The Ark Brought to the Temple
1Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. 2All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.
3When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, 4and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up, 5and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
6The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 7The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles. 8These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 9There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
10When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 11And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.
12Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; 13I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”
14While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. 15Then he said:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said, 16‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.’
17“My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 18But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 19Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’
20“The Lord has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 21I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven 23and said:
“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below—you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.
25“Now Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me faithfully as you have done.’ 26And now, God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
27“But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 28Yet give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day. 29May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 30Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
31“When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 32then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.
33“When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple, 34then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
35“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
37“When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 39then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.
41“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
44“When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
46“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive to their own lands, far away or near; 47and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’; 48and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name; 49then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy; 51for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.
52“May your eyes be open to your servant’s plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you. 53For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign Lord, brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”
54When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the Lord, he rose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven. 55He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
56“Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 57May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. 58May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 59And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need, 60so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 61And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”
The Dedication of the Temple
62Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the Lord. 63Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the Lord: twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the Lord.
64On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar that stood before the Lord was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.
65So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all. 66On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
運約櫃入聖殿
1所羅門把以色列的長老、各支派的首領和族長召集到他所在的耶路撒冷，準備把耶和華的約櫃從大衛城錫安運上來。
2在以他念月，即七月住棚節的時候，以色列人都聚集到所羅門王那裡。 3以色列的長老到齊後，祭司便抬起約櫃， 4祭司和利未人將耶和華的約櫃、會幕和會幕裡的一切聖器運上來。 5所羅門王和聚集到他那裡的以色列全體會眾在約櫃前獻祭，獻上的牛羊多得不可勝數。 6祭司把耶和華的約櫃抬進內殿，即至聖所，放在兩個基路伯天使的翅膀下面。 7基路伯天使展開翅膀，遮蓋約櫃和抬約櫃的橫槓。 8橫槓很長，在至聖所前面的聖所中也看得見橫槓的末端，但在聖所外面看不見。橫槓至今仍在那裡。 9約櫃裡除了兩塊石版，沒有別的東西。石版是以色列人離開埃及後，耶和華在何烈山跟他們立約時，摩西放進去的。 10祭司從聖所出來的時候，就有雲彩充滿了耶和華的殿， 11以致祭司不能在殿裡供職，因為殿裡充滿了耶和華的榮光。 12那時，所羅門說：
「耶和華啊，
你曾說你要住在密雲中，
13現在，我為你建造了雄偉的殿宇，
作你永遠的居所。」
14然後，王轉身為站立在那裡的以色列全體會眾祝福。 15他說：「以色列的上帝耶和華當受稱頌！祂親口給我父大衛的應許，現在祂親手成就了！ 16祂曾說，『自從我帶我的以色列子民出埃及以來，我並沒有在以色列各支派中選出一座城來建造殿宇，作為我名所在之地。我只是揀選了大衛來治理我的以色列子民。』」 17所羅門又說：「我父大衛曾想為以色列的上帝耶和華的名建一座殿， 18但耶和華對我父大衛說，『你想為我的名建造殿宇，這番心意是好的， 19但你不可建，要由你的親生兒子為我的名建殿。』
20「現在耶和華已經成就祂的應許。我繼承了我父大衛的王位統治以色列，又為以色列的上帝耶和華的名建了殿， 21並在殿裡預備了放約櫃的地方。約櫃裡有耶和華的約，是祂把我們的祖先帶出埃及時跟他們立的。」
所羅門的禱告
22所羅門當著以色列會眾的面，站在耶和華的壇前，向天伸出雙手， 23禱告說：「以色列的上帝耶和華啊，天上地下沒有神明可以與你相比！你向盡心遵行你旨意的僕人守約，施慈愛。 24你持守對你僕人——我父大衛的應許，你曾親口應許，你今天親手成就了。
25「以色列的上帝耶和華啊，你曾對你僕人——我父大衛說，『若你的子孫像你一樣謹慎行事、遵行我的旨意，你的王朝就不會中斷。』求你信守這應許。 26以色列的上帝耶和華啊，求你實現你對你僕人——我父大衛的應許。
27「然而，上帝啊，你真會住在人間嗎？看啊，至高的諸天尚且容不下你，更何況我建造的這殿呢？ 28可是，我的上帝耶和華啊，求你垂顧你僕人的禱告和祈求，垂聽你僕人今天在你面前的呼求和禱告。 29願你晝夜看顧這殿，就是你應許立你名的地方！你僕人向著這地方禱告的時候，求你垂聽。 30你僕人和你的以色列子民向這地方祈禱的時候，求你從你天上的居所垂聽，赦免我們的罪。
31「如果有人得罪鄰舍，被叫到這殿中，在你的壇前起誓， 32求你從天上垂聽，在你眾僕人當中施行審判，按他們的行為罰惡賞善。
33「當你的以色列子民因得罪你而敗在敵人手中時，如果他們回心轉意歸向你，承認你的名，在這殿裡祈禱， 34求你從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，帶領他們回到你賜給他們祖先的土地上。
35「當你的子民得罪你，你懲罰他們，讓天不降雨時，如果他們向著這地方禱告，承認你的名，並離開罪惡， 36求你在天上垂聽，赦免你僕人以色列子民的罪，教導他們走正道，降下甘霖滋潤你賜給你子民作產業的土地。
37「如果國中有饑荒、瘟疫、旱災、黴病、蝗災、蟲災，或是城邑被敵人圍困，無論遭遇什麼災禍疾病， 38只要你的以色列子民，或個人或全體，自知心中痛苦並向著這殿伸手禱告，無論祈求什麼， 39求你從天上的居所垂聽，赦免他們。唯獨你能洞察人心，求你按各人的行為施行賞罰， 40使你的子民在你賜給我們祖先的土地上終生敬畏你。
41-42「如果遠方有不屬於你以色列子民的外族人聽說你的大能大力，慕名而來，向著這殿禱告， 43求你從天上的居所垂聽，應允他們的祈求，好叫天下萬民都像你的以色列子民一樣認識你的名，敬畏你，並知道我建造的這殿屬於你的名下。
44「你的子民奉你的命令上陣與敵人作戰，無論他們在哪裡，如果他們向著你選擇的這城和我為你名建造的這殿禱告， 45求你從天上垂聽他們的祈禱，為他們伸張正義。
46「世上沒有不犯罪的人，如果你的子民得罪你，以致你向他們發怒，讓敵人把他們擄走，不論遠近， 47若他們在被擄之地回心轉意，向你懇求，承認自己犯罪作惡了； 48若他們在擄走他們的仇敵那裡全心全意地歸向你，朝著你賜給他們祖先的這片土地、你選擇的這城和我為你建的這殿向你禱告， 49求你從天上的居所垂聽他們的祈禱，為他們伸張正義， 50赦免得罪你的子民，赦免他們的一切過犯，使擄掠他們的人善待他們。 51因為他們是你的子民、你的產業，是你從埃及那鐵熔爐裡拯救出來的。
52「願你垂顧僕人和你的以色列子民的祈求。無論他們什麼時候向你祈求，都求你垂聽。 53主耶和華啊，因為你帶我們祖先出埃及的時候，曾經藉著你的僕人摩西應許將以色列人從世上萬民中分別出來，作你自己的產業。」
所羅門為民祝福
54所羅門跪在耶和華的壇前，舉手向耶和華禱告完畢， 55便站起來高聲為以色列全體會眾祝福： 56「耶和華當受稱頌！祂照著應許賜平安給祂的以色列子民。祂從前藉著僕人摩西賜下的美好應許一句也沒有落空。 57願我們的上帝耶和華與我們同在，就像與我們的祖先同在一樣。願祂永遠都不撇下我們，不丟棄我們， 58使我們的心歸向祂，遵行祂的旨意，謹守祂吩咐我們祖先的誡命、律例和典章。 59願我們的上帝耶和華晝夜顧念我在祂面前的這些祈求，天天為祂的僕人和祂的以色列子民伸張正義， 60叫地上萬民都知道，耶和華是獨一無二的上帝。 61願你們像今天一樣專心事奉我們的上帝耶和華，遵行祂的律法，謹守祂的誡命。」
聖殿奉獻禮
62王和以色列眾民一同向耶和華獻祭。 63所羅門向耶和華獻上兩萬二千頭牛和十二萬隻羊作平安祭，王和以色列眾民為耶和華的殿舉行奉獻典禮。
64那天，因為耶和華殿前的銅壇太小，容不下燔祭、素祭和平安祭祭牲的脂肪，所羅門王就把殿前院子中間分別出來作聖潔之地，在那裡獻上燔祭、素祭和平安祭祭牲的脂肪。 65所羅門和從哈馬口直至埃及小河而來的全體以色列人聚成一大群會眾，在我們的上帝耶和華面前守節期兩週，共十四天。 66節後第二天，所羅門王讓民眾各回本鄉。他們看見耶和華向祂僕人大衛和以色列子民所施的一切恩惠，都為王祝福，並滿心歡喜地回家去了。
