2 Chronicles 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.

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and burned up the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the Temple.

2 The priests could not enter into the LORD’s house, because the LORD’s glory filled the LORD’s house.

The priests couldn't enter the Temple of the Lord because the Lord's glory filled the Lord's Temple.

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!”

When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord in the Temple, they knelt down and bowed their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, “He is good! His trustworthy love lasts forever!”

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

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices to 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.

King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. In this way the king and all the people dedicated the Temple of God.

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.

The priests stood at their posts, and the Levites too, with the musical instruments that King David had made for giving praise, and which David had used for praise. They sang, “For his trustworthy love lasts forever!” Opposite them the priests blew trumpets, and all the Israelites stood up.

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.

After that Solomon dedicated the middle of the courtyard in front of the Temple of the Lord. There he presented burnt offerings and the fat of the friendship offerings, since the bronze altar he had made couldn't hold all the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the offerings.

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.

Then over the next seven days Solomon observed the feast with all of Israel, a huge gathering that came from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi 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.

On the eighth day they held a final assembly, for the dedication of the altar had lasted seven days, and the feast another 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.

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people home. They were still celebrating and really happy for the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.

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.

After Solomon had finished the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace, having successfully accomplished everything he'd wanted to do for the Temple of the Lord and for his own palace,

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.

the Lord appeared to him at night and told him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a Temple 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,

If I were to close shut the sky so there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send a plague 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.

and if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and return to me, and turn away from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.

15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place.

Now my eyes will be open, and my ears will pay attention to the prayers offered 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.

for I have chosen and consecrated this Temple so that I may be honored there forever. I will always watch over it and take care of it for it really matters to me.

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,

As for you, if you follow my ways as your father David did, doing everything I've told you to do, and if you keep my laws and regulations,

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.’

then I will make sure your reign is secure. I made this agreement with your father David, telling him, ‘You will always have a descendant to rule over 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,

But if you turn away and ignore the laws and the commandments I have given you, and if you go and serve and worship other gods,

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.

then I will pull you up from the land I gave you. I will banish from my presence this Temple I have dedicated to my honor, and I will make it an object lesson of ridicule among the nations.

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?’

This Temple that now is so respected will become so spoiled that passers-by will say, ‘Why has the Lord acted in such a way to this land and this Temple?’

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.’”

The answer will come, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt, and have clung to other gods, worshiping them and serving them. That's why the Lord has brought all this trouble upon them.’”