The Ark Enters the Temple
(2 Chronicles 5:1–14)

1Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of YHWH from the City of David, that is, Zion. 2And all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast† in the month of Ethanim.† It is the seventh month.

3And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. 4And they brought up the ark of YHWH, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. And the priests and the Levites brought them up.

5And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him were with him before the face of the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude.

6And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of YHWH to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Holy of Holies,† to under the wings of the cherubim. 7For the cherubim spread forth two wings toward the place of the ark, and the cherubim and they covered over the ark and its poles from above.

8And the poles extended so that could be seen the ends of the poles from the Holy Place upon the face of the inner sanctuary, and they could not be seen from outside; and they are there to this day.

9Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb† when YHWH cut with the sons of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the Holy Place, that the cloud filled the house of YHWH, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of YHWH filled the house of YHWH.

Solomon Blesses Yahweh
(2 Chronicles 6:1–11)

Then spoke Solomon:

“YHWH† has said He would dwell

in the dark cloud.

I have surely built an exalted house unto You,

and a place for You to dwell forever.”

14And the king turned around his face, and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing. 15And he said,

“Blessed be YHWH, God of Israel, who spoke by his mouth to David my father, and by his hand He has fulfilled it, saying, 16‘Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house that My Name might be there. And I chose David to be over My people Israel.’

17And it was with the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of YHWH, God of Israel. 18And YHWH said to David my father, ‘Because that it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. 19Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but rather your son who will come from your loins, he shall build the house for My Name.’

20And YHWH has fulfilled His word that He spoke, and I have risen up in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as YHWH spoke. And I have built the house for the name of YHWH, God of Israel. 21And I have made a place there for the ark, in which there is the covenant of YHWH that He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
(2 Chronicles 6:12–42)

22And Solomon stood before the face of the altar of YHWH in front of all the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands toward the heavens. 23And he said,

“O YHWH, God of Israel, there is not a God like You in the heavens above or on earth below, keeping Your covenant and loving devotion with Your servants, those walking before You with all their heart, 24who have kept for Your servant David my father what You spoke to him, and You have spoken with Your mouth, and with Your hand You have fulfilled it, as this day.

25And now, O YHWH, God of Israel, keep for Your servant David my father what You promised to him, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man before My face sitting on the throne of Israel—only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.’ 26And now, O God of Israel, let be proven faithful, please, Your word, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father.

27But will indeed God dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain You. How much less this house that I have built? 28And You have turned to the prayer of Your servant, and his supplication, O YHWH my God, to listen to the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before Your face today:

29That Your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that You may listen to the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. 30And may You listen to the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. And may You listen in the place of Your dwelling, in the heavens—and You have listened and have forgiven.

31When a man sins against his neighbor, and is forced in it to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before the face of Your altar in this house, 32then may You hear in the heavens and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving to him according to his righteousness.

33When Your people Israel are defeated before the face of an enemy because they have sinned against You, and they turn back to You and confess Your name, and they pray and make supplication to You in this house, 34then may You hear in the heavens and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land that You gave to their fathers.

35When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and from their sin they turn back because You afflict them, 36then may You hear in the heavens and forgive the sin of Your servants and of Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk, and May you send rain on Your land that You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

37When famine is in the land, if there is pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or if there is grasshopper; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities—whatever plague or whatever sickness— 38whatever prayer, any supplication, whatever is made by any man or by all Your people Israel when knows each one the plague of his own heart and spreads out his hands toward this house, 39then may You hear in the heavens, the fixed place of Your dwelling, and forgive and act and give to each man according to all his ways, of whom You know the heart. For You alone know the hearts of all the sons of man, 40that they may fear You all the days that they live on the face of the land that You gave to our fathers.

41And also concerning a foreigner who is not of Your people Israel, and he has come from a far country for the sake of Your name— 42for they will hear of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm—and he comes and prays toward this house, 43then may You hear in the heavens, the fixed place of Your dwelling, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You as do Your people Israel, that they may know that Your name is called by this house that I have built,

44when Your people go out to battle against their enemy in the way that You send them, and they pray to YHWH in the way of the city that You have chosen, and the house that I have built for Your name, 45then may You hear in the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

46When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin) and You become angry with them and deliver them before the face of the enemy, and they have taken captive their captivity to the land of the enemy far or near, 47and they have turned it back to their heart in the land where they were carried captive there, and they turn back and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’ 48and they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and they pray to You toward their land that You gave to their fathers, the city that You have chosen, and the house that I have built for Your name, 49then may You hear in the heavens, the fixed place of Your dwelling, their prayer and their supplication, and may You do their justice 50and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions that they have transgressed against You, and may You grant them compassion before the face of those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them.

51For they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the midst of the furnace of iron, 52that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. 53For You have set them apart to Yourself as an inheritance from among all the peoples of the earth, as You spoke by Moses Your servant when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord YHWH.”

Solomon’s Benediction

54And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying to YHWH all this prayer and supplication, that he arose from before the altar of YHWH, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to the heavens, 55and he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:

56“Blessed be YHWH, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised; not one word has fallen of all His good promise that He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.

57May YHWH our God be with us as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us and not forsake us, 58that He may incline our hearts to Himself to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances that He commanded our fathers.

59And may these my words with which I have made supplication before the face of YHWH, be near unto YHWH our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, the word of a day in its day, 60that all the peoples of the earth may know that YHWH is God; there is no other.

61And let your⁺ heart be complete to YHWH our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”

Sacrifices of Dedication
(2 Chronicles 7:4–10)

62And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifices before the face of YHWH. 63And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings that he offered to YHWH, twenty-two thousand bulls, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. And the king and all the sons of Israel dedicated the house of YHWH.

64On that day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of YHWH, for he offered there the burnt offerings and the grain offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before YHWH was too small to receive the burnt offerings and the grain offerings and the fat of the peace offerings.

65And Solomon made at that time a feast, and all Israel with him—a great assembly—from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the face of YHWH our God, seven days and seven days—fourteen days.

66On the fifteenth day† he sent away the people, and they blessed the king and went to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for all the good that YHWH had done for David His servant and for Israel His people.

Footnotes:

2 That is, the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters); similarly in verse 65; see Leviticus 23:33–36.
2 Ethanim was the seventh month of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar, usually occurring within the months of September and October.
6 Or the Most Holy Place
9 That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai
12 Some LXX manuscripts The Lord has set the sun in the heavens, but
66 Hebrew On the eighth day, probably referring to the day following the seven-day feast; see 2 Chronicles 7:9–10.