Solomon Addresses the People^(A)

¹² Then Solomon said, “Yahweh said he would live in a dark cloud. ¹³ I certainly have built you a high temple, a home for you to live in permanently.”

¹⁴ Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel while they were standing. ¹⁵ “Thanks be to Yahweh Elohim of Israel. With his mouth he made a promise to my father David; with his hand he carried it out. He said, ¹⁶ ‘Ever since I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I didn’t choose any city in any of the tribes of Israel as a place to build a temple for my name. But now I’ve chosen David to rule my people Israel.’

¹⁷ “My father David had his heart set on building a temple for the name of Yahweh Elohim of Israel. ¹⁸ However, Yahweh said to my father David, ‘Since you had your heart set on building a temple for my name, your intentions were good. ¹⁹ But you must not build the temple. Instead, your own son will build the temple for my name.’ ²⁰ Yahweh has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place, and I sit on the throne of Israel as Yahweh promised. I’ve built the temple for the name of Yahweh Elohim of Israel. ²¹ I’ve made a place there for the ark which contains Yahweh’s promise that he made to our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.”