1Then Solomon summoned to him at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, the heads of all the tribes and the leaders of the Israelite families for the purpose of bringing up the ark of the covenant of the LORD to the Temple from its current location in the city of David, which is Zion. 2And all these Israelite men assembled before King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. 3And when all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark. 4And the priests and Levites carried the ark of the LORD, along with the Tabernacle of meeting, and all the sacred items within it. 5And King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled with him before the ark, sacrificed so many sheep and oxen, that they could not be counted. 6And then the priests and Levites brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD into its place in the inner sanctuary of the Temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7For the two cherubim spread their wings over the place for the ark, forming a canopy over the ark and its carrying staves. 8And those staves were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not seen from outside of the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 9There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone, which Moses had put in it at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, after they came out of Egypt. 10And when the priests had exited the Holy Place, the cloud filled the Temple 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 Temple of the LORD.

12Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. 13I have indeed built a glorious Temple for You to dwell in, a settled place for You to dwell forever.”

14And the king turned around, and blessed all the assembly of Israel that was standing there. 15And he said, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, Who spoke with His Own mouth to David, my father, and has with His Own hand fulfilled what He said then: 16‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city among any of the tribes of Israel to build a house, where My name might be; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17And it was in the heart of David, my father, to build a Temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 18But the LORD told David, my father, ‘You did well that it was in your heart to build a Temple unto My name. 19Nevertheless, you shall not build the Temple; but one of your own sons shall build the Temple unto My name.’ 20And the LORD has kept the promise He made, and I have risen to sit on the throne of Israel in place of David, my father, as the LORD promised, and have built a Temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 21And I have provided there a place for the ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD, in front of all the congregation of Israel, and spread his hands toward heaven. 23And he said, “LORD God of Israel, there is no God like You, not in heaven above, or on earth beneath, Who keeps Your covenant of love and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart: 24Who have kept Your promise to Your servant David, my father, that You also promised with Your Own mouth, and have now fulfilled with Your Own hand, as it is this day. 25Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep the promise that You gave to Your servant, David, my father, when You said, ‘You shall not fail to have a descendant to sit on the throne of Israel; if they will only take heed, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ 26And now, O God of Israel, I pray You, let Your word come true, which You spoke to Your servant David, my father.

27“But will God indeed dwell on earth? Behold, the highest heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how much less this Temple that I have built? 28Yet hear the prayer of Your servant, his plea, O LORD my God, his cry and supplication that Your servant makes before You here today: 29That Your eyes may be open toward this Temple night and day, ever toward the place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there’; that You may hear the prayer which Your servant shall make toward this place. 30And may You hear the humble and earnest requests of Your servant, and of Your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. And when You do hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, do forgive us.

31“If any man wrongs his neighbor, and an oath is required of him; and he comes before Your altar in this Temple, 32Then hear from heaven, and act. Judge between Your servants, condemning and bringing punishment upon the guilty; and vindicating the innocent, rewarding him according to his righteousness.

33“When Your people, Israel, are defeated by the enemy, because they have sinned against You, and shall return again to You, and confess Your name, pray, and make supplication to You in this Temple, 34Then do hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and restore them to the land which You gave to their fathers.

35“When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against You; if they pray toward this place, and confess Your name, and turn from their sin, when You afflict them, 36Then do hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, and of Your people Israel, that You teach them the right way to live, and send rain upon Your land, which You have given to Your people for an inheritance.

37“If there is famine in the land, or pestilence, blighting, mildew, locust, or caterpillar infestation; or if their enemy besieges them in their cities; whatever disaster or calamity there is; 38And whenever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all Your people, Israel, who shall be aware of the plague of his own heart, and they spread forth their hands toward this Temple, 39Then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, giving to each person, whose heart You know, what they deserve; (for You, You only, know the hearts of all the children of men), 40That they may honor and fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

41“And as concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but comes from afar because of Your name - 42For they shall hear of Your great name, and of Your strong hand, and of Your outstretched arm - when they shall come and pray toward this Temple, 43Hear them, also, in heaven, Your dwelling place, and do according to what the foreigner calls upon You for; that all people of the earth may know Your name, to honor and fear You, as do Your people Israel; and that they may know that this Temple, which I have built, is dedicated to Your name.

44“If Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You shall send them, and shall pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen, and toward the Temple that I have built for Your name: 45Then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, and maintain their cause. 46If they sin against You - for there is no one who does not sin - and You are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, to be carried away captives to the land of the enemy, far or near; 47Yet if they shall take it to their hearts in the land they were carried off captive to, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land where they are captives, saying, ‘We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness’; 48And so return to You with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, and pray to You toward their land, which You gave to their fathers, and the city which You have chosen, and the Temple which I have built for Your name: 49Then do hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50And forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all the ways in which they have transgressed against You, and give them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have mercy on them; 51For they are Your people, and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron; 52That Your eyes may be open to the supplications of Your servant, and of Your people, Israel, to listen to them in all that they call unto You for. 53For You singled them out from all the nations of the earth, to be Your inheritance, as You spoke through Moses, Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O LORD God.”

54And when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from his kneeling position before the altar of the LORD, with his hands spread up to heaven. 55And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, 56“Blessed be the LORD, Who has given rest to His people, Israel. According to all that He promised; there has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He made by the mouth of Moses, His servant. 57May the 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 toward Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, as He commanded our fathers. 59And let these, my words, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that He will maintain the cause of His servant, and His people, Israel, at all times, according to the need; 60That all the people of the earth may know that You, the LORD are God, and that there is none else. 61And may your (the Israelite people’s) hearts, therefore, be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes, and to keep His commandments, as they are this day.”

62And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifices before the LORD. 63And Solomon presented a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred twenty thousand sheep. And so the king and all the Israelites dedicated the Temple of the LORD. 64On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the Temple of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings, and meal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings; because the bronze altar that stood before the LORD was too small to receive all the burnt offerings, and meal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

65And at that time Solomon held a feast with all Israel - a huge assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, for seven days plus seven days, (beyond the prescribed period for the Feast of Booths), a total of fourteen days. 66And on the following day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went home joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David, His servant, and for Israel, His people.