12 Then Shelomoh stood in front of the altar to Yahweh in front of all the assembled Israelis, and spread out his hands 13 because he’d made a bronze platform and had it placed in the centre of the courtyard. The square platform was just over two metres on each side, and stood just over a metre off the ground. Firstly he stood on it, then he knelt down onto his knees in front of all the assembled Israelis and spread his hands out to the sky 14 and said, “Yahweh, God of Yisrael, there isn’t any god like you in the heavens or on the earth—one who keeps his agreement and shows loyal commitment to your servants who are walking with total integrity as you watch them. 15 Everything you verbally told my father David that you’d do, you’ve used your power to make it all happen, including this today. 16 And now, Yahweh, God of Yisrael, keep something else for your servant David my father when you told him, ‘There’ll always be one of your descendants sitting on Yisrael’s throne, as long as they obey my instructions just like you have.’[ref] 17 So now, Yahweh, God of Yisrael, let what you said to your servant, to David, be confirmed.

18 “But will God really live with humans here on the earth? Wow, the skies and the heavens of the heavens can’t contain you—how much less this house that I’ve built.[ref] 19 Nevertheless Yahweh my god, listen to your servant’s prayer and request and take notice. 20 Watch over this building where you said that you’d be present and hear my prayers when your servant prays towards this place.[ref] 21 Listen to what your servant and your Israeli people are requesting when they pray towards this place. Listen from where you live in the heavens, and hear and forgive.

22 “If someone is accused of wronging their neighbour and is forced to make a sworn statement in front of your altar in this temple, 23 then listen from the heavens and decide who’s telling the truth. Then punish the guilty party as they deserve, and do good to the other side as a reward for their innocence.

24 “And if your Israeli people are defeated by their enemies because they’ve disobeyed you, but they return to you and confess, and pray, and in this place they request your favour, 25 then listen to them from the heavens and forgive the disobedience of your Israeli people, and bring them back to this land that you gave to their ancestors and to them.

26 “When the clouds hold back and give no rain because they’ve disobeyed you, but then they pray towards this place and acknowledge you and turn away from their disobedience because you’ve punished them, 27 then listen to them from the heavens and forgive the disobedience of your servants and your Israeli people. Teach them the right way to live their lives, and give rain to your land which you gave your people as a permanent inheritance.

28 “If this land suffers from famine, or if there’s blight or mildew, or locusts or grasshoppers, plague or sickness, or if an enemy army surrounds them, 29 then if any person or all your Israeli people stretch out their hands towards this temple with their prayers and requests because they each acknowledge their individual pain and suffering, 30 then listen to them from your where you live there in the heavens and forgive them. Reward each person according to their behaviour, because you know people’s motives—only you know what’s in people’s minds. 31 Do that so they’ll respect you and living how you want them to, as they live in this country that you gave to our ancestors.

32 “Also, any foreigners who don’t belong to your Israeli people, who come to this land because they’ve heard that you’re very great and powerful, if they turn toward this temple and pray 33 then listen to them as well from where you live there in the heavens. Do whatever that foreigner requests from you and that all the people groups in the world will learn about your reputation, and honour and obey you like your Israeli people do, and to know that this temple that I’ve built is called by your name.

34 “When you send your people off to battle their enemies, and they pray towards this city that you’ve chosen and this temple that I’ve had built to honour your name, 35 then listen from the heavens to their prayer and their requests, and uphold their cause.

36 “When they disobey you (and there’s no one who doesn’t), and you’re angry with them and allow an enemy to get the upper hand, and their captors takes them a distant or nearby land as captives, 37 and then in that land where they’re captives, they turn and admit their wickedness and their disobedience, and request your favour, 38 and they turn to you with total sincerity in that other country and pray towards the land that you gave their ancestors, and the city that you chose, and toward the temple that I’ve built to honour your name, 39 then listen from where you live in the heavens to their prayer and their requests, and uphold their cause and forgive your people who’ve disobeyed you.

40 “Now my god, please let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayers offered towards this place.

41 “So now Yahweh God, along with the sacred box of your strength, come and enter your resting place. Yahweh God, may your priests be dressed in salvation, and your faithful ones enjoy your goodness.[ref] 42 Yahweh God, don’t ignore those who you’ve chosen. Remember the loyal commitment of your servant David.”

22 Then Shelomoh stood between Yahweh’s altar and all the gathered Israelis, and held his arms up towards the sky 23 and prayed, “Yahweh, the god of Yisrael, there’s no God like you in the heavens above or here on the earth below, keeping the agreement and showing loyal affection to your servants, the ones who serve you with honest devotion. 24 You have done what you told your servant David, my father, that you said you’d do—you said it with your mouth and then put it into action with your hands as we can see today. 25 Now, Yahweh, the god of Yisrael, do the other things for your servant David my father, when you told him that there’ll always be one of his descendants on Yisrael’s throne, provided they follow you like he did.[ref] 26 So now, God of Yisrael, show that you’re faithful to do what you say, by doing what you told your servant David, my father.

27 “But would God really reside on the earth? The sky and the heavens aren’t big enough for you so how could this building I’ve constructed contain you?[ref] 28 But still, please give attention to your servant’s prayer and my request for favour, Yahweh my god. Please listen to my humble prayer that your servant is praying to you today 29 that your eyes be on this house night and day—the place that you’ve said will be associated with your name. May you answer the prayers that your servant will pray towards this place.[ref] 30 Listen to your servant’s plea for favour, and the prayers that your people Yisrael will pray toward this place. Keep listening from where you live in the heavens, and hear and forgive.

31 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbour and says on oath that the accusation is false, and makes that oath in front of your altar here in this temple, 32 then you should listen from the heavens and judge your people Yisrael, so that wicked people will be condemned and bear the appropriate punishment, and innocent people should be declared not guilty and dealt with appropriately.

33 When your people Yisrael are defeated by an enemy because they’ve sinned against you, and they turn back to you and confess your name and pray, and plead for favour toward you in this temple, 34 then you should listen from the heavens and forgive the sin of your people Yisrael, and bring them back to this land that you gave to our ancestors.

35 “Or when the rain is held back in the sky because your people have sinned against you, and then they pray towards this place and acknowledge you and turn away from the disobedience that caused the problem, 36 then listen to them from the heavens and forgive the sin of your servants and your people Yisrael, because you’ll direct them towards the right way to conduct themselves. Then you’ll send rain onto your land that you gave to your people as an inheritance.

37 “Suppose that there was a drought in the land, or diseases like blight or mildew, or swarms of locusts or grasshoppers, or if an enemy besieges them in a gated city, or some other trouble or calamity, 38 then if anyone from your people Yisrael who knows about their own disobedience would spread out their palms toward this temple, 39 then listen to them from your heavenly abode and forgive their sin, and give them what they need. You and you alone are the only one who knows what’s inside a human heart. 40 Then the people will want to obey you as long as they’re alive here in the land that you gave to our ancestors.

41 “Also the foreigners who are not descendants of Yisrael and who came from distant countries because of your reputation 42 (when they heard about your nature and saw your power in action), and they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then listen to them from your abode in the heavens and do what that foreigner begged of you, so that all the countries will know your reputation and respect you like your people Yisrael do. Then they’ll know that your authority is connected with this residence that I’ve built.

44 “When your people go out to battle against the enemy, and on the road where you sent them they pray to you Yahweh, in this city that you’ve chosen, with this house that I’ve built for your honour, 45 Then listen from the heavens to their prayer and their request, and help their situation.

46 “If they disobey you (because everyone sins) and you’re angry with them and cause them to be defeated by their enemies, and then they get taken prisoner and led away to the enemy’s country (even a far away country), 47 and then they have a change of mind in the land where they were taken to as captives, and while they’re still living in that land, they turn back and beg for your favour and confess, ‘We’ve disobeyed and done wrong—we’ve behaved wickedly,’ 48 and they return to you with all their hearts and all their souls in the land of their enemies where they were taken captive, and they pray to you toward the direction of their country which you gave to their fathers, the city that you chose, and the residence that I’ve built for your honour, 49 then listen to their prayers and requests from your abode in the heavens, and help their situation. 50 Forgive your people who’ve disobeyed you and forgive the wicked things that they’ve done. Help their captors to be compassionate to them, 51 because they’re your people and your special possession who you brought out from Egypt—from the middle of the iron-smelting furnace.

52 “May you notice the plea for favour from your servant and from your people Yisrael—to listen to them in all their crying out to you. 53 For you yourself separated them for yourself as a special possession out of all the people groups in the world, just as you said through your servant Mosheh when you brought our ancestors out from Egypt, my master Yahweh.”