4. And he said:“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who spoke with David my father and fulfilled His promise saying,
5. ‘Since the day that I brought out My people from the land of Egypt, I did not choose any city from among the tribes of Israel to build a house for My name to dwell there, nor did I select a man to be the leader over My people Israel;
6. but I have chosen Jerusalem for My name to dwell there, and I have selected David to be over My people Israel.’
7. “And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
8. But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well because of what was in your heart;
9. only you will not be the one to build the house. For your son, who will be born to you, he will build a house for My name.’
10. “The Lord has fulfilled the word that He spoke. For I have risen up in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord spoke, and I will build the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.
11. And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that He made with the children of Israel.”
12. Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.
13. For Solomon made a bronze platform and set it in the midst of the enclosure. It was five cubits in length, five cubits in width, and three cubits in height. And he stood on it and knelt down before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands to heaven.
14. And he said:“O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like You in the heavens or on the earth, who keeps covenants and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their heart.
15. You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father. You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day.
16. “And now, O Lord God of Israel, keep what You promised Your servant David my father saying, ‘You will not lack a man sitting on the throne of Israel before Me, if only your sons take heed to their way to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’
17. And now, O Lord God of Israel, may Your word be confirmed which You have spoken to Your servant David.
18. “For will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, are not able to contain You, much less this house that I have built.
19. But respond to the prayer of Your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, to listen to the cry and prayer of Your servant who prays before You,