1 Kings 8

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Solomon then summoned the elders of Israel to Jerusalem to bring the ark of the covenant of Yahwehup from the City of David, that is, Zion.	1 At the order of Solomon, the elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes, the princes in the ancestral houses of the Israelites, came to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD'S covenant from the city of David (which is Zion).
2 Al the men of Israel assembled round King Solomon in the month of Ethanim, at the time of the feast(that is, the seventh month).	2 All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival in the month of Ethanim (the seventh month).
3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark	3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark;
4 and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred utensils which were in the Tent.	4 they carried the ark of the LORD and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels that were in the tent. (The priests and Levites carried them.)
5 King Solomon and al Israel, present with him before the ark, sacrificed countless, innumerable sheepand oxen.	5 King Solomon and the entire community of Israel present for the occasion sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen too many to number or count.
6 The priests brought the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, in the Debir of the Temple, that is, inthe Holy of Holies, under the wings of the winged creatures	6 The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple.
7 for the winged creatures spread their wings over the place where the ark stood, forming a canopy overthe ark and its shafts.	7 The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark, sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
8 These were so long, however, that the ends of the shafts could be seen from the Holy Place in front ofthe Debir, though they could not be seen from outside. They are stil there today.	8 The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from that part of the holy place adjoining the sanctuary; however, they could not be seen beyond. (They have remained there to this day.)
9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets which Moses had placed in it at Horeb, thetablets of the covenant which Yahweh made with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.	9 There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites at their departure from the land of Egypt.
10 Now when the priests came out of the Holy Place, the cloud fil ed the Temple of Yahweh,	10 When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
11 and because of the cloud the priests could not stay and perform their duties. For the glory of Yahwehfilled the Temple of Yahweh.	11 so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the LORD'S glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
12 Then Solomon said: Yahweh has chosen to dwel in thick cloud.	12 Then Solomon said, "The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
13 I have built you a princely dwel ing, a residence for you for ever.	13 I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever."
14 The king then turned round and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while the whole assembly ofIsrael stood.	14 The king turned and greeted the whole community of Israel as they stood.
15 He said, 'Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who has carried out by his hand what he promised withhis mouth to my father David, when he said,	15 He said to them: "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own mouth made a promise to my father David and by his hand has brought it to fulfillment. It was he who said,
16 "From the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt I chose no city, in any of the tribes of Israel, tohave a temple built where my name should be; but I did choose David to rule my people Israel."	16 'Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city out of any tribe of Israel for the building of a temple to my honor; but I choose David to rule my people Israel.'
17 My father David had set his heart on building a temple for the name of Yahweh, God of Israel,	17 When my father David wished to build a temple to the honor of the LORD, the God of Israel,
18 but Yahweh said to my father David, "You have set your heart on building a temple for my name, andin this you have done wel ;	18 the LORD said to him, 'In wishing to build a temple to my honor, you do well.
19 and yet, you are not the man to build the temple; but your son, yet to be born to you, wil be the one tobuild the temple for my name."	19 It will not be you, however, who will build the temple; but the son who will spring from you, he shall build the temple to my honor.'
20 Yahweh has kept the promise which he made: I have succeeded my father David and am seated onthe throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised; I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, God of Israel,	20 And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise that he made: I have succeeded my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD foretold, and I have built this temple to honor the LORD, the God of Israel.
21 and in it I have made a place for the ark containing the covenant of Yahweh which he made with ourancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.'	21 I have provided in it a place for the ark in which is the covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."
22 Then, in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, Solomon stood facing the altar of Yahweh and,stretching out his hands towards heaven,	22 Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of the whole community of Israel, and stretching forth his hands toward heaven,
23 said, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, as loyal tothe covenant and faithful in love to your servants as long as they walk wholeheartedly in your way.	23 he said, "LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of kindness with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart.
24 You have kept the promise you made to your servant, my father David, as you promised him youwould. Today you have carried it out by your power.	24 You have kept the promise you made to my father David, your servant. You who spoke that promise, have this day, by your own power, brought it to fulfillment.
25 And now, Yahweh, God of Israel, keep the promise which you made to your servant David when yousaid, "You wil never lack for a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your sons are carefulhow they behave, walking before me as you yourself have done."	25 Now, therefore, LORD, God of Israel, keep the further promise you made to my father David, your servant, saying, 'You shall always have someone from your line to sit before me on the throne of Israel, provided only that your descendants look to their conduct so that they live in my presence, as you have lived in my presence.'
26 So now, God of Israel, let the words come true which you spoke to your servant, my father David.	26 Now, LORD, God of Israel, may this promise which you made to my father David, your servant, be confirmed.
27 Yet wil God real y live with human beings on earth? Why, the heavens, the highest of the heavens,cannot contain you. How much less this temple built by me!	27 "Can it indeed be that God dwells among men on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!
28 Even so, listen favourably to the prayer and entreaty of your servant, Yahweh my God; listen to the cryand to the prayer which your servant makes to you today:	28 Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O LORD, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant, utter before you this day.
29 day and night may your eyes watch over this temple, over this place of which you have said, "My namewil be there." Listen to the prayer which your servant offers in this place.	29 May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored; may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place.
30 'Listen to the entreaty of your servant and of your people Israel; whenever they pray in this place, listenfrom the place where you reside in heaven; and when you hear, forgive.	30 Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel which they offer in this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.
31 'If someone has wronged his neighbour and a curse is laid on him to make him swear an oath herebefore your altar in this Temple,	31 "If a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath sanctioned by a curse, when he comes and takes the oath before your altar in this temple,
32 then listen from the place where you reside in heaven and do justice between your servants:condemning the guilty one by making him suffer for his conduct, and acquitting the upright by rewarding him ashis uprightness deserves.	32 listen in heaven; take action and pass judgment on your servants. Condemn the wicked and punish him for his conduct, but acquit the just and establish his innocence.
33 'When your people Israel are defeated by the enemy because they have sinned against you, but thenreturn to you and acknowledge your name, and pray and seek your favours in this Temple,	33 "If your people Israel sin against you and are defeated by an enemy, and if then they return to you, praise your name, pray to you, and entreat you in this temple,
34 then listen from the place where you reside in heaven; forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bringthem back to the country which you gave to their ancestors.	34 listen in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave their fathers.
35 'When the heavens are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray inthis place and praise your name and, having been humbled by you, desist from their sin,	35 "If the sky is closed, so that there is no rain, because they have sinned against you and you afflict them, and if then they repent of their sin, and pray, and praise your name in this place,
36 then listen from the place where you reside in heaven and forgive the sin of your servant and yourpeople Israel -- for you are constantly showing them the good way which they must fol ow -- and send rain onyour country, which you have given to your people as their heritage.	36 listen in heaven and forgive the sin of your servant and of your people Israel, teaching them the right way to live and sending rain upon this land of yours which you have given to your people as their heritage.
37 'Should there be famine in the country, or pestilence, wind-blast or mildew, locust or caterpil ar; shouldtheir enemy lay siege to one of their gates; should there be any plague or any disease:	37 "If there is famine in the land or pestilence; or if blight comes, or mildew, or a locust swarm, or devouring insects; if an enemy of your people besieges them in one of their cities; whatever plague or sickness there may be,
38 whatever be the prayer or entreaty of any individual aware of a particular affliction: when that personstretches out the hands towards this Temple,	38 if then any one (of your entire people Israel) has remorse of conscience and offers some prayer or petition, stretching out his hands toward this temple,
39 then listen from heaven where you reside; forgive and, since you know what is in the heart, deal witheach as their conduct deserves -- for you alone know what is in every human heart-	39 listen from your heavenly dwelling place and forgive. You who alone know the hearts of all men, render to each one of them according to his conduct; knowing their hearts, so treat them
40 so that they may reverence you throughout their lives in the country which you gave to our ancestors.	40 that they may fear you as long as they live on the land you gave our fathers.
41 'Even the foreigner, not belonging to your people Israel but coming from a distant country, attracted byyour name-	41 "To the foreigner, likewise, who is not of your people Israel, but comes from a distant land to honor you
42 for they too wil hear of your name, of your mighty hand and outstretched arm -- if a foreigner comesand prays in this Temple,	42 (since men will learn of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple,
43 listen from heaven where you reside, and grant al that the foreigner asks of you, so that al the peoplesof the earth may acknowledge your name and, like your people Israel, revere you and know that this Temple,which I have built, bears your name.	43 listen from your heavenly dwelling. Do all that the foreigner asks of you, that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, may fear you as do your people Israel, and may acknowledge that this temple which I have built is dedicated to your honor.
44 'If your people go out to war against the enemy, on whatever missions you send them, and they pray toYahweh, turning towards the city which you have chosen and towards the Temple which I have built for yourname,	44 "Whatever the direction in which you may send your people forth to war against their enemies, if they pray to you, O LORD, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built in your honor,
45 then listen from heaven to their prayer and their entreaty, and uphold their cause.	45 listen in heaven to their prayer and petition, and defend their cause.
46 'When they sin against you -- for there is no one who does not sin -- and you are angry with them andabandon them to the enemy, and their captors carry them off to a hostile country, be it far away or near,	46 "When they sin against you (for there is no man who does not sin), and in your anger against them you deliver them to the enemy, so that their captors deport them to a hostile land, far or near,
47 if they come to their senses in the country to which they have been taken as captives and repent andentreat you in the country of their captors, saying, "We have sinned, we have acted perversely and wickedly,"	47 may they repent in the land of their captivity and be converted. If then they entreat you in the land of their captors and say, 'We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked';
48 and turn back to you with al their heart and soul in the country of the enemies who have taken themcaptive, and pray to you, turning towards the country which you gave to their ancestors, towards the city whichyou have chosen and towards the Temple which I have built for your name,	48 if with their whole heart and soul they turn back to you in the land of the enemies who took them captive, pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, the city you have chosen, and the temple I have built in your honor,
49 listen to their prayer and their entreaty from the place where you reside in heaven, uphold their case,	49 listen from your heavenly dwelling.
50 forgive your people for having sinned against you and for al the crimes against you of which they havebeen guilty, and allow them to arouse the pity of their captors so that these may have pity on them:	50 Forgive your people their sins and all the offenses they have committed against you, and grant them mercy before their captors, so that these will be merciful to them.
51 for they are your people and your heritage whom you brought out of Egypt, that iron foundry!	51 For they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of an iron furnace.
52 'May your eyes be open to the entreaty of your servant and the entreaty of your people Israel, to listento them, whatever they ask of you.	52 "Thus may your eyes be open to the petition of your servant and to the petition of your people Israel. Hear them whenever they call upon you,
53 For you it was who set them apart from al the peoples of the earth to be your heritage, as you declaredthrough your servant Moses when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh.'	53 because you have set them apart among all the peoples of the earth for your inheritance, as you declared through your servant Moses when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD."
54 When Solomon had finished offering to Yahweh this whole prayer and entreaty, he rose from where hewas kneeling with hands stretched out towards heaven before the altar of Yahweh,	54 When Solomon finished offering this entire prayer of petition to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands outstretched toward heaven.
55 and stood upright. And in a loud voice he blessed the whole assembly of Israel.	55 He stood and blessed the whole community of Israel, saying in a loud voice:
56 'Blessed be Yahweh,' he said, 'who has granted rest to his people Israel, keeping al his promises. Ofal the promises of good that he made through his servant Moses, not one has failed.	56 "Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not a single word has gone unfulfilled of the entire generous promise he made through his servant Moses.
57 May Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors; may he never desert us or cast us off.	57 May the LORD, our God, be with us as he was with our fathers and may he not forsake us nor cast us off.
58 May he turn our hearts towards him so that we may fol ow al his ways and keep the commandmentsand laws and ordinances which he gave to our ancestors.	58 May he draw our hearts to himself, that we may follow him in everything and keep the commands, statutes, and ordinances which he enjoined on our fathers.
59 May these words of mine, of my entreaty before Yahweh, be present with Yahweh our God day andnight, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of Israel his people, as each day requires,	59 May this prayer I have offered to the LORD, our God, be present to him day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and of his people Israel as each day requires,
60 so that al the peoples of the earth may come to know that Yahweh is God indeed and that there is noother.	60 that all the peoples of the earth may know the LORD is God and there is no other.
61 May your hearts be wholly with Yahweh our God, fol owing his laws and keeping his commandmentsas at this present day.'	61 You must be wholly devoted to the LORD, our God, observing his statutes and keeping his commandments, as on this day."
62 The king and al Israel with him offered sacrifice before Yahweh.	62 The king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD.
63 Solomon offered a communion sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twentythousand sheep to Yahweh; and thus the king and all the Israelites dedicated the Temple of Yahweh.	63 Solomon offered as peace offerings to the LORD twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. Thus the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD.
64 On the same day the king consecrated the middle part of the court in front of the Temple of Yahweh;for that was where he presented the burnt offerings, oblations and fatty parts of the communion sacrifices, since the bronze altar which stood before Yahweh was too smal to hold the burnt offering, oblation and the fatty partsof the communion sacrifice.	64 On that day the king consecrated the middle of the court facing the temple of the LORD; he offered there the holocausts, the cereal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold these offerings.
65 And then Solomon and with him all Israel from the Pass of Hamath to the Torrent of Egypt -- a greatassembly -- celebrated the feast before Yahweh our God for seven days.	65 On this occasion Solomon and all the Israelites, who had assembled in large numbers from Labo of Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt, celebrated the festival before the LORD, our God, for seven days.
66 On the eighth day he dismissed the people, who bade farewel to the king and went home joyful andhappy of heart over al the goodness which Yahweh had shown to his servant and his people Israel.	66 On the eighth day he dismissed the people, who bade the king farewell and went to their homes, rejoicing and happy over all the blessings the LORD had given to his servant David and to his people Israel.