Chapter 8

Then Solomon assembled⁵⁵ the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up⁵³ the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion.

And all the men of Israel assembled¹¹ themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, ³⁸⁶ which [is] the seventh month.

And all the elders of Israel came,⁴ and the priests took up⁴ the ark.

And they brought up⁵⁵ the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that [were] in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.⁵⁵

And king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled¹² unto him, [were] with him before the ark, sacrificing¹⁸ sheep and oxen, that could not be told¹¹ nor numbered¹¹ for multitude.

And the priests brought in⁵⁵ the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims.

For the cherubims spread⁶ forth [their] two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered⁴ the ark and the staves thereof above.

And they drew out⁵⁵ the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen¹¹ out in the holy [place] before the oracle, and they were not seen¹¹ without: and there they are unto this day.

[There was] nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put⁵² there at Horeb, when the LORD made¹ [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out² of the land of Egypt.

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out² of the holy [place], that the cloud filled¹ the house of the LORD,

So that the priests could¹ not stand² to minister¹⁵ because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled¹ the house of the LORD.

Then spake¹ Solomon, The LORD said¹ that he would dwell² in the thick darkness.

I have surely² built¹ thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in² for ever.

And the king turned his face about,⁵⁵ and blessed¹⁷ all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)⁶

And he said,⁴ Blessed⁷ [be] the LORD God of Israel, which spake¹⁴ with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled¹⁴ [it], saying,²

Since the day that I brought forth⁵² my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose¹ no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build² an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose⁴ David to be over my people Israel.

And it was in the heart of David my father to build² an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

And the LORD said⁴ unto David my father, Whereas ⁸³⁴ it was in thine heart to build² an house unto my name, thou didst well⁵² that it was in thine heart.

Nevertheless thou shalt not build⁴ the house; but thy son that shall come forth⁶ out of thy loins, he shall build⁴ the house unto my name.

And the LORD hath performed⁵⁵ his word that he spake,¹⁴ and I am risen up⁴ in the room of David my father, and sit⁴ on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised,¹⁴ and have built⁴ an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

And I have set⁴ there a place for the ark, wherein [is] the covenant of the LORD, which he made¹ with our fathers, when he brought them out⁵³ of the land of Egypt.

And Solomon stood⁴ before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth⁴ his hands toward heaven:

And he said,⁴ LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest⁶ covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk⁶ before thee with all their heart:

Who hast kept¹ with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst¹⁴ him: thou spakest¹⁷ also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled¹⁴ [it] with thine hand, as [it is] this day.

Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep³ with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst¹⁴ him, saying,² There shall not fail¹¹ thee a man in my sight to sit⁶ on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed⁴ to their way, that they walk² before me as thou hast walked¹ before me.

And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified,¹¹ which thou spakest¹⁴ unto thy servant David my father.

But will God indeed dwell⁴ on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain⁴⁶ thee; how much less this house that I have builded?¹

Yet have thou respect¹ unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken² unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth¹⁰² before thee to day:

That thine eyes may be open⁷ toward this house night and day, [even] toward the place of which thou hast said,¹ My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken² unto the prayer which thy servant shall make¹⁰¹ toward this place.

And hearken¹ thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray¹⁰¹ toward this place: and hear⁴ thou in heaven thy dwelling² place: and when thou hearest,¹ forgive.¹

If any man trespass⁴ against his neighbour, and an oath be laid¹ upon him to cause him to swear,⁵³ and the oath come¹ before thine altar in this house:

Then hear⁴ thou in heaven, and do,¹ and judge¹ thy servants, condemning⁵³ the wicked, to bring² his way upon his head; and justifying⁵³ the righteous, to give² him according to his righteousness.

When thy people Israel be smitten down⁹ before the enemy,⁶ because they have sinned⁴ against thee, and shall turn¹ again to thee, and confess⁵² thy name, and pray,⁹⁸ and make supplication⁹⁸ unto thee in this house:

Then hear⁴ thou in heaven, and forgive¹ the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again⁵² unto the land which thou gavest¹ unto their fathers.

When heaven is shut up,⁹ and there is no rain, because they have sinned⁴ against thee; if they pray⁹⁸ toward this place, and confess⁵² thy name, and turn⁴ from their sin, when thou afflictest⁵⁵ them:

Then hear⁴ thou in heaven, and forgive¹ the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach⁵⁵ them the good way wherein they should walk,⁴ and give¹ rain upon thy land, which thou hast given¹ to thy people for an inheritance.

If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, [or] if there be caterpiller; if their enemy⁶ besiege⁵⁵ them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness [there be];

What prayer and supplication soever be [made] by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, which shall know⁴ every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth¹ his hands toward this house:

Then hear⁴ thou in heaven thy dwelling² place, and forgive,¹ and do,¹ and give¹ to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest;⁴ (for thou, [even] thou only, knowest¹ the hearts of all the children of men;)

That they may fear⁴ thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest¹ unto our fathers.

Moreover concerning a stranger, that [is] not of thy people Israel, but cometh¹ out of a far country for thy name's sake;

(For they shall hear⁴ of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out⁷ arm;) when he shall come¹ and pray⁹⁸ toward this house;

Hear⁴ thou in heaven thy dwelling² place, and do¹ according to all that the stranger calleth⁴ to thee for: that all people of the earth may know⁴ thy name, to fear² thee, as [do] thy people Israel; and that they may know² that this house, which I have builded,¹ is called⁸ by thy name.

If thy people go out⁴ to battle against their enemy,⁶ whithersoever thou shalt send⁴ them, and shall pray⁹⁸ unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen,¹ and [toward] the house that I have built¹ for thy name:

Then hear¹ thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain¹ their cause.

If they sin⁴ against thee, (for [there is] no man that sinneth⁴ not,) and thou be angry¹ with them, and deliver¹ them to the enemy,⁶ so that they carry them away¹ captives⁶ unto the land of the enemy,⁶ far or near;

[Yet] if they shall bethink^{52 3820} themselves in the land whither they were carried captives,⁸ and repent,¹ and make supplication⁹⁸ unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives,⁶ saying,² We have sinned,¹ and have done perversely,⁵² we have committed wickedness;¹

And [so] return¹ unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies,⁶ which led them away captive,¹ and pray⁹⁸ unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest¹ unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen,¹ and the house which I have built¹ for thy name:

Then hear¹ thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling² place, and maintain¹ their cause,

And forgive¹ thy people that have sinned¹ against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed¹ against thee, and give¹ them compassion before them who carried them captive,⁶ that they may have compassion¹⁴ on them:

For they [be] thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth⁵² out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:

That thine eyes may be open⁷ unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken² unto them in all that they call² for unto thee.

For thou didst separate⁵² them from among all the people of the earth, [to be] thine inheritance, as thou spakest¹⁴ by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out⁵³ of Egypt, O Lord GOD.

And it was [so], that when Solomon had made an end¹⁵ of praying⁹⁹ all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose¹ from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling² on his knees with his hands spread⁷ up to heaven.

And he stood,⁴ and blessed¹⁷ all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,²

Blessed⁷ [be] the LORD, that hath given¹ rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised:¹⁴ there hath not failed¹ one word of all his good promise, which he promised¹⁴ by the hand of Moses his servant.

The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave⁴ us, nor forsake⁴ us:

That he may incline⁵³ our hearts unto him, to walk² in all his ways, and to keep² his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded¹⁴ our fathers.

And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication⁹⁸ before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain² the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel at all times, ³¹¹⁷ as the matter shall require:

That all the people of the earth may know² that the LORD [is] God, [and that there is] none else.

Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk² in his statutes, and to keep² his commandments, as at this day.

And the king, and all Israel with him, offered⁶ sacrifice before the LORD.

And Solomon offered⁴ a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered¹ unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated⁴ the house of the LORD.

The same day did the king hallow¹⁴ the middle of the court that [was] before the house of the LORD: for there he offered¹ burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar that [was] before the LORD [was] too little to receive⁵³ the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

And at that time Solomon held⁴ a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in² of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, [even] fourteen ⁶²⁴⁰ days.

On the eighth day he sent the people away:¹⁴ and they blessed¹⁷ the king, and went⁴ unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done¹ for David his servant, and for Israel his people.