1 Kings 8:48

Verse

and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,

American Standard Version (1901)

if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

Bible in Basic English

And with all their heart and soul are turned again to you, in the land of those who took them prisoners, and make their prayer to you, turning their eyes to this land which you gave to their fathers, and to the town which you took for yourself, and the house which I made for your name:

Free Bible Version

and they come back to you with complete sincerity in their thoughts and attitudes there in their land of captivity; and they pray towards the land you gave their forefathers, the city you chose, and the Temple I have built to honor you,

Geneva Bible 1599

If they turne againe vnto thee with all their heart, and with all their soule in the lande of their enemies, which led them away captiues, and pray vnto thee toward the way of their land, which thou gauest vnto their fathers, and toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and the house, which I haue built for thy Name,

King James (Authorized) Version

And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

Translation for Translators

if they very sincerely repent, and turn toward this land that you gave to our ancestors, and toward this city that you have chosen to be the place where we should worship you, and toward this temple that I have caused to be built for you, and if they pray,

Unlocked Literal Bible

Suppose that they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who captured them, and suppose that they pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their ancestors, and toward the city that you chose, and toward the house that I have built for your name.

Noah Webster Bible

And so return to thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, who led them away captive, and pray to thee towards their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:

World English Bible

if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen and the house which I have built for your name,

Young's Literal Translation

yea, they have turned back unto Thee, with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and have prayed unto Thee the way of their land, which Thou gavest to their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen, and the house which I have builded for Thy name:

Context

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication

⁴⁷and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’⁴⁸and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,⁴⁹then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause.

Summary

In this verse, King Solomon prays to God during the dedication of the temple, asking Him to hear the prayers of His people when they repent and turn back to Him. Solomon acknowledges that all people sin and stray from God, but he emphasizes the importance of seeking forgiveness and restoration through prayer. This verse highlights the mercy and compassion of God, showing that He is willing to forgive and restore those who sincerely seek Him. It serves as a reminder of the importance of repentance and prayer in maintaining a close relationship with God.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

And so return unto thee, with all their heart, and with all their soul,.... In the most sincere and cordial manner, with great ingenuity and uprightness; the Targum is, "return unto thy worship;'' relinquishing false worship they had given into, and serve the Lord in the best manner they could: in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive; and so at a distance from that temple, and the service of it, which