1 Kings 8:12–21

¹²Then Solomon said:

The Lord said that He would dwell in thick darkness. ^b

¹³I have indeed built an exalted temple ^cfor You,

a place for Your dwelling forever. ^d

¹⁴The king turned around and blessed ^ethe entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. ¹⁵He said:

May the Lord God of Israel be praised!

He spoke directly to my father David,

and He has fulfilled the promise ^fby His power.

He said,

¹⁶“Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, ^g

I have not chosen a city to build a temple in

among any of the tribes of Israel,

so that My name ^hwould be there.

But I have chosen David to rule My people Israel.” ⁱ

¹⁷It was in the desire of my father David

to build a temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ^j

¹⁸But the Lord said to my father David,

“Since it was your desire to build a temple for My name,

you have done well to have this desire. ^k

¹⁹Yet you are not the one to build it;

instead, your son, your own offspring,

will build it for My name.” ^l

²⁰The Lord has fulfilled what He promised.

I have taken the place of my father David, ^m

and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. ⁿ

I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

²¹I have provided a place there for the ark,

where the Lord’s covenant is

that He made with our ancestors

when He brought them out of the land of Egypt. ^o