hand he carried it out. He said, ‘Ever since I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I didn’t choose any city from the tribes of Israel as a place to build a temple for my name. And I didn’t choose any man to be prince over my people Israel. But now I’ve chosen Jerusalem to be a place for my name; I’ve chosen David to rule my people Israel.’

“My father David had his heart set on building a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. However, the Lord said to my father David, ‘Since you had your heart set on building a temple for my name, your intentions were good. But you must not build the temple. Instead, your own son will build the temple for my name.’ 10 The Lord has kept the promise he made. I’ve taken my father David’s place, and I sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised. I’ve built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 11 I’ve put the ark which contains the Lord’s promise to Israel there.”

Solomon’s Prayer(C)

12 In the presence of the entire assembly of Israel, Solomon stood in front of the Lord’s altar. He stretched out his hands ⌞to pray⌟. 13 (Solomon had made a bronze platform 7½ feet long, 7½ feet wide, and 4½ feet high. He put it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on the platform, knelt in front of the entire assembly, and stretched out his hands toward heaven.) 14 He said,

Lord God of Israel,
there is no god like you in heaven or on earth.
You keep your promise [d] of mercy to your servants,
who obey you wholeheartedly.
15 You have kept your promise to my father David, your servant.
With your mouth you promised it.
With your hand you carried it out as it is today.

16 “Now, Lord God of Israel,
keep your promise to my father David, your servant.
You said, ‘You will never fail to have an heir
sitting in front of me on the throne of Israel
if your descendants are faithful to me
as you have been faithful to me.’

17 “So now, Lord God of Israel,
may the promise you made to David, your servant, come true.

18 “Does God really live on earth with people?
If heaven itself, the highest heaven, cannot hold you,
then how can this temple that I have built?
19 Nevertheless, my Lord God, please pay attention to my prayer for mercy.
Listen to my cry for help as I pray to you.
20 Day and night may your eyes be on this temple,
the place about which you said your name will be there.
Listen to me as I pray toward this place.
21 Hear the plea for mercy
that your people Israel and I pray toward this place.
Hear us in heaven, the place where you live.
Hear and forgive.

22 “If anyone sins against another person
and is required to take an oath
and comes to take the oath in front of your altar in this temple,
23 then hear ⌞that person⌟ in heaven, take action, and make a decision.
Repay the guilty person with the proper punishment,
but declare the innocent person innocent.

24 “An enemy may defeat your people Israel
because they have sinned against you.
But when your people turn, praise your name, pray,
and plead with you in this temple,
25 then hear ⌞them⌟ in heaven, forgive the sins of your people Israel,
and bring them back to the land
that you gave to them and their ancestors.

26 “When the sky is shut and there’s no rain
because they are sinning against you
and they pray toward this place, praise your name,
and turn away from their sin because you made them suffer,
27 then hear ⌞them⌟ in heaven.
Forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel.
Teach them the proper way to live.
Then send rain on the land,
which you gave to your people as an inheritance.

28 “There may be famine in the land.
Plant diseases, heat waves, funguses, locusts,
or grasshoppers may destroy crops.
Enemies may blockade Israel’s city gates.
During every plague or sickness
29 ⌞hear⌟ every prayer for mercy
made by one person or by all the people in Israel,
all who know suffering or pain,
who stretch out their hands toward this temple.
30 Hear ⌞them⌟ in heaven, where you live.
Forgive ⌞them⌟, and give each person the proper reply.
(You know what is in their hearts,
because you alone know what is in people’s hearts.)
31 Then, as long as they live in the land that you gave to our ancestors,
they will fear you and follow you.

32 “People who are not Israelites
will come from distant countries because of your great name,
mighty hand, and powerful arm.
When they come to pray facing this temple,
33 then hear ⌞them⌟ in heaven, the place where you live.
Do everything they ask you
so that all the people of the world may know your name
and fear you like your people Israel
and learn that this temple which I built bears your name.

34 “When your people go to war against their enemies
(wherever you may send them)
and they pray to you toward this city you have chosen
and the temple I built for your name,
35 then hear their prayer for mercy in heaven,
and do what is right ⌞for them⌟.

36 “They may sin against you.
(No one is sinless.)
You may become angry with them and hand them over to an enemy
who takes them to ⌞another⌟ country as captives,
⌞whether it is⌟ far or near.
37 If they come to their senses,
are sorry for what they’ve done,
and plead with you in the land where they are captives,
saying, ‘We have sinned. We have done wrong.
We have been wicked,’
38 if they change their attitude toward you
in the land where they are captives,
if they pray to you
toward the land that you gave their ancestors,
and the city you have chosen,
and the temple I have built for your name,
39 then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy.
Do what is right for them.
Forgive your people, who have sinned against you.

40 “Finally, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive
to the prayers ⌞offered⌟ in this place.

41 “Now arise, and come to your resting place, Lord God—
you and the ark of your power.
Clothe your priests, Lord God, with salvation.
Let your godly ones rejoice in what is good.
42 Lord God, do not reject your anointed one.
Remember your mercy to your servant David!”

Footnotes

  1. 5:7 Or “cherubim.”
  2. 5:9 A few Hebrew manuscripts, 1 Kings 8:8, Greek; other Hebrew manuscripts “The poles extended so long from the ark that their ends could be seen by anyone standing in front of the inner room.”
  3. 5:12 The first part of verse 11 (in Hebrew) has been placed just before verse 13 to express the complex Hebrew sentence structure more clearly in English.
  4. 6:14 Or “covenant.”

When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished,(A) he brought in the things his father David had dedicated(B)—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

The Ark Brought to the Temple(C)

Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark(D) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. And all the Israelites(E) came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests(F) carried them up; and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

The priests then brought the ark(G) of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim(H) spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 10 There was nothing in the ark except(I) the two tablets(J) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

11 The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.(K) 12 All the Levites who were musicians(L)—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.(M) 13 The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(N)

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud,(O) 14 and the priests could not perform(P) their service because of the cloud,(Q) for the glory(R) of the Lord filled the temple of God.

Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;(S) I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.(T)

While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. Then he said:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, ‘Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem(U) for my Name(V) to be there, and I have chosen David(W) to rule my people Israel.’

“My father David had it in his heart(X) to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’

10 “The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant(Y) of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(Z)(AA)

12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Now he had made a bronze platform,(AB) five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high,[a] and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down(AC) before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said:

Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you(AD) in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love(AE) with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 15 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised(AF) and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

16 “Now, Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail(AG) to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law,(AH) as you have done.’ 17 And now, Lord, the God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true.

18 “But will God really dwell(AI) on earth with humans? The heavens,(AJ) even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 19 Yet, Lord my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. 20 May your eyes(AK) be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name(AL) there. May you hear(AM) the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 21 Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.(AN)

22 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath(AO) and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning(AP) the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.

24 “When your people Israel have been defeated(AQ) by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.

26 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain(AR) because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive(AS) the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

28 “When famine(AT) or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 29 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of their afflictions and pains, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 30 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive,(AU) and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart),(AV) 31 so that they will fear you(AW) and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

32 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come(AX) from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand(AY) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 33 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner(AZ) asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

34 “When your people go to war against their enemies,(BA) wherever you send them, and when they pray(BB) to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

36 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin(BC)—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive(BD) to a land far away or near; 37 and if they have a change of heart(BE) in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; 38 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; 39 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive(BF) your people, who have sinned against you.

40 “Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive(BG) to the prayers offered in this place.

41 “Now arise,(BH) Lord God, and come to your resting place,(BI)
    you and the ark of your might.
May your priests,(BJ) Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
    may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.(BK)
42 Lord God, do not reject your anointed one.(BL)
    Remember the great love(BM) promised to David your servant.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 6:13 That is, about 7 1/2 feet long and wide and 4 1/2 feet high or about 2.3 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high