2 Chronicles 6:1–42

¹ Then Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud; ² and I have built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever.” ³ And as the whole assembly of Israel stood there, the king turned around and blessed them all ⁴ and said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His own hand what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying, ⁵ ‘Since the day I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over My people Israel. ⁶ But now I have chosen Jerusalem for My Name to be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’ ⁷ Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart. ⁹ Nevertheless, you are not the one to build it; but your son, your own offspring, will build the house for My Name.’ ¹⁰ Now the LORD has fulfilled the word that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. ¹¹ And there I have provided a place for the ark, which contains the covenant of the LORD that He made with the children of Israel.” ¹² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. ¹³ Now Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had placed it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it, knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, ¹⁴ and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth, keeping Your covenant of loving devotion with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. ¹⁵ You have kept Your promise to Your servant, my father David. What You spoke with Your mouth You have fulfilled with Your hand this day. ¹⁶ Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: ‘You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants guard their way to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ ¹⁷ And now, O LORD, God of Israel, please confirm what You promised to Your servant David. ¹⁸ But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I h…