39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone aknow the hearts of all the sons of men),
40athat they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.
41 “Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name’s sake
42 (for they will hear of Your great name and Your astrong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple,
43 hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, athat all peoples of the earth may know Your name and bfear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.
44 “When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the Lord toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name,
45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their1 cause.
46 “When they sin against You a(for thereis no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive bto the land of the enemy, far or near;
47ayet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, bsaying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness’;
48 and when they areturn to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and bpray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name:
49 then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their1 cause,
50 and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and agrant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them
THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF KINGS, in the ancient copies of the Hebrew Bible, constitute one book. Various titles have been given them; in the Septuagint and the Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth Books of Kings. The authorship of these books is unknown; but the prevailing opinion is that they were compiled by Ezra, or one of the later prophets, from the ancient documents that are so frequently referred to in the course of the history as of public and established authority. Their inspired character was acknowledged by the Jewish Church, which ranked them in the sacred canon; and, besides, it is attested by our Lord, who frequently quotes from them (compare I Kings 17:9; II Kings 5:14 with Luke 4:24-27; I Kings 10:1 with Matthew 12:42).
