2 Chronicles 7
7
The Dedication of the Temple
1When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple. 2The priests could not enter the Temple of the Lord because the glorious presence of the Lord filled it. 3When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the Lord filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying,
“He is good!
His faithful love endures forever!”
4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices to the Lord. 5King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats. And so the king and all the people dedicated the Temple of God. 6The priests took their assigned positions, and so did the Levites who were singing, “His faithful love endures forever!” They accompanied the singing with music from the instruments King David had made for praising the Lord. Across from the Levites, the priests blew the trumpets, while all Israel stood.
7Solomon then consecrated the central area of the courtyard in front of the Lord’s Temple. He offered burnt offerings and the fat of peace offerings there, because the bronze altar he had built could not hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and sacrificial fat.
8For the next seven days Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival of Shelters.#7:8 Hebrew the festival (also in 7:9); see note on 5:3. A large congregation had gathered from as far away as Lebo-hamath in the north and the Brook of Egypt in the south. 9On the eighth day they had a closing ceremony, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the Festival of Shelters for seven days. 10Then at the end of the celebration,#7:10 Hebrew Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month. This day of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred in October or early November. Solomon sent the people home. They were all joyful and glad because the Lord had been so good to David and to Solomon and to his people Israel.
The Lord’s Response to Solomon
11So Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. 12Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said,
“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. 13At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. 16For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.
17“As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, 18then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’
19“But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, 20then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. 21And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’
22“And the answer will be, ‘Because his people abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why he has brought all these disasters on them.’”
Currently Selected:
2 Chronicles 7: NLT
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
For more information about the NLT:
Divrey Hayamim Bais 7
7
1Now when Sh'lomo had made an end of davening, the eish came down from Shomayim, and consumed the olah and the zevakhim; and the kavod Hashem filled HaBeis.
2And the Kohanim could not enter into the Beis Hashem, because the kavod Hashem had filled the Beis Hashem.
3And when all the Bnei Yisroel saw how the eish came down, and the kavod Hashem upon HaBeis, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the ritzpah (floor, pavement) and worshiped, and gave thanks to Hashem, saying, Ki tov ki l'olam chasdo (For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever).
4Then HaMelech and kol HaAm offered zevach before Hashem.
5And HaMelech Sh'lomo offered zevach of 22,000 bakar, and 120,000 tzon; so HaMelech and kol HaAm dedicated the Beis HaElohim.
6And the Kohanim stood at their mishmerot (watches); the Levi'im also with kelei shir Hashem, (musical instruments of Hashem) which Dovid HaMelech had made to give thanks to Hashem — ki l'oham chasdo (for His mercy endureth forever) — whenever Dovid praised by their means; and the Kohanim sounded khatzotzrot (trumpets) opposite them, and kol Yisroel stood.
7Moreover Sh'lomo set apart as kodesh the toch hekhatzer (center of the courtyard) that was in front of the Beis Hashem; for there he offered HaOlot and the chelvei hashelamim (fat of peace offerings), because the Mizbe'ach hanechoshet which Sh'lomo had made was not able to receive the Olot, and the Mincha, and HaChalavim (the fats).
8Also at the same time Sh'lomo kept the Chag#7:8 See v. 9 shivat yamim, and kol Yisroel with him, a Kahal Gadol Me'od, from the Levo (Approach) Chamat unto the Wadi Mitzrayim.
9And on the Yom HaShemini they held an Atzeret (solemn assembly); for they kept the chanukat HaMizbe'ach (dedication of the altar),#7:9 i.e., the Beis Hamikdash shivat yamim, and the Chag#7:9 Sukkot shivat yamim.
10And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent HaAm away into their ohalim joyful and tovei lev for the goodness that Hashem had showed unto Dovid, and to Sh'lomo, and to Yisroel His Am.
11Thus Sh'lomo finished the Beis Hashem, and the Beis HaMelech; and all that came into the lev Sh'lomo to do in the Beis Hashem, and in his own palace, he prosperously effected.
12And Hashem appeared to Sh'lomo balailah, and said unto him, I have heard thy tefillah, and have chosen this makom for Myself for a Beis Zevach.
13When I shut up Shomayim that there be no matar, or when I command the locusts to devour HaAretz, or when I send dever among Ami (My People);
14If Ami, which are called by Shmi, shall humble themselves, and daven, and seek my face, and turn from their derakhim hara'im (wicked ways), then will I hear from Shomayim, and will forgive their chattat, and will heal their land.
15Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attentive unto the tefillah that is made in Makom HaZeh.
16For now have I chosen and set apart as kodesh HaBeis HaZeh, that Shmi may be there ad olam, and Mine eyes and Mine lev shall be there kol hayamim.
17And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before Me, as Dovid Avicha walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe My chukkot and My mishpatim;
18Then will I establish the kisse of thy Malchut, just as I have covenanted with Dovid Avicha, saying, Lo yikaret lecha ish moshel b'Yisroel.
19But if ye turn away, and forsake My chukkot and My mitzvot, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve elohim acherim, and worship them,
20Then will I uproot them out of My Adamah which I have given them; and HaBeis HaZeh, which I have set apart as kodesh for Shmi, will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a Mashal (byword) and an object of ridicule among Kol haAmim.
21And HaBeis HaZeh, which is elyon, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath Hashem done thus unto HaAretz HaZot, and unto HaBeis Hazeh?
22And it shall be answered, Because they forsook Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, Who brought them forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and they laid hold on elohim acherim, and worshiped them, and served them; therefore hath He brought all this ra'ah upon them.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.