6:1 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 6:2 O Lord, I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 6:3 Then the king turned around and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. 6:4 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled what he promised my father David. 6:5 He told David, ‘Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel. 6:6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place to live, and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 6:7 Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. 6:8 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. 6:9 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ 6:10 The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel 6:11 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites.”