1Ki 8:12-50 | NASB2020 | STEP | Then Solomon said , “The Lord has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness .

1 Kings 8:12-50

Solomon Addresses the People

12 ^aThen Solomon said,

“The Lord has said that ^bHe would dwell in the thick darkness.
13 “ ^cI have truly built You a lofty house,
^dA place for Your dwelling forever.”
14 Then the king ^{▼▼Lit turned his face about}turned around and ^fblessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15 He said, “ ^gBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, ^hwho spoke with His mouth to my father David, and fulfilled it with His hands, saying, 16 ‘ ⁱSince the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house so that ^jMy name would be there, but ^kI chose David to be over My people Israel.’ 17 ^lNow it was ^{▼▼Lit with}in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was ^{▼▼Lit with}in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was ^{▼▼Lit with}in your heart. 19 ^pNevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who ^{▼▼Lit will come forth from your loins}will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.’ 20 Now the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for ^rI have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord ^{▼▼Lit spoke}promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21 And there I have set a place for the ark, ^tin which is the covenant of the Lord, which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

The Prayer of Dedication

22 Then ^uSolomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he ^vspread out his hands toward heaven. 23 And he said, “Lord, God of Israel, ^wthere is no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, ^xkeeping the covenant and showing faithfulness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart, 24 You who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You ^{▼▼Lit spoken to}promised him; You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. 25 Now then, Lord, God of Israel, keep with Your servant David my father that which You have ^{▼▼Lit spoken to}promised him, saying, ‘ ^{▼▼Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man from before Me
,} ^abYou shall not be deprived of a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful about their way, to walk before Me as you have walked.’ 26 Now then, God of Israel, let Your words, please, be confirmed, ^acwhich You have spoken to Your servant, my father David.

27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, ^adheaven and the ^{▼▼Lit heaven of heavens}highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built! 28 Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the ^afprayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You today, 29 ^agso that Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward ^ahthe place of which You have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ to listen to the prayer which Your servant will pray toward this place. 30 And ^ailisten to the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel, ^ajwhen they pray toward this place; hear in heaven Your dwelling place; hear and ^akforgive!

31 “ ^alIf a person sins against his neighbor and is compelled to take an oath of innocence, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven and act and judge Your servants, ^amcondemning the wicked by ^{▼▼Lit giving}bringing his way on his own head, and acquitting the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

33 “ ^aoWhen Your people Israel are ^{▼▼Lit struck}defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, ^aqif they turn to You again and confess Your name and pray and implore Your ^{▼▼Or compassion}favor in this house, 34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave their fathers.

35 “ ^asWhen the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; ^atindeed, teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And ^auprovide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37 “ ^avIf there is a famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is ^{▼▼Lit scorching}blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper, if their enemy harasses them in the land of their ^{▼▼Lit gates}cities, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38 whatever prayer or plea ^{▼▼Lit takes place}is offered by any person or by all Your people Israel, ^{▼▼Lit who know each}each knowing the affliction of his own heart, and spreading his ^{▼▼Lit palms}hands toward this house; 39 then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, ^bbwhose heart You know--for ^bcYou alone know the hearts of all ^{▼▼Lit the sons of mankind}mankind-- 40 so that they will ^{▼▼Or revere}fear You all the days that they live on the ^{▼▼Lit face of the land}land which You have given to our fathers.

41 “Also regarding the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, when he comes from a far country on account of Your name 42 (for they will hear of Your great name ^bgand Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and act in accordance with all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order ^bhthat all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to ^{▼▼Or revere}fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that ^{▼▼Lit Your name is called upon this house which I have built}this house which I have built is called by Your name.

44 “When Your people go out to battle against ^{▼▼Lit his}their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and ^blthey pray to the Lord ^{▼▼Lit in the way of}toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their pleading, and maintain their cause.

46 “When they sin against You (for ^bnthere is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that ^{▼▼Lit their captors take them captive}they take them away captive ^bpto the land of the enemy, distant or near; 47 ^bqif they ^{▼▼Lit return to their heart}take it to heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and implore Your ^{▼▼Or compassion}favor in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘ ^btWe have sinned and done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48 ^buif they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and ^bvpray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name; 49 then hear their prayer and their pleading in heaven, Your dwelling place, and maintain their cause, 50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their wrongdoings which they have committed against You, and ^bwmake them objects of compassion before those who have taken them captive, so that they will have compassion on them