2 Chronicles 6
6
The Dedication of the Temple
(1 Kings 8.12-66)
1Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. 2But I have built a house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever. 3And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood. 4#2 Sam 7.1-13; 1 Chr 17.1-12. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying, 5Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel: 6but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel. 7Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 8But the Lord said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart: 9notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name. 10The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel. 11And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel.
12And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands: 13for Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven, 14and said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and showest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts: 15thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 16#1 Kgs 2.4. Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me. 17Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.
18 #
2 Chr 2.6. But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! 19Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee: 20#Deut 12.11. that thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. 21Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.
22If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house; 23then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
24And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house; 25then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
26When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; 27then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.
28If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locusts or caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore, or whatsoever sickness there be: 29then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house: 30then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men;) 31that they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
32Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house; 33then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.
34If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name; 35then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
36If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near; 37yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; 38if they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: 39then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee. 40Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. 41#Ps 132.8-10. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. 42O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
2 Chronicles 6
6
Solomon Speaks to the People
1Then Solomon said, “The Lord said he would live in the dark cloud. 2Lord, I have built a wonderful Temple for you—a place for you to live forever.”
3While all the Israelites were standing there, King Solomon turned to them and blessed them. 4Then he said, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. He has done what he promised to my father David. The Lord said, 5‘Since the time I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a temple will be built for me. I did not choose a man to lead my people Israel. 6But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place I am to be worshiped, and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’
7“My father David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. 8But the Lord said to my father David, ‘It was good that you wanted to build a temple for me. 9But you are not the one to build it. Your son, who comes from your own body, is the one who will build my temple.’
10“Now the Lord has kept his promise. I am the king now in place of David my father. Now I rule Israel as the Lord promised, and I have built the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel. 11There I have put the Ark, in which is the Agreement the Lord made with the Israelites.”
Solomon’s Prayer
12Then Solomon stood facing the Lord’s altar, and all the Israelites were standing behind him. He spread out his hands. 13He had made a bronze platform seven and one-half feet long, seven and one-half feet wide, and seven and one-half feet high, and he had placed it in the middle of the outer courtyard. Solomon stood on the platform. Then he kneeled in front of all the people of Israel gathered there, and he spread out his hands toward the sky. 14He said, “Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth. You keep your agreement of love with your servants who truly follow you. 15You have kept the promise you made to your servant David, my father. You spoke it with your own mouth and finished it with your hands today.
16“Now, Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant David, my father. You said, ‘If your sons are careful to obey my teachings as you have obeyed, there will always be someone from your family ruling Israel.’ 17Now, Lord, God of Israel, please continue to keep that promise you made to your servant.
18“But, God, can you really live here on the earth with people? The sky and the highest place in heaven cannot contain you. Surely this house which I have built cannot contain you. 19But please listen to my prayer and my request, because I am your servant. Lord my God, hear this prayer your servant prays to you. 20Day and night please watch over this Temple where you have said you would be worshiped. Hear the prayer I pray facing this Temple. 21Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people Israel when we pray facing this place. Hear from your home in heaven, and when you hear, forgive us.
22“If someone wrongs another person, he will be brought to the altar in this Temple. If he swears an oath that he is not guilty, 23then hear in heaven. Judge the case, punish the guilty, but declare that the innocent person is not guilty.
24“When your people, the Israelites, sin against you, their enemies will defeat them. But if they come back to you and praise you and pray to you in this Temple, 25then listen from heaven. Forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.
26“When they sin against you, you will stop the rain from falling on their land. Then they will pray, facing this place and praising you; they will stop sinning when you make them suffer. 27When this happens, hear their prayer in heaven, and forgive the sins of your servants, the Israelites. Teach them to do what is right. Then please send rain to this land you have given particularly to them.
28“At times the land will get so dry that no food will grow, or a great sickness will spread among the people. Sometimes the crops will be destroyed by locusts or grasshoppers. Your people will be attacked in their cities by their enemies, or will become sick. 29When any of these things happens, the people will become truly sorry. If your people spread their hands in prayer toward this Temple, 30then hear their prayers from your home in heaven. Forgive and treat each person as he should be treated because you know what is in a person’s heart. Only you know what is in people’s hearts. 31Then the people will respect and obey you as long as they live in this land you gave our ancestors.
32“People who are not Israelites, foreigners from other lands, will hear about your greatness and power. They will come from far away to pray at this Temple. 33Then hear from your home in heaven, and do whatever they ask you. Then people everywhere will know you and respect you, just as your people Israel do. Then everyone will know that I built this Temple as a place to worship you.
34“When your people go out to fight their enemies along some road on which you send them, your people will pray to you, facing this city which you have chosen and the Temple I have built for you. 35Then hear in heaven their prayers, and do what is right.
36“Everyone sins, so your people will also sin against you. You will become angry with them and will hand them over to their enemies. Their enemies will capture them and take them away to a country far or near. 37Your people will be sorry for their sins when they are held as prisoners in another country. They will be sorry and pray to you in the land where they are held as prisoners, saying, ‘We have sinned. We have done wrong and acted wickedly.’ 38They will truly turn back to you in the land where they are captives. They will pray, facing this land you gave their ancestors, this city you have chosen, and the Temple I have built for you. 39Then hear their prayers from your home in heaven and do what is right. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.
40“Now, my God, look at us. Listen to the prayers we pray in this place.
41Now, rise, Lord God, and come to your resting place.
Come with the Ark of the Agreement that shows your strength.
Let your priests receive your salvation, Lord God,
and may your holy people be happy because of your goodness.
42Lord God, do not reject your appointed one.
Remember your love for your servant David.”
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.