2 Chronicles 6

1 Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in the thick cloud.

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

2 But I have built you a house of habitation, and a place for you to dwell in forever."

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

3 The king turned his face, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.

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

4 He said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David my father, and has with his hands fulfilled it, saying,

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

5 'Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house in, that my name might be there; nor did I choose any 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 may 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 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the 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 David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in 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; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, 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 "The LORD has performed his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the 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 There I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD, which he made with the children of Israel."

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

12 He stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth 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 bronze scaffold, eight feet and seven inches long, and eight feet and seven inches broad, and five feet and two inches high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and on it he stood, and kneeled down on his knees before all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward 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 he said, "LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven, or on earth; you who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their 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 who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him: yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, 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 "Now therefore, LORD, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked 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 Now therefore, LORD, the God of Israel, let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David.

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

18 "But will God indeed dwell with humankind on the earth? Look, heaven and the highest heaven can't contain you; how much less 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 have respect for the prayer of your servant, and to his petition, LORD my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you;

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 that your eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place where you have said that you would put your name; to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place.

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 Listen to the petitions of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: yes, hear from your dwelling place, even from heaven; and when you hear, forgive.

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 sins against his neighbor and obliges him to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before your 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 hear from heaven, and do, and judge your servants, bringing retribution to the wicked, to bring his way on his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give 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 "If your people Israel be struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you, and shall turn again and confess your name, and pray and make petition 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 hear from heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again 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 the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you punish 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 hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given 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 is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their gates; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is;

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 whatever prayer and petition be made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall know every man his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands toward 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 hear from heaven, your dwelling place and forgive, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of the children of humankind; )

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 fear you, to walk in your ways, so long as they live in 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 "Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come from a far country for the sake of your name, for they shall hear of your great name, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm, when they shall come and pray toward this house,

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 hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, and fear you, as does your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.

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 "If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for 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 hear from heaven their prayer and their petition, and maintain their cause.

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

36 "If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn't sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive 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 yet if they shall repent themselves in the land where they are carried captive, and repent and make petition to you in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, we have done perversely, and have dealt wickedly;'

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 if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for 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 hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, their prayer and their petitions, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned 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 "Now, my God, let, I beg you, your eyes be open, and let your ears be attentive, to the prayer that is 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 "Now therefore arise, LORD God, into your resting place, you, and the ark of your strength: let your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let your faithful ones rejoice in what is good.

‘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 "LORD God, do not turn away the face of your anointed one. Remember your loving kindnesses to David your servant."

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