Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1Then Solomon said: The LORD said he would dwell in total darkness,

1Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.

2but I have built an exalted temple for you, a place for your residence forever.

2But I have built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

3Then the king turned and blessed the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing.

3Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood.

4He said: Blessed be the LORD God of Israel! He spoke directly to my father David, and he has fulfilled the promise by his power. He said,

4And he said, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying,

5"Since the day I brought my people Israel out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city to build a temple in among any of the tribes of Israel, so that my name would be there, and I have not chosen a man to be ruler over my people Israel.

5‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel;

6But I have chosen Jerusalem so that my name will be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel."

6but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

7My father David had his heart set on building a temple for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

7Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

8However, 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.

8But 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.

9Yet, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own offspring, will build the temple for my name."

9Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’

10So the LORD has fulfilled what he promised. I have taken the place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the temple for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

10Now 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, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

11I have put the ark there, where the LORD's covenant is that he made with the Israelites.

11And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel.”

12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands.

12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.

13For Solomon had made a bronze platform 7 1/2 feet long, 7 1/2 feet wide, and 4 1/2 feet high and put it in the court. He stood on it, knelt down in front of the entire congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven.

13Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven,

14He said: LORD God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth, who keeps his gracious covenant with your servants who walk before you with all their heart.

14and said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart,

15You have kept what you promised to your servant, my father David. You spoke directly to him, and you fulfilled your promise by your power, as it is today.

15who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day.

16Therefore, LORD God of Israel, keep what you promised to your servant, my father David: "You will never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons guard their way to walk in my Law as you have walked before me."

16Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’

17Now, LORD God of Israel, please confirm what you promised to your servant David.

17Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.

18But will God indeed live on earth with humans? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain you, much less this temple I have built.

18“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!

19Listen to your servant's prayer and his petition, LORD my God, so that you may hear the cry and the prayer that your servant prays before you,

19Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you,

20so that your eyes watch over this temple day and night, toward the place where you said you would put your name; and so that you may hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

20that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.

21Hear the petitions of your servant and your people Israel, which they pray toward this place. May you hear in your dwelling place in heaven. May you hear and forgive.

21And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

22If a man sins against his neighbor and is forced to take an oath and he comes to take an oath before your altar in this temple,

22“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house,

23may you hear in heaven and act. May you judge your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing what he has done on his own head and providing justice for the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

23then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

24If your people Israel are defeated before an enemy, because they have sinned against you, and they return to you and praise your name, and they pray and plead for mercy before you in this temple,

24“If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house,

25may you hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel. May you restore them to the land you gave them and their ancestors.

25then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers.

26When the skies are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and they pray toward this place and praise your name, and they turn from their sins because you are afflicting them,

26“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

27may you hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Israel, so that you may teach them the good way they should walk in. May you send rain on your land that you gave your people for an inheritance.

27then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

28When there is famine in the land, when there is pestilence, when there is blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, when their enemies besiege them in the land and its cities, when there is any plague or illness,

28“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is,

29every prayer or petition that any person or that all your people Israel may have--they each know their own affliction and suffering--as they spread out their hands toward this temple,

29whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house,

30may you hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and may you forgive and give to everyone according to all their ways, since you know each heart, for you alone know the human heart,

30then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind,

31so that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days they live on the land you gave our ancestors.

31that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

32Even for the foreigner who is not of your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your great name and your strong hand and outstretched arm: when he comes and prays toward this temple,

32“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house,

33may you hear in heaven in your dwelling place, and do all the foreigner asks you. Then all the peoples of the earth will know your name, to fear you as your people Israel do and know that this temple I have built bears your name.

33hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

34When your people go out to fight against their enemies, wherever you send them, and they pray to you in the direction of this city you have chosen and the temple that I have built for your name,

34“If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,

35may you hear their prayer and petition in heaven and uphold their cause.

35then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

36When they sin against you--for there is no one who does not sin--and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, and their captors deport them to a distant or nearby country,

36“If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near,

37and when they come to their senses in the land where they were deported and repent and petition you in their captors' land, saying: "We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked,"

37yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’

38and when they return to you with all their mind and all their heart in the land of their captivity where they were taken captive, and when they pray in the direction of their land that you gave their ancestors, and the city you have chosen, and toward the temple I have built for your name,

38if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,

39may you hear their prayer and petitions in heaven, your dwelling place, and uphold their cause. May you forgive your people who sinned against you.

39then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

40Now, my God, please let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.

40Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.

41Now therefore: Arise, LORD God, come to your resting place, you and your powerful ark. May your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and may your faithful people rejoice in goodness.

41“And now arise, O LORD God, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. Let your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your goodness.

42LORD God, do not reject your anointed one; remember the promises to your servant David.

42O LORD God, do not turn away the face of your anointed one! Remember your steadfast love for David your servant.”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.