1 Kings 8:1-39 ▼

1 Then Solomon gathered the elders of Israel, & al the heads of the tribes, and them that were captaynes amog the fathers of the children of Israel, vnto him in Hierusalem, that they might bring vp the arke of the appoyntment of the Lorde out of the citie of Dauid, which is Sion.

2 And all the men of Israel assembled vnto king Solomon to the feast that falleth in the moneth Ethanim, which is the seuenth moneth.

3 And al the elders of Israel were come, and the priestes tooke vp the arke.

4 And they bare the arke of the Lorde, the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle: those dyd the priestes and the leuites beare.

5 And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled vnto him and went with him before the arke, did offer sheepe and oxen, that could not be tolde nor numbred for multitude.

6 And so the priestes brought the arke of the appoyntment of the Lord vnto his place euen into the quier of the temple and place most holy, vnder the winges of the Cherubs:

7 For the Cherubs stretched out their winges ouer the place of the arke, and couered both it and also the staues therof a hie vpon it.

8 And they drew out the staues, that the endes of them might appeare out of the holy place within the quier, but they were not seene without, and there they haue ben vnto this day.

9 And there was nothing in the arke saue the two tables of stone, which Moyses put there at Horeb, in ye which tables the Lorde made an appoyntment with the children of Israel when he brought them out of the lande of Egypt.

10 And it fortuned that when the priestes were come out of the holy place, the cloude filled the house of the Lorde,

11 That the priestes could not stand and minister because of the cloude: for the glory of the Lorde had filled the house of the Lorde.

12 Then spake Solomon: The Lorde saide that he would dwell in the darke cloude.

13 I haue built thee an house to dwell in, an habitation for thee to abyde in for euer.

14 And the king turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stoode still.

15 And he saide: Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel, which spake with his mouth vnto Dauid my father, & hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying:

16 Sence the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no citie of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein: But I haue chosen Dauid to be ruler ouer my people of Israel.

17 And it was in the heart of Dauid my father to build an house for the name of the Lorde God of Israel:

18 And the Lorde saide vnto Dauid my father: Whereas it was in thyne heart to build an house vnto my name, thou diddest well that thou wast so minded:

19 Neuerthelesse, thou shalt not build the house: but thy sonne that shall come out of thy loynes, he shall build the house vnto my name.

20 And the Lorde hath made good his word that he spake, and I am rysen vp in the roome of Dauid my father, and sit on the seate of Israel, as the Lorde promysed, and haue built an house for the name of the Lorde God of Israel:

21 And I haue prepared therein a place for the arke, wherein is the couenaunt of the Lorde which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the lande of Egypt.

22 Solomon stoode before the aulter of the Lorde in the sight of all the congregation of Israel, and stretched out his handes toward heauen, and sayde:

23 Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heauen aboue, or in the earth beneath, thou that kepest couenaunt & mercy for thy seruauntes that walke before thee with all their heart.

24 Thou that hast kept with thy seruaut Dauid my father that thou promisedst him: Thou spakest also with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thyne hand, as it is come to passe this day.

25 Therfore now Lorde God of Israel, keepe with thy seruaunt Dauid my father that thou promisedst him, saying, Thou shalt not be without a man in my sight to syt on the seate of Israel: so that thy childre take heede to their way, that they walke before me, as thou hast walked in my sight.

26 And now O God of Israel, let thy word be verified which thou spakest vnto thy seruaunt Dauid my father.

27 Wyll God in deede dwell on the earth? Beholde, the heauens and heauens of all heauens are not able to contayne thee: and how should then this house do it that I haue builded?

28 Haue thou therefore respect vnto the prayer of thy seruaunt, and to his supplication O Lorde my God, to heare the crye and prayer which thy seruaunt prayeth before thee this day:

29 That thyne eyes may be open toward this house nyght and day, euen toward this place, of which thou haste said, My name shal be there: That thou mayst hearken vnto the prayer which thy seruaunt prayeth in this place,

30 And regarde thou the supplication of thy seruaunt and of thy people Israel when they pray in this place: and heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place, and when thou hearest haue mercy.

31 If any man trespasse against his neyghbour, & there go an oth betweene them, and the one compel the other, and come, swearing before thyne aulter in this house:

32 Then hearken thou in heauen, and do and iudge thy seruauntes, that thou condemne the vngodly, to bring his way vpon his head: and iustifie the righteous, to geue him according to his righteousnesse.

33 When thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemie, because they haue sinned against thee, & afterwarde turne againe to thee, and knowledge vnto thy name, and pray and make supplication vnto thee in this house:

34 Then heare thou in heauen, to be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the land which thou gauest vnto their fathers.

35 If heauen be shut vp, and there be no rayne, because they haue sinned against thee: yet if they pray in this place, and knowledge vnto thy name, and turne from their sinne through thy scourging of them:

36 Then heare thou in heauen, and be mercyfull vnto the sinnes of thy seruauntes, and of thy people Israel, that thou shewe them a good way to walke in, and geue rayne vpon the lande that thou hast geuen to thy people to inherite.

37 If there be in the lande dearth, or pestilence, drouth, blasting, grashopper, or caterpiller: or if their enemie besiege the in the lande of their cities, or whatsoeuer plague or sickenesse chaunce,

38 Then what prayers and supplication soeuer be made of any man, of all thy people Israel, which shall knowledge euery man the plague of his owne heart, and stretch foorth his handes toward this house:

39 Heare thou then in heauen, euen in thy dwelling place, and be mercyfull, and do and geue euery man according to his wayes, euen as thou that onely knowest his heart (for thou onely knowest the heartes of all the children of men:)