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Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would dwell in a dark cloud, 2 but I have built a exalted temple for You, a place for You to dwell forever.” 3 Then the turned around and blessed the whole congregation of Israel while they were standing there.
4 He said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has with His hands fulfilled what He promised with His mouth to my father David. For He said, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city to build a temple in among any of the tribes of Israel for My Name to be there, nor have I chosen a man to be ruler over My people Israel. 6 But I have chosen Jerusalem so that My Name will be there, and I have chosen David to rule over My people Israel’.
7 “Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a temple for My Name, you have done well to have this desire in your heart. 9 Nevertheless, you will not build the temple, but your son, the son who will be born to you, he will build the temple for My Name’.
10 “So the Lord has fulfilled the promise He made. I have succeeded my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that He made with the people of Israel.”
12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole congregation of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Now Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the centre of the court. He stood on it, knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said:
“O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth, keeping His gracious covenant with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. 15 You have kept Your promise to Your servant, my father David. Indeed, You have promised it with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
16 “Now, O Lord God, keep for Your servant David my father the promises You made to him when You said, ‘You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all of their ways, to walk in My law, as you have walked before Me.’ 17 And now, O Lord God, let your word be confirmed that you promised to Your servant David.
18 “But will God really dwell on earth with men? If even heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain You, how much less this temple I have built! 19 Yet have regard for this prayer of Your servant and his plea for mercy, O Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant prays before You. 20 May Your eyes be open day and night toward this temple, toward this place where You said You would put Your Name. May You hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. 21 Listen to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from Your dwelling place in heaven; and when You hear, forgive.
22 “If a man sins against his neighbour and is required to take an oath, and he comes and swears an oath before Your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between Your servants, punishing the wicked by bringing what he has done down on his own head, and providing justice for the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
24 “If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they turn back and confess Your Name, praying and making supplication before You in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land that You gave to them and to their fathers.
26 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and then they pray toward this place, confessing Your name and turning from their sins because You are afflicting them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel. Teach them the good way that they should live, and send rain on Your land You gave Your people for an inheritance.
28 “When there is famine in the land, when there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locusts, or caterpillars; when their enemies besiege them in of the cities of their land; whatever plague or sickness there is; 29 whatever prayer or petition is made by any of Your people Israel—each one knowing of his own affliction and his own suffering—and spreading out his hands toward this temple— 30 then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. Forgive, and deal with each man according to all his ways, for You alone know the hearts of men, 31 so that they may fear You and walk in Your ways all the days that they live in the land You gave to our fathers.
32 “As for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a distant land because of Your great name Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this temple, 33 then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner asks You for, so that all the people of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your own people Israel, and that they may know that this temple that I have built is called by Your Name.
34 “When Your people go out to war against their enemies, by whatever way You will send them, and they pray to You toward this city that You have chosen and the temple that I have built for Your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their petition, and maintain their cause.
36 “When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You are angry with them and deliver them over to the enemy, and their captors take them to a land far away or near; 37 and when they come to their senses in the land where they have been taken to as captives, and repent and plead with You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong; we have acted wickedly’; 38 If they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken captive, and when they pray toward the land You gave their fathers, toward the city You have chosen, and toward the temple I have built for Your Name; 39 then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and hear their prayer and their petitions, and uphold their cause. May You forgive Your people, who have sinned against You.
40 “Now, O my God, let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the pray made in this place.
41 “Now arise, O Lord God, and come to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation;
and let Your saints rejoice in Your goodness.
42 O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed one.
Remember the faithful love promised to David Your servant.”