English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.

1Then Solomon prayed, “O LORD, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness.

2But I have built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

2Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever!”

3Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood.

3Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing before him and gave this blessing:

4And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying,

4“Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father,

5‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel;

5‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name. Nor have I chosen a king to lead my people Israel.

6but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

6But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name to be honored, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.’”

7Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

7Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

8But the LORD said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.

8But the LORD told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good,

9Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’

9but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’

10Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

10“And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

11And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel.”

11There I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel.” Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.

12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the entire community of Israel, and he lifted his hands in prayer.

13Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven,

13Now Solomon had made a bronze platform 7 1/2 feet long, 7 1/2 feet wide, and 4 1/2 feet high and had placed it at the center of the Temple’s outer courtyard. He stood on the platform, and then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel and lifted his hands toward heaven.

14and said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart,

14He prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.

15who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day.

15You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.

16Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’

16“And now, O LORD, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow my Law as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

17Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.

17Now, O LORD, God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David.

18“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!

18“But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!

19Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you,

19Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you.

20that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.

20May you watch over this Temple day and night, this place where you have said you would put your name. May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place.

21And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

21May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

22“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house,

22“If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar at this Temple,

23then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

23then hear from heaven and judge between your servants—the accuser and the accused. Pay back the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence.

24“If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house,

24“If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn back and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple,

25then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers.

25then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave to them and to their ancestors.

26“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

26“If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,

27then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

27then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession.

28“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is,

28“If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—

29whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house,

29and if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple,

30then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind,

30then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart.

31that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

31Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.

32“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house,

32“In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple,

33hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

33then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.

34“If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,

34“If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to you by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name,

35then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

35then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.

36“If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near,

36“If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far away or near.

37yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’

37But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’

38if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,

38If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their captivity and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—

39then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

39then hear their prayers and their petitions from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

40Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.

40“O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place.

41“And now arise, O LORD God, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your goodness.

41“And now arise, O LORD God, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation; may your loyal servants rejoice in your goodness.

42O LORD God, do not turn away the face of your anointed one! Remember your steadfast love for David your servant.”

42O LORD God, do not reject the king you have anointed. Remember your unfailing love for your servant David.”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.