1 KINGS 8
1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ houses of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
3 And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4 And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up.
5 And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.
6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.
7 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above.
8 And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place before the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there they are, unto this day.
9 There was nothing in the ark 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.
10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,
11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
12 Then spake Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
13 I have surely built thee an house of habitation, a place for thee to dwell in for ever.
14 And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.
15 And he said, Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,
16 Since 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 there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
18 But the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart:
19 nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.
20 And the LORD hath established his word that he spake; for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
21 And there have I set a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
23 and he said, O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart:
24 who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him: yea, thou spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
25 Now therefore, O LORD, the God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; if only thy children take heed to their way to walk before me as thou hast walked before me.
26 Now therefore, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.
27 But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded!
28 Yet 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 this day:
29 that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou hast said, My name shall be there: to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place.
30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yea, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive.
31 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before thine altar in this house:
32 then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; if they turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication unto thee in this house:
34 then 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;
35 When 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 dost afflict them:
36 then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.
37 If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be;
38 what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
39 then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
40 that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
41 Moreover concerning the stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for thy name’s sake;
42 (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;
43 hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.
44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatsoever way thou shalt send them, and they pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
45 then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
46 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, far off or near;
47 yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have dealt wickedly;
48 if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, which carried them 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:
49 then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause;
50 and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:
51 For they be thy people, and thine inheritance which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron:
52 that thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them whensoever they cry unto thee.
53 For thou didst separate them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.
54 And it was so, that when Solomon had 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 forth toward heaven.
55 And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
56 Blessed be the LORD, that 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.
57 The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
58 that 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.
59 And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require:
60 that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD, he is God; there is none else.
61 Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.
62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.
63 And Solomon offered for the 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.
64 The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.
65 So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
66 On 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 shewed unto David his servant, and to Israel his people.
Cross-references
451
- 12Ch 5:2–10, 1Ch 15:25, 2Sa 6:12–17, Isa 46:13, 2Sa 5:7–9, 1Ki 3:15, 1Ch 15:29–16:1, Jos 24:1
- 2Lev 23:34, 2Ch 7:8–10, Ezr 3:4, 1Ki 8:65, Num 29:12–40, Jhn 7:2, 2Ch 5:3, Zec 14:16–19
- 3Jos 3:6, Deu 31:9, Num 4:15, Jos 3:3, Jos 4:9, 2Ch 5:5–8, Num 7:9, Jos 3:14–15
- 41Ki 3:4, 2Ch 1:3, Exo 40:2–33
- 52Sa 6:13, 1Ki 8:62–63, 1Ch 16:1
- 61Ki 6:27, 2Sa 6:17, 1Ki 6:19, Exo 26:33–34, 2Sa 6:2, Exo 37:9, Isa 37:16, 1Sa 4:4
- 8Exo 25:13–15, Exo 37:4–5, Mat 28:15, 2Ch 5:9, Jos 4:9, Exo 40:20
- 9Exo 25:21, Heb 9:4, Exo 40:20, Deu 10:2–5, 2Ch 5:10, Deu 4:13, Exo 34:27–28, 2Ch 7:1–3
- 10Exo 40:34–35, 2Ch 7:1–2
- 11Ezk 43:4–5, Ezk 44:4, 2Co 3:18, 2Co 4:6, Lev 9:23, Ezk 43:2, Jhn 1:14, Rev 21:23
- 12Psa 97:2, 2Ch 6:1–11, Lev 16:2, Isa 45:15, Psa 18:8–11, Exo 20:21, Deu 5:22, Heb 12:18
- 132Sa 7:13, Heb 9:24, Exo 15:17, Psa 132:13–14, 1Ch 22:10–11, Jhn 4:21–23, 1Ch 28:6, 2Ch 6:2
- 142Sa 6:18, Jos 22:6, Psa 118:26, Luk 24:50–51, Neh 9:2, 2Ch 30:18–20, 1Ki 8:55–56, Mat 13:2
- 15Luk 1:68, Neh 9:5, 1Ch 29:10, 1Ch 29:20, Psa 115:18, Luk 1:70, Jos 21:45, 2Ch 6:4
- 161Sa 16:1, 1Ki 8:29, Deu 12:11, 2Sa 7:4–8, 1Ch 28:4, 1Ch 17:5–6, Psa 132:13, Deu 12:5
- 172Sa 7:2–3, 1Ch 17:1–15, 1Ch 28:2, 1Ch 22:7
- 182Ch 6:7–9, 2Co 8:12
- 191Ch 22:8–10, 2Sa 7:5, 1Ch 17:11–12, 1Ch 28:6, 2Sa 7:12–13, 1Ki 5:3–5, 1Ch 17:4
- 201Ch 28:5–6, Php 1:6, Isa 9:7, Jer 29:10–11, Mic 7:20, Neh 9:8, Ezk 37:14, 1Ki 8:15
- 21Deu 31:26, 1Ki 8:9, 1Ki 8:5–6, Deu 9:9, Deu 9:11, Exo 34:28
- 22Ezr 9:5, 1Ki 8:54, Exo 9:33, Exo 9:29, Isa 1:15, 1Ti 2:8, 2Ki 11:14, Job 11:13
- 232Sa 7:22, Deu 7:9, Dan 9:4, Neh 1:5, Neh 9:32, 1Sa 2:2, Exo 15:11, Jer 10:16
- 242Sa 7:16, 1Ki 8:15, 2Sa 7:12, 2Ch 6:14–15
- 251Ki 2:4, 2Ch 6:16–17, 1Ki 9:4–6, Jer 33:17–26, Luk 1:68–72, 2Sa 7:27–29, 1Ch 28:9, 1Ch 17:23–27
- 262Sa 7:25–29, Isa 41:17, Psa 41:13, Psa 119:49, 1Ki 8:23, Ezk 36:36–37, Isa 45:3, 2Ch 1:9
- 27Isa 66:1, 2Ch 2:6, Jer 23:24, 2Ch 6:18, Act 7:48–49, Psa 139:7–16, Deu 10:14, Psa 113:4
- 28Psa 86:3, Dan 9:17–19, Psa 141:2, Psa 4:1, Psa 5:1, 2Ch 6:19, Luk 18:1, Psa 88:1–2
- 292Ch 6:20, 2Ch 7:15–16, 1Ki 8:16, Deu 12:11, Neh 1:6, Dan 9:18, 2Ch 6:5–6, Dan 6:10
- 301Ki 8:36, 1Ki 8:34, 1Ki 8:39, Dan 9:19, Isa 57:15, Ecc 5:2, Psa 130:3–4, Neh 1:5–6
- 31Exo 22:8–11, Pro 30:9, 2Ch 6:22–23, Num 5:16–22, Lev 5:1
- 32Deu 25:1, Isa 3:10–11, Ezk 18:13, Ezk 18:20, Rom 2:6–10, Exo 34:7, Pro 1:31, Num 5:27
- 33Lev 26:17, Deu 28:25, Lev 26:25, Lev 26:39–42, Deu 28:48, 2Ch 6:24–25, Jon 3:10, Neh 9:1–5
- 34Dan 9:19, Exo 6:8, Amo 7:2, Jer 32:37, Jer 33:10–13, Ezr 1:1–6, Dan 9:12, Psa 106:47
- 35Lev 26:19, 1Ki 8:33, Deu 11:17, Rev 11:6, Luk 4:25, 2Sa 24:13, 1Ki 17:1, Jer 14:1–7
- 361Sa 12:23, Psa 27:11, Jer 6:16, Jer 14:22, Psa 25:4–5, 1Ki 18:45, Psa 94:12, 1Ki 18:1
- 37Deu 28:21–22, Lev 26:16, Deu 28:38–42, 2Ch 20:9, 1Ch 21:12, 2Ch 6:28–31, Jol 1:4–7, 2Ki 6:25–29
- 38Psa 73:21–22, Php 4:6, Amo 7:1–6, 1Ki 8:22, Isa 37:15–21, Psa 142:3–5, 2Ch 20:5–13, Psa 42:9
- 391Ch 28:9, Jer 17:10, Act 1:24, 1Sa 16:7, 1Ki 8:32, Psa 11:4–5, Psa 18:20–26, 2Ch 6:30
- 40Psa 130:4, Rev 19:5, Deu 6:2, 1Sa 12:24, Act 10:2, Heb 12:28, Exo 20:20, Hos 3:5
- 411Ki 10:1–2, Isa 56:3–7, Exo 18:8–12, Act 8:27–40, Mat 15:22–28, Mat 8:5, Rut 2:11, Luk 17:18
- 42Deu 3:24, Deu 4:6, Exo 3:19, Jos 2:10–11, Exo 13:14, Psa 86:8–9, Exo 3:13–16, Act 8:27
- 43Psa 102:15, 1Sa 17:46, 2Ki 19:19, Psa 22:27, Isa 11:9, Psa 67:2, Psa 86:9, 2Ch 6:33
- 442Ch 6:34, Psa 78:67–69, 1Ki 8:16, Dan 9:17–19, Psa 132:13–14, 1Sa 15:3, Num 31:1–12, 2Ch 32:20
- 45Gen 18:25, Psa 9:4
- 46Ecc 7:20, Pro 20:9, 1Jn 1:8–10, Rom 3:23, Isa 64:6, Isa 53:6, Psa 130:3, Jas 3:2
- 47Psa 106:6, Ezr 9:6–7, Neh 9:26–30, Neh 1:6–11, Deu 4:29–31, Lev 26:40–45, Deu 30:1–2, 2Ch 33:12–13
- 48Dan 6:10, Deu 4:29, Jer 29:12–14, Neh 1:9, Jon 2:4, 1Sa 7:3–4, Isa 55:6–7, Hos 14:1–2
- 491Ki 8:45, 2Ki 19:19, Zec 1:15–16
- 50Psa 106:46, 2Ch 30:9, Act 7:10, Pro 16:7, Ezr 7:6, Neh 2:4–8, Dan 1:9–10, Neh 1:11
- 51Jer 11:4, Neh 1:10, Deu 4:20, Num 14:13–19, Deu 9:26–29, Exo 32:11–12, Jer 51:19, 1Ki 8:53
- 52Psa 145:18, 1Ki 8:29, Psa 86:5, 2Ch 6:40
- 53Exo 19:5–6, Deu 32:9, Deu 14:2, Deu 33:26–29, 2Co 6:14–18, 1Pe 2:9, Num 23:9, Deu 7:6–8
- 54Luk 22:45, 2Ch 6:12–13, 2Ch 7:1, Psa 95:6, Act 20:36, Luk 11:1, Luk 22:41, Act 21:5
- 551Ki 8:14, 2Sa 6:18, Num 6:23–26, 1Ch 16:2
- 56Jos 23:14–15, Jos 21:44–45, 1Sa 3:19, Luk 21:33, Luk 1:72–73, 2Ki 10:10, Deu 3:20, Deu 12:10
- 57Jos 1:5, Deu 31:6, Deu 31:8, Heb 13:5, Jos 1:9, 1Sa 12:22, Mat 28:20, 1Ch 28:9
- 58Psa 119:36, Ezk 36:26–27, Jer 31:33, Php 2:13, Heb 13:21, Deu 6:1, Deu 4:1, Sng 1:4
- 59Psa 141:2, Jhn 17:9, Jhn 17:20–24, 1Jn 2:2, Deu 33:25, Psa 102:1–2, Luk 11:3
- 60Deu 4:35, 1Ki 18:39, Jer 10:10–12, 2Ki 19:19, Isa 44:8, Isa 45:22, Isa 44:6, Isa 45:5–6
- 611Ki 11:4, 2Ki 20:3, 1Ki 15:14, Deu 18:13, 2Co 7:1, 1Ki 15:3, 1Ch 28:9, Job 1:8
- 622Sa 6:17–19, Ezr 6:16–17, 2Ch 7:4–10
- 63Ezr 6:16–17, 2Ch 15:11, Neh 12:27, 2Ch 29:32–35, 2Ch 2:4, Mic 6:7, 2Ch 7:5, Lev 3:1–17
- 642Ch 4:1, 2Ch 7:7
- 65Num 34:5, 1Ki 8:2, Num 34:8, Jdg 3:3, Jos 13:5, 2Ch 7:8–9, Gen 15:18, 2Ki 14:25
- 66Act 2:46, Zec 9:17, Deu 12:12, Php 4:4, Deu 12:7, Gal 5:22, 1Ki 8:47, Neh 8:10
Parallel passages
1
- Solomon's Prayer of Dedication1Ki 8:22–53, 2Ch 6:12–42
Topics in this chapter
62
Afflictions and Adversities, Altar, Ark, Arm, Backsliders, Benedictions, Blasting, Blessing, Caterpillar, Catholicity, Cattle, Cherubim, Church, Cloud, Covenant, Dedication, Drought, Egypt, Ethanim, Fear, Furnace, God, Government, Hamath, Heart, Heaven, Horeb, Intercession, Iron, Jerusalem, Law, Liberality, Locust, Month, Oath, Offerings, Perfection, Prayer, Protracted Meetings, Rain, Regeneration, Repentance, Salvation, Self-Condemnation, Self-Incrimination, Seven, Sin, Solomon, Spirituality, Symbols and Similitudes, Tabernacle, Table, Temple, Thankfulness, Throne, Walking, Watchfulness, Wisdom, Witness, Worship, Zeal, Religious, Zion