Then Shlomo gathered the elders of Yisroel, all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the paternal families of the Bnei Yisroel, to Shlomo ha Melech in Yerushalayim, to bring up the Ark of Adonoy’s Covenant from the city of Dovid which is Tzion.

And unto Shlomo ha Melech were gathered all the men of Yisroel in the month of Eisonim, at the Chag [Sukkos], which is [in] the seventh month.

All the elders of Yisroel came, and the Kohanim carried the Ark.

And they brought up the Ark of Adonoy, the Tent of Meeting, and all the sacred vessels that were in the Tent; and the Kohanim and Leviim brought them up.

Then Shlomo ha Melech and the entire congregation of Yisroel, that were called to him were with him before the Ark, sacrificing [so many] sheep and cattle that they could not be counted or numbered because of their multitude.

And the Kohanim brought the Ark of the Covenant of Adonoy to its place, to the inner most section of the Beis Hamikdosh, to the Holy of Holies beneath the wings of the cherubim.

For the cherubim spread their wings above the place of the Ark, and the cherubim covered the Ark and its [carrying] poles from above.

The poles were so extended that the ends of the poles were seen from the Kodesh [Sanctuary], in front of the Holy of holies; but they could not be seen from outside. they are there to this day.

There was nothing in the Ark except the two Stone Tablets that Moshe placed there at Chorev when Adonoy made a covenant with the Bnei Yisroel after they went out of the land of Egypt.

And after the Kohanim went out of the Kodesh, the cloud filled the House of Adonoy.

The Kohanim were unable to stand up to serve because of the cloud, for the glory of Adonoy filled the House of Adonoy.

Then Shlomo declared, “Adonoy said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.”

“I have built a house of dwelling for You; a dwelling place for You, forever.”

The king turned his face about and blessed the entire congregation of Yisroel; and the entire congregation of Yisroel stood.

“And he said, “Blessed is Adonoy, the God of Yisroel, Who spoke with His mouth to Dovid, my father; and fulfilled it with His hand saying.

‘Since the day I brought out My people, Yisroel, from Egypt, I did not choose a city from among all the tribes of Yisroel, to build a House so that My Name might be there; and I chose Dovid to be over [rule] My people, Yisroel.’

It was in the heart of Dovid, my father to build a Beis Hamikdosh for the Name, Adonoy, the God of Yisroel.

And Adonoy said to Dovid, my father, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a Beis Hamikdosh for My Name; you did [a] commendable [thing] for it was in your heart [to do so].

Except you will not build the Beis Hamikdosh, rather your son, who comes from your loins, he will build the Beis Hamikdosh for My Name.

Adonoy has fulfilled His word that He spoke; and I have ascended in place of Dovid, my father, and sit on the throne of Yisroel as Adonoy had said, and have built the Beis Hamikdosh for the Name, Adonoy, God of Yisroel.

I have established a place there for the Ark in which there is the Covenant of Adonoy that He made with our fathers after he took them out of the land of Egypt.”

Shlomo stood before the Altar of Adonoy in the presence of the entire congregation of Yisroel, and spread out his hands to the heavens.

And he said, “God of Yisroel, there is none like you, Oh God in the heavens above and on the earth below; Preserver of the Covenant and the kindness for your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.

You preserved for Your servant, Dovid, my father that what You spoke to him. You spoke with Your mouth and filfilled with Your hand as You have done this day.

And now Adonoy, God of Yisroel, preserve for Your servant, Dovid, my father, that what You spoke to him; saying, ‘Not one of yours will be cut off from before Me to sit on the throne of Yisroel, provided your sons preserve their way to walk before Me as you walked before Me.’

And now God of Yisroel, please ratify Your words that You spoke to your servant, Dovid, my father.

For will God really dwell on earth? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You; how then will this Beis Hamikdosh that I have built [contain You]?

[Therefore] turn to the prayer of Your servant, and to his plea, Adonoy, my God; to listen to the song and to the prayer that Your servant prays before You this day:

That Your eyes be open toward this Beis Hamikdosh night and day, to the place of which You said, ‘My Name will be there; to listen to the prayer that Your servant will pray at this place.

And listen to the plea of Your servant, and of Your people, Yisroel, that they will pray toward this place; and You will listen in the place of Your dwelling, in the heavens, and You will listen and forgive.

Should a person sin against his fellow man, and is liable that a curse be upon him, and the curse comes before Your Altar, in this House;

May You listen from the heavens, and act and judge Your servants, to condemn the wicked one, to set his [evil] way upon his head; and to justify the righteous one, to give him according to his righteousness.

When Your people, Yisroel are defeated by an enemy because they sinned against You; and they turn to You and praise Your Name, and pray and beseech You in this Beis Hamikdosh.

May You listen from the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your people, Yisroel; and return them to the land that You gave to their fathers.

When the heavens are closed off and there is no rain, because they sinned against You; and they pray toward this place and praise Your Name, and repent of their sins, for You to answer them.

May You listen from the heavens and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people, Yisroel, for You will teach them the right way so they will walk in it; and give rain on Your land that You gave to Your people for an inheritance.

Should there be a famine in the land, or should there be a plague, or if the crops be endangered by wind or rot, locusts or similar insects; or if their enemy besiege them within the land, at the gates of their cities, or any affliction or sickness.

Every prayer, every plea that any person will make, [or] by Your people, Yisroel, since every person knows the affliction of his heart; and he will spread out his hands to this Beis Hamikdosh.

May You listen from the heavens, Your Dwelling Place, and forgive and act, and give to each one according to all his ways, for You know his heart; for You alone know the hearts of all the children of men.

That they may fear You all the days that they live on the face of the earth, that You gave to our fathers.

And even to the stranger who is not of Your people Yisroel, and comes from a far off land for the sake of Your Name.

For they will hear about Your great name, and of Your mighty hand and of Your outstretched arm, and they will come to this House and pray.

May You listen from the heavens, Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the stronger calls out to You; so that all the people of the land will know Your Name, to fear You as do Your people, Yisroel, and they will know that your name is called upon this Beis Hamikdosh, that I have built.

When your people go out to war against their enemy, in the manner that you send them, and they will pray to Adonoy by way of the city that You chose, and the house that I built for Your Name.

May You listen from the heavens to their prayers and their pleas, and render their judgement.

When they sin against You, for there is no man who does not sin, and You will be angry with them and deliver them to the enemy; and their captors take them captive to the land of the enemy, whether far or near.

And then if they admit in their hearts, in the land of their captivity, and they repent and beseech You in the land of their captors, saying, “We have sinned, we have committed iniquities and we have been wicked.”

And they return to You with all their heart and all their soul, in the land of their enemies who captured them; and they pray to You by way of their land that You gave to their fathers, the city that You chose and the Beis Hamikdosh that I built for Your name.

May you listen from the heavens, Your dwelling place to their prayer and their plea, and render their judgement.

And forgive Your people who sinned to You, and all their rebelliousness that they rebelled against You; and grant them mercy before their captors, so that they will have mercy on them.

For they are Your people and Your inheritance that You took out of Egypt, from the midst of the smelting pot of iron.

May Your eyes be open to the plea of Your servant and to the plea of Your people, Yisroel to listen to them whenever they call to You.

For You separated them for Yourself as an inheritance from among all the nations of the earth, as You spoke through the hand of Moshe, Your servant when you took our fathers out of Egypt, [our] Master, God.

And when Shlomo finished praying to Adonoy, this entire prayer and plea, he got up from before the Altar of Adonoy, from kneeling on his knees, and his hands spread heavenward.

And he stood and blessed the entire congregation of Yisroel in a loud voice, saying.

“Blessed is Adonoy who has given respite to His people, Yisroel, like all that He had said; not one thing was lacking [in fulfillment] from all His good words that He spoke through the hand of Moshe, His servant.

May Adonoy, our God be with us as He was with our fathers; may He not leave us and not reject us.

May he turn our hearts to Him; to walk in all His ways, to preserve His Mitzvos, His statutes and His judgements that He commanded our fathers.

And may these words of mine that I have pleaded before Adonoy, be near to Adonoy, our God day and night, to do justice to His servant, and the justice of His people, Yisroel, fulfilling the need of each day, on that day.

So that all the peoples of the earth will know that Adonoy is God, there is nothing else.

And may your hearts be completely whole with Adonoy, our God, to follow His statutes and to preserve His mitzvos, as they are this day.”

And the king and all of Yisroel with him sacrificed sacrifices to Adonoy.

And Shlomo sacrificed peace-offerings that he sacrificed to Adonoy [consisting of] twenty two thousand oxen, and one hundred twenty thousand sheep, and [with this] the House of Adonoy was dedicated by the king and all of Bnei Yisroel.

On that day the king sanctified the inside of the Courtyard that was in front of the House of Adonoy, for there he offered burnt-offerings, and meal-offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, for the Copper Altar that was before Adonoy was too small to contain the burnt-offerings and the meal-offerings and the fat of the peace offerings.

And Shlomo celebrated the chag at that time, and all of Yisroel were with him, a huge congregation, [stretching] from the entrance of Chamos to the Brook of Egypt, in the presence of Adonoy, our God, [lasting] seven days and seven [more] days, a total of fourteen days.

On the eighth day, he sent the people off and they blessed the king, and they returned to their homes happy and with good hearts [spirits], for all the goodness that Adonoy had done for Dovid, His servant and for Yisroel, His people.