52. “Please give your attention to my prayers. And please give your attention to the prayers of your people Israel. Listen to their prayers anytime they ask you for help.
53. You chose them from all the nations on earth to be your very own people. This is what you promised through Moses your servant. You promised it when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, Lord God.”
54. Solomon prayed this prayer to the Lord. He had been kneeling in front of the altar. And his arms had been raised toward heaven. When Solomon finished praying, he stood up.
55. Then, in a loud voice, he blessed all the people of Israel. Solomon said:
56. “Praise the Lord! He promised he would give rest to his people Israel. And he has given us rest! The Lord has kept all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.
57. I ask that the Lord our God be with us. May he be with us as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us.
58. May he cause us to turn to him and follow him. May we obey all the laws and commands he gave our ancestors.
59. I ask that the Lord our God always remember this prayer. I pray that he will help his servant and his people Israel. I pray he will help us every day as we need it.
60. Then all the people of the world will know the Lord is the only true God.
61. So you must fully obey the Lord our God. You must follow all his laws and commands. You must continue to obey in the future as you do now.”
62. Then King Solomon and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the Lord.
63. Solomon killed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. These were fellowship offerings. In this way the king and the Israelites showed they had given the Temple to the Lord.
64. Also that day King Solomon made the courtyard before the Temple holy. He offered whole burnt sacrifices and grain offerings. He also offered the fat from the fellowship offerings. He had to make these offerings in the courtyard. This was because the bronze altar before the Lord was too small. It could not hold all the offerings.