and if they cause these things to return to their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and return and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’;
1 Kings 8:45 then listen in heaven to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice.
1 Kings 8:46 “When they sin against You (for there is no man who does not sin) and You are angry with them and give them over to an enemy, so that they take them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;
1 Kings 8:47 and if they cause these things to return to their heart in the land where they have been taken captive, and return and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, ‘We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly’;
1 Kings 8:48 and if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who have taken them captive, and pray to You toward their land which You have given to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and the house which I have built for Your name;
1 Kings 8:49 then listen in heaven Your dwelling place to their prayer and their supplication, and do justice for them,
The verse centers on "cause", "things", "return", "heart", "land", "where", "been", and "taken". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cause" and "things", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 46's "When they sin against You for there..." into verse 48's "and if they return to You with...", so "cause" and "things" belong inside that flow. In 1 Kings context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.
A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cause" and "things" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.