Study Desk

"Amen!" Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied. "May the Lord , the God of my lord the king, decree that it happen.

And all the royal officials have gone to King David and congratulated him, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon's fame even greater than your own, and may Solomon's reign be even greater than yours!' Then the king bowed his head in worship as he lay in his bed,

and he said, ‘Praise the Lord , the God of Israel, who today has chosen a successor to sit on my throne while I am still alive to see it.'"

Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.

Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord : "May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request.

That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, "What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!"

"Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn't know his way around.

So God replied, "Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies—

When all Israel heard the king's decision, the people were in awe of the king, for they saw the wisdom God had given him for rendering justice.

God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore.

"You know that my father, David, was not able to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord his God because of the many wars waged against him by surrounding nations. He could not build until the Lord gave him victory over all his enemies.

But now the Lord my God has given me peace on every side; I have no enemies, and all is well.

So I am planning to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God, just as he had instructed my father, David. For the Lord told him, ‘Your son, whom I will place on your throne, will build the Temple to honor my name.'

"Praise the Lord , the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father,

Then Solomon said, "My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the Lord , the God of Israel.

"And now the Lord has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father's place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the Lord , the God of Israel.

and he prayed, "O Lord , God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.

"And now, O Lord , God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow me as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.'

Now, O God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David, my father.

"But will God really live on earth? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!