Study Desk

"I have truly built You a lofty house, A place for Your dwelling forever."

"Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

"But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.

'Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born to you, he will build the house for My name.'

"Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for I have risen in place of my father David and I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

"And there I have set 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."

then hear in heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive and act, and give to each in accordance with all his ways, whose heart You know—for You alone know the hearts of all mankind—

(for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand, and of Your outstretched arm); when he comes and prays toward this house,

hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and act in accordance with all for which the foreigner calls to You, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Your name.

"When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the house which I have built for Your name,

"When they sin against You (for there is no person who does not sin) and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, distant or near;

if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name;

(for they are Your people and Your inheritance which You have brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace),

"For You have singled them out from all the peoples of the earth as Your inheritance, just as You spoke through Moses Your servant, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord GOD."

And Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.

On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the LORD, because there he offered the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings; for the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.

So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, for seven days and seven more days, that is, fourteen days.

On the eighth day he dismissed the people, and they blessed the king. Then they went to their tents joyful and with happy hearts for all the goodness that the LORD had shown to David His servant, and to Israel His people.

"As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and honesty, acting in accordance with everything that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My ordinances,

then I will cut Israel off from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will expel from My sight. So Israel will become a saying and an object of derision among all peoples.