And the king turned his face, and the king blessed all Israel, (and the whole assembly of Israel stood:) and he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel today, who spoke by his mouth concerning David my father, and has fulfilled it with his hands, saying, From the day that I brought out my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any one tribe of Israel to build a house, so that my Name should be there: but I chose Jerusalem that my Name should be there, and I chose David to be over my people Israel. And it was in the heart of my father to build a house to the Name of the Lord God of Israel. And the Lord said to David my father, Forasmuch as it came into thine heart to build a house to my Name, thou didst well that it came upon thine heart. Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house, but thy son that has proceeded out of thy bowels, he shall build the house to my Name. And the Lord has confirmed the word that he spoke, and I am risen up in the place of my father David, and I have sat down on the throne of Israel, as the Lord spoke, and I have built the house to the Name of the Lord God of Israel. And I have set there a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord, which the Lord made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
But will God indeed dwell with men upon the earth? if the heaven and heaven of heavens will not suffice thee, how much less even this house which I have built to thy Name? Yet, O Lord God of Israel, thou shalt look upon my petition, to hear the prayer which thy servant prays to thee in thy presence this day, that thine eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place which thou saidst, My Name shall be there, to hear the prayer which thy servant prays at this place day and night. And thou shalt hearken to the prayer of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall pray toward this place; and thou shalt hear in thy dwelling-place in heaven, and thou shalt do and be gracious.
3 Kings, 8:12-30
