2 Chronicles 5; 2 Chronicles 6; 2 Chronicles 7

2 Chronicles 5

1 All the work Solomon did on the LORD's temple was finished. He brought the holy things that had belonged to his father David--the silver, gold, and all the utensils--and put them in the storerooms of God's temple.

2 Then Solomon assembled the respected leaders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the Israelite families. They came to Jerusalem to take the ark of the LORD's promise from the City of David (that is, Zion).

3 All the men of Israel gathered around the king at the Festival [of Booths] in the seventh month.

4 When all the leaders of Israel had arrived, the Levites picked up the ark.

5 They brought the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils in it [to the temple]. The priests and the Levites carried them

6 while King Solomon and the whole assembly from Israel were offering countless sheep and cattle sacrifices in front of the ark.

7 The priests brought the ark of the LORD's promise to its place in the inner room of the temple (the most holy place) under the wings of the angels.

8 The angels' outstretched wings were over the place where the ark [rested] so that the angels became a covering above the ark and its poles.

9 The poles were so long that their ends could be seen in the holy place by anyone standing in front of the inner room, but they couldn't be seen outside. (They are still there today.)

10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets Moses placed there at Horeb, where the LORD made a promise to the Israelites after they left Egypt.

11 All the priests who were present had performed the ceremonies to make themselves holy to God without regard to staying in their divisions.

12 All the Levites who were musicians--Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, their sons, and their relatives--were dressed in fine linen and stood east of the altar with cymbals, harps, and lyres. With the musicians were 120 priests blowing trumpets. When the priests left the holy place,

13 the trumpeters and singers praised and thanked the LORD in unison. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, they sang in praise to the LORD: "He is good; his mercy endures forever." Then the LORD's temple was filled with a cloud.

14 The priests couldn't serve because of the cloud. The LORD's glory filled God's temple.

2 Chronicles 6

1 Then Solomon said, "The LORD said he would live in a dark cloud.

2 But I have built you a high temple, a home for you to live in permanently."

3 Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly from Israel while they were standing.

4 "Thanks be to the LORD God of Israel. With his mouth he made a promise to my father David; with his hand he carried it out. He said,

5 'Ever since I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I didn't choose any city from the tribes of Israel as a place to build a temple for my name. And I didn't choose any man to be prince over my people Israel.

6 But now I've chosen Jerusalem to be a place for my name; I've chosen David to rule my people Israel.'

7 "My father David had his heart set on building a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

8 However, the LORD said to my father David, 'Since you had your heart set on building a temple for my name, your intentions were good.

9 But you must not build the temple. Instead, your own son will build the temple for my name.'

10 The LORD has kept the promise he made. I've taken my father David's place, and I sit on the throne of Israel as the LORD promised. I've built the temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

11 I've put the ark which contains the LORD's promise to Israel there."

12 In the presence of the entire assembly of Israel, Solomon stood in front of the LORD's altar. He stretched out his hands [to pray].

13 (Solomon had made a bronze platform 7½ feet long, 7½ feet wide, and 4½ feet high. He put it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on the platform, knelt in front of the entire assembly, and stretched out his hands toward heaven.)

14 He said, "LORD God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth. You keep your promise of mercy to your servants, who obey you wholeheartedly.

15 You have kept your promise to my father David, your servant. With your mouth you promised it. With your hand you carried it out as it is today.

16 "Now, LORD God of Israel, keep your promise to my father David, your servant. You said, 'You will never fail to have an heir sitting in front of me on the throne of Israel if your descendants are faithful to me as you have been faithful to me.'

17 "So now, LORD God of Israel, may the promise you made to David, your servant, come true.

18 "Does God really live on earth with people? If heaven itself, the highest heaven, cannot hold you, then how can this temple that I have built?

19 Nevertheless, my LORD God, please pay attention to my prayer for mercy. Listen to my cry for help as I pray to you.

20 Day and night may your eyes be on this temple, the place about which you said your name will be there. Listen to me as I pray toward this place.

21 Hear the plea for mercy that your people Israel and I pray toward this place. Hear us in heaven, the place where you live. Hear and forgive.

22 "If anyone sins against another person and is required to take an oath and comes to take the oath in front of your altar in this temple,

23 then hear [that person] in heaven, take action, and make a decision. Repay the guilty person with the proper punishment, but declare the innocent person innocent.

24 "An enemy may defeat your people Israel because they have sinned against you. But when your people turn, praise your name, pray, and plead with you in this temple,

25 then hear [them] in heaven, forgive the sins of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land that you gave to them and their ancestors.

26 "When the sky is shut and there's no rain because they are sinning against you and they pray toward this place, praise your name, and turn away from their sin because you made them suffer,

27 then hear [them] in heaven. Forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the proper way to live. Then send rain on the land, which you gave to your people as an inheritance.

28 "There may be famine in the land. Plant diseases, heat waves, funguses, locusts, or grasshoppers may destroy crops. Enemies may blockade Israel's city gates. During every plague or sickness

29 [hear] every prayer for mercy made by one person or by all the people in Israel, all who know suffering or pain, who stretch out their hands toward this temple.

30 Hear [them] in heaven, where you live. Forgive [them], and give each person the proper reply. (You know what is in their hearts, because you alone know what is in people's hearts.)

31 Then, as long as they live in the land that you gave to our ancestors, they will fear you and follow you.

32 "People who are not Israelites will come from distant countries because of your great name, mighty hand, and powerful arm. When they come to pray facing this temple,

33 then hear [them] in heaven, the place where you live. Do everything they ask you so that all the people of the world may know your name and fear you like your people Israel and learn that this temple which I built bears your name.

34 "When your people go to war against their enemies (wherever you may send them) and they pray to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I built for your name,

35 then hear their prayer for mercy in heaven, and do what is right [for them].

36 "They may sin against you. (No one is sinless.) You may become angry with them and hand them over to an enemy who takes them to [another] country as captives, [whether it is] far or near.

37 If they come to their senses, are sorry for what they've done, and plead with you in the land where they are captives, saying, 'We have sinned. We have done wrong. We have been wicked,'

38 if they change their attitude toward you in the land where they are captives, if they pray to you toward the land that you gave their ancestors, and the city you have chosen, and the temple I have built for your name,

39 then in heaven, the place where you live, hear their prayer for mercy. Do what is right for them. Forgive your people, who have sinned against you.

40 "Finally, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers [offered] in this place.

41 "Now arise, and come to your resting place, LORD God-- you and the ark of your power. Clothe your priests, LORD God, with salvation. Let your godly ones rejoice in what is good.

42 LORD God, do not reject your anointed one. Remember your mercy to your servant David!"

2 Chronicles 7

1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices, and the LORD's glory filled the temple.

2 The priests couldn't go into the LORD's temple because the LORD's glory had filled the LORD's temple.

3 When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the LORD's glory on the temple, they knelt down with their faces on the pavement. They worshiped and praised the LORD, [by saying,] "He is good; his mercy endures forever."

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices to the LORD.

5 King Solomon offered 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep as sacrifices to the LORD. So the king and all the people dedicated God's temple.

6 The priests were standing at their posts. So were the Levites who had the LORD's musical instruments which King David made for praising the LORD with "his mercy endures forever" and which he used to offer praise. The priests were opposite the Levites blowing trumpets while all Israel was standing [there].

7 Solomon designated the courtyard in front of the LORD's temple as a holy place. He sacrificed the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat because the bronze altar that he had made and that was in front of the LORD was not able to hold all of them.

8 At that time Solomon and all Israel celebrated the Festival [of Booths]. A very large crowd had come from [the territory between] the border of Hamath and the River of Egypt.

9 On the eighth day there was an assembly. They had observed the dedication of the altar for seven days and celebrated the festival for [another] seven days.

10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon dismissed the people to their tents. They rejoiced with cheerful hearts for all the blessings the LORD had given David, Solomon, and his people Israel.

11 Solomon finished the LORD's temple and the royal palace and completed everything he had in mind for the LORD's temple and his own palace.

12 Then the LORD appeared to him at night. He said to Solomon, "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.

13 I may shut the sky so that there is no rain, or command grasshoppers to devour the countryside, or send an epidemic among my people.

14 However, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, search for me, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear [their prayer] from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their country.

15 My eyes will be open, and my ears will pay attention to those prayers at this place.

16 I have chosen and declared this temple holy so that my name may be placed there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

17 "If you will be faithful to me as your father David was, do everything I command, and obey my laws and rules,

18 then I will establish your royal dynasty as I said in a promise to your father David, 'You will never fail to have an heir ruling Israel.'

19 But if you and your descendants turn away from me and abandon my commands and laws that I gave you, and follow and serve other gods and worship them,

20 then I will uproot Israel from the land I gave them. I will reject this temple that I declared holy for my name. I will make it an example and an object of ridicule for all the people of the world.

21 Everyone passing by this impressive temple will be appalled. They will ask, 'Why did the LORD do these things to this land and this temple?'

22 They will answer [themselves], 'They abandoned the LORD God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt. They adopted other gods, worshiped, and served them. That is why he brought this disaster on them.'"