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.
65. So King Solomon and all the people of Israel also celebrated the other festival that came at that time. People came from as far away as Lebo Hamath in the north. And they came from as far as the brook of Egypt in the south. A great many people were there. They ate, drank and rejoiced before the Lord for a total of 14 days.
66. On the following day Solomon sent the people home. So they blessed the king and went home. They were happy because of all the good things the Lord had done for his servant David and for his people, Israel.