1Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 2But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. 3And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood. 4And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying, 5Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel: 6But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. 7Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 8But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart: 9Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name. 10The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 11And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.
12¶ And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands: 13For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,6.13 long…: Heb. the length thereof, etc 14And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts: 15Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 16Now therefore, O LORD 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 upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.6.16 There…: Heb. There shall not a man be cut off 17Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David. 18But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! 19Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: 20That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.6.20 toward…: or, in this place 21Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.6.21 make: Heb. pray6.21 toward…: or, in this place
22¶ If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;6.22 and an oath…: Heb. and he require an oath of him 23Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
24¶ And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;6.24 be put…: or, be smitten6.24 in: or, toward 25Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
26¶ When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;6.26 toward…: or, in this place 27Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.
28¶ If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:6.28 in the cities…: Heb. in the land of their gates 29Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:6.29 in: or, toward6.29 toward…: or, in this place 30Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:) 31That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.6.31 so long…: Heb. all the days which6.31 in the land: Heb. upon the face of the land
32¶ Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;6.32 toward…: or, in this place 33Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.6.33 this…: Heb. thy name is called upon this house 34If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; 35Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.6.35 cause: or, right 36If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;6.36 they carry them away captives: Heb. they that take them captives carry them away 37Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;6.37 bethink…: Heb. bring back to their heart 38If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: 39Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.6.39 cause: or, right 40Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.6.40 unto…: Heb. to the prayer of this place 41Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. 42O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.
1Da udbrød Salomon: 2„Herren har sagt, at han bor i den tætte sky. Herre, nu har jeg bygget dig en prægtig bolig på jorden, et sted, hvor du kan slå dig ned og bo for evigt.”
Salomons tale til folket
1.Kong. 8,14-21
3Derpå vendte kongen sig om og så ud over hele Israels forsamling, og han velsignede dem. Derefter sagde han: 4„Lovet være Herren, Israels Gud, som i dag har opfyldt det løfte, han gav min far, da han sagde: 5‚Fra dengang jeg førte mit folk ud af Egypten, har jeg ikke udvalgt nogen by i Israel, hvor man kunne bygge et hus til mig. Jeg har heller ikke udvalgt nogen til at være konge over mit folk. 6Men i dag udpeger jeg Jerusalem som det sted, hvor min bolig skal være, og jeg har udvalgt dig, David, til at lede mit folk.’ ”
7Salomon fortsatte: „Min far ville så gerne bygge et hus til Herren, Israels Gud, 8men han fik ikke lov til det. ‚Det er godt, at du ønsker at bygge mig et hus,’ sagde Herren til ham, 9‚men det bliver din søn, som kommer til at bygge det.’ 10Herren har nu opfyldt sit løfte, for jeg har efterfulgt min far på Israels trone, og nu står Herrens hus færdigt. 11Dér har jeg anbragt arken, som indeholder den pagt, Herren oprettede med Israels folk.”
Salomons bøn til Herren
1.Kong. 8,22-54
12Salomon stod foran brændofferalteret med hænderne løftet ud mod forsamlingen. 13Han havde fået konstrueret en platform af bronze midt i forgården. Den var 2,25 m lang, 2,25 m bred og 1,35 m høj. Salomon knælede nu ned på platformen med hænderne løftet mod himlen 14og bad følgende bøn: „Herre, Israels Gud, der findes ingen Gud som dig i hele verden! Du er en trofast Gud, der holder fast ved dine pagtsløfter, når blot dine tjenere adlyder dig af hele deres hjerte. 15Du har nu opfyldt løftet til min far, som var din tjener. 16Og nu, Herre, beder jeg dig opfylde resten af dit løfte til ham: At hvis hans efterkommere gør som ham og handler efter din vilje, skal der altid sidde en fra hans slægt på Israels trone. 17Ja Herre, Israels Gud, opfyld også det løfte!
18Er det muligt, at Gud kan tage bolig på jorden? Hvis Himlen er for lille til at rumme dig, Herre, hvordan kan du da bo i det hus, jeg har bygget? 19Min Herre og Gud, lyt til den inderlige bøn, jeg nu beder for dit ansigt: 20Våg over dette hus både dag og nat—det sted, hvor du har lovet at tage bolig—og når jeg vender mig mod din bolig for at bede, lyt da til min bøn og svar mig. 21Ja, hør hver eneste bøn, som dit folk beder til dig, vendt mod dette sted. Hør os i din bolig i Himlen og tilgiv os.
22Når nogen bliver anklaget for at have forbrudt sig mod en anden person, og de foran dit alter her sværger på, at de er uskyldige, 23så hør dem i Himlen. Frikend den uskyldige og døm den skyldige.
24Når dit folk synder og som straf bliver besejret af deres fjender, og de så vender om til dig og beder om din hjælp, vendt mod dette hus, 25så hør dit folks bøn fra din bolig i Himlen, tilgiv dem og lad dem få lov at vende tilbage til deres land, som du har givet dem og deres forfædre.
26Når dit folk synder, og regnen derfor udebliver, og de så vender om fra deres synd, fordi du har straffet dem, og de beder til dig om hjælp, vendt mod dette hus, 27så hør dem fra din bolig i Himlen og tilgiv dit folk, Israel. Lær dem at følge dine veje, og lad igen regnen falde på den jord, du gav dem.
28Når der kommer hungersnød i landet, pest eller plantesygdomme, angreb af græshopper eller andre skadedyr, eller når fjenderne omringer vores byer, ja hvilken som helst epidemi eller katastrofe det nu drejer sig om, 29og dit folk erkender deres synd, rækker hænderne ud mod dette sted og bønfalder dig om hjælp, 30så hør dem i din himmelske bolig og tilgiv dem. Du alene kender menneskets skjulte tanker, og du har ret til at straffe dem for deres handlinger. 31Da vil de lære at vise dig ærefrygt og vandre på dine veje i al den tid, de lever i dette land, som du lovede deres forfædre.
32Og når fremmede folk hører om din storhed og dine mægtige undere, og de kommer langvejsfra for at bede dig om hjælp, vendt mod dette hus, 33så hør dem i Himlen, hvor du bor, og svar på deres bøn. Da skal alle jordens folkeslag høre om dig og have ærefrygt for dig ligesom dit folk, Israel, og hele verden vil forstå, at det hus, som jeg her har bygget, er indviet til dig.
34Når du sender dit folk i krig mod deres fjender, og de beder til dig, vendt mod den by, du har udvalgt til bolig, og det hus, jeg har bygget til dig, 35hør da i din Himmel deres bøn og skaf dem deres ret.
36Hvis de synder imod dig—og hvem kan sige sig fri for den mulighed—og du i din vrede tillader fjenden at føre dem som fanger til et fremmed land, det være sig nært eller fjernt, 37og hvis de så kommer til fornuft i det land, hvor de er i fangenskab, og råber til dig: ‚Vi har handlet ondt og været ulydige mod Gud! Vi har syndet!’ 38-39da hør deres bøn i din bolig i Himlen og hjælp dem, når de ærligt vender sig til dig og beder om hjælp, vendt mod det land, du gav deres forfædre, mod den by, du har udvalgt, og det hus, jeg har bygget til din ære. Tilgiv dit folk deres ulydighed mod dig.
40Min Gud, våg over dette sted og lyt opmærksomt til alle de bønner, der bedes her.
41Herre, rejs dig, træd ind i din bolig,
for at være ved din almagts Ark.
Må dine præster blive klædt i frelsens dragt,
og dine hengivne tjenere fryde sig over din godhed!
42Forkast ikke din udvalgte konge!
Glem ikke din trofasthed mod din tjener David!”
