1 Kings 8:22-53 - Solomon's Prayer To Yahweh

22 In the presence of the people Solomon stood in front of the altar. He raised his arms 23 and prayed: Jehovah God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below! You keep your covenant with your people and show them your love when they live in wholehearted obedience to you. 24 You kept the promise you made to my father David. Every word has been fulfilled. 25 Jehovah, God of Israel, I pray that you will also keep the other promise you made to my father when you told him there would always be one of his descendants ruling as king of Israel, provided they obeyed you as carefully as he did. 26 So now, O God of Israel, let your word come true that you promised to my father David, your servant. 27 Can you, O God, really live on earth? Not even heaven or the heaven of heavens is large enough to hold you. How can this Temple I have built be large enough? 28 Jehovah my God, I am your servant. Listen to my prayer. Grant the requests I make to you today. 29 Watch over this Temple day and night. For this is the place where you have chosen to be worshiped. Hear me when I face this Temple and pray. 30 Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people. In your home in heaven hear us and forgive us. 31 When a person is accused of wronging another and is brought to your altar in this Temple to take an oath that he is innocent, 32 O Jehovah, listen in heaven and judge your servants. Punish the guilty one, as he deserves. Justify the one who is innocent. 33 When your people Israel have sinned against you their enemies defeat them. They can turn to you and come to this Temple, humbly praying to you for forgiveness. 34 Listen to them in heaven. Forgive the sins of your people and bring them back to the land that you gave to their ancestors. 35 When you hold back the rain because your people have sinned against you. And when they repent in this Temple, humbly praying to you, 36 listen to them in heaven. Forgive the sins of the king and of the people of Israel, and teach them to do what is right. Then, O Jehovah, send rain on this land of yours, which you gave to your people as a permanent possession. 37 When there is famine in the land or an epidemic or scorching winds or swarms of locusts, or when their enemies attack your people, or when disease or sickness among them destroys the crops, 38 listen to their prayers. If any of your people Israel, out of heartfelt sorrow, stretch out their hands in prayer toward this Temple, 39 hear their prayer. Listen to them in your home in heaven, help them and forgive them. You alone know the thoughts of the human heart. Deal with each person, as he deserves, 40 so that your people may obey you all the time they live in the land you gave to our ancestors. 41 When a foreigner who lives in a distant land hears of your fame and of the great things you have done for your people and comes to worship you and to pray at this Temple, 42 For they will have news of your great name and your strong hand and your out-stretched arm. When he comes to pray in this house: 43 Listen to him and give him his desire. Let all the peoples of the earth know about your name. Let them worship you as your people Israel, and that they may see that this house which I have built is truly named by your name. 44 When your people go to war against their enemies, they pray to you, O Jehovah, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I built for your name. 45 Hear their prayer for mercy in heaven, and do what is right for them. 46 They may sin against you, for everyone sins. You may become angry with them and hand them over to an enemy far or near who takes them to another country as captives. 47 If they come to their senses and are sorry for what they have done, and plead with you in the land where they are captives, saying: We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have been wicked. 48 If they change their attitude toward you in the land of their enemies where they are captives, if they pray to you toward the land that you gave their ancestors, and the city you have chosen, and the temple I have built for your name, 49 then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy. Do what is right for them. 50 Forgive your people, who have sinned against you. Forgive all their wrongs when they rebelled against you. Cause those who captured them to have mercy on them. 51 They are your own people. You brought them out of Egypt from the middle of an iron smelter. 52 May your eyes always see my plea and your people Israel's plea so that you will listen to them whenever they call on you. 53 You Jehovah set them apart from all the people of the world. They are your own as you promised through your servant Moses when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.