English Standard Version

New King James Version

Solomon Blesses the People

Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.

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Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

Then Solomon spoke:
“The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

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But I have built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.”

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I have surely built You an exalted house,
And a place for You to dwell in forever.”

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Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood.

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Solomon’s Speech upon Completion of the Work

Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.

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And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying,

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And he said: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His hands what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying,

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‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel;

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‘Since the day that I brought My people out of the land of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there, nor did I choose any man to be a ruler over My people Israel.

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but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’

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Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’

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Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

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Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a [a]temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

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But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.

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But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well in that it was in your heart.

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Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’

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Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’

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Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

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So the Lord has fulfilled His word which He spoke, and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; and I have built the temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

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And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

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And there I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord which He made with the children of Israel.”

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Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.

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Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

Then [b]Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands

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Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubitsa long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven,

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(for Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and he stood on it, knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven);

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and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart,

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and he said: “Lord God of Israel, there is no God in heaven or on earth like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.

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who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day.

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You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.

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Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’

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Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’

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Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.

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And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David.

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“But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!

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“But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this [c]temple which I have built!

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Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you,

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Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You:

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that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.

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that Your eyes may be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your name, that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.

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And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

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And may You hear the supplications 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.

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“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house,

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“If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,

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then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

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then hear from heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

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“If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house,

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“Or if Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and return and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication before You in this temple,

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then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers.

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then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to them and their fathers.

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“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflictb them,

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“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

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then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good wayc in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

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then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

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“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is,

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“When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;

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whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house,

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whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands to this temple:

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then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind,

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then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men),

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that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

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that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

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“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house,

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“Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for the sake of Your great name and Your mighty hand and Your outstretched arm, when they come and pray in this temple;

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hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

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then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that [d]this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

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“If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,

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“When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, wherever You send them, and when they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name,

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then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

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then hear from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

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“If they sin against you — for there is no one who does not sin — and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near,

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“When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near;

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yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’

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yet when they [e]come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, and have committed wickedness’;

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if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,

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and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been carried captive, and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name:

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then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

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then hear from heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

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Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.

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Now, my God, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer made in this place.

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“And now arise, O Lord God, and go to your resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
and let your saints rejoice in your goodness.

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“Now therefore,
Arise, O Lord God, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
And let Your saints rejoice in goodness.

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O Lord God, do not turn away the face of your anointed one!
Remember your steadfast love for David your servant.”

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“O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your Anointed;
Remember the mercies of Your servant David.”

Parallel

English Standard Version

New King James Version

2 Chronicles 6

2 Chronicles 6