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

¹⁴ King Solomon turned to face the people standing there. He asked God's blessing on them. ¹⁵ He said: Praise Jehovah the God of Israel! He kept the promise he made to my father David, when he told him: ¹⁶ Since the time I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen any city in all the land of Israel in which a temple should be built where I would be worshiped. But I chose you, David, to rule my people.' ¹⁷ Solomon continued: My father David planned to build a temple for the worship of Jehovah the God of Israel, ¹⁸ Jehovah said to him: 'You were right in wanting to build a temple for me. ¹⁹ However you will never build it. It is your son who will build my temple.' ²⁰ Now Jehovah has kept his promise. I have succeeded my father as king of Israel. And I have built the Temple for the worship of Jehovah the God of Israel. ²¹ I also provided a place in the Temple for the Ark of the Covenant containing the stone tablets of the covenant Jehovah made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.