1 Kings 8
Coverdale Bible of 1535 Par ▾ 

The Ark Enters the Temple
(2 Chronicles 5:1–14)

1Then gathered kynge Salomon all ye Elders in Israel together, all the rulers of the trybes and prynces of the fathers amonge the children of Israel, vnto Ierusalem, to brynge vp the Arke of the couenaunt of the LORDE, out of the cite of Dauid, that is Sion. 2And there resorted vnto kynge Salomon all the men in Israel, at the feast in the moneth Ethanim, that is ye seuenth moneth. 3And whan all ye Elders of Israel came, the prestes toke the Arke of the LORDE, 4and broughte it vp, and the Tabernacle of witnesse, and all the ornamentes of the Sanctuary that were in the Tabernacle. This dyd the prestes and the Leuites. 5And kynge Salomon and all the congregacion of Israel yt were gathered vnto him, wente with him before the Arke, and offred shepe and bullockes, so many, that they coulde not be nombred ner tolde. 6So the prestes broughte the Arke of the LORDES couenaunt vnto hir place, euen in to ye Quere of the house in the most holy vnder ye wynges of the Cherubins. 7For ye Cherubins spred out their wynges in the place where the Arke stode, and couered the Arke and the staues therof from aboue. 8And the staues were so loge, that ye knoppes of them were sene from the Sanctuary before ye quere, but on the outsyde were they not sene, and they were there vnto this daye. 9And in the Arke there was nothinge, but onely the two tables of stone, which Moses had layed therin at Horeb, whan ye LORDE made a couenaunt with the children of Israel, what tyme as they were departed out of the londe of Egipte. 10But whan the prestes wente out of the Sanctuary, a cloude fylled the house of the LORDE, 11so yt the prestes coulde not stonde & execute the office for the cloude: for the glory of the LORDE fylled the LORDES house.

Solomon Blesses the LORD
(2 Chronicles 6:1–11)

12Then sayde Salomon: The LORDE sayde, that he wolde dwell in a darke cloude.

13I haue buylded an house, to be an habitacion vnto the: a seate, yt thou mayest dwell there for euer.

14And ye kynge turned his face, & blessed all the congregacion of Israel. And all the cogregacion of Israel stode, 15& he sayde: Praysed be the LORDE God of Israel, which promised by his mouth vnto my father Dauid, and by his hade hath fulfylled it, and sayde: 16Sence the daye yt I broughte my people of Israel out of Egipte, haue I chosen no cite amoge all the trybes of Israel, to buylde me an house, that my name might be there. But Dauid haue I chosen, to be ouer my people of Israel. 17And in dede my father Dauid was mynded to buylde an house vnto the name of the LORDE God of Israel: 18neuertheles the LORDE sayde vnto my father Dauid: Where as thou wast mynded to buylde an house vnto my name, thou hast done well, that thou art so aduysed. 19Howbeit thou shalt not buylde the house, but thy sonne which shal come out of thy loynes, he shal buylde an house vnto my name. 20And the LORDE hath perfourmed his worde that he spake: For I am come vp in my father Dauids steade, and syt vpon the seate of Israel, as the LORDE sayde: and haue buylded an house vnto the name of the LORDE God of Israel: 21and there haue I ordeyned a place for the Arke, wherin is the LORDES couenaunt, which he made with oure fathers, whan he broughte them out of ye londe of Egipte.

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
(2 Chronicles 6:12–42)

22And Salomon stode before the altare of the LORDE in the presence of the whole congregacion of Israel, and helde out his handes towarde heauen, 23and sayde: O LORDE God of Israel, there is no god like the, nether aboue in heauen, ner beneth vpo earth, thou that kepest couenaut and mercy for all thy seruauntes that walke before ye with all their hert, 24thou that hast kepte promes with my father Dauid thy seruaunt: With thy mouth thou saydest it, and with thy hande hast thou fulfylled it, as it is come to passe this daye. 25Now LORDE God of Israel make good vnto my father Dauid yi seruaunt, that which thou hast promysed him, and sayde: Thou shalt not wante a man before me to syt vpon the seate of Israel, yf thy childre kepe their waye, so yt they walke before me like as thou hast walked before me. 26Now thou God of Israel, let yi worde be verified, which thou hast promysed vnto my father Dauid thy seruaunt.

27For thynkest thou yt God dwelleth vpon earth? Beholde, the heauens and the heauens of all heauens maye not contayne the: how shulde then this house do it, that I haue buylded? 28But turne the vnto the prayer of thy seruaunt, and to his supplicacion (O LORDE my God) that thou mayest heare the thankesgeuynge and prayer, which thy seruaunt maketh before the this daye, 29so that thine eyes be open ouer this house night and daye, euen ouer this place (wherof thou saydest: My name shall dwell there.) That thou mayest heare the prayer which thy seruaut maketh in this place, 30& heare the intercession of yi seruaunt & of thy people of Israel, which they shall make here in this place of thy habitacion in heauen: and whan thou hearest it, be gracious.

31Whan eny ma synneth agaynst his neghboure, and taketh vpon him an ooth wherwith he byndeth him selfe, and ye ooth commeth before thine altare in this house, 32then heare thou in heaue, and se that thy seruauntes haue right, to condemne the vngodly, and to brynge his waye vpon his owne heade, and to iustifie the righteous, to geue him acordinge to his righteousnes.

33Whan thy people of Israel is smytten before their enemies (whyle they haue synned agaynst the) and yf they turne vnto the and knowlege thy name, & make their prayer and intercession vnto the in this house, 34the heare thou them in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the synne of thy people of Israel, and brynge them agayne into the londe, yt thou hast geuen vnto their fathers.

35Whan the heauen is shut vp, so yt it rayneth not (for so moch, as they haue synned agaynst the) and yf they make their prayer in this place, and knowlege thy name, and turne from their synnes wha thou troublest them, 36heare thou them then in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the synnes of thy seruauntes, and of thy people of Israel, that thou mayest shewe them the good waye, wherin they shulde walke, and let it rayne vpon the londe that thou hast geuen thy people to inheritaunce.

37Whan a derth, or pestilence, or drouth, or burnynge, or greshopper or catirpiller, is in their londe, or whan his enemye layeth sege to his portes in the londe, or whan eny other plage or disease happeneth, 38who so euer then maketh his prayer and peticion, whether it be eny other men or thy people of Israel (which the are aware of their plage) euery one in his hert, and spredeth out his handes vnto this house: 39Heare thou then in heauen in the seate where thou dwellest, and be mercifull, & se that thou geue euery one acordinge as he hath walked, like as thou knowest his hert (for thou onely knowest the hert of all the children of men) 40that they maye allwaye feare the, as longe as they lyue in the lande, which thou hast geuen vnto oure fathers.

41And whan eny straunger, that is not of thy people of Israel, commeth out of a farre countre for thy names sake 42(for they shall heare of thy greate name, and of thy mightie hade, and of thy outstretched arme) and commeth to make his prayer in this house, 43heare thou him then in heauen, euen in the seate of thy dwellynge, and do all for the which that straunger calleth vpon the, that all the nacions vpon earth maye knowe thy name, and that they maye feare the, as thy people of Israel do: and that they maye knowe, how that this house which I haue buylded, is named after thy name.

44Whan thy people go forth to the battayll agaynst their enemyes, the waye that thou shalt sende them and shall praye vnto the LORDE towarde the waye of the cite which thou hast chosen, and towarde the house that I haue buylded vnto thy name, 45heare thou then their prayer and peticion in heauen, and execute iudgment for them.

46Whan they synne agaynst the (for there is no ma that synneth not) & thou be wroth, and delyuer the vnto their enemyes, so that they cary them awaye captyue in to the enemyes londe farre or nye, 47and yf they remembre them selues in the londe where they are captyue, and turne, and make their intercession vnto the in the londe of their captyuite, and saye: We haue synned, & done amysse, and haue bene vngodly, 48and so turne vnto ye with all their hert, and with all their soule in the lode of their enemies (which led them awaye captyue) and make their prayer vnto the towarde the waye of their londe, that thou hast geuen vnto their fathers, euen towarde the cite which thou hast chosen, and towarde the house that I haue buylded vnto thy name: 49then heare thou their prayer and supplicacion in heauen, from the seate of thy dwellynge, and execute iudgment for them, 50and be mercifull vnto thy people that haue synned agaynst the, and vnto all their trespaces, wherwith they haue transgressed agaynst the, and graunte the mercy in the sighte of them which led them awaye presonners, that their enemyes maye be mercyfull vnto them: 51for they are thy people, and thyne enheritaunce, whom thou broughtest out of Egipte, from the yron fornace: 52that thine eyes maye be open vnto the peticion of thy seruaunt, and of thy people of Israel, that thou maiest heare them in all thinges for the which they shall call vpon the 53(for thou O LORDELORDE) hast sundered them out to be an inheritaunce vnto thy selfe, from amoge all the nacions vpon earth, acordinge as thou saydest by Moses thy seruaunt, whan thou broughtest oure fathers out of Egipte.

Solomon’s Benediction

54And wha Salomon had ended all this prayer and peticion before the LORDE, he rose vp from the altare of the LORDE, and lefte of from knelynge and holdynge out of handes towarde heauen, 55and stode and blessed all the congregacion of Israel with loude voyce, and sayde:

56Praysed be the LORDE which hath geuen rest vnto his people, acordinge as he sayde. There hath not one fayled of all his good wordes, which he spake by his seruaunt Moses. 57The LORDE oure God be with vs, as he hath bene with oure fathers, and forsake vs not, 58nether withdrawe his hande from vs, but bowe oure hertes vnto him, that we maye walke in all his wayes, and kepe his commaundementes, ordinaunces and lawes, which he commaunded oure fathers. 59And these wordes wherwith I haue made my peticion before the LORDE, come nye vnto the LORDE oure God daye and nighte, that he maye execute iudgment for his seruaunt and for his people of Israel, euery one at his tyme: 60that all nacions vpon earth maye knowe, that the LORDE is God, & that there is none other. 61And let youre hert be perfecte with the LORDE oure God, to walke in his statutes, and to kepe his commaundementes, as it is this daye.

Sacrifices of Dedication
(2 Chronicles 7:4–10)

62And the kynge with all Israel his people offred sacrifice before the LORDE. 63And Salomon offred deed offerynges (which he offred vnto the LORDE) two and twenty thousande oxen, and an hundreth & twenty thousande shepe. So the kynge and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORDE. 64The same daye dyd the kynge dedicate the myddelmost courte, which was before the house of the LORDE: that he mighte there perfourme the burntofferynges, meatofferynges, and the fat of the deedofferynges: for the brasen altare that stode before ye LORDE, was to litle for the burntofferynges, meatofferynges, and for the fat of the deedofferynges.

65And at the same tyme made Salomon a solempne feast, and all Israel a greate congregacion with him, from the border of Hemath vnto the ryuer of Egipte, before the LORDE oure God, seuen dayes, and yet seuen dayes, that were fourtene daies. 66And on the eight daye he let the people go. And they blessed the kynge, and wente vnto their tentes reioysinge and with a mery hert, because of all the good that the LORDE had done vnto Dauid his seruaunt, & to his people of Israel.


Coverdale Bible of 1535

Section Headings Courtesy Berean Bible

1 Kings 7
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