1Kings:8

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* Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes , the chief fathers of the children of Israel , to King Solomon in Jerusalem , that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the City of David , which is Zion . * Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim , which is the seventh month . * So all the elders of Israel came , and the priests took up the ark . * Then they brought up the ark of the LORD , the tabernacle of meeting , and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle . The priests and the Levites brought them up . * Also King Solomon , and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him , were with him before the ark , sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude . * Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place , into the inner sanctuary of the temple , to the Most Holy Place , under the wings of the cherubim . * For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark , and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles . * The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place , in front of the inner sanctuary ; but they could not be seen from outside . And they are there to this day . * Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb , when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel , when they came out of the land of Egypt . * And it came to pass , when the priests came out of the holy place , that the cloud filled the house of the LORD , * so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud ; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD . * Then Solomon spoke : "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud . * I have surely built You an exalted house , And a place for You to dwell in forever ." * Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel , while all the assembly of Israel was standing . * And he said : "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel , who spoke with His mouth to my father David , and with His hand has fulfilled it , saying , * "Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt , I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house , that My name might be there ; but I chose David to be over My people Israel .' * Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel . * But the LORD said to my father David , "Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name , you did well that it was in your heart . * Nevertheless you shall not build the temple , but your son who will come from your body , he shall build the temple for My name .' * So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke ; and I have filled the position of my father David , and sit on the throne of Israel , as the LORD promised ; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel . * And there I have made a place for the ark , in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with our fathers , when He brought them out of the land of Egypt ." * Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel , and spread out his hands toward heaven ; * and he said : "LORD God of Israel , there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You , who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts . * You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father ; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand , as it is this day . * Therefore , LORD God of Israel , now keep what You promised Your servant David my father , saying , "You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel , only if your sons take heed to their way , that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me .' * And now I pray , O God of Israel , let Your word come true , which You have spoken to Your servant David my father . * "But will God indeed dwell on the earth ? Behold , heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You . How much less this temple which I have built ! * Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication , O LORD my God , and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today : * that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day , toward the place of which You said , "My name shall be there ,' that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place . * And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel , when they pray toward this place . Hear in heaven Your dwelling place ; and when You hear , forgive . * "When anyone sins against his neighbor , and is forced to take an oath , and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple , * then hear in heaven , and act , and judge Your servants , condemning the wicked , bringing his way on his head , and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness . * "When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You , and when they turn back to You and confess Your name , and pray and make supplication to You in this temple , * then hear in heaven , and forgive the sin of Your people Israel , and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers . * "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You , when they pray toward this place and confess Your name , and turn from their sin because You afflict them , * then hear in heaven , and forgive the sin of Your servants , Your people Israel , that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk ; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance . * "When there is famine in the land , pestilence or blight or mildew , locusts or grasshoppers ; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities ; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is ; * whatever prayer , whatever supplication is made by anyone , or by all Your people Israel , when each one knows the plague of his own heart , and spreads out his hands toward this temple : * then hear in heaven Your dwelling place , and forgive , and act , and give to everyone according to all his ways , whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men ), * that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers . * "Moreover , concerning a foreigner , who is not of Your people Israel , but has come from a far country for Your name 's sake * (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm ), when he comes and prays toward this temple , * hear in heaven Your dwelling place , and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You , that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You , as do Your people Israel , and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name . * "When Your people go out to battle against their enemy , wherever You send them , and when they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name , * then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication , and maintain their cause . * "When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin ), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy , and they take them captive to the land of the enemy , far or near ; * yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive , and repent , and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive , saying , "We have sinned and done wrong , we have committed wickedness '; * and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive , and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers , the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name : * then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication , and maintain their cause , * and forgive Your people who have sinned against You , and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You ; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive , that they may have compassion on them * (for they are Your people and Your inheritance , whom You brought out of Egypt , out of the iron furnace ), * that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel , to listen to them whenever they call to You . * For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance , as You spoke by Your servant Moses , when You brought our fathers out of Egypt , O Lord GOD ." * And so it was , when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the LORD , that he arose from before the altar of the LORD , from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven . * Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice , saying : * "Blessed be the LORD , who has given rest to His people Israel , according to all that He promised . There has not failed one word of all His good promise , which He promised through His servant Moses . * May the LORD our God be with us , as He was with our fathers . May He not leave us nor forsake us , * that He may incline our hearts to Himself , to walk in all His ways , and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments , which He commanded our fathers . * And may these words of mine , with which I have made supplication before the LORD , be near the LORD our God day and night , that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel , as each day may require , * that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God ; there is no other . * Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God , to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments , as at this day ." * Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD . * And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings , which he offered to the LORD , twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep . So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD . * On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD ; for there he offered burnt offerings , grain offerings , and the fat of the peace offerings , because the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to receive the burnt offerings , the grain offerings , and the fat of the peace offerings . * At that time Solomon held a feast , and all Israel with him , a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt , before the LORD our God , seven days and seven more days--fourteen days . * On the eighth day he sent the people away ; and they blessed the king , and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the LORD had done for His servant David , and for Israel His people .

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