7
1 Now
when Solomon had
finished praying, fire
came down from
heaven and
consumed the burnt
offering and the
sacrifices; and
the LORD’s glory
filled the house.
2 The
priests could
not enter into the
LORD’s house,
because the LORD’s
glory filled the
LORD’s house.
3 All
the children of
Israel looked on,
when the fire came
down, and the
LORD’s glory was
on the house.
They bowed
themselves with
their faces to
the ground on the
pavement, worshiped,
and gave thanks
to the LORD,
saying,
“For he is
good,
for his loving
kindness endures
forever!”
4 Then
the king and
all the people
offered sacrifices
before the LORD.
5 King
Solomon offered a
sacrifice of
twenty-two thousand head of
cattle and a
hundred twenty thousand
sheep. So the king
and all the
people dedicated God’s
house.
6 The
priests stood,
according to
their positions; the
Levites also with
instruments of
music of the
LORD, which David
the king had
made to give
thanks to the
LORD, when David
praised by their
ministry, saying “For
his loving kindness
endures forever.”
The priests
sounded trumpets
before them; and
all Israel stood.
7 Moreover
Solomon made the
middle of the
court that was
before the LORD’s
house holy; for
there he offered
the burnt
offerings and the
fat of the
peace offerings,
because the bronze
altar which
Solomon had made
was not able
to receive the
burnt offering,
the meal offering,
and the fat.
8 So
Solomon held the
feast at that
time for seven
days, and all
Israel with him,
a very great
assembly, from
the entrance of
Hamath to the
brook of Egypt.
9 On
the eighth day,
they held a
solemn assembly;
for they kept
the dedication of
the altar seven
days, and the
feast seven days.
10 On
the twenty-third
day of the
seventh month, he
sent the people
away to
their tents, joyful
and glad of
heart for the
goodness that the
LORD had shown
to David, to
Solomon, and to
Israel his people.
11 Thus
Solomon finished
the LORD’s house
and the king’s
house; and he
successfully completed
all that came
into Solomon’s
heart to make
in the LORD’s
house and in
his own house.
12 Then
the LORD appeared
to Solomon by
night, and said
to him, “I
have heard your
prayer, and
have chosen this
place for myself
for a house
of sacrifice.
13 “If
I shut up
the sky so
that there is
no rain, or
if I command
the locust
to devour the land,
or if I
send pestilence
among my people,
14 if my
people who are
called by my
name will humble
themselves, pray,
seek my face,
and turn from
their wicked ways,
then I will
hear from heaven,
will forgive their
sin, and will
heal their land.
15 Now
my eyes will
be open and
my ears attentive
to prayer that
is made in
this place.
16 For
now I have chosen
and made this
house holy, that
my name may
be there forever;
and my eyes
and my heart
will be there
perpetually.
17 “As
for you, if you
will walk before
me as David
your father walked,
and do according
to all that
I have commanded
you, and will
keep my statutes
and my ordinances,
18 then
I will establish
the throne of
your kingdom, according
as I covenanted
with David
your father, saying, ‘There
shall not fail
you a man to
be ruler in
Israel.’
19 But if
you turn away
and forsake my
statutes and my
commandments which
I have set
before you, and
go and serve other
gods and worship
them,
20 then
I will pluck
them up by
the roots out
of my land
which I have
given them; and
this house, which
I have made
holy for my
name, I will
cast out of
my sight, and
I will make
it a proverb
and a byword
among all peoples.
21 This
house, which is
so high, everyone
who passes by
it will be
astonished and say, ‘Why
has the LORD
done this to
this land and to
this house?’
22 They
shall answer, ‘Because
they abandoned the
LORD, the God
of their fathers,
who brought them
out of the land
of Egypt, and
took other gods,
worshiped them,
and served them.
Therefore he has
brought all this
evil on them.’ ”