1 Kings 8:18-32

¹⁸But the Lord said to David my father, You did well to have in your heart the desire to make a house for my name;

¹⁹But you yourself will not be the builder of my house; but your son, the offspring of your body, he it is who will put up a house for my name.

²⁰And the Lord has made his word come true; for I have taken my father David's place on the seat of the kingdom of Israel, as the Lord gave his word; and I have made a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

²¹In it I have made a place for the ark, in which is the agreement which the Lord made with our fathers, when he took them out of the land of Egypt.

²²Then Solomon took his place before the altar of the Lord, all the men of Israel being present, and stretching out his hands to heaven,

²³Said, O Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on the earth; keeping faith and mercy unchanging for your servants, while they go in your ways with all their hearts.

²⁴And you have kept the word which you gave to your servant David, my father; with your mouth you said it and with your hand you have made it come true this day.

²⁵So now, O Lord, the God of Israel, let your word to your servant David, my father, come true, when you said, You will never be without a man to take his place on the seat of the kingdom of Israel before me, if only your children give attention to their ways, walking before me as you have done.

²⁶So now, O God of Israel, it is my prayer that you will make your word come true which you said to your servant David, my father.

²⁷But is it truly possible that God may be housed on earth? see, heaven and the heaven of heavens are not wide enough to be your resting-place; how much less this house which I have made!

²⁸Still, let your heart be turned to the prayer of your servant, O Lord God, and to his prayer for grace; give ear to the cry and the prayer which your servant sends up to you this day;

²⁹That your eyes may be open to this house night and day, to this place of which you have said, My name will be there; hearing the prayer which your servant may make, turning to this place.

³⁰Give ear to the prayers of your servant, and the prayers of your people Israel, when they make their prayers, turning to this place; give ear in heaven your living-place, and hearing, have mercy.

³¹If a man does wrong to his neighbour, and has to take an oath, and comes before your altar to take his oath in this house:

³²Then let your ear be open in heaven, and be the judge of your servants, giving your decision against the wrongdoer, so that punishment for his sins may come on his head; and, by your decision, keeping from evil him who has done no wrong.