1 Kings 8:14-21 - Solomon's Address To The People

¹⁴ Then the king turned around and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. ¹⁵ He said, "The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled what he promised my father David. ¹⁶ He told David, 'Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.' ¹⁷ Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁸ The Lord told my father David, 'It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. ¹⁹ But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.' ²⁰ The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David's place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel ²¹ and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."