International Standard Version

English Standard Version

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

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

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

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

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

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

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:

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,

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.

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, where my name will reside. 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.’

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

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.

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.

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.'

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.’

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.

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

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 took his place in front of the LORD's altar in the presence 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.

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,

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,

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.'

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.’

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

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

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!

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!

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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,

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.

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.

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,

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,

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.

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.

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,

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,

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.

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.

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,

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,

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,

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,

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—

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

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,

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,

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.

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.

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,

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,

35then hear their prayer and their request from heaven, and fight for their cause.

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

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,

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,

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,'

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,’

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,

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,

39then hear their prayer and requests from heaven, where you reside, and fight for their cause, forgiving your people who have 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.

40"And now, my God, please let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers that are uttered in this place.

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

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.

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.

42"LORD God, do not turn your face away from your anointed one. Remember your gracious love 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 Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

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.