1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion.2 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, that is, the seventh month.3 And all the elders of Israel came; and the priests took up the ark.4 And they brought up the ark of Jehovah, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent: the priests and the Levites brought them up.5 And king Solomon, and all the assembly of Israel that were assembled to him, {who were} with him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.6 And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah to its place, into the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim;7 for the cherubim stretched forth {their} wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its staves above.8 And the staves were long, so that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place before the oracle, but they were not seen without. And there they are to this day.9 There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone which Moses placed there at Horeb, when Jehovah made {a covenant} with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.10 And it came to pass when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Jehovah,11 and the priests could not stand to do their service because of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah.12 Then said Solomon: Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.13 I have indeed built a house of habitation for thee, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever.14 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel; and the whole congregation of Israel stood.15 And he said: Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,16 Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; but I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house unto the name of Jehovah the God of Israel.18 But Jehovah said to David my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart;19 nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name.20 And Jehovah has performed his word which he spoke; and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah promised, and I have built the house unto the name of Jehovah the God of Israel.21 And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah, which he made with our fathers when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.22 And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of the whole congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward the heavens.23 And he said, Jehovah, God of Israel! there is no God like thee, in the heavens above, or on the earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart;24 who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him; thou spokest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled {it} with thy hand, as at this day.25 And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to their way, to walk before me as thou hast walked before me.26 And now, O God of Israel, let thy words, I pray thee, be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David my father.27 But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!28 Yet have respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, Jehovah, my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day;29 that thine eyes may be open upon this house night and day, upon the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.30 And hearken unto the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place, and hear thou in thy dwelling-place, in the heavens, and when thou hearest, forgive.31 If a man have sinned against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to adjure him, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;32 then hear thou in the heavens, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, giving him according to his righteousness.33 When thy people Israel are put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house;34 then hear thou in the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land that thou gavest unto their fathers.35 When the heavens are shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, because thou hast afflicted them;36 then hear thou in the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou teachest them the good way wherein they should walk; and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people for an inheritance.37 If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight, mildew, locust, caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their gates; whatever plague, whatever sickness there be:38 what prayer, what supplication soever be made by any man, of all thy people Israel, when they shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house;39 then hear thou in the heavens, the settled place of thy dwelling, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men),40 that they may fear thee all the days that they live upon the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.41 And as to the stranger also, who is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake42 (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and of thy stretched-out arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house,43 hear thou in the heavens thy dwelling-place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; in order that all peoples of the earth may know thy name, {and} that they may fear thee as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray to Jehovah toward the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;45 then hear thou in the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their right.46 If they have sinned against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and give them up to the enemy, and they have carried them away captives unto the enemy's land, far or near;47 and if they shall take it to heart in the land whither they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done iniquity, we have dealt perversely;48 and if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;49 then hear thou in the heavens, the settled place of thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their right;50 and forgive thy people their sin against thee, and all their transgressions whereby they have transgressed against thee, and give them to find compassion with those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them51 (for they are thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron) -52 thine eyes being open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.53 For thou hast separated them from among all peoples of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spokest through Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord Jehovah.54 And it was so, that when Solomon had ended praying all this prayer and supplication to Jehovah, he arose from before the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth to the heavens,55 and he stood and blessed the whole congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,56 Blessed be Jehovah, who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there has not failed one word of all his good promises which he spoke through Moses his servant!57 Jehovah our God be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not forsake us nor cast us off:58 that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers.59 And let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Jehovah, be nigh to Jehovah our God day and night, that he maintain the right of his servant, and the right of his people Israel, as the matter of each day shall require;60 that all peoples of the earth may know that Jehovah is God, that there is none else;61 and that your heart may be perfect with Jehovah our God, to walk in his statutes and to keep his commandments, as at this day.62 And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifices before Jehovah.63 And Solomon sacrificed a sacrifice of peace-offerings, which he sacrificed to Jehovah, twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Jehovah.64 The same day the king hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offerings, and the oblations, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar that was before Jehovah was too small to receive the burnt-offerings, and the oblations, and the fat of the peace-offerings.65 And at that time Solomon held the feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath unto the torrent of Egypt, before Jehovah our God, seven days and seven days, fourteen days.66 On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Jehovah had done to David his servant, and to Israel his people.

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 tanim, dit is die sewende maand.3 Toe al die oudstes van Israel daar kom, het die priesters die ark opgeneem4 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 hemel23 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.