Chronicles II 6

1 Then said Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in thick darkness.

Then Solomon spoke, “The Lord said that he lives in deep darkness.

2 But I have built a house to your name, holy to you, and prepared [for you] to dwell in for ever.

However, I have built you a magnificent Temple, a place for you to live forever.”

3 And the king turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood by.

Then the king turned and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, as they all stood.

4 And he said, Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel: he has even fulfilled with his hands as he spoke with his mouth to my father David, saying,

He said, “Praise the Lord God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father David when he said,

5 From the day when I brought up my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city of all the tribes of Israel, to build a house that my name should be there; neither did I choose a man to be a leader over my people Israel.

‘Ever since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a town from any tribe of Israel where a Temple could be built to honor me, and I have not chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel.

6 But I chose Jerusalem that my name should be there; and I chose David to be over my people Israel.

But now I have chosen Jerusalem so that I will be honored there, and I have chosen David to rule over my people Israel.’

7 And it came into the heart of David my father, to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.

My father David really wanted to build this Temple to honor the Lord, the God of Israel.

8 But the Lord said to my father David, Whereas it came into your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it came into your heart.

But the Lord told my father David, ‘You really wanted to build me a Temple to honor me—and it was good for you to want to do this.

9 Nevertheless you shall not build the house; for your son who shall come forth out of your loins, he shall build the house for my name.

But you are not going to build the Temple. Your son, one of your children, will build the Temple to honor me.’

10 And the Lord has confirmed this word, which he spoke; and I am raised up in the room of my father David, and I sit upon the throne of Israel as the Lord said, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord God of Israel:

Now the Lord has kept the promise he made. For I have taken the place of my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel as the Lord said, and I have built the Temple to honor the Lord God of Israel.

11 and I have set there the ark in which [is] the covenant of the Lord, which he made with Israel.

I have placed the Ark there, which has inside it the agreement the Lord made with the sons of Israel.”

12 And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands.

Then Solomon stood in front of the altar of the Lord before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands in prayer.

13 For Solomon [had] made a brazen scaffold, and set it in the midst of the court of the sanctuary; the length of it [was] five cubits, and the breadth of it five cubits, and the height of it three cubits: and he stood upon it, and fell upon his knees before the whole congregation of Israel, and spread abroad his hands to heaven,

Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. He had set it in the middle of the courtyard, and he was standing on it. Then he knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven.

14 and said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven, or on the earth; keeping covenant and mercy with your servants that walk before you with [their] whole heart.

He said, “Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth, keeping your agreement of trustworthy love with your servants who follow you with complete devotion.

15 Even as you have kept [them] with your servant David my father, as you have spoken to him in words: —you have both spoken with your mouth, and have fulfilled [it] with your hands, as it is this day.

You have kept the promise you made to your servant, my father David. With your own mouth you made that promise, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.

16 and now, Lord God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father the things which you spoke to him, saying, There shall not fail you a man before me sitting on the throne of Israel, if only your sons will take heed to their way to walk in my law, as you did walk before me.

So now, Lord God of Israel, please keep the promise you made to your servant David, my father, when you told him, ‘If your descendants pay close attention to follow my way, and to keep my law as you have done, you will never fail to have one of them to sit on the throne of Israel.’

17 And now, Lord God of Israel, let, I pray you, your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.

Now, Lord God of Israel, please fulfill this promise you made to your servant David.

18 For will God indeed dwell with men upon the earth? if the heaven and the heaven of heavens will not suffice you, what then is this house which I have built?

But will God really live here on earth among people? The heavens, even highest heaven, cannot contain you, much less this Temple I have built!

19 Yet you shall have respect to the prayer of your servant, and to my petition, O Lord God, so as to listen to the petition and the prayer which your servant prays before you this day:

Please listen to the prayer of your servant and his request, Lord my God. Please hear the appeals and the prayers that your servant is presenting before you.

20 so that your eyes should be open over this house by day and by night, towards this place, whereon you said your name should be called, so as to hear the prayer which your servant prays towards this house.

May you watch over this Temple day and night, caring for the place where you said you would be honored. May you hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place,

21 And you shall hear the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, whatever prayers they shall make towards this place: and you shall listen in your dwelling-place out of heaven, yes you shall hear, and be merciful.

and hear the request of your servant and your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Please hear from heaven where you live. May you hear and forgive.

22 If a man sin against his neighbour, and he bring an oath upon him so as to make him swear, and he come and swear before the altar in this house;

When someone sins against another and is required to take an oath declaring the truth before your altar in this Temple,

23 then shall you listen out of heaven, and do, and judge your servants, to recompense the transgressor, and to return his ways upon his head: and to justify the righteous, to recompense him according to his righteousness.

listen from heaven, act and judge your servants. Pay back the guilty; vindicate and reward those who do right.

24 And if your people Israel should be put to the worse before the enemy, if they should sin against you, and [then] turn and confess to your name, and pray and make supplication before you in this house;

When your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and if they come back in repentance to you, praying for forgiveness in this Temple,

25 then shall you listen out of heaven and shall be merciful to the sins of your people Israel, and you shall restore them to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers.

then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave them and their forefathers.

26 When heaven is restrained, and there is no rain, because they shall have sinned against you, and [when] they shall pray towards this place, and praise your name, and shall turn from their sins, because you shall afflict them;

If the skies are closed shut and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and if they come back in repentance to you, turning away from their sin because you have punished them,

27 then shall you listen from heaven, and you shall be merciful to the sins of your servants, and of your people Israel; for you shall show them the good way in which they shall walk; and you shall send rain upon your land, which you gave to your people for an inheritance.

then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the good way so that they can walk on it, and send rain on the earth that you have given to your people as their possession.

28 If there should be famine upon the land, if there should be death, a pestilent wind an blight; if there should be locust and caterpiller, and if the enemy should harass them before their cities: in whatever plague and whatever distress [they may be];

If there is famine in the land, or disease, or blight or mildew on the crops, or if there are locusts or caterpillars, or if an enemy comes to lay siege to the towns in the land—it can be whatever kind of plague or whatever kind of disease—

29 Then whatever prayer and whatever supplication shall be made by any man and all your people Israel, if a man should know his own plague and his own sickness, and should spread forth his hands towards this house;

then whatever kind of prayer or whatever kind of appeal is made by anyone or all your people Israel, in fact anyone who, knowing their problems and pains, prays toward this Temple,

30 then shall you hear from heaven, out of your prepared dwelling-place, and shall be merciful, and shall recompense to the man according to his ways, as you shall know his heart [to be]; for you alone know the heart of the children of men:

then hear from heaven, the place where you live, and forgive. Give according to the way they live their lives, for you know what people are really like inside, and you alone know the true character of people.

31 that they may reverence all your ways all the days which they live upon the face of the land, which you gave to our fathers.

Then they will respect you and follow your ways all the time they live in the land you gave to our forefathers.

32 And every stranger who is not himself of your people Israel, and who shall have come from a distant land because of your great name, and your mighty hand, and your high arm; when they shall come and worship towards this place; —

As for the foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel but who come from a distant land, having heard of your great nature and power and ability to help, when they come and pray toward this Temple,

33 then shall you listen out of heaven, out of your prepared dwelling-place, and shall do according to all that the stranger shall call upon you for; that all the nations of the earth may know your name, and that they may fear you, as your people Israel [do], and that they may know that your name is called upon this house which I have built.

then hear from heaven, the place where you live, and give them what they're asking. That way, everyone on earth will come to know and respect you, just as your own people Israel do. They will also know that this Temple I have built honors you.

34 And if your people shall go forth to war against their enemies by the way by which you shall send them, and shall pray to you towards this city which you have chosen, and [towards] the house which I have built to your name;

When your people go to fight against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to you towards the city you have chosen and the house I have built to honor you,

35 then shall you hear out of heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

then hear from heaven what they are praying and asking for, and support their cause.

36 Whereas if they shall sin against you, (for there is no man who will not sin, ) and you shall strike them, and deliver them up before their enemies, and they that take them captive shall carry them away into a land of enemies, to a land far off or near;

If they sin against you—and there is nobody who does not sin—you may become angry with them and hand them over to an enemy who takes them away as prisoners to a foreign land, near or far.

37 and [if] they shall repent in their land whither they were carried captive, and shall also turn and make supplication to you in their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have transgressed, we have wrought unrighteously;

But if they think again in their land of captivity and repent and plead for mercy from you, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly,’

38 and [if] they shall turn to you with all their heart and all their soul in the land of them that carried them captives, whither they carried them captives, and shall pray towards their land which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you did choose, and the house which I built to your name: —

and they come back to you with complete sincerity in their thoughts and attitudes there in their land of captivity; and they pray towards the land you gave their forefathers and the city you chose and the Temple I have built to honor you,

39 then shall you hear out of heaven, out of your prepared dwelling-place, their prayer and their supplication, and you shall execute justice, and shall be merciful to your people that sin against you.

then hear from heaven, the place where you live, respond and support their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.

40 And now, Lord, let, I pray you, your eyes be opened, and your ears be attentive to the petition [made in] this place.

Now my God, please open your eyes, and may your ears pay attention to the prayers offered in this place.

41 And now, O Lord God, arise into your resting-place, you, and the ark of your strength: let your priests, O Lord God, clothe themselves with salvation, and your sons rejoice in prosperity.

‘Come, Lord, and enter your home, together with your Ark of power. May your priests wear salvation like clothing; may your faithful people shout for joy in your goodness.

42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of your anointed: remember the mercies of your servant David.

Lord God, don't reject the king you have chosen. Remember your trustworthy love for your servant David.’”