1 Daarna het Salomo die oudstes van Israel en al die stamhoofde, die familie-owerstes van die kinders van Israel, by koning Salomo in Jerusalem byeen laat kom om die verbondsark van die HERE uit die stad van Dawid, dit is Sion, op te bring.
2 En al die manne van Israel het by koning Salomo op die fees vergader in die maand Âtanim, dit is die sewende maand.
3 Toe al die oudstes van Israel daar kom, het die priesters die ark opgeneem
4 en die ark van die HERE en die tent van samekoms gebring saam met al die heilige voorwerpe wat in die tent was; naamlik die priesters en die Leviete het dit gebring.
5 En terwyl koning Salomo en die hele by hom vergaderde gemeente van Israel saam met hom voor die ark staan, het hulle kleinvee en beeste geoffer wat vanweë die menigte nie getel of bereken kon word nie.
6 Verder het die priesters die verbondsark van die HERE na sy plek gebring, in die binneste vertrek van die huis, in die Allerheiligste, onder die vlerke van die g,rubs in.
7 Want die g,rubs het die vlerke uitgesprei oor die plek van die ark, sodat die g,rubs die ark en sy draaghoute van bo af beskut het.
8 En die draaghoute was so lank, dat die punte van die draaghoute uit die Heilige, vlak voor die binneste vertrek, gesien kon word, maar verder buitentoe was hulle nie sigbaar nie; en hulle is daar tot vandag toe.
9 Daar was niks in die ark nie as net die twee kliptafels wat Moses by Horeb daarin neergelê het, toe die HERE 'n verbond met die kinders van Israel gesluit het by hulle uittog uit Egipteland.
10 En toe die priesters uit die heiligdom uitgaan, het die wolk die huis van die HERE vervul.
11 En die priesters kon vanweë die wolk nie staan om diens te doen nie, want die heerlikheid van die HERE het die huis van die HERE vervul.
12 Toe het Salomo gesê: Die HERE het gesê dat Hy in donkerheid wil woon.
13 Verseker het ek vir U 'n woonhuis gebou, 'n vaste plek vir U om ewig in te woon.
14 Daarop draai die koning sy aangesig om en seën die hele vergadering van Israel, terwyl die hele vergadering van Israel staan.
15 En hy sê: Geloofd sy die HERE, die God van Israel, wie se hand volbring het wat sy mond met my vader Dawid gespreek en gesê het:
16 Van die dag af dat Ek my volk Israel uit Egipte uitgelei het, het Ek geen stad verkies uit al die stamme van Israel om 'n huis te bou, dat my Naam daar sou wees nie; maar Ek het Dawid verkies om oor my volk Israel te wees.
17 Toe dit dan in die hart van my vader Dawid was om 'n huis te bou vir die Naam van die HERE, die God van Israel,
18 het die HERE aan my vader Dawid gesê: Dat dit in jou hart was om vir my Naam 'n huis te bou -- daarin het jy goed gehandel, dat dit in jou hart was.
19 Net maar, jy sal die huis nie bou nie, maar jou seun wat uit jou lendene sal voortkom, die sal vir my Naam die huis bou.
20 En die HERE het sy woord vervul wat Hy gespreek het, sodat ek opgestaan het in die plek van my vader Dawid, en ek sit op die troon van Israel soos die HERE gespreek het; en ek het die huis gebou vir die Naam van die HERE, die God van Israel,
21 en daar 'n plek ingerig vir die ark, waarin die verbond van die HERE is, met ons vaders gesluit toe Hy hulle uit Egipteland uitgelei het.
22 Toe het Salomo voor die altaar van die HERE gaan staan, teenoor die hele vergadering van Israel, en sy hande uitgebrei na die hemel
23 en gesê: HERE, God van Israel, daar is bo in die hemel of onder op die aarde geen God soos U nie, wat die verbond en die goedertierenheid hou vir u knegte wat voor u aangesig wandel met hulle hele hart,
24 wat vir u kneg, my vader Dawid, u belofte aan hom gehou het; ja, met u mond het U dit gespreek en met u hand volbring soos dit vandag is.
25 Hou nou ook, HERE, God van Israel, die belofte wat U aan u kneg, my vader Dawid, gedoen het, naamlik: Daar sal vir jou nooit 'n man voor my aangesig ontbreek wat op die troon van Israel sal sit nie as jou seuns net hulle weg in ag neem deur te wandel voor my aangesig soos jy voor my aangesig gewandel het.
26 Laat dan nou, o God van Israel, u woord tog waargemaak word wat U gespreek het tot u kneg, my vader Dawid.
27 Maar sou God werklik op die aarde woon? Kyk, die hemel, ja, die hoogste hemel kan U nie bevat nie, hoeveel minder hierdie huis wat ek gebou het.
28 Wend U dan tot die gebed van u kneg en tot sy smeking, HERE my God, deur te luister na die geroep en die gebed wat u kneg vandag voor u aangesig bid;
29 sodat u oë oop mag wees nag en dag oor hierdie huis, oor die plek waarvan U gesê het: My Naam sal daar wees! sodat U mag luister na die gebed wat u kneg na hierdie plek toe sal bid.
30 Luister dan na die smeking van u kneg en van u volk Israel wat hulle na hierdie plek toe sal bid; ja, mag U hoor elke gebed na u woonplek, na die hemel toe, en as U dit hoor, vergewe dan.
31 As iemand teen sy naaste sondig en hulle hom 'n eed oplê om hom tot selfvervloeking te bring en hy voor u altaar in hierdie huis kom sweer,
32 wil U dan hoor in die hemel en handel en u knegte reg verskaf deur die skuldige skuldig te verklaar en sy wandel op sy hoof te lê en die regverdige regverdig te verklaar deur hom te gee na sy geregtigheid.
33 As u volk Israel verslaan word voor 'n vyand, omdat hulle teen U gesondig het, en hulle hul tot U bekeer en u Naam bely en tot U bid en smeek in hierdie huis,
34 wil U dan hoor in die hemel en die sonde van u volk Israel vergewe en hulle terugbring na die land wat U aan hulle vaders gegee het.
35 As die hemel toegesluit bly, dat daar geen reën is nie, omdat hulle teen U gesondig het, maar hulle na hierdie plek toe bid en u Naam bely en van hulle sonde hul bekeer, omdat U hulle verootmoedig,
36 wil U dan hoor in die hemel en die sonde van u knegte en van u volk Israel vergewe -- want U leer hulle die goeie weg waar hulle in moet wandel -- en gee reën op u land wat U aan u volk as 'n erfenis gegee het.
37 As daar hongersnood is in die land, as daar pes is, as daar brandkoring, heuningdou, sprinkane, kaalvreters is, as sy vyand hom in die land, in sy poorte dit benoud maak, watter plaag, watter siekte ook al,
38 enige gebed, enige smeking wat enigeen van u hele volk Israel sal doen, as elkeen die plaag van sy hart ken, sodat hy sy hande na hierdie huis toe uitbrei --
39 wil U dan hoor in die hemel, u vaste woonplek, en vergewe en handel en aan elkeen gee volgens sy weë, U wat sy hart ken -- want U alleen ken die hart van al die mensekinders --
40 sodat hulle U kan vrees al die dae wat hulle leef in die land wat U aan ons vaders gegee het.
41 Ja, ook na die uitlander wat nie van u volk Israel is nie, en uit 'n ver land ter wille van u Naam kom --
42 want hulle sal hoor van u grote Naam en u sterke hand en u uitgestrekte arm -- as hy kom en bid na hierdie huis toe,
43 wil U dan hoor uit die hemel, u vaste woonplek, en doen volgens alles waaroor die uitlander U sal aanroep, sodat al die volke van die aarde u Naam mag ken, om U te vrees soos u volk Israel, en mag gewaar word dat u Naam uitgeroep is oor hierdie huis wat ek gebou het.
44 As u volk uittrek in die oorlog teen sy vyand op die pad waarop U hulle stuur, en hulle bid tot die HERE in die rigting van die stad wat U verkies het, en van die huis wat ek vir u Naam gebou het,
45 wil dan in die hemel hulle gebed en hulle smeking hoor en aan hulle hul reg verskaf.
46 As hulle teen U sondig -- want daar is geen mens wat nie sondig nie -- en U op hulle toornig is en hulle aan 'n vyand oorgee en hulle veroweraars hulle as gevangenes wegvoer na die land van die vyand, ver of naby,
47 en hulle dit ter harte neem in die land waarheen hulle as gevangenes weggevoer is, en hulle hul bekeer en U smeek in die land van die wat hulle weggevoer het, en sê: Ons het gesondig en verkeerd gehandel, ons was goddeloos --
48 en hulle hul tot U bekeer met hul hele hart en met hul hele siel, in die land van hul vyande wat hulle weggevoer het, en hulle bid tot U in die rigting van hulle land wat U aan hulle vaders gegee het, van die stad wat U verkies het, en die huis wat ek vir u Naam gebou het,
49 wil dan in die hemel, u vaste woonplek, hulle gebed en hulle smeking hoor en aan hulle hul reg verskaf,
50 en vergeef u volk wat hulle teen U gesondig het, ja, al hulle oortredinge wat hulle teen U begaan het; en laat hulle barmhartigheid vind voor die wat hulle weggevoer het, dat die hulle barmhartig kan wees.
51 Want hulle is u volk en u erfdeel wat U uit Egipte uitgelei het uit die ystersmeltoond.
52 Mag u oë dan oop wees vir die smeking van u kneg en vir die smeking van u volk Israel, om na hulle te luister so dikwels as hulle U aanroep.
53 Want U het hulle vir U as erfdeel afgesonder uit al die volke van die aarde, soos U deur die diens van u kneg Moses gespreek het toe U, Here HERE, ons vaders uit Egipte uitgelei het.
54 Net toe Salomo gereed was om hierdie hele gebed en smeking tot die HERE te bid, het hy voor die altaar van die HERE opgestaan uit sy knielende houding, met sy hande na die hemel uitgebrei;
55 en hy het gaan staan en die hele vergadering van Israel hardop geseënen gesê:
56 Geloofd sy die HERE wat aan sy volk Israel rus gegee het net soos Hy gespreek het: geen enkele woord het onvervuld gebly van al die goeie woorde wat Hy deur die diens van sy kneg Moses gespreek het nie.
57 Mag die HERE onse God met ons wees soos Hy met ons vaders gewees het; mag Hy ons nie verlaat en ons nie verwerp nie --
58 deur ons hart tot Hom te neig om in al sy weë te wandel en om sy gebooie en sy insettinge en sy verordeninge wat Hy ons vaders beveel het, te onderhou.
59 En mag hierdie woorde van my, waarmee ek voor die aangesig van die HERE gesmeek het, dag en nag naby die HERE onse God wees, sodat Hy reg kan verskaf aan sy kneg en aan sy volk Israel na die eis van elke dag;
60 sodat al die volke van die aarde kan weet dat die HERE God is, niemand meer nie.
61 Laat julle hart dan volkome met die HERE onse God wees om te wandel in sy insettinge en sy gebooie te onderhou, soos vandag.
62 En die koning, en die hele Israel saam met hom, was besig om slagoffers voor die aangesig van die HERE te slag.
63 Salomo het naamlik as die dankoffer wat hy aan die HERE gebring het, twee en twintig duisend beeste en honderd en twintig duisend stuks kleinvee geslag; so het hulle dan die huis van die HERE ingewy, die koning en al die kinders van Israel.
64 Op die dag het die koning die middel van die voorhof geheilig wat voor die huis van die HERE was; want daar het hy die brandoffer en die spysoffer en die vetstukke van die dankoffers berei, omdat die koperaltaar voor die aangesig van die HERE te klein was om die brandoffer en die spysoffer en die vetstukke van die dankoffers te bevat.
65 So het Salomo dan in die tyd die fees gehou en die hele Israel saam met hom, 'n groot vergadering van die ingang na Hamat af tot by die spruit van Egipte, voor die aangesig van die HERE onse God, sewe dae en sewe dae, veertien dae lank.
66 Op die agtste dag het hy die volk laat gaan, en hulle het die koning geseënen na hul tente gegaan, verheug en opgeruimd oor al die goeie dinge wat die HERE aan sy kneg Dawid en sy volk Israel gedoen het.
1 Then Solomon sent for all the responsible men of Israel, and all the chiefs of the tribes, and the heads of families of the children of Israel, to come to him in Jerusalem to take the ark of the Lord's agreement up out of the town of David, which is Zion.
2 And all the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, the seventh month.
3 And all the responsible men of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4 They took up the ark of the Lord, and the Tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels which were in the Tent; all these the priests and the Levites took up.
5 And King Solomon and all the men of Israel who had come together there, were with him before the ark, making offerings of sheep and oxen more than might be numbered.
6 And the priests took the ark of the agreement of the Lord and put it in its place in the inner room of the house, in the most holy place, under the wings of the winged ones.
7 For their wings were outstretched over the place where the ark was, covering the ark and its rods.
8 The rods were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place, in front of the inmost room; but they were not seen from outside: and there they are to this day.
9 There was nothing in the ark but the two flat stones which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made an agreement with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10 Now when the priests had come out of the holy place, the house of the Lord was full of the cloud,
11 So that the priests were not able to keep their places to do their work because of the cloud, for the house of the Lord was full of the glory of the Lord.
12 Then Solomon said, O Lord, to the sun you have given the heaven for a living-place, but your living-place was not seen by men;
13 So I have made for you a living-place, a house in which you may be for ever present.
14 Then, turning his face about, the king gave a blessing to all the men of Israel; and they were all on their feet together.
15 And he said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who himself gave his word to David my father, and with his strong hand has made his word come true, saying,
16 From the day when I took my people Israel out of Egypt, no town in all the tribes of Israel has been marked out by me for the building of a house for the resting-place of my name; but I made selection of David to be king over my people Israel.
17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to put up a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
18 But the Lord said to David my father, You did well to have in your heart the desire to make a house for my name;
19 But 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.
20 And 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.
21 In 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.
22 Then Solomon took his place before the altar of the Lord, all the men of Israel being present, and stretching out his hands to heaven,
23 Said, 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.
24 And 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.
25 So 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.
26 So 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.
27 But 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!
28 Still, 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;
29 That 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.
30 Give 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.
31 If 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:
32 Then 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.
33 When your people Israel are overcome in war, because of their sin against you; if they are turned to you again, honouring your name, making prayers to you and requesting your grace in this house:
34 Then give ear in heaven, and let the sin of your people Israel have forgiveness, and take them back again into the land which you gave to their fathers.
35 When heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because of their sin against you; if they make prayers with their faces turned to this place, honouring your name and turning away from their sin when you send trouble on them:
36 Then give ear in heaven, so that the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, may have forgiveness, when you make clear to them the good way in which they are to go; and send rain on your land which you have given to your people for their heritage.
37 If there is no food in the land, or if there is disease, or if the fruits of the earth are damaged through heat or water, locust or worm; if their towns are shut in by their attackers; whatever trouble, whatever disease there may be:
38 Whatever prayer or request for your grace is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, whatever his trouble may be, whose hands are stretched out to this house:
39 Give ear in heaven your living-place, acting in mercy; and give to every man whose secret heart is open to you, the reward of all his ways; for you, and you only, have knowledge of the hearts of all the children of men:
40 So that they may give you worship all the days of their life in the land which you gave to our fathers.
41 And as for the man from a strange land, who is not of your people Israel; when he comes from a far country because of the glory of your name:
42 (For they will have news of your great name and your strong hand and your out-stretched arm;) when he comes to make his prayer, turning to this house:
43 Give ear in heaven your living-place, and give him his desire, whatever it may be; so that all the peoples of the earth may have knowledge of your name, worshipping you as do your people Israel, and that they may see that this house which I have put up is truly named by your name.
44 If your people go out to war against their attackers, by whatever way you may send them, if they make their prayer to the Lord, turning their faces to this town of yours and to this house which I have made for your name:
45 Give ear in heaven to their prayer and their cry for grace, and see right done to them.
46 If they do wrong against you, (for no man is without sin,) and you are angry with them and give them up into the power of those who are fighting against them, so that they take them away as prisoners into a strange land, far off or near;
47 And if they take thought, in the land where they are prisoners, and are turned again to you, crying out in prayer to you in that land, and saying, We are sinners, we have done wrong, we have done evil;
48 And with all their heart and soul are turned again to you, in the land of those who took them prisoners, and make their prayer to you, turning their eyes to this land which you gave to their fathers, and to the town which you took for yourself, and the house which I made for your name:
49 Then give ear to their prayer and to their cry in heaven your living-place, and see right done to them;
50 Answering with forgiveness the people who have done wrong against you, and overlooking the evil which they have done against you; let those who made them prisoners be moved with pity for them, and have pity on them;
51 For they are your people and your heritage, which you took out of Egypt, out of the iron fireplace;
52 Let your eyes be open to your servant's prayer for grace and to the prayer of your people Israel, hearing them when their cry comes to you.
53 For you made them separate from all the peoples of the earth, to be your heritage, as you said by Moses your servant, when you took our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.
54 Then Solomon, after making all these prayers and requests for grace to the Lord, got up from his knees before the altar of the Lord, where his hands had been stretched out in prayer to heaven;
55 And, getting on his feet, he gave a blessing to all the men of Israel, saying with a loud voice,
56 Praise be to the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, as he gave them his word to do; every word of all his oath, which he gave by the hand of Moses his servant, has come true.
57 Now may the Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers; let him never go away from us or give us up;
58 Turning our hearts to himself, guiding us to go in all his ways, to keep his orders and his laws and his decisions, which he gave to our fathers.
59 And may these my words, the words of my prayer to the Lord, be before the Lord our God day and night, so that he may see right done to his servant and to his people Israel, day by day as we have need.
60 So that all the peoples of the earth may see that the Lord is God, and there is no other.
61 Then let your hearts be without sin before the Lord our God, walking in his laws and keeping his orders as at this day.
62 Now the king, and all Israel with him, were making offerings before the Lord.
63 And Solomon gave to the Lord for peace-offerings, twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel kept the feast of the opening of the Lord's house.
64 The same day the king made holy the middle of the open square in front of the house of the Lord, offering there the burned offering and the meal offering and the fat of the peace-offerings; for there was not room on the brass altar of the Lord for the burned offerings and the meal offerings and the fat of the peace-offerings.
65 So Solomon and all Israel with him, a very great meeting, (for the people had come together from the way into Hamath to the river of Egypt,) kept the feast at that time before the Lord our God, for two weeks, even fourteen days.
66 And on the eighth day he sent the people away, and, blessing the king, they went to their tents full of joy and glad in their hearts, because of all the good which the Lord had done to David his servant and to Israel his people.