1 Kings 8:12-21

Complete Jewish Bible

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.”