¶ Then said Solomon, The LORD¹ hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

But I have built² an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

And the king turned his face³, and blessed⁴ the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation⁵ of Israel stood.

And he said, Blessed⁶ be the LORD God of Israel, who hath with⁷ his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying,

Since the day⁸ that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name⁹ might be there; neither chose¹⁰ I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

But I have chosen Jerusalem¹¹, that my name might be there; and have chosen David¹² to be over my people Israel.

¹³Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well¹⁴ in that it was in thine heart:

Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son¹⁵ which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.

¶ The LORD therefore hath performed his word¹⁶ that he hath spoken: for I am risen¹⁷ up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD¹⁸ promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

And in it have I put the ark¹⁹, wherein is the covenant²⁰ of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.

¶ And he stood²¹ before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth²² his hands:

For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold²³, of five cubits long²⁴, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down²⁵ upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

And said, O LORD God²⁶ of Israel, there is no God²⁷ like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant²⁸, and shewest mercy²⁹ unto thy servants, that walk before³⁰ thee with all their hearts:

Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest³¹ with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled³² it with thine hand, as it is this day.

Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep³³ with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying³⁴, There shall not fail thee a man³⁵ in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

Now then, O LORD³⁶ God of Israel, let thy³⁷ word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.

But will³⁸ God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven³⁹ and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much⁴⁰ less this house which I have built!

Have respect⁴¹ therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken⁴² unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

¶ That thine eyes⁴³ may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name⁴⁴ there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place⁴⁵.

Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make⁴⁶ toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive⁴⁷.

If a man sin⁴⁸ against his neighbour, and an oath⁴⁹ be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath⁵⁰ come before thine altar in this house;

Then hear thou from heaven⁵¹, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting⁵² the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying⁵³ the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

And if thy people Israel be put to the worse⁵⁴ before the enemy, because⁵⁵ they have sinned against thee; and shall return⁵⁶ and confess thy name, and pray⁵⁷ and make supplication before thee in⁵⁸ this house;

Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin⁵⁹ of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou⁶⁰ gavest to them and to their fathers.

When the heaven⁶¹ is shut up, and there is no rain⁶², because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray⁶³ toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn⁶⁴ from their sin, when thou dost⁶⁵ afflict them;

Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast⁶⁶ taught them the good way⁶⁷, wherein they should walk; and send rain⁶⁸ upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

If there be dearth⁶⁹ in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts⁷⁰, or caterpillers; if their enemies⁷¹ besiege them in the cities of their land⁷²; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:

Then what prayer⁷³ or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know⁷⁴ his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth⁷⁵ his hands in⁷⁶ this house:

¶ Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render⁷⁷ unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only⁷⁸ knowest the hearts of the children of men:)

That they may fear thee,⁷⁹ to walk in thy ways, so long⁸⁰ as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

Moreover concerning the stranger⁸¹, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come⁸² from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty⁸³ hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come⁸⁴ and pray in this house;

Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people⁸⁵ of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee,⁸⁶ as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house⁸⁷ which I have built is called by thy name.

If thy people⁸⁸ go out to war against their enemies by the way⁸⁹ that thou shalt send them, and they pray⁹⁰ unto thee toward⁹¹ this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;

Then hear thou⁹² from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain⁹³ their cause⁹⁴.

If they sin⁹⁵ against thee, (for there is no man⁹⁶ which sinneth not,) and thou be angry⁹⁷ with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives⁹⁸ unto a land far off or near;

Yet if⁹⁹ they bethink themselves¹⁰⁰ in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

If they return¹⁰¹ to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward¹⁰² their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city¹⁰³ which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause¹⁰⁴, and forgive¹⁰⁵ thy people which have sinned against thee.

¶ Now, my God¹⁰⁶, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes¹⁰⁷ be open, and let thine ears¹⁰⁸ be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place¹⁰⁹.

Now therefore arise¹¹⁰, O LORD God, into thy resting¹¹¹ place, thou, and the ark¹¹² of thy strength: let thy priests¹¹³, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints¹¹⁴ rejoice in goodness.

O LORD God, turn not¹¹⁵ away the face of thine anointed¹¹⁷: remember¹¹⁸ the mercies¹¹⁹ of David thy servant.