As the people stood there, King Solomon turned to face them, and he asked God's blessing on them.

Then in the presence of the people Solomon went and stood in front of the altar, where he raised his arms

All the men of Judah, with their wives and children, were standing there at the Temple.

The members of the Levite clans of Kohath and Korah stood up and with a loud shout praised the LORD, the God of Israel.

Come, praise the LORD, all his servants, all who serve in his Temple at night.

May the LORD, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion!

Praise the LORD! Praise his name, you servants of the LORD,

Praise the LORD, because he is good; sing praises to his name, because he is kind.

Then David commanded the people, "Praise the LORD your God!" And the whole assembly praised the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and they bowed low and gave honor to the LORD and also to the king.

They sang the LORD's praises, repeating the refrain: "The LORD is good, and his love for Israel is eternal." Everyone shouted with all their might, praising the LORD, because the work on the foundation of the Temple had been started.

Praise the LORD, my soul! All my being, praise his holy name!

Praise the LORD, my soul, and do not forget how kind he is.

Praise the LORD, all nations! Praise him, all peoples!

His love for us is strong, and his faithfulness is eternal. Praise the LORD!

Every day I will thank you; I will praise you forever and ever.

I will praise him as long as I live; I will sing to my God all my life.

The LORD said, "People are saying that this place is like a desert, that it has no people or animals living in it. And they are right; the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem are empty; no people or animals live there. But in these places you will hear again

the shouts of gladness and joy and the happy sounds of wedding feasts. You will hear people sing as they bring thank offerings to my Temple; they will say, 'Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, because he is good and his love is eternal.' I will make this land as prosperous as it was before. I, the LORD, have spoken."

At that time Jesus said, "Father, Lord of heaven and earth! I thank you because you have shown to the unlearned what you have hidden from the wise and learned.

To him who by means of his power working in us is able to do so much more than we can ever ask for, or even think of:

to God be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever! Amen.

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because of his great mercy he gave us new life by raising Jesus Christ from death. This fills us with a living hope,

"Your right hand, LORD, is awesome in power; it breaks the enemy in pieces.

" LORD, who among the gods is like you? Who is like you, wonderful in holiness? Who can work miracles and mighty acts like yours?

"If you do not obey faithfully all of God's teachings that are written in this book and if you do not honor the wonderful and awesome name of the LORD your God,

Now, our God, we give you thanks, and we praise your glorious name.

Praise the LORD, the God of Israel! He alone does these wonderful things.

Praise his glorious name forever! May his glory fill the whole world. Amen! Amen!

They will speak of your glory and majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

They will speak of the glory of your royal power and tell of your might,

so that everyone will know your mighty deeds and the glorious majesty of your kingdom.

The God who said, "Out of darkness the light shall shine!" is the same God who made his light shine in our hearts, to bring us the knowledge of God's glory shining in the face of Christ.

"But can you, O God, really live on earth? Not even all of heaven is large enough to hold you, so how can this Temple that I have built be large enough?

You are great and powerful, glorious, splendid, and majestic. Everything in heaven and earth is yours, and you are king, supreme ruler over all.

I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you."

Who can tell all the great things he has done? Who can praise him enough?