The Dedication of the Temple

¹ At that time, Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the ⌞families⌟¹ of the ⌞Israelites⌟² before King Solomon, in order to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, that is, Zion.

1. Literally “fathers”
2. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

² All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon at the festival in the month of Ethnaim, that is, the seventh month.

³ All the elders of Israel came, and the priests carried the ark.

⁴ So they brought up the ark of Yahweh and the tent of assembly¹ and all of the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up.

1. Or “meeting”

⁵ King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel who were assembling with him in the presence of the ark were sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted nor numbered because of abundance.

⁶ The priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, to the ⌞most holy place⌟,¹ under the wings of the cherubim,

1. Literally “holy of the holiest”

⁷ for the cherubim were spreading their wings over the place of the ark. The cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles from above.

⁸ The poles were long, and the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place ⌞in front of⌟¹ the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from the outside, and they are there until this day.

1. Literally “on the face of”

⁹ There was not anything in the ark ⌞except⌟¹ the two tablets of stone which Moses had placed there at Horeb, where Yahweh ⌞made⌟² a covenant with the ⌞Israelites⌟³ after they went out from the land of Egypt.

1. Hebrew “only”
2. Literally “cut”
3. Literally “sons/children of Israel”

¹⁰ When the priests went out from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of Yahweh.

¹¹ The priests were not able to stand to minister ⌞because of the presence of⌟¹ the cloud, for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.

1. Literally “from the face of”

Solomon’s Proclamation to the Assembly of Israel

¹² Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the very thick cloud.

¹³ I have certainly built a lofty house for you, a place for you to live forever.”

¹⁴ Then the king turned his face around, and he blessed all of the assembly of Israel. (Now all the assembly of Israel was standing).

¹⁵ Then he said, “Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel who has promised with his mouth to David my father and fulfilled ⌞by his oath⌟,¹ saying,

1. Literally “by his hand”

¹⁶ ‘From the day that I brought out my people Israel from Egypt I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a house where my name might be, but I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

¹⁷ ⌞David my father desired⌟¹ to build a house for the name of Yahweh the God of Israel,

1. Literally “It had been within the heart of David my father”

¹⁸ but Yahweh said to David my father, ‘Because ⌞you desired⌟¹ to build a house for my name, you did well in that it was within your heart.

1. Literally “it was within your heart”

¹⁹ However, you will not build the house, but your son who has come from your loins, he shall build the house for my name.’

²⁰ Yahweh has carried out his promise which he had made; I have risen in place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel as Yahweh promised, and I have built the house for the name of Yahweh the God of Israel.

²¹ I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant which Yahweh made with our ancestors¹ when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

1. Or “fathers”

Solomon’s Prayer to Yahweh

²² Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all of the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands to the heavens,

²³ and he said, “O Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in the heavens above or on the earth beneath, keeping the covenant and the loyal love for your servants who are walking before you with all their heart.

²⁴ You have kept for your servant David my father what you promised to him, and you have spoken with your mouth, and with your hand you have fulfilled it this very day.

²⁵ So then, O Yahweh, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you promised to him, saying, ‘For you, no man will be cut off from before me who will be sitting on the throne of Israel, if only your sons keep their ways to walk before me just as you have walked before me.’

²⁶ So then, O God of Israel, please let your word be confirmed which you have promised¹ to your servant David my father.

1. Or “spoken”

²⁷ For will God really dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens could not contain you! ⌞How could⌟¹ this house that I have built?

1. Literally “Even that”

²⁸ You must regard the prayer of your servant and his plea! O Yahweh my God, listen to the pleading and to the prayer that your servant is praying before you this day,

²⁹ so that your eyes will be open to this house night and day, to the place which you said, ‘My name will be there,’ to hear the prayer that your servant prays toward this place.

³⁰ You must listen to the plea of your servant and your people Israel which they pray toward this place; and you must hear from the place where you live, from heaven you must hear and you must forgive.

³¹ If a man sins against his neighbor and he pronounces an oath against him to curse him, and the curse comes before your altar in this house,

³² then you shall hear in heaven and you shall act and you shall judge your servant, to declare the wicked guilty by bringing his way upon his head and ⌞to declare the righteous innocent⌟¹ by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

1. Literally “to declare righteous the righteous”

³³ When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy ⌞because⌟¹ they sinned against you, and when they turn to you and confess your name and pray and beg for mercy from you in this house,

1. Literally “who”

³⁴ then you shall hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and you shall bring them back to the ground which you gave to their ancestors.¹

1. Or “fathers”

³⁵ When you shut up the heavens so there is no rain because they have sinned against you, then they pray to this place and they confess your name and they return from their sin because you punished them,

³⁶ then you shall hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, for you will teach them the good way in which they should go, and you will give rain upon your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

³⁷ If there should be in the land famine or disease, if there should be blight or mildew or locust or caterpillars, if it happens that his enemy lays siege against him in the land of his gates, if any plague or any disease,