(KJV) 1 Kings 8¹

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⥃The Ark Enters the Temple ^{[ 2 Chronicles 5:1–14 ]}

[1] Then Solomon² assembled³ the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers⁴ of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring⁵ up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city⁶ of David, which [is] Zion.⁷ [2] And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast⁸ in the month Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month. [3] And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up⁹ the ark. [4] And the¹⁰y brought up the ark of the Lord, and the tabernacle¹¹ of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that [were] in the tabernacle, even those 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 sheep¹² and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude. [6] And the priests¹³ brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place¹⁴, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy [place], [even] under the wings¹⁵ of the cherubims. [7] For the cherubims spread forth [their] two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. [8] And they drew out the staves¹⁶, that the ends¹⁷ of the staves were seen out in the holy [place¹⁸] before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day¹⁹. [9] [There was] nothing²⁰ in the ark²¹ save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb²², when²³ 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 because of the cloud: for the glory²⁴ of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord.

⥃Solomon Blesses the LORD ^{[ 2 Chronicles 6:1–11 ]}

[12] Then spake Solomon, The Lord²⁵ said that he would dwell in the thick²⁶ darkness. [13] I have surely built²⁷ thee an house to dwell in, a settled²⁸ place for thee to abide in for ever. [14] And the king turned his face about, and blessed all²⁹ the congregation³⁰ of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;) [15] And he said, Blessed³¹ [be] the Lord God of Israel, which spake³² with his mouth unto David my father, and hath³³ with his hand fulfilled [it], saying, [16] Since³⁴ the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose³⁵ no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name³⁶ might be therein; but I chose David³⁷ to be over my people Israel. [17] And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.³⁸ [18] And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas³⁹ it was in thine heart to build an house unto 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 unto my name.⁴⁰ [20] And the Lord hath performed⁴¹ his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord⁴² promised, and have built an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. [21] And I have⁴³ set there a place for the ark, wherein [is] the covenant⁴⁴ of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

⥃Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication ^{[ 2 Chronicles 6:12–42 ]}

[22] And Solomon stood before the altar⁴⁵ of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth⁴⁶ his hands toward heaven:⁴⁷ [23] And he said, Lord God⁴⁸ of Israel, [there is] no God⁴⁹ like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest⁵⁰ covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before⁵¹ thee with all their heart: [24] Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest⁵² also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled [it] with thine hand, as [it is] this day. [25] Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy⁵³ servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not⁵⁴ fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; so that⁵⁵ thy children⁵⁶ take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. [26] And now⁵⁷, O God of Israel, let thy word⁵⁸, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father. [27] But will⁵⁹ God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven⁶⁰ and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded? [28] Yet have thou⁶¹ respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken⁶² unto the cry and to the prayer, which thy servant prayeth before thee to day: [29] That thine⁶³ eyes may be open toward this house night and day, [even] toward the place of which thou hast said, My name⁶⁴ shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place⁶⁵. [30] And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall⁶⁶ pray toward this place⁶⁷: and hear⁶⁸ thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive⁶⁹.

[31] [¶]If any man⁷⁰ trespass⁷¹ against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him⁷² to cause him to swear, and the oath⁷³ come before thine altar in this house: [32] Then hear thou⁷⁴ in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning⁷⁵ the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying⁷⁶ the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

[33] [¶]When thy people Israel be smitten down⁷⁷ before the enemy, because they have⁷⁸ sinned against thee, and shall turn again⁷⁹ to thee, and confess thy name, and pray⁸⁰, and make supplication unto thee in⁸¹ this house: [34] Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin⁸² of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest⁸³ unto their fathers.

[35] [¶]When heaven⁸⁴ is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray⁸⁵ toward this place, and confess⁸⁶ thy name, and turn⁸⁷ from their sin, when thou afflictest them: [36] Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach⁸⁸ them the good way⁸⁹ wherein they should walk, and give rain⁹⁰ upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

[37] [¶]If there be in the land famine⁹¹, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, [or] if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities⁹²; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness [there be]; [38] What prayer⁹³ and supplication soever be [made] by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague⁹⁴ of his own heart, and spread forth⁹⁵ his hands toward this house: [39] Then hear⁹⁶ thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man⁹⁷ according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou⁹⁸, [even] thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) [40] That they may fear thee⁹⁹ all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. [41] Moreover concerning a stranger¹⁰⁰, that [is] not of thy people Israel, but cometh out¹⁰¹ of a far country for thy name’s sake; [42] (For they shall¹⁰² hear of thy great name¹⁰³, and of thy strong hand¹⁰⁴, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall¹⁰⁵ 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 people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee¹⁰⁶, as [do] thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house¹⁰⁷, which I have builded, is called by thy name.¹⁰⁸

[44] [¶]If thy people go out to battle¹⁰⁹ against their enemy, whithersoever¹¹⁰ thou shalt send them, and shall pray¹¹¹ unto the Lord toward the city¹¹² which thou hast chosen, and [toward] the house that I have built for thy name: [45] Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause¹¹³. [46] If they sin¹¹⁴ against thee, (for [there is] no man¹¹⁵ that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land¹¹⁶ of the enemy, far or near; [47] [Yet] if they¹¹⁷ shall bethink themselves¹¹⁸ in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying¹¹⁹, We have sinned, and have done perversely¹²⁰, we have committed wickedness; [48] And [so] return¹²¹ unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto¹²² thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city¹²³ which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: [49] Then hear¹²⁴ thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause¹²⁵, [50] And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them¹²⁶ compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: [51] For they [be] thy people¹²⁷, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace¹²⁸ of iron: [52] That thine¹²⁹ eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that¹³⁰ they call for unto thee. [53] For thou didst separate¹³¹ them from among all the people of the earth, [to be] thine inheritance¹³², as thou¹³³ spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.

⥃Solomon’s Benediction

[54] And it was [so], that when Solomon¹³⁴ had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling¹³⁵ on his knees with his hands¹³⁶ spread up to heaven. [55] And he stood, and blessed¹³⁷ all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, [56] Blessed [be¹³⁸] the Lord, that hath given rest¹³⁹ unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there¹⁴⁰ hath not failed¹⁴¹ 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:¹⁴² [58] That he may incline¹⁴³ our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments¹⁴⁴, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. [59] And let these my words¹⁴⁵, wherewith I have made supplication before the Lord, be nigh¹⁴⁶ 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 times¹⁴⁷, as the matter¹⁴⁸ shall require: [60] That all¹⁴⁹ the people of the earth may know that the Lord¹⁵⁰ [is] God, [and that there is] none else. [61] Let your heart therefore be perfect¹⁵¹ with the Lord our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

⥃Sacrifices of Dedication ^{[ 2 Chronicles 7:4–10 ]}

[62] And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord.¹⁵² [63] And Solomon offered a sacrifice¹⁵³ of peace offerings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty¹⁵⁴ thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated¹⁵⁵ the house of the Lord. [64] The same day did the king hallow¹⁵⁶ the middle of the court that [was] before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because the brasen¹⁵⁷ altar that [was] before the Lord [was] too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings. [65] And at that time Solomon held¹⁵⁸ a feast, and all Israel with him, a great¹⁵⁹ congregation, from the entering¹⁶⁰ in of Hamath unto the river¹⁶¹ of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days¹⁶² and seven days, [even] fourteen days. [66] On the eighth day¹⁶³ he sent the people away: and they blessed¹⁶⁴ the king, and went unto their tents joyful¹⁶⁵ and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

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