Pagtens ark placeres i templet og Herrens herlighed kommer
1Nu kaldte kong Salomon alle Israels stammeoverhoveder, slægtsoverhoveder og øvrige ledere sammen i Jerusalem, så de kunne være med til at føre pagtens ark fra teltet på Zionhøjen, det vil sige Davidsbyen, til den ny tempelbygning.2Denne begivenhed faldt sammen med løvhyttefesten i etanim måned, den syvende måned.[1]3-4Da alle lederne var ankommet, bar præsterne så Herrens Ark hen til templet, og levitterne bar teltet og de indviede ting, der hidtil havde haft plads i teltet.5Dér foran pagtens ark ofrede Salomon sammen med hele Israels forsamling så meget småkvæg og hornkvæg, at man opgav at tælle, hvor mange der var.6Derpå bar præsterne Herrens Pagts Ark ind i det allerhelligste rum og satte den under kerubernes udbredte vinger.7De to statuer var jo lavet sådan, at deres vinger mødtes midt i rummet, hvor arken skulle stå. Deres vinger overskyggede derved arken og dens bærestænger.8Stængerne ragede så langt ud, at de var synlige fra templets ydre rum, men ikke helt udefra; og sådan er det den dag i dag.9I arken lå kun de to stentavler, som Moses havde anbragt i den dengang ved Horebs bjerg, da Israels folk havde forladt Egypten, og Herren oprettede sin pagt med dem.10Da præsterne kom ud fra helligdommen igen, skete der pludselig noget: En tæt sky fyldte Herrens hus,11så præsterne måtte opgive at udføre deres tjeneste. Det var Herrens herlighed, der nu fyldte hans Hus.12Da udbrød Salomon: „Herre, du har sagt, at du bor i den tætte sky.13Nu har jeg bygget dig en bolig på jorden, et sted, hvor du kan slå dig ned og bo for evigt.”
Salomons tale til folket
14Derpå vendte kongen sig om og så ud over hele Israels forsamling, og han velsignede dem. Derefter sagde han:15„Lovet være Herren, Israels Gud, som i dag har opfyldt det løfte, han gav min far, da han sagde:16‚Fra dengang jeg førte mit folk ud af Egypten, har jeg ikke udvalgt nogen by i Israel, hvor man kunne bygge et hus til mig. I stedet udvalgte jeg dig, David, til at lede mit folk.’ ”17Salomon fortsatte: „Min far ville så gerne bygge et hus til Herren, Israels Gud,18men han fik ikke lov til det. ‚Det er godt, at du ønsker at bygge mig et hus,’ sagde Herren til ham,19‚men det bliver din søn, som kommer til at bygge det.’20Herren har nu opfyldt sit løfte, for jeg har efterfulgt min far på Israels trone, og nu står Herrens hus færdigt.21Jeg har lavet et særligt rum til arken, som indeholder den pagt, Herren oprettede med vores forfædre, efter at han havde ført dem ud af Egypten.”
Salomons bøn til Herren
22Salomon stillede sig nu hen foran Herrens alter med hænderne løftet mod Himlen, mens hele forsamlingen så til.23Han bad følgende bøn: „Herre, Israels Gud, der findes ingen Gud som dig i hele verden! Du er en trofast Gud, der holder fast ved dine pagtsløfter, når blot dine tjenere adlyder dig af hele deres hjerte.24Du har nu opfyldt løftet til min far, som var din tjener.25Og nu, Herre, beder jeg dig opfylde resten af dit løfte til ham: At hvis hans efterkommere gør som ham og handler efter din vilje, skal der altid sidde en fra hans slægt på Israels trone.26Ja, Israels Gud, opfyld også det løfte!27Er det muligt, at Gud kan tage bolig på jorden? Hvis Himlen er for lille til at rumme dig, Herre, hvordan kan du da bo i det hus, jeg har bygget?28Min Herre og Gud, lyt til den inderlige bøn, jeg i dag beder i dit nærvær:29Våg over dette hus både dag og nat—det sted, hvor du har lovet at tage bolig—og når jeg vender mig mod din bolig for at bede, lyt da til min bøn og svar mig.30Ja, hør hver eneste bøn, som dit folk beder til dig, vendt mod dette sted. Hør os i din bolig i Himlen og tilgiv os.31Når nogen bliver anklaget for at have forbrudt sig mod en anden person, og de foran dit alter her sværger på, at de er uskyldige,32så hør dem i Himlen. Frikend den uskyldige og døm den skyldige.33Når dit folk synder og bliver besejret af deres fjender som straf, og de så vender om til dig og beder om din hjælp, vendt mod dette hus,34så hør dit folks bøn fra din bolig i Himlen, tilgiv dem og lad dem få lov at vende tilbage til deres land, som du gav deres forfædre.35Når dit folk synder, og regnen derfor udebliver, og de så vender om fra deres synd, fordi du har straffet dem, og de beder til dig om hjælp, vendt mod dette hus,36så hør dem fra din bolig i Himlen og tilgiv dit folk, Israel. Lær dem at følge dine veje, og lad igen regnen falde på den jord, du gav dem.37Når der kommer hungersnød i landet, pest eller plantesygdomme, angreb af græshopper eller andre skadedyr, eller når fjenderne omringer vores byer, ja hvilken som helst epidemi eller katastrofe det nu drejer sig om,38og dit folk erkender deres synd, rækker hænderne ud mod dette sted og bønfalder dig om hjælp,39så hør dem i din himmelske bolig og tilgiv dem. Du alene kender menneskets skjulte tanker, og du har ret til at straffe dem for deres handlinger.40Da vil de lære at vise dig ærefrygt i al den tid, de lever i dette land, som du lovede deres forfædre.41-42Og når fremmede folk hører om din storhed og dine mægtige undere, og de kommer langvejsfra for at bede dig om hjælp, vendt mod dette hus,43så hør dem i Himlen, hvor du bor, og svar på deres bøn. Da skal alle jordens folkeslag høre om dig og have ærefrygt for dig ligesom dit folk, Israel, og hele verden vil forstå, at det hus, som jeg har bygget, er indviet til dig.44Når du sender dit folk i krig mod deres fjender, og de beder til dig, vendt mod den by, du har udvalgt til bolig, og det hus, jeg har bygget til dig,45hør da i din Himmel deres bøn og skaf dem deres ret.46Hvis de synder imod dig—og hvem kan sige sig fri for den mulighed—og du i din vrede tillader fjenden at føre dem som fanger til et fremmed land, det være sig nært eller fjernt,47og hvis de så kommer til fornuft i det land, hvor de er i fangenskab, og råber til dig: ‚Vi har handlet ondt og været ulydige mod Gud! Vi har syndet!’48-49da hør deres bøn i din bolig i Himlen og hjælp dem, når de ærligt vender sig til dig og beder om hjælp, vendt mod det land, du gav deres forfædre, mod den by, du har udvalgt, og det hus, jeg har bygget til din ære.50Tilgiv dit folk al deres ondskab og ulydighed mod dig, og lad deres fjender vise barmhjertighed mod dem,51for de er jo dit ejendomsfolk, som du rev ud af smelteovnen i Egypten.52Må dine øjne og ører altid være åbne, så du hører min og folkets bøn, hver gang vi råber til dig.53For da du førte vores forfædre ud af Egyptens land, betroede du din tjener Moses, at du havde udvalgt Israel blandt verdens folkeslag til at være din særlige ejendom.”
Salomon beder for folket og formaner til lydighed
54-55Salomon var knælet ned foran Herrens alter, mens han bad med løftede hænder. Da han var færdig, rejste han sig og bad for hele Israels forsamling:56„Lovet være Herren, som har indfriet sit løfte og givet Israel fred! Han har opfyldt alle de løfter, han gav til sin tjener Moses.57Gid Herren, vores Gud, må være med os, som han var med vores forfædre. Måtte han aldrig forlade os eller forkaste os,58og måtte han hjælpe os til at gøre hans vilje i alle ting, til at adlyde de befalinger og følge de forskrifter, han gav vores forfædre.59Og måtte han altid huske min bøn, så han giver mig og hele Israel den hjælp, vi har brug for dag for dag.60Gid alle verdens folkeslag må komme til erkendelse af, at Herren er den eneste sande Gud i hele verden.61Og måtte jeres hjerter altid været fuldt overgivet til Herren, jeres Gud, så I adlyder hans love og følger hans befalinger, sådan som I gør det i dag.”
Templet indvies
62Kongen og hele Israels folk bragte en utrolig mængde ofre til Herren.63Salomons takoffer bestod af 22.000 stykker hornkvæg og 120.000 stykker småkvæg.64Kongen indviede den dag den midterste del af forgården, så der også kunne brændes ofre der. Bronzealteret ved indgangen til templet var slet ikke stort nok til at klare alle brændofrene, afgrødeofrene og den del af takofrene, som skulle brændes.65En vældig menneskemængde fra hele landet tog del i festen. De var kommet helt fra landets yderste grænser, Lebo-Hamat i nord og Egyptens Bæk i syd. Efter selve tempelindvielsesfesten, som varede i syv dage, fejrede Salomon sammen med folket løvhyttefesten i syv dage, i alt 14 dage.[2] (2.Krøn 7,8)66Den følgende dag afsluttede Salomon festen, så folket var fri til at tage hjem, og de velsignede deres konge. Derefter drog de hjem, glade og lykkelige over al den godhed, Herren havde vist sin tjener David og sit folk Israel.
1Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. (4.Mos 1,16; 2.Sam 5,7; 2.Sam 6,17; 2.Krøn 5,2)2And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month. (3.Mos 23,34; 1.Kong 8,65; 2.Krøn 7,8)3And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. (4.Mos 4,15; 5.Mos 31,9; Josva 3,3; Josva 3,6; 1.Krøn 15,14)4And they brought up the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the priests and the Levites brought them up. (1.Kong 3,4; 2.Krøn 1,3)5And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. (2.Sam 6,13)6Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. (2.Mos 26,33; 2.Sam 6,17; 1.Kong 6,5)7For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles.8And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the Holy Place before the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. (2.Mos 25,13; 1.Kong 8,6)9There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. (2.Mos 25,21; 2.Mos 34,27; 2.Mos 40,20; 5.Mos 4,13; 5.Mos 10,2; 5.Mos 10,5; Heb 9,4)10And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the Lord, (2.Mos 40,34; 2.Krøn 5,13; 2.Krøn 7,1; Ez 10,3)11so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
Solomon Blesses the Lord
12Then Solomon said, “The Lord[1] has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. (3.Mos 16,2; 2.Krøn 6,1; Salm 18,11; Salm 97,2)13I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.” (2.Mos 15,17; 2.Sam 7,13; Salm 132,14)14Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. (2.Sam 6,18; 1.Kong 8,55)15And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, (1.Kong 6,12; Luk 1,68)16‘Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there. But I chose David to be over my people Israel.’ (5.Mos 12,11; 1.Sam 16,1; 2.Sam 7,4; 2.Sam 7,8; 2.Sam 7,25; 1.Kong 8,29; 1.Krøn 28,4)17Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. (2.Sam 7,2; 1.Krøn 17,1)18But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.19Nevertheless, you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ (2.Sam 7,5; 2.Sam 7,12; 1.Kong 5,3; 1.Kong 5,5)20Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. (1.Krøn 28,5)21And there I have provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.” (5.Mos 31,26; 1.Kong 8,9)
Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven, (2.Mos 9,33; 1.Kong 8,54; 2.Krøn 6,12; Ez 9,5; Es 1,15)23and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; (2.Mos 15,11; 5.Mos 7,9; 2.Sam 7,22)24you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. (1.Kong 8,15)25Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ (1.Kong 2,4)26Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father. (2.Sam 7,25)27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! (2.Krøn 2,6; Es 66,1; Jer 23,24; Ap G 7,49; Ap G 17,24)28Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day,29that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. (5.Mos 12,11; 1.Kong 8,16; 1.Kong 8,52; 1.Kong 9,3; 2.Krøn 7,15; Neh 1,6)30And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.31“If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, (2.Mos 22,11)32then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness. (5.Mos 25,1)33“When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, (3.Mos 26,17; 3.Mos 26,40; 5.Mos 28,45; Neh 1,9)34then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.35“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, (3.Mos 26,17; 5.Mos 11,17; 5.Mos 28,25; Luk 4,25)36then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. (1.Sam 12,23; Salm 25,4; Salm 27,11; Salm 86,11)37“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates,[2] whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, (3.Mos 26,16; 3.Mos 26,25; 5.Mos 28,21; 5.Mos 28,37; 5.Mos 28,42; 5.Mos 28,52; 2.Krøn 20,9)38whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house,39then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), (1.Sam 16,7; 1.Krøn 28,9; Jer 17,10; Ap G 1,24)40that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers. (5.Mos 12,1)41“Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name’s sake42(for they shall hear of your great name and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, (5.Mos 3,24; 2.Krøn 6,32)43hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name. (Josva 4,24; 1.Kong 8,60; Salm 102,15)44“If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the Lord toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, (1.Kong 8,48)45then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.46“If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near, (3.Mos 26,34; 3.Mos 26,44; 5.Mos 28,36; 5.Mos 28,64; Ord 20,9; Præd 7,20; Rom 3,23; Jak 3,2; 1.Joh 1,8; 1.Joh 1,10)47yet if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ (3.Mos 26,40; Neh 1,6; Salm 106,6; Dan 9,5)48if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, (1.Sam 7,3; 1.Kong 8,44; Salm 5,7; Jer 29,12; Dan 6,10; Jonas 2,4)49then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause50and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them (Salm 106,46)51(for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the iron furnace). (5.Mos 4,20; 5.Mos 9,29; Neh 1,10; Jer 11,4)52Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you. (1.Kong 8,29)53For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage, as you declared through Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.” (2.Mos 19,5; 5.Mos 9,26; 5.Mos 9,29; 5.Mos 14,2)
Solomon’s Benediction
54Now as Solomon finished offering all this prayer and plea to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lord, where he had knelt with hands outstretched toward heaven. (2.Krøn 6,13; 2.Krøn 7,1)55And he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying, (1.Kong 8,14)56“Blessed be the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant. (Josva 21,45; Josva 23,14)57The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, (5.Mos 31,6; Josva 1,5; 1.Sam 12,22)58that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. (Salm 119,36)59Let these words of mine, with which I have pleaded before the Lord, be near to the Lord our God day and night, and may he maintain the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel, as each day requires,60that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. (5.Mos 4,35; 5.Mos 4,39; 1.Kong 8,43; 1.Kong 18,39)61Let your heart therefore be wholly true to the Lord our God, walking in his statutes and keeping his commandments, as at this day.” (1.Kong 11,4; 1.Kong 15,3; 1.Kong 15,14; 2.Kong 20,3)
Solomon’s Sacrifices
62Then the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. (2.Krøn 7,4; Ez 6,16)63Solomon offered as peace offerings to the Lord 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord.64The same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the Lord was too small to receive the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat pieces of the peace offerings. (2.Krøn 4,1)65So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days.[3] (3.Mos 23,34; 4.Mos 13,21; 4.Mos 34,5; 4.Mos 34,8; 1.Kong 8,2; 2.Kong 24,7)66On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their homes joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had shown to David his servant and to Israel his people.