1Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders {chief} of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 2And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. 3And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up. 5And King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted {told} nor numbered for multitude. 6And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto its {his} place, into the inner sanctuary {oracle} of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 7For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its {the} staves {thereof} above. 8And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the inner sanctuary {oracle}, and they were not seen outside {without}; and there they are unto this day. 9There was nothing in the ark except {save} the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. 10And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

12Then spoke Solomon, The LORD said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. 13I have surely built Thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for Thee to abide in forever.

14And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel; (and all the congregation of Israel stood). 15And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, Who spoke with His mouth unto David, my father, and hath with His hand fulfilled it, saying, 16Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that My name might be therein; but I chose David to be over My people Israel. 17And it was in the heart of David, my father, to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 18And the LORD said unto David, my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto My name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart. 19Nevertheless, thou shalt not build the house; but thy son who shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto My name. 20And the LORD hath performed His word that He spoke, and I am risen up in the stead of David, my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 21And I have set there a place for the ark, in which {wherein} is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.

22And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven. 23And he said, LORD God of Israel, there is no God like Thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, Who keepest covenant and mercy with Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their heart: 24Who hast kept with Thy servant David, my father, that which Thou promisedst him; Thou didst speak also with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day. 25Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David, my father, that which Thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as thou hast walked before Me. 26And now, O God of Israel, let Thy word, I pray Thee, be verified, which Thou didst speak unto Thy servant David, my father.

27But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have built? 28Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer, which Thy servant prayeth before Thee today; 29That Thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which Thou hast said, My name shall be there; that Thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant shall make toward this place. 30And hearken Thou to the supplication of Thy servant, and of Thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place; and hear Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling place; and when Thou hearest, forgive.

31If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before Thine altar in this house, 32Then hear Thou in heaven, and do, and judge Thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

33When Thy people, Israel, are {be} smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against Thee, and shall turn again to Thee, and confess Thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto Thee in this house, 34Then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which Thou gavest unto their fathers.

35When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against Thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin, when Thou afflictest them, 36Then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants, and of Thy people Israel, that Thou teach them the good way in which {wherein} they should walk, and give rain upon Thy land, which Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance.

37If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blighting {blasting}, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there is {be}; 38Whatsoever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all Thy people, Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house, 39Then hear Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart Thou knowest; (for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men), 40That they may fear Thee all the days that they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.

41Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Thy people, Israel, but cometh out of a far country for Thy name's sake 42(For they shall hear of Thy great name, and of Thy strong hand, and of Thy stretched out arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house, 43Hear Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calleth to Thee for; that all people of the earth may know Thy name, to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have built {builded}, is called by Thy name.

44If Thy people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever {whithersoever} Thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for Thy name: 45Then hear Thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. 46If they sin against Thee, (for there is no man who sinneth not,) and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; 47Yet if they shall take it to their hearts {bethink themselves} in the land where {whither} they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto Thee in the land of them who carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; 48And so return unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, who led them away captive, and pray unto Thee toward their land, which Thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for Thy name: 49Then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven, Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50And forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee, and all their transgressions in which {wherein} they have transgressed against Thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them; 51For they be Thy people, and Thine inheritance, whom Thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron; 52That Thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of Thy servant, and unto the supplication of Thy people, Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto Thee. 53For Thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be Thine inheritance, as Thou didst speak by the hand of Moses, Thy servant, when Thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O LORD God.

54And it was so, that when Solomon had finished {made an end of} praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. 55And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56Blessed be the LORD, Who hath given rest unto His people, Israel, according to all that He promised; there hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses, His servant. 57The LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers; let Him not leave us, nor forsake us: 58That He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 59And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be near {nigh} unto the LORD our God day and night, that He maintain the cause of His servant, and the cause of His people, Israel, at all times, as the matter shall require; 60That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else. 61Let your heart, therefore, be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as at this day.

62And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD. 63And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. 64The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings, and meal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings; because the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entrance {entering in} of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. 66On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David, His servant, and for Israel, His people.