Old Testament

New Testament

1 Kings 8:38-55 Holy Bible: Easy-To-Read Version (ETR)

38. When any of these things happen, and people feel compelled in their hearts to spread their hands in prayer toward this Temple,

39. please listen to their prayer. Listen while you are in your home in heaven and forgive them and help them. Only you know what people are really thinking, so only you can judge them fairly.

40. Do this so that your people will fear and respect you all the time that they live in this land that you gave to our ancestors.

41-42. “People from other places will hear about your greatness and your power. They will come from far away to pray at this Temple.

43. From your home in heaven, please listen to their prayers. Please do everything the people from other places ask you. Then they will fear and respect you the same as your people in Israel. Then all people everywhere will know that I built this Temple to honor you.

44. “Sometimes you will command your people to go and fight against their enemies. Then your people will turn toward the city that you have chosen and the Temple that I built in your honor, and they will pray to you, Lord.

45. Please listen to their prayers from your home in heaven, and help them.

46. “Your people will sin against you. I know this because everyone sins. And you will be angry with your people. You will let their enemies defeat them. Their enemies will make them prisoners and carry them to some faraway land.

47. In that faraway land, your people will think about what happened. They will be sorry for their sins, and they will pray to you. They will say, ‘We have sinned and done wrong.’

48. They will be in that faraway land of their enemies, but they will turn back to you. They will feel sorry for their sins with their whole heart and soul. They will turn toward the land you gave their ancestors. They will look toward the city you chose and toward the Temple I built, and they will pray to you.

49. Please listen to their prayers from your home in heaven, and do what is right.

50. Forgive your sinful people for all the things they have done against you. Make their enemies be kind to them.

51. Remember that they are your people and that you brought them out of Egypt. It was as if you saved them by pulling them out of a hot oven!

52. “Please listen to my prayers and to the prayers of your people Israel. Listen to their prayers any time that they ask you for help.

53. You have chosen them from all the peoples of the earth to be your own special people. Lord GOD, you promised to do that for us. You used your servant Moses to make that promise when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt.”

54. When Solomon prayed this prayer to the Lord, he was on his knees in front of the Lord’S altar and his arms were raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he stood up.

55. Then, in a loud voice, he asked God to bless all the people of Israel. Solomon said,

Read complete chapter 1 Kings 8