1 Kings 8:54-66

Solomon prayed this prayer to the LORD, kneeling in front of the altar with his arms raised toward heaven. When he finished praying, he got up. Then, in a loud voice, he stood and blessed all the people of Israel, saying: “Praise the LORD! He promised he would give rest to his people Israel, and he has given us rest. The LORD has kept all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors. May he never leave us, and may he turn us to himself so we will follow him. Let us obey all the laws and commands he gave our ancestors. May the LORD our God remember this prayer day and night and do what is right for his servant and his people Israel day by day. Then all the people of the world will know the LORD is the only true God. You must fully obey the LORD our God and follow all his laws and commands. Continue to obey in the future as you do now.” Then King Solomon and all Israel with him offered sacrifices to the LORD . Solomon killed twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep as fellowship offerings. So the king and all the people gave the Temple to the LORD. On that day King Solomon made holy the middle part of the courtyard which is in front of the Temple of the LORD. There he offered whole burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings. He offered them in the courtyard, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold all the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the fellowship offerings. Solomon and all the Israelites celebrated the other festival that came at that time. People came from as far away as Lebo Hamath and the brook of Egypt. A great many people celebrated before the LORD for seven days, then seven more days, for a total of fourteen days. On the following day Solomon sent the people home. They blessed the king as they went, happy because of all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.