1   Then Salomon sayd: Our Lord promised that he would dwel ^note in darkenesse:

2   and I haue built a house to his name, that he might dwel there for euer.

3   And the king turned his face, and blessed al the multitude of Israel (for al the multitude stood attent) and sayd:

4   Blessed be our Lord the God of Israel, who in worke hath accomplished that, which he spake to Dauid my father, saying:

5   From the day, that I brought my people out of the Land of Aegypt, I chose not a citie of al the tribes of Israel, that a house might be built in it to my name: neither did I choose anie other man, to be Duke in my people Israel.

6   but I chose Ierusalem, that my, name may be in it: and I chose Dauid, that I might appoynt him ouer my people Israel.

7   And wheras Dauid my father had meant to build a house to the name of our Lord the God of Israel,

8   our Lord sayd to him: Because thy wil was this, that thou wouldest build a house to my name, thou hast done wel certes to haue such a wil:

9   how beit thou shalt not build the house, but thy sonne, which shal come out of thy Ioynes, he shal build a house to my name.

10   Our Lord therfore hath accomplished his word, which he spake: and I am risen for Dauid my father, and sit vpon the throne of Israel, as our Lord hath spoken: and haue built a house to the name of our Lord the God of Israel.

11   And I haue put in it the Arke, wherin is the couenant of our Lord, which he made with the children of Israel:

12   He therfore stoode before the Altar of our Lord, ouer agaynst al the multitude of Israel, and stretched forth his handes.

13   For Salomon had made an eminent place of brasse, and had put it in the middes of the ^note Temple, hauing fiue cubites of length, & bredth, & three of height: & he stoode vpon it: & afterward ^note kneeling ouer agaynst al the multitude of Israel, and ^note his handes lifted vp toward heauen,

14   he sayd: Lord God of Israel, there is not the like God to thee in heauen and in earth: which keepest couenant and mercie with thy seruantes, that walke before thee in al their hart:

15   which hast performed to thy seruant Dauid my father what thinges soeuer thou hadst spoken to him and the thinges that

Salomon. by mouth thou hadst promised, in worke thou hast accomplished, as also the present time proueth.

16   Now therfore Lord God of Israel, fulfil to thy seruant my father Dauid, what soeuer thou didst speake to him, saying: There shal not fayle of thee a man before me, to sitte vpon the throne of Israel: yet so if thy children keepe their waies, and walke in my law, as thou also hast walked before me.

17   And now Lord God of Israel, be thy word confirmed, which thou hast spoken to thy seruant Dauid.

18   Is it credible then that God should dwel with men vpon the earth? If heauen and the heauens of heauens doe not take thee, how much more this house, which I haue built?

19   But to this end only it is made, that thou shouldest respect the prayer of thy seruant, and his supplication Lord my God: and mayst heare the prayers, which thy seruant powreth out before thee:

20   that thou open thine eies vpon this house daies & nightes, vpon the place, wherein thou hast promised that thy name should be inuocated,

21   and wouldest heare the prayer, which thy seruant prayeth in it: and mayst heare the prayers of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel. Whosoeuer shal pray in this place, heare out of thy habitation, that is from the heauens, and be propitious.

22   If anie man shal sinne agaynst his neighbour, and come readie to sweare agaynst him, and binde himfelf with a curse before the altar in this house:

23   thou shalt heare from heauen, and shalt doe the iudgement of thy seruantes, so that thou render to the vniust his way vpon his owne head, and reuenge the iust, rewarding him according to his iustice.

24   If thy people Israel shal be ouercome of their enemies, (for they wil sinne to thee) and conuerted shal doe penance, and besech thy name, and pray in this place,

25   thou shalt heare from heauen, and be thou propetious to the sinne of thy people Israel, and reduce them into the land, which thou gauest them, and their fathers.

26   If the heauen being shut, there fal no rayne for the sinnes of the people, and they shal besech thee in this place, and shal confesse to thy name, and shal be conuerted from their sinnes, when thou shalt afflict them,

27   heare from heauen ô Lord, and forgeue the sinnes of thy seruantes and of thy people Israel, and teach them the good way, by the which they may goe: and geue rayne to thy land, which thou hast geuen thy people to possesse.

28   If famine shal arise in the land, and pestilence, rust, and blast, and locust, and bruche, and the

Salomon. enemies, wasting the countries, shal besiege the gates of the citie, and al plague and infirmitie shal presse them:

29   if any of thy people Israel shal pray, knowing their plague and infirmitie, and shal spred forth their handes in ^note this house,

30   thou shalt heare from heauen, to wit, out of thy high habitation, and be thou propitious, and render to euerie one according to his wayes, which thou knowest him to haue in his hart: (for thou onlie knowest the hartes of the children of men:)

31   that they may feare thee, and walke in thy waies al the daies, that they liue vpon the face of the land, which thou hast geuen to our fathers.

32   The Forener also, which is not of thy people Israel, if he come from a far countrie, for thy strong hand, & thy streched out arme, and adore in this place:

33   thou shalt heare from heauen thy most firme habitation, & shalt do al thinges, for the which that pilgrime shal inuocate thee: that al the peoples of the earth may know thy name, and may feare thee, as thy people Israel, and may know, that thy name is inuocated vpon this house, which I haue built.

34   If thy people shal goe forth to warre agaynst their aduersaries, by the way, that thou shalt send them, shal adore thee agaynst the way, wherein is this citie, which thou hast chosen, and the house, which I haue built to thy name:

35   thou shalt from heauen heare their prayers, and petition, and doe thou reuenge.

36   And if they shal sinne to thee (for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angrie with them, and deliuer them to the enemies, and they leade them captiue into a farre countrie, or which is neere at the least,

37   and being conuerted in their hart in the land, to the which they were led captiue, shal doe penance, and shal besech thee in the land of their captiuitie, sayng: We haue sinned, we haue done wickedly, we haue delt vniustly:

38   and shal returne to thee in al their hart, and in al their soule, in the land of their captiuitie, to the which they were led, shal adore thee agaynst the way of their land, which thou gauest their fathers, and of the citie, which thou hast chosen, and of the house, which I haue built to thy name:

39   thou shalt heare from heauen, that is, from thy firme habitation their prayers, and doe thou iudgement, and forgeue thy people, although sinneful:

40   for thou art my God: let thine eies, I besech thee, be opened, and let thine eares be attent, to the prayer, that is made in this place.

41   Now therfore arise Lord God in thy rest, thou and the Arke of thy strength: Let

Salomon. thy Priestes Lord God put on saluation, & thy Saintes reioyse in good thinges.

42   Lord God turne not away from the face of thy Christ: remember the mercies of Dauid thy seruant.

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