1 Kings

1 Kings 8

1The feast of the dedication of the temple; the ark is brought into the holy place. 10A cloud filleth the house. 12Solomon blesseth God for the performance of his word to David. 22His prayer. 31, 33, 35, 37, 41, 44The special petitions contained in it. 54He again blesseth God, and the people. 62His sacrifice of peace offerings. 65After the feast the people go joyful home.


1THEN Solomon aassembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the 1chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bbring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

1Heb. princes. Nu. 1.16.

a 1Ch. 15.3. 2Ch. 5.2-10; 30.1. b ch. 3.15. Nu. 10.33. 2Sa. 5.7,9; 6.12,16,17. 1Ch. 13.3; 15.3.

2And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the cfeast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

c Le. 23.34. De. 16.13. 2Ch. 7.8-10.

3And all the delders of Israel came, and ethe priests ftook up the ark.

d 2Ch. 5.4. 2Sa. 6.1-19. 1Ch. 15; 16. e Nu. 4.15. Jos. 3.3,6. 2Ch. 5.4,5. f 1Ch. 15.2,14. Jos. 3.15; 6.4.

4And they brought up the gark of the LORD, and the htabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.

g Ex. 37.1-5. 2Sa. 6.17. h Ex. 26; 27; 36; 40. Nu. 3; 4.

5And iking 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.

i 2Sa. 6.13. 1Ch. 16.1. 2Ch. 5.6. v.62,63. ch. 3.4,15.

6And jthe priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into kthe oracle of the house, to the most holy place , even lunder the wings of the cherubims.

j 2Ch. 5.7. ch. 6.17,19. Ex. 26.33,34; 40.3,20,21. v.21. k ch. 6.5. l ch. 6.27.

7For the mcherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the *staves thereof above.

*staves-poles, staffs.

m Ex. 25.15,20; 37.5,9. ch. 6.23-27.

8And they ndrew out the *staves, that the 2ends of the staves were seen out in the 3holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen *without: and there they are unto this day.

*staves-poles, staffs.

2Heb. heads.

3Or, ark, as 2Ch. 5.9.

*without-outside.

n Ex. 25.14,15. Nu. 4.6.

9There was onothing in the ark *save the two *tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, 4when pthe LORD made a cov enant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

*save-except.

*tables-writing tablets.

4Or, where the.

o 2Ch. 5.10. Ex. 25.21; 40.20; 16.33. He. 9.4. De. 10.5. Nu. 17.10. p Ex. 34.27. De. 4.13.

10And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place , that qthe cloud filled the house of the LORD,

q Ex. 40.34,35; 16.10; 24.15,16. Le. 16.2. Nu. 9.15. 2Co. 5.19; 3.18. Col. 1.19. 1Co. 13.12. 2Ch. 5.11-14.

11So that the rpriests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

r Ex. 40.35. Le. 9.23. Eze. 10.4. 2Ch. 5.14. Re. 15.8.

12¶Then spake Solomon, The LORD ssaid that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

s 2Ch. 6.1. Ex. 13.21,22; 24.16; 40.35. De. 4.11; 5.22. Ps. 18.11,12; 97.2.

13I have tsurely built thee an house to dwell in, a usettled place for thee to abide in for ever.

t 2Ch. 6.2. 2Sa. 7.13. Ps. 102.13,14. u Ex. 15.17.

14And the king turned his face about, and vblessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)

v Jos. 22.6. 1Ch. 16.2. Nu. 6.23-26. Ps. 118.26. v.55,56. 2Sa. 6.18.

15And he said, wBlessed be the LORD God of Israel, xwhich spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand yfulfilled it , saying,

w 1Ch. 29.10-13. Ps. 115.17; 72.18,19. Lu. 1.68,70. 1Ti. 1.17. x 2Sa. 7.5,6,25. y Jos. 23.14. Is. 38.15.

16Since zthe 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 amy name might be therein; but bI chose David to be over my people Israel.

z 2Ch. 6.5,6. 2Sa. 7.6-8. De. 12.11. Ps. 132.13,14. 1Ch. 17.5,6. a v.29. b 1Sa. 13.14; 15.28; 16.1-13. Ps. 89.20; 78.70. 2Sa. 7.25,27. Ac. 13.22.

17And cit was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

c 2Sa. 7.2,3. 1Ch. 17.1,2; 22.7; 28.2. Ac. 7.46.

18And the LORD dsaid 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.

d 2Sa. 7.4,11. 2Co. 8.12. 2Ch. 6.8.

19Nevertheless thou eshalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.

e ch. 5.3-5. 2Sa. 7.5,12,13. 1Ch. 22.8-10; 17.12; 28.6,10,20.

20And the LORD fhath performed 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 LORD promised, and have built an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

*room-place.

f ch. 2; 5-8. 2Sa. 7.12,13. 1Ch. 17.11,12; 28.5,6,20.

21And gI have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the hcovenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

g v.5,6. h Ex. 20. De. 5; 31.26. v.9.

22¶And Solomon istood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:

i 2Ch. 6.12,13. 2Ki. 11.14; 23.3. Is. 1.15. Job 11.13. Ps. 63.4. 1Ti. 2.8. v.54. Ex. 9.33. Ezr. 9.5.

23And he said, jLORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who kkeepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that lwalk before thee with all their heart:

j Ex. 15.11. Ps. 35.10; 86.8-10; 89.6-8. 1Ch. 29.10-13. De. 4.39. 2Sa. 7.22. k Ne. 1.5; 9.32. Ps. 89.2-4,28,33,34. Da. 9.4. Ex. 20.6. De. 7.9,12. l ch. 2.4; 6.12. Ge. 17.1. 2Ki. 20.3. De. 10.12. Lu. 1.6. 2Co. 1.12.

24Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast mfulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

m Ex. 20.6. 2Sa. 7.12. Is. 46.3,4. v.15.

25Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him, saying, 5There shall nnot fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel; 6so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me.

5Heb. There shall not be cut off unto thee a man from my sight, ch. 6.12. 2Sa. 7.12,16.

6Heb. only if.

n 2Sa. 7.12. ch. 2.4. Ps. 132.12. Je. 33.20-26. Lu. 1.32,33.

26And now, O God of Israel, olet thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father.

o 2Sa. 7.28,29. 2Ch. 1.9. Eze. 36.36,37. 1Ch. 17.23-27. Je. 11.5.

27But pwill God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

p Ps. 113.4. Je. 23.24. Is. 66.1. Ac. 7.49; 17.24. 2Ch. 2.6; 6.18. De. 10.14. Job 11.7,8. 2Co. 12.2.

28Yet have qthou 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 to day:

q Ep. 6.18. Phi. 4.6. 1Ti. 2.1. Da. 9.17-19. Ps. 4.1; 5.1; 141.2; 130.1,2.

29That rthine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, sMy name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make 7toward this place.

7Or, in this place, Da. 6.10.

r 2Ch. 6.40. Ps. 33.18; 34.15; 132.13,14. ch. 9.3. s De. 12.11. Da. 6.10. Jn. 14.13,14. v.16.

30And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray 8toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy tdwelling place: and when thou hearest, uforgive.

8Or, in this place.

t Ps. 113.5; 123.1. Is. 66.1. Mat. 6.9. u Mat. 6.11. Ps. 85.1,2.

31¶If vany man *trespass against his neighbour, 9and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:

*trespass-sin, transgress.

9Heb. and he require an oath of him.

v 2Ch. 6.22. Nu. 5.16-22. Ex. 22.8-11. De. 29.12. Ne. 10.29.

32Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and wjudge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

w Ps. 43.1; 7.8. De. 25.1. 2Ch. 6.23.

33¶When thy people Israel be xsmitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall yturn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee 10in this house:

10Or, toward.

x Le. 26.14,16,17,25. De. 28.25. y Le. 26.39,40. De. 4.29-31; 30.2,3. Jonah 3.10. 1Sa. 7.3. Jos. 7.19.

34Then hear thou in heaven, and zforgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou agavest unto their fathers.

z 2Ch. 6.25. Ps. 99.8; 25.11; 30.4,7,8; 79.8-12; 106.45,46. a Ge. 13.15; 12.7. Ex. 6.8; 3.8. Jos. 21.43.

35¶When bheaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; cif they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:

b 2Ch. 6.26. Le. 26.19. De. 11.17; 28.11,12,23. Mal. 3.10. Je. 14.1-6. Joel 1. Hag. 1.10,11. c v.33.

36Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that dthou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.

d 1Sa. 12.23. Is. 35.8. Ps. 27.11; 32.8; 86.11; 94.12. 2Pe. 1.21. ch. 18.39-45. Joel 2.12-23. Eze. 34.25,26. Ho. 2.21,22.

37¶If there be in the land efamine, if there be pestilence, *blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their 11cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be ;

*blasting-a plant disease which causes foliage death.

11Or, jurisdiction.

e 2Ch. 6.28. Le. 26.16,25,26. De. 28.21-42. 2Sa. 14.15. Ge. 41.6. Ex. 10.4,5. Ps. 105.34,35. Joel 1; 2.1-11. Hag. 2.17. Ju. 2.14,15. 2Ch. 20.9.

38What fprayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man gthe plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:

f Ja. 5.16-18. Eze. 22.30. Ps. 50.15; 91.15. g Ro. 8.7,8; 7.14,24. Job 40.4; 42.6. Je. 31.19. Pr. 30.2. Ps. 73.22.

39Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and hgive to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even ithou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)

h Ps. 18.20-28; 11.4-7. Is. 3.10,11. Ro. 2.7,10. Je. 17.10. i 2Ch. 6.30. 1Sa. 16.7. 1Ch. 28.9; 29.17. Pr. 17.3. Re. 2.23. Ac. 1.24. Je. 17.10; 20.12; 11.20. Jn. 2.25. He. 4.13.

40That they may jfear thee kall the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

j Ps. 130.4. Je. 32.39,40. De. 6.2,13. k De. 12.1.

41 Moreover concerning la stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but mcometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;

l Ex. 12.49. Nu. 15.15,29. 2Ch. 6.32. Ru. 2.11. Is. 56.6. Mat. 2.1; 12.42. m Ex. 18.12. Ac. 8.27.

42(For they shall nhear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house;

n Jos. 2.10. De. 4.6; 3.24. Ps. 136.12. 2Ki. 17.36. Je. 32.17.

43Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that oall people of the earth may know thy name, to pfear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that 12this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

12Heb. thy name is called upon this house.

o Ps. 67.2; 72.10,19. Re. 11.15. Is. 11.9. Jos. 4.24. p Ps. 102.15,16.

44¶If thy people qgo out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD 13toward the city rwhich thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:

13Heb. the way of the city.

q 2Ch. 6.34; 14.11; 20.3-14. r Ps. 78.67,69; 132.13,14.

45Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their 14cause.

14Or, right.

46If they sin against thee, (sfor 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 captives tunto the land of the enemy, far or near;

s 2Ch. 6.36. Ec. 7.20. 1Jn. 1.8,10. Pr. 20.9. Ja. 3.2. t Le. 26.34,44. De. 28.36,64.

47Yet if they shall 15bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, uWe have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;

15Heb. bring back to their heart. Le. 26.40. De. 4.29-31; 30.2,3. 2Ch. 32.12,13. Da. 6.10; 9. 1Ti. 2.8. Pr. 28.3. 1Jn. 1.9. 2Sa. 12.13. Ps. 32.5. Ezr. 9.6. Ne. 9.26. Lu. 15.18.

u Ne. 1.6. Ps. 106.6.

48And so vreturn unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee wtoward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

v De. 30.1,2. Ne. 1.9. ch. 2.4. Je. 29.12-14. Da. 6.12. w Da. 6.10.

49Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and xmaintain their 16cause,

16Or, right.

x v.45. Is. 10.6,7. Zec. 1.15.

50And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and ygive them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

y Ps. 106.46. Da. 1.9,10. Ezr. 7.6; 9.8,9. Ne. 2.8. Es. 2.9,17; 6.10. Je. 24.5-7.

51For zthey be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the afurnace of iron:

z Ex. 19.5,6; 32.11,12. Ne. 1.10. Is. 64.9; 63.18. De. 9.29. a De. 4.20. Je. 11.4. Ex. 1.11,14; 13.14. Ps. 68.13; 81.6.

52That bthine 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.

b v.29,30. 2Ch. 6.40.

53For thou didst cseparate them from among all the people 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.

c Ex. 19.5,6; 33.16. De. 4.31-37; 7.6,8; 32.9; 26.18; 28.9; 9.26,29; 14.2. Tit. 2.14. 1Pe. 2.9.

54And 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 dkneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

d Lu. 22.41. Ep. 3.14. Ps. 95.6. 2Ch. 6.13.

55And he stood, and eblessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

e v.14. 2Ch. 16.2. Nu. 6.23-26. Ps. 118.26.

56Blessed be the LORD, that hath fgiven rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not 17failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

17Heb. fallen. Jos. 21.45; 23.14,15. Lu. 1.68-70. 2Ki. 10.10. De. 12.10-12. He. 10.23. Tit. 1.2.

f Jos. 21.44. 2Ch. 14.6. He. 4.3,9. Re. 3.21.

57The gLORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:

g De. 31.6,8. Jos. 1.5. 1Ch. 28.20. 2Ch. 32.7,8. Is. 41.10; 46.3,4. Ro. 8.31. He. 13.5.

58That he may hincline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, iwhich he commanded our fathers.

h Ps. 119.36; 110.3. Je. 10.23. 2Co. 3.5; 5.14. Ca. 1.4. Ho. 2.14. i Ge. 17.1. De. 4.1; 6.1. Jos. 24.14. 1Sa. 7.3; 12.24. Ps. 147.19,20.

59And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, jbe 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, 18as the matter shall require:

18Heb. the thing of a day in his day.

j Mal. 3.16. Ps. 65.2; 18.6; 102.1,2; 116.2; 118.5; 130.2; 141.2. He. 7.25.

60That kall the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.

k v.43. De. 4.35,39. Ps. 67.2. Is. 45.22; 44.6,8,23. Jos. 4.24. 1Sa. 17.46.

61Let your heart therefore be lperfect with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day.

l 1Ch. 28.9; 29.19. De. 10.12. ch. 2.2,3; 11.4; 15.3,14. 2Ki. 20.3. Ge. 17.1. Phi. 2.12-15; 3.12-17; 4.8.

62¶And mthe king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.

m 2Ch. 7.4. 2Sa. 6.17. 1Ch. 16.1.

63And Solomon offered a nsacrifice 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.

n Le. 3. 1Ch. 29.21. 2Ch. 15.11; 29.32; 30.24; 35.7-9. Ezr. 6.16,17. Mi. 6.7.

64oThe 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 meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings: because pthe brasen altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.

o 2Ch. 7.7. p 2Ch. 4.1.

65And at that time Solomon qheld a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, rfrom the entering in of Hamath unto sthe river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, tseven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

q ch. 3.15. 1Ch. 16.1. v.2. 2Ch. 7.9. Le. 23.34. r ch. 4.21,24,25. Nu. 34.8. Ge. 15.18. Ex. 23.31. Am. 6.14. Jos. 13.5. Ju. 3.3. 2Ki. 14.25. s 2Ki. 24.7. t 2Ch. 7.8-10.

66On uthe eighth day he sent the people away: and they 19blessed the king, and went unto their vtents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people.

19Or, thanked. 2Sa. 14.22.

u 2Ch. 7.8-10. Le. 23.34. 1Ch. 15.26. ch. 1.47; 3.6. v 2Sa. 18.17.