2 Chronicles 6

1 Then Salomon sayd, The Lord hath sayde that he would dwell in the darke cloude:

Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would live in thick darkness,

2 And I haue built thee an house to dwell in, an habitation for thee to dwell in for euer.

but I have built you a lofty residence, a place for you to live in forever.”

3 And the King turned his face, and blessed all the Congregation of Israel (for all the Congregation of Israel stoode there)

Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing.

4 And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who spake with his mouth vnto Dauid my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying,

He said, “May Yahweh, the God of Israel, be praised, who spoke to David my father, and has fulfilled it with his own hands, saying,

5 Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no citie of al the tribes of Israel to buylde an house, that my Name might be there, neyther chose I any man to be a ruler ouer my people Israel:

'Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, in order for my name to be there. Neither did I choose any man to be prince over my people Israel.

6 But I haue chosen Ierusalem, that my Name might be there, and haue chosen Dauid to be ouer my people Israel.

However, I have chosen Jerusalem, so that my name might be there, and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.'

7 And it was in the heart of Dauid my father to builde an house vnto the Name of the Lord God of Israel,

Now it was in the heart of David my father, to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

8 But the Lord sayde to Dauid my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to buylde an house vnto my Name, thou diddest well, that thou wast so minded.

But Yahweh said to David my father, 'In that it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well for it to be in your heart.

9 Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house, but thy sonne which shall come out of thy loynes, he shall buylde an house vnto my Name.

Nevertheless, you must not build the house; instead, your son, one who will come from your loins, will build the house for my name.'

10 And the Lord hath performed his worde that he spake: and I am risen vp in the roume of Dauid my father, and am set on the throne of Israel as the Lord promised, and haue built an house to the Name of the Lord God of Israel.

Yahweh has carried out the word that he had said, for I have arisen in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised. I have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

11 And I haue set the Arke there, wherein is the couenant of the Lord, that he made with the children of Israel.

I have placed the ark there, in which is Yahweh's covenant, which he made with the people of Israel.”

12 And the King stoode before the altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the Congregation of Israel, and stretched out his hands,

Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands.

13 (For Salomon had made a brasen skaffold and set it in the middes of the court, of fiue cubites long, and fiue cubites broade, and three cubites of height, and vpon it he stoode, and kneeled downe vpon his knees before all the Congregation of Israel, and stretched out his hands toward heauen)

For he had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. He had placed it in the middle of the courtyard. He stood on it and knelt down before all the assembly of Israel, and then he spread out his hands toward the heavens.

14 And sayd, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heauen nor in earth, which keepest couenant, and mercie vnto thy seruants, that walke before thee with all their heart.

He said, “Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no God like you in the heavens or on the earth, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with your servants who walk before you with all their heart;

15 Thou that hast kept with thy seruant Dauid my father, that thou hast promised him: for thou spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as appeareth this day.

you who have kept with your servant David my father, what you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is today.

16 Therefore now Lord God of Israel, keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father, that thou hast promised him, saying, Thou shalt not want a man in my sight, that shall sit vpon the throne of Israel: so that thy sonnes take heede to their wayes, to walke in my Lawe, as thou hast walked before me.

Now then, Yahweh, God of Israel, carry out what you have promised to your servant David my father, when you said, 'You will not fail to have a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful to walk in my law, as you have walked before me.'

17 And now, O Lord God of Israel, let thy worde be verified, which thou spakest vnto thy seruant Dauid.

Now then, Yahweh, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.

18 (Is it true in deede that God will dwell with man on earth? beholde, the heauens, and the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine thee: how much more vnable is this house, which I haue buylt?)

But will God actually live with mankind on the earth? Look, the entire universe and heaven itself cannot contain you—how much less can this temple that I have built!

19 But haue thou respect to the prayer of thy seruant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to heare the crye and prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee,

Yet please respect this prayer of your servant and his request, Yahweh my God; listen to the cry and prayer that your servant prays before you.

20 That thine eyes may be open toward this house day and night, euen toward the place, whereof thou hast sayde, that thou wouldest put thy Name there, that thou mayest hearken vnto the prayer, which thy seruant prayeth in this place.

May your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, the place where you promised to put your name. May you listen to the prayer your servant prays toward this place.

21 Heare thou therefore the supplication of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which they pray in this place: and heare thou in the place of thine habitation, euen in heauen, and when thou hearest, be mercifull.

So listen to the requests of your servant and of your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, listen from the place where you live, from the heavens; and when you listen, forgive.

22 When a man shall sinne against his neighbour, and he laye vpon him an othe to cause him to sweare, and the swearer shall come before thine altar in this house,

If a man sins against his neighbor and is required to swear an oath, and if he comes and swears an oath before your altar in this house,

23 Then heare thou in heauen, and doe, and iudge thy seruants, in recompensing the wicked to bring his way vpon his head, and in iustifying the righteous, to giue him according to his righteousnes.

listen from the heavens and act. Judge your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing what he has done upon his own head. Declare the innocent not guilty and give to him according to his righteousness.

24 And when thy people Israel shalbe ouerthrowen before the enemie, because they haue sinned against thee, and turne againe, and confesse thy Name, and pray, and make supplication before thee in this house,

When your people Israel are defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, if they turn back to you, confess your name, pray, and request forgiveness before you in this temple—

25 Then heare thou in heauen, and be mercifull vnto the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the land which thou gauest to them and to their fathers.

then please listen from the heavens and forgive the sin of your people Israel; bring them back to the land that you gave to them and to their ancestors.

26 When heauen shall be shut vp, and there shalbe no rayne, because they haue sinned against thee, and shall pray in this place, and confesse thy Name, and turne from their sinne, when thou doest afflict them,

When the skies are shut up and there is no rain because the people have sinned against you—if they pray toward this place, confess your name, and turn from their sin when you have afflicted them—

27 Then heare thou in heauen, and pardon the sinne of thy seruants, and of thy people Israel (when thou hast taught them the good way wherein they may walke) and giue rayne vpon thy lande, which thou hast giuen vnto thy people for an inheritance.

then listen in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Israel, when you direct them to the good way in which they should walk. Send rain on your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

28 When there shalbe famine in the land, when there shalbe pestilence, blasting, or mildew, when there shall be grashopper, or caterpiller, when their enemie shall besiege them in the cities of their land, or any plague or any sickenesse,

Suppose there is famine in the land, or suppose that there is disease, blight or mildew, locusts or caterpillars; or suppose that its enemies attack the city gates in their land, or that there is any plague or sickness—

29 Then what prayer and supplication so euer shalbe made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, whe euery one shall knowe his owne plague, and his owne disease, and shall stretch forth his hands toward this house,

and suppose then that prayers and requests are made by a person or by all your people Israel—each knowing the plague and sorrow in his own heart as he spreads out his hands toward this temple.

30 Heare thou then in heauen, thy dwelling place, and be merciful, and giue euery man according vnto all his wayes, as thou doest knowe his heart (for thou onely knowest the hearts of the children of men)

Then listen from heaven, the place where you live; forgive, and reward every person for all his ways; you know his heart, because you and you only know the hearts of human beings.

31 That they may feare thee, and walke in thy wayes as long as they liue in the land which thou gauest vnto our fathers.

Do this so that they may fear you, so that they may walk in your ways all the days that they live on the land that you gave to our ancestors.

32 Moreouer, as touching ye stranger which is not of thy people Israel, who shall come out of a farre countrey for thy great Names sake, and thy mighty hande, and thy stretched out arme: when they shall come and pray in this house,

As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel, but who—because of your great name, your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm—comes and prays toward this house,

33 Heare thou in heauen thy dwelling place, and doe according to all that the stranger calleth for vnto thee, that all the people of the earth may knowe thy Name, and feare thee like thy people Israel, and that they may knowe, that thy Name is called vpon in this house which I haue built.

then please listen from heaven, the place where you live, and do all that the foreigner asks of you, so that all the people of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and that they might know that this house I have built is called by your name.

34 When thy people shall goe out to battell against their enemies, by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray to thee, in the way towarde this citie, which thou hast chosen, euen toward the house which I haue built to thy Name,

Suppose that your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you may send them, and suppose that they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen, and toward the house that I have built for your name.

35 Then heare thou in heauen their prayer and their supplication, and iudge their cause.

Then listen from the heavens to their prayer, their request, and help their cause.

36 If they sinne against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them and deliuer them vnto the enemies, and they take them and cary them away captiue vnto a land farre or neere,

Suppose they sin against you—since there is no one who does not sin—and suppose that you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that the enemy carries them away and takes them as captives to their land, whether distant or near.

37 If they turne againe to their heart in the lande whither they be caryed in captiues, and turne and pray vnto thee in the lande of their captiuitie, saying, We haue sinned, we haue transgressed and haue done wickedly,

Then suppose they realize they are in the land where they have been exiled, and suppose that they repent and seek favor from you in the land of their captivity. Suppose that they say, 'We have acted perversely and sinned. We have behaved wickedly.'

38 If they turne againe to thee with all their heart, and with all their soule in the land of their captiuitie, whither they haue caryed them captiues, and pray toward their land, which thou gauest vnto their fathers, and toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I haue built for thy Name,

Suppose that they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they took them as captives, and suppose that they pray toward their land, which you gave to their ancestors, and toward the city that you chose, and toward the house that I have built for your name.

39 Then heare thou in heauen, in the place of thine habitation their prayer and their supplication, and iudge their cause, and be mercifull vnto thy people, which haue sinned against thee.

Then listen from the heavens, the place where you live, to their prayer and to their requests, and help their cause. Forgive your people, who have sinned against you.

40 Nowe my God, I beseech thee, let thine eyes be open, and thine eares attent vnto the prayer that is made in this place.

Now, my God, I beg you, let your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.

41 Nowe therefore arise, O Lord God, to come into thy rest, thou, and the Arke of thy strength: O Lord God, let thy Priestes be clothed with saluation, and let thy Saints reioyce in goodnesse.

Now then arise, Yahweh God, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength. Let your priests, Yahweh God, be clothed with salvation, and let your saints rejoice in your goodness.

42 O Lord God, refuse not the face of thine anoynted: remember the mercies promised to Dauid thy seruant.

Yahweh God, do not turn the face of your anointed away from you. Keep in mind your acts of covenant loyalty for David, your servant.”