Chapter 6

Then said¹ Solomon, The LORD hath said¹ that he would dwell² in the thick darkness.

But I have built¹ an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling² for ever.

And the king turned⁵⁵ his face, and blessed¹⁷ the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.⁶

And he said,⁴ Blessed⁷ [be] the LORD God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled¹⁴ [that] which he spake¹⁴ with his mouth to my father David, saying,²

Since the day that I brought forth⁵² my people out of the land of Egypt I chose¹ no city among all the tribes of Israel to build² an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose¹ I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

But I have chosen⁴ Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen⁴ David to be over my people Israel.

Now it was in the heart of David my father to build² an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

But the LORD said⁴ to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build² an house for my name, thou didst well⁵² in that it was in thine heart:

Notwithstanding thou shalt not build⁴ the house; but thy son which shall come forth⁶ out of thy loins, he shall build⁴ the house for my name.

The LORD therefore hath performed⁵⁵ his word that he hath spoken:¹⁴ for I am risen up⁴ in the room of David my father, and am set⁴ on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised,¹⁴ and have built⁴ the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

And in it have I put⁴ the ark, wherein [is] the covenant of the LORD, that he made¹ with the children of Israel.

And he stood⁴ before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth⁴ his hands:

For Solomon had made¹ a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set⁴ it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood,⁴ and kneeled down⁴ upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth⁴ his hands toward heaven,

And said,⁴ O LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest⁶ covenant, and [shewest] mercy unto thy servants, that walk⁶ before thee with all their hearts:

Thou which hast kept¹ with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised¹⁴ him; and spakest¹⁷ with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled¹⁴ [it] with thine hand, as [it is] this day.

Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep³ with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised¹⁴ him, saying,² There shall not fail¹¹ thee a man in my sight to sit⁶ upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed⁴ to their way to walk² in my law, as thou hast walked¹ before me.

Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified,¹¹ which thou hast spoken¹⁴ unto thy servant David.

But will God in very deed dwell⁴ with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain⁴⁶ thee; how much less this house which I have built!¹

Have respect¹ therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken² unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth¹⁰² before thee:

That thine eyes may be open⁷ upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said¹ that thou wouldest put² thy name there; to hearken² unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth¹⁰¹ toward this place.

Hearken¹ therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make¹⁰¹ toward this place: hear⁴ thou from thy dwelling² place, [even] from heaven; and when thou hearest,¹ forgive.¹

If a man sin⁴ against his neighbour, and an oath be laid¹ upon him to make him swear,⁵³ and the oath come¹ before thine altar in this house;

Then hear⁴ thou from heaven, and do,¹ and judge¹ thy servants, by requiting⁵³ the wicked, by recompensing² his way upon his own head; and by justifying⁵³ the righteous, by giving² him according to his righteousness.

And if thy people Israel be put to the worse¹¹ before the enemy,⁶ because they have sinned⁴ against thee; and shall return¹ and confess⁵² thy name, and pray⁹⁸ and make supplication⁹⁸ before thee in this house;

Then hear⁴ thou from the heavens, and forgive¹ the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again⁵² unto the land which thou gavest¹ to them and to their fathers.

When the heaven is shut up,⁹ and there is no rain, because they have sinned⁴ against thee; [yet] if they pray⁹⁸ toward this place, and confess⁵² thy name, and turn⁴ from their sin, when thou dost afflict⁵⁵ them;

Then hear⁴ thou from heaven, and forgive¹ the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught⁵⁵ them the good way, wherein they should walk;⁴ and send¹ rain upon thy land, which thou hast given¹ unto thy people for an inheritance.

If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies⁶ besiege⁵⁵ them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness [there be]:

[Then] what prayer [or] what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know⁴ his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth¹ his hands in this house:

Then hear⁴ thou from heaven thy dwelling² place, and forgive,¹ and render¹ unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest;⁴ (for thou only knowest¹ the hearts of the children of men:)

That they may fear⁴ thee, to walk² in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest¹ unto our fathers.

Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come¹ from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out⁷ arm; if they come¹ and pray⁹⁸ in this house;

Then hear⁴ thou from the heavens, [even] from thy dwelling² place, and do¹ according to all that the stranger calleth⁴ to thee for; that all people of the earth may know⁴ thy name, and fear² thee, as [doth] thy people Israel, and may know² that this house which I have built¹ is called⁸ by thy name.

If thy people go out⁴ to war against their enemies⁶ by the way that thou shalt send⁴ them, and they pray⁹⁸ unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen,¹ and the house which I have built¹ for thy name;

Then hear¹ thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain¹ their cause.

If they sin⁴ against thee, (for [there is] no man which sinneth⁴ not,) and thou be angry¹ with them, and deliver¹ them over before [their] enemies,⁶ and they carry them away¹ captives⁶ unto a land far off or near;

Yet [if] they bethink^{52 3824} themselves in the land whither they are carried captive,⁸ and turn¹ and pray⁹⁸ unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying,² We have sinned,¹ we have done amiss,⁵² and have dealt wickedly;¹

If they return¹ to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives,¹ and pray⁹⁸ toward their land, which thou gavest¹ unto their fathers, and [toward] the city which thou hast chosen,¹ and toward the house which I have built¹ for thy name:

Then hear¹ thou from the heavens, [even] from thy dwelling² place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain¹ their cause, and forgive¹ thy people which have sinned¹ against thee.

Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open,⁷ and [let] thine ears [be] attent unto the prayer [that is made] in this place.

Now therefore arise,³ O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed⁴ with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice⁴ in goodness.

O LORD God, turn not away⁵⁵ the face of thine anointed: remember³ the mercies of David thy servant.