Parallel Bible results for "1 kings 8"

1 Kings 8

New Century Version NCV

1 King Solomon called for the older leaders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families to come to him in Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord from the older part of the city.

2 So all the Israelites came together with King Solomon during the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.

3 When all the older leaders of Israel arrived, the priests lifted up the Ark.

4 They carried the Ark of the Lord, the Meeting Tent, and the holy utensils; the priests and the Levites brought them up.

5 King Solomon and all the Israelites gathered before the Ark and sacrificed so many sheep and cattle no one could count them all.

6 Then the priests put the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord in its place inside the Most Holy Place in the Temple, under the wings of the golden creatures.

7 The wings of these creatures were spread out over the place for the Ark, covering it and its carrying poles.

8 The carrying poles were so long that anyone standing in the Holy Place in front of the Most Holy Place could see the ends of the poles, but no one could see them from outside the Holy Place. The poles are still there today.

9 The only things inside the Ark were two stone tabletsn that Moses had put in the Ark at Mount Sinai. That was where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

10 When the priests left the Holy Place, a cloud filled the Temple of the Lord.

11 The priests could not continue their work, because the Temple was filled with the glory of the Lord.

12 Then Solomon said, "The Lord said he would live in a dark cloud.

13 Lord, I have truly built a wonderful Temple for you -- a place for you to live forever."

14 While all the Israelites were standing there, King Solomon turned to them and blessed them.

15 Then he said, "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. He has done what he promised to my father David. The Lord said,

16 'Since the time I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a temple will be built for me. But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.'

17 "My father David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.

18 But the Lord said to my father David, 'It was good that you wanted to build a temple for me.

19 But you are not the one to build it. Your son, who comes from your own body, is the one who will build my temple.'

20 "Now the Lord has kept his promise. I am the king now in place of David my father. Now I rule Israel as the Lord promised, and I have built the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.

21 I have made a place there for the Ark, in which is the Agreement the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt."

22 Then Solomon stood facing the Lord's altar, and all the Israelites were standing behind him. He spread out his hands toward the sky

23 and said: "Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep your agreement of love with your servants who truly follow you.

24 You have kept the promise you made to your servant David, my father. You spoke it with your own mouth and finished it with your hands today.

25 Now Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant David, my father. You said, 'If your sons are careful to obey me as you have obeyed me, there will always be someone from your family ruling Israel.'

26 Now, God of Israel, please continue to keep that promise you made to your servant David, my father.

27 "But, God, can you really live here on the earth? The sky and the highest place in heaven cannot contain you. Surely this house which I have built cannot contain you.

28 But please listen to my prayer and my request, because I am your servant. Lord my God, hear this prayer your servant prays to you today.

29 Night and day please watch over this Temple where you have said, 'I will be worshiped there.' Hear the prayer I pray facing this Temple.

30 Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people Israel when we pray facing this place. Hear from your home in heaven, and when you hear, forgive us.

31 "If someone wrongs another person, he will be brought to the altar in this Temple. If he swears an oath that he is not guilty,

32 then hear in heaven. Judge the case, punish the guilty, but declare that the innocent person is not guilty.

33 "When your people, the Israelites, sin against you, their enemies will defeat them. But if they come back to you and praise you and pray to you in this Temple,

34 then hear them in heaven. Forgive the sins of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

35 "When they sin against you, you will stop the rain from falling on their land. Then they will pray, facing this place and praising you; they will stop sinning when you make them suffer.

36 When this happens, please hear their prayer in heaven, and forgive the sins of your servants, the Israelites. Teach them to do what is right. Then please send rain to this land you have given particularly to them.

37 "At times the land will become so dry that no food will grow, or a great sickness will spread among the people. Sometimes all the crops will be destroyed by locusts or grasshoppers. Your people will be attacked in their cities by their enemy or will become sick.

38 When any of these things happen, the people will become truly sorry. If your people spread their hands in prayer toward this Temple,

39 then hear their prayers from your home in heaven. Forgive and treat each person as he should be treated because you know what is in a person's heart. Only you know what is in everyone's heart.

40 Then your people will respect you as long as they live in this land you gave to our ancestors.

41

42 "People who are not Israelites, foreigners from other lands, will hear about your greatness and power. They will come from far away to pray at this Temple.

43 Then hear from your home in heaven, and do whatever they ask you. Then people everywhere will know you and respect you, just as your people in Israel do. Then everyone will know I built this Temple as a place to worship you.

44 "When your people go out to fight their enemies along some road on which you send them, your people will pray to you, facing the city which you have chosen and the Temple I have built for you.

45 Then hear in heaven their prayers, and do what is right.

46 "Everyone sins, so your people will also sin against you. You will become angry with them and hand them over to their enemies. Their enemies will capture them and take them away to their countries far or near.

47 Your people will be sorry for their sins when they are held as prisoners in another country. They will be sorry and pray to you in the land where they are held as prisoners, saying, 'We have sinned. We have done wrong and acted wickedly.'

48 They will truly turn back to you in the land of their enemies. They will pray to you, facing this land you gave their ancestors, this city you have chosen, and the Temple I have built for you.

49 Then hear their prayers from your home in heaven, and do what is right.

50 Forgive your people of all their sins and for turning against you. Make those who have captured them show them mercy.

51 Remember, they are your special people. You brought them out of Egypt, as if you were pulling them out of a blazing furnace.

52 "Give your attention to my prayers and the prayers of your people Israel. Listen to them anytime they ask you for help.

53 You chose them from all the nations on earth to be your very own people. This is what you promised through Moses your servant when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Lord God."

54 Solomon prayed this prayer to the Lord, kneeling in front of the altar with his arms raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he got up.

55 Then, in a loud voice, he stood and blessed all the people of Israel, saying:

56 "Praise the Lord! He promised he would give rest to his people Israel, and he has given us rest. The Lord has kept all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.

57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us,

58 and may he turn us to himself so we will follow him. Let us obey all the laws and commands he gave our ancestors.

59 May the Lord our God remember this prayer day and night and do what is right for his servant and his people Israel day by day.

60 Then all the people of the world will know the Lord is the only true God.

61 You must fully obey the Lord our God and follow all his laws and commands. Continue to obey in the future as you do now."

62 Then King Solomon and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord.

63 Solomon killed twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep as fellowship offerings. So the king and all the people gave the Temple to the Lord.

64 On that day King Solomon made holy the middle part of the courtyard which is in front of the Temple of the Lord. There he offered whole burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings. He offered them in the courtyard, because the bronze altar before the Lord was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings.

65 Solomon and all the Israelites celebrated the other festival that came at that time. People came from as far away as Lebo Hamath and the brook of Egypt. A great many people celebrated before the Lord for seven days, then seven more days, for a total of fourteen days.

66 On the following day Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king as they went, happy because of all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Then Shlomo assembled all the leaders of Isra'el, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the paternal clans of the people of Isra'el, to King Shlomo in Yerushalayim, to bring the ark for the covenant of ADONAI out of the City of David, also known as Tziyon.

2 All the men of Isra'el assembled before King Shlomo at the festival in the month of Etanim, the seventh month.

3 All the leaders of Isra'el came. The cohanim took the ark

4 and brought up the ark of ADONAI, the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils that were in the tent; these are what the cohanim and L'vi'im brought up.

5 King Shlomo and the whole community of Isra'el assembled in his presence were with him in front of the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen in numbers beyond counting or recording.

6 The cohanim brought the ark for the covenant of ADONAI in to its place inside the sanctuary of the house, to the Especially Holy Place, under the wings of the k'ruvim.

7 For the k'ruvim spread out their wings over the place for the ark, covering the ark and its poles from above.

8 The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside; they are there to this day.

9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moshe put there at Horev, when ADONAI made the covenant with the people of Isra'el at the time of their leaving the land of Egypt.

10 When the cohanim came out of the Holy Place, the cloud filled the house of ADONAI,

11 so that, because of the cloud, the cohanim could not stand up to perform their service; for the glory of ADONAI filled the house of ADONAI.

12 Shlomo said, "ADONAI said he would live in thick darkness.

13 But I have built you a magnificent house, a place where you can live forever."

14 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole community of Isra'el. The whole community of Isra'el stood

15 as he said: "Blessed be ADONAI, the God of Isra'el, who spoke to my father David with his mouth and fulfilled his promise with his hand. He said,

16 'Since the day I brought my people Isra'el out of Egypt, I chose no city from any of the tribes of Isra'el in which to build a house, so that my name might be there; but I did choose David to be over my people Isra'el.'

17 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of ADONAI the God of Isra'el;

18 but ADONAI said to David my father, 'Although it was in your heart to build a house for my name, and you did well that it was in your heart,

19 nevertheless you will not build the house. Rather, you will father a son, and it will be he who will build the house for my name.'

20 Now ADONAI has fulfilled this spoken word of his; for I have succeeded my father and sit on the throne of Isra'el, as ADONAI promised; and I have built the house for the name of ADONAI the God of Isra'el.

21 And there I have made a place for the ark containing the covenant of ADONAI, which he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."

22 Then Shlomo stood before the altar of ADONAI in the presence of the whole community of Isra'el, spread out his hands toward heaven,

23 and said, "ADONAI, God of Isra'el, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep covenant with your servants and show them grace, provided they live in your presence with all their heart.

24 You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father; you spoke with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand; so it is today.

25 Now therefore, ADONAI, God of Isra'el, keep what you promised to your servant David, my father, when you said, 'You will never lack a man in my presence to sit on the throne of Isra'el, if only your children are careful about what they do, so that they live in my presence, just as you have lived in my presence.'

26 Now therefore, God of Isra'el, please let your word, which you spoke to your servant David, my father, be confirmed.

27 "But can God actually live on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built?

28 Even so, ADONAI my God, pay attention to your servant's prayer and plea, listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying before you today,

29 that your eyes will be open toward this house night and day - toward the place concerning which you said, 'My name will be there'- to listen to the prayer your servant will pray toward this place.

30 Yes, listen to the plea of your servant, and also that of your people Isra'el when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven where you live; and when you hear, forgive!

31 "If a person sins against a fellow member of the community, and he is made to swear under oath, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;

32 then hear in heaven, act, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, so that his way of life devolves on his own head, and vindicating the one who is right, giving him what his righteousness deserves.

33 "When your people Isra'el sin against you and in consequence are defeated by an enemy; then if they turn back to you, acknowledge your name, and pray and make their plea to you in this house;

34 hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Isra'el, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

35 "When they sin against you, and in consequence the sky is shut, so that there is no rain; then, if they pray toward this place, acknowledge your name and turn from their sin when you have brought them low;

36 hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Isra'el - since you keep teaching them the good way by which they should live - and send down rain on your land, which you have given your people as their inheritance.

37 "If there is famine in the land, or blight, windstorm, mildew, locusts or shearer-worms; or if their enemy comes to the land and besieges them in any of their cities- no matter what kind of plague or sickness it is;

38 then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Isra'el makes - for each individual will know what is plagueing his own conscience - and the person spreads out his hands toward this house;

39 hear in heaven where you live, and forgive, and act, and, since you know what is in each one's heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because you, and only you, know all human hearts),

40 so that they will fear you throughout the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

41 "Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Isra'el - when he comes from a distant country because of your reputation

42 (for they will hear of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house;

43 then hear in heaven where you live, and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra'el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.

44 "If your people go out to fight against their enemy, no matter by which way you send them, and they pray to ADONAI toward the city you chose, toward the house I built for your name;

45 then, in heaven, hear their prayer and plea, and uphold their cause.

46 "If they sin against you - for there is no one who doesn't sin - and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to the land of their enemy, whether far away or nearby;

47 then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to you in the land of those who carried them off captive, saying, 'We sinned, we acted wrongly, we behaved wickedly,'

48 if, in the land of their enemies who carried them off captive, they return to you with all their heart and being and pray to you toward their own land, which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you chose and toward the house I have built for your name;

49 then, in heaven where you live, hear their prayer and plea, uphold their cause,

50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you - forgive their transgressions which they have committed against you, and give them compassion in the sight of their captors, so that they will show compassion toward them;

51 for they are your people, your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of the flames of the iron furnace.

52 "May your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Isra'el, so that you will hear them whenever they cry out to you.

53 For you made a distinction between them and all the peoples of the earth by making them your inheritance, as you said through Moshe your servant when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Adonai ELOHIM."

54 When Shlomo had finished praying all this prayer and plea to ADONAI, he got up from in front of the altar of ADONAI, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven,

55 stood up, and raised his voice to bless the whole community of Isra'el. He said,

56 "Blessed be ADONAI, who has given rest to his people Isra'el, in accordance with everything he promised. Not one word has failed of his good promise, which he made through Moshe his servant.

57 May ADONAI our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us or abandon us.

58 In this way he will incline our hearts toward him, so that we will live according to his ways and observe his mitzvot, laws and rulings which he ordered our fathers to obey.

59 May these words of mine, which I have used in my plea before ADONAI, be present with ADONAI our God day and night, so that he will uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Isra'el day by day.

60 Then all the peoples of the earth will know that ADONAI is God; there is no other.

61 So be wholehearted with ADONAI our God, living by his laws and observing his mitzvot, as you are doing today."

62 Then the king, together with all Isra'el, offered sacrifices before ADONAI.

63 For the sacrifice of peace offerings which Shlomo offered to ADONAI, he offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people of Isra'el dedicated the house of ADONAI.

64 The same day, the king consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of ADONAI, because he had to offer the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar before ADONAI was too small to receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat of the peace offerings.

65 So Shlomo celebrated the festival at that time. All Isra'el, a huge gathering [that had come all the way] from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi [of Egypt], celebrated with him before ADONAI our God for seven days and then for seven more days - fourteen days in all.

66 On the eighth day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and returned to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness ADONAI had shown to David his servant and to Isra'el his people.