1 Kings 8:12–53

Solomon Addresses the People—2 Chronicles 6:1–11

¹²Then Solomon said, “The Lord said he would live in a dark cloud. ¹³I certainly have built you a high temple, a home for you to live in permanently.” 

¹⁴Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel while they were standing. ¹⁵“Thanks be to the Lord God of Israel. With his mouth he made a promise to my father David; with his hand he carried it out. He said, ¹⁶‘Ever since I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I didn’t choose any city in any of the tribes of Israel as a place to build a temple for my name. But now I’ve chosen David to rule my people Israel.’ 

¹⁷“My father David had his heart set on building a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁸However, the Lord said to my father David, ‘Since you had your heart set on building a temple for my name, your intentions were good. ¹⁹But you must not build the temple. Instead, your own son will build the temple for my name.’ ²⁰The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place, and I sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised. I’ve built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. ²¹I’ve made a place there for the ark which contains the Lord’s promise that he made to our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.” 

Solomon’s Prayer—2 Chronicles 6:12–42

²²In the presence of the entire assembly of Israel, Solomon stood in front of the Lord’s altar. He stretched out his hands toward heaven ²³and said, 

“Lord God of Israel, 

there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. 

You keep your promise^bof mercy to your servants, 

who obey you wholeheartedly. 

²⁴You have kept your promise to my father David, your servant. 

With your mouth you promised it. 

With your hand you carried it out as it is today. 

²⁵“Now, Lord God of Israel, 

keep your promise to my father David, your servant. 

You said, ‘You will never fail to have an heir 

sitting in front of me on the throne of Israel 

if your descendants are faithful to me 

as you have been faithful to me.’ 

²⁶“So now, God of Israel, 

may the promise you made to my father David, 

your servant, come true. 

²⁷“Does God really live on earth? 

If heaven itself, the highest heaven, cannot hold you, 

then how can this temple that I have built? 

²⁸Nevertheless, my Lord God, please pay attention to my prayer for mercy. 

Listen to my cry for help as I pray to you today. 

²⁹Night and day may your eyes be on this temple, 

the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’ 

Listen to me as I pray toward this place. 

³⁰Hear the plea for mercy 

that your people Israel and I pray toward this place. 

Hear us ⸤when we pray⸥ to heaven, the place where you live. 

Hear and forgive. 

³¹“If anyone sins against another person 

and is required to take an oath 

and comes to take the oath in front of your altar in this temple, 

³²then hear ⸤that person⸥ in heaven, take action, and make a decision. 

Condemn the guilty person with the proper punishment, 

but declare the innocent person innocent. 

³³“An enemy may defeat your people Israel 

because they have sinned against you. 

But when your people turn to you, praise your name, pray, 

and plead with you in this temple, 

³⁴then hear ⸤them⸥ in heaven, forgive the sins of your people Israel, 

and bring them back to the land that you gave to their ancestors. 

³⁵“When the sky is shut and there’s no rain 

because they are sinning against you, 

and they pray toward this place, praise your name, 

and turn away from their sin because you made them suffer, 

³⁶then hear ⸤them⸥ in heaven. 

Forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. 

Teach them the proper way to live. 

Then send rain on the land, 

which you gave to your people as an inheritance. 

³⁷“There may be famine in the land. 

Plant diseases, heat waves, funguses, locusts, 

or grasshoppers may destroy crops. 

Enemies may blockade Israel’s city gates. 

During every plague or sickness 

³⁸⸤hear⸥ every prayer for mercy, 

made by one person or by all the people in Israel, 

whose consciences bother them, 

who stretch out their hands toward this temple. 

³⁹Hear ⸤them⸥ in heaven, where you live. 

Forgive ⸤them⸥, and take action. 

Give each person the proper reply. 

(You know what is in their hearts, 

because you alone know what is in the hearts of all people.) 

⁴⁰Then, as long as they live in the land that you gave to our ancestors, 

they will fear you. 

⁴¹“People will hear about your great name, 

mighty hand, and powerful arm.^c

So when people who are not Israelites 

come from distant countries because of your name 

⁴²to pray facing this temple, 

⁴³hear ⸤them⸥ in heaven, the place where you live. 

Do everything they ask you 

so that all the people of the world may know your name 

and fear you like your people Israel 

and learn also that this temple which I built bears your name. 

⁴⁴“When your people go to war against their enemies 

(wherever you may send them) 

and they pray to you, O Lord, toward the city you have chosen 

and the temple I built for your name, 

⁴⁵then hear their prayer for mercy in heaven, 

and do what is right ⸤for them⸥. 

⁴⁶“They may sin against you. 

(No one is sinless.) 

You may become angry with them and hand them over to an enemy 

who takes them to ⸤another⸥ country as captives, 

⸤whether it is⸥ far or near. 

⁴⁷If they come to their senses, 

are sorry for what they’ve done, 

and plead with you in the land where they are captives, 

saying, ‘We have sinned. We have done wrong. 

We have been wicked,’ 

⁴⁸if they change their attitude toward you 

in the land of their enemies where they are captives, 

if they pray to you 

toward the land that you gave their ancestors, 

and the city you have chosen, 

and the temple I have built for your name, 

⁴⁹then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy. 

Do what is right for them. 

⁵⁰Forgive your people, who have sinned against you. 

⸤Forgive⸥ all their wrongs when they rebelled against you, 

and cause those who captured them to have mercy on them 

⁵¹because they are your own people 

whom you brought out of Egypt 

from the middle of an iron smelter. 

⁵²“May your eyes always see my plea and your people Israel’s plea 

so that you will listen to them whenever they call on you. 

⁵³After all, you, Lord God, set them apart from all the people of the world 

to be your own as you promised through your servant Moses 

when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”