1 Kings 8:12–21

Solomon Blesses the Lord

^12yThen Solomon said, “The Lord¹ has said that he would dwell ^zin thick darkness. ^13aI have indeed built you an exalted house, ^ba place for you to dwell in forever.” ¹⁴Then the king turned around and ^cblessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. ¹⁵And he said, ^d“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled ^ewhat he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, ^16f‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, ^gthat my name might be there. ^hBut I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ ¹⁷ⁱNow it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁸But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. ^19jNevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ ²⁰Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, ^kas the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ²¹And there I have provided a place for the ark, ^lin which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”