Will God Indeed Dwell with Men?

¹ Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. ² But I have built you a house and home, a place for you to dwell in forever.” ³ The king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel; and all the assembly of Israel stood. ⁴ He said, “Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my father, and has with his hands fulfilled it, saying, ⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there, and I chose no man to be prince over my people Israel; ⁶ but now I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ ⁷ Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ⁸ But Yahweh 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; ⁹ nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will come out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.’ ¹⁰ “Yahweh has performed his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel. ¹¹ There I have set the ark, in which is Yahweh’s covenant, which he made with the children of Israel.” ¹² He stood before Yahweh’s altar in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands ¹³ (for Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the middle of the court; and he stood on it, and knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven). ¹⁴ Then he said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth—you who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants who walk before you with all their heart; ¹⁵ who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today. ¹⁶ “Now therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ ¹⁷ Now therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David. ¹⁸ “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house which I have built! ¹⁹ Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant and to his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you; ²⁰ that your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place where you have said that you would put your name, to listen to the prayer which your servant will pray toward this place. ²¹ Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.