Solomon’s Benediction

54 aWhen Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and supplication to the Lord, bhe arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his 1hands spread toward heaven.

55 And he stood and ablessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying:

56 “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, aaccording to all that He 1promised; bnot one word has 2failed of all His good 3promise, which He 1promised through Moses His servant.

57 “May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; amay He not leave us or forsake us,

58 that aHe may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances, which He commanded our fathers.

59 “And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the 1cause of His servant and the 1cause of His people Israel, 2as each day requires,

60 so athat all the peoples of the earth may know that bthe Lord is God; there is no one else.

61 “aLet your heart therefore be 1wholly devoted to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day.”

Dedicatory Sacrifices

62 aNow the king and all Israel with him boffered sacrifice before the Lord.

63 Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the Lord, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. aSo the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.

64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, because there he 1offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings; for athe bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So aSolomon observed the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly bfrom the entrance of Hamath cto the brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, for seven days and seven more days, even fourteen days.

66 On the eighth day he sent the people away and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had 1shown to David His servant and to Israel His people.