Christian Standard Bible

International Standard Version

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

1Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he lives shrouded in darkness.

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

2Now I have constructed a magnificent temple dedicated to you that will serve as a place for you to inhabit forever."

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

3Then the king turned to face the entire congregation of Israel while the congregation of Israel remained standing.

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,

4Then Solomon prayed: "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who made a commitment to my father David and then personally fulfilled what he had promised when he said:

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.

5From the day I brought out my people from the land of Egypt I never chose a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple where my name might reside. And I never chose any man to become Commander-in-Chief 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, where my name will reside. 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.

7"My father David wanted to build a temple for the name of the LORD 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.

8The LORD told my father David: 'Therefore, since you determined to build a temple for my name, you acted well, because it was your choice to do so.

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

9Nevertheless, you are not to build the Temple, but your son who will be born to you is to build a temple 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.

10"The LORD has brought to fulfillment what he promised, and now here I stand, having succeeded my father David to sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the Temple for the name of the Lord GOD of Israel.

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

11I have placed in it the ark in which the covenant that the LORD made with the Israelis is stored."

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

12Then Solomon took his place in front of the LORD's altar in the presence of the entire congregation 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 a bronze platform constructed five cubits square and three cubits high. He had it erected in the middle of the courtyard, and stood on it. Then he knelt down on his knees in front of the entire congregation of Israel, 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: "LORD God of Israel, there is no one like you, God of heaven and earth, who watches over his covenant, showing gracious love to your servants who live their lives in your presence with all their hearts.

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.

15It is you, LORD God, who has kept your promise to my father, your servant David, that you made to him. Indeed, you made a commitment to my father David and then personally fulfilled what you had promised today.

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."

16"Now therefore, LORD God of Israel, keep your promise that you made to my father, your servant David, when you said, 'You are to not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants will watch their lives, to live according to my Law, just as you have lived in my presence.'

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

17"Now therefore, LORD God of Israel, may your promise that you made to your servant David be fulfilled…

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

18and yet, will God truly reside on earth with human beings? Look! Neither the sky nor the highest heaven can contain you! How much less this Temple 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,

19Pay attention to the prayer of your servant and to his request, LORD my God, and listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.

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.

20Let your eyes always look toward this Temple day and night, toward the location where you have said you would place your name. Listen to the prayer that your servant prays in this direction.

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.

21Listen to the requests from your servant and from your people Israel as they pray in this direction, and listen from the place where you reside—from heaven!—then hear and 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 he is required to take an oath, and he then comes to take an oath in front of your altar in this Temple,

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 listen from heaven, act, and judge your servants, recompensing the wicked by bringing back to him the consequences of his choices and by justifying the righteous by recompensing 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 in a battle with their enemy because they have sinned against you, when they return to you and confess to you, pray, and in this Temple they ask you to show grace to them,

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, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and return them to the soil that you gave to them and to their ancestors.

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 the skies remain closed, and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and they pray in the direction of this place, confessing your name and turning 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 and of your people Israel. Indeed, teach them the best way to live and send rain on your land that 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 a famine comes to the land, or if there comes plant diseases, mildew, locusts, or grasshoppers, or if their enemies attack them in their settlements of the land, no matter what the epidemic or illness 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 or request is made, no matter whether it's made by a single man or by all of your people Israel, each praying out of his own illness and anguish and stretching out their hands toward this Temple,

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, the place where you reside, and forgive, repaying each person according to all of his ways, since you know their hearts—for you alone know the hearts of human beings—

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

31so they will fear you and live life your way as long as they live in the land that you have given to our ancestors.

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"Now concerning the foreigner who is not from your people Israel, when he comes from a land far away for the sake of your great name, your mighty acts, and your obvious power, when they come and pray in the direction of this Temple,

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.

33then hear from heaven where you reside, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the people of the earth may know your name, fear you as do your people Israel, and so they may know that this Temple 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"When your people go out to war against their enemies, no matter what way you send them, and they pray to you in the direction of this city that you have chosen and in the direction of the Temple that I have built for your name,

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

35then hear their prayer and their request from heaven, and fight for 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"When they sin against you—because there isn't a single human being who doesn't sin—and you become angry with them and deliver them over to their enemy, who takes them away captive to a land that's near or far away,

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,"

37if they turn their hearts back to you in the land where they have been taken captive, repent, and pray to you—even if they do so in the land where they have been taken captive—confessing, 'We have sinned, we have committed abominations, and practiced wickedness,'

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 return to you with all of their heart and with all of their soul in the land where they have been taken captive, as they pray in the direction of their land that you have given to their ancestors and to the city that you have chosen, and to the Temple 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 their prayer and requests from heaven, where you reside, and fight for their cause, forgiving 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.

40"And now, my God, please let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers that are uttered in 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 may the LORD God arise, to your place of rest, you, and the ark of your power! Let your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and cause your godly ones to find their joy in what is good.

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

42"LORD God, do not turn your face away from your anointed one. Remember your gracious love to your servant David."

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.