2 Chronicles 6

1 Thanne Salomon seide, The Lord bihiyte, that he wolde dwelle in derknesse;

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

2 forsothe I haue bilde an hows to his name, that he schulde dwelle there with outen ende.

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

3 And Salomon turnede his face, and blesside al the multitude of Israel; for al the cumpeny stood ententif; and he seide,

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

4 Blessid be the Lord God of Israel, for he fillide in werk that thing, that he spak to Dauid, my fadir, and seide,

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 Fro the dai in which Y ledde my puple out of the lond of Egipt, Y chees not a citee of alle the lynagis of Israel, that an hows schulde be bildid therynne to my name, nether Y chees ony other man, that he schulde be duyk on my puple 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 Y chees Jerusalem, that my name be therynne, and Y chees Dauid, to ordeyne hym on my puple 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 whanne it was of the wille of Dauid, my fadir, to bilde an hows to 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 the Lord seide to hym, For this was thi wille, `that thou woldist bilde an hows to my name, sotheli thou didist wel,

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 hauynge suche a wil, but thou schalt not bilde an hows to me; netheles the sone, that schal go out of thi leendis, he schal bilde an hows to 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 Therfor the Lord hath fillid his word, which he spak; and Y roos for Dauid, my fader, and Y sat on the trone of Israel, as the Lord spak, and Y bildide an hous 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 put therynne the arke, in which is the couenaunt of the Lord, which he `couenauntide with the sones of Israel.

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

12 Therfor Salomon stood bifor the auter of the Lord euene ayens al the multitude of Israel, and stretchide forth his hondis.

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

13 For Salomon hadde maad a brasun foundement, and hadde set it in the myddis of the greet hows, and it hadde fyue cubitis of lengthe, and fyue of breede, and thre cubitis of heiythe, and he stood theron; and fro that tyme he knelide ayens al the multitude of Israel, and reiside the hondis in to heuene,

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 seide, Lord God of Israel, noon is lijk thee; `thou art God in heuene and in erthe, which kepist couenaunt and mercy with thi seruauntis, that goon bifor thee in al her herte;

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 which hast youe to Dauid thi seruaunt, my fadir, what euer thingis thou hast spoke to hym, and thow hast fillid in werk tho thingis, whiche thou bihiytist bi mouth, as also present tyme preueth.

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 Now therfor, Lord God of Israel, fille thou to thi seruaunt my fadir Dauid, what euer thingis thou hast spoke, seiynge, A man of thee schal not faile bifor me, that schal sitte on the trone of Israel; so netheles if thi sones kepen my weies, and goon in my lawe, as and thou hast go bifor 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, Lord God of Israel, thi word be maad stidefast, which thou spakist to thi seruaunt Dauid.

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

18 Therfor whether it is leueful, that the Lord dwelle with men on erthe? If heuene and the heuenes of heuenes `taken not thee, how myche more this hows, which Y haue bildid?

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 herto oneli it is maad, that thou, my Lord God, biholde the preier of thi seruaunt, and the bisechyng of hym, and that thou here the preieris, whiche thi seruaunt schedith bifor 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 thou opyne thin iyen on this hows bi dayes and nyytis, on the place in which thou bihiytist, that thi name schulde be clepid,

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 and that thou woldist here the preier, which thi seruaunt preieth therynne. Here thou the preieris of thi seruaunt, and of thi puple Israel; who euer preieth in this place, here thou fro thi dwellyng place, that is, fro heuenes, and do thou merci.

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 If ony man synneth ayens his neiybore, and cometh redi to swere ayens him, and byndith hym silf with cursyng bifor the auter in this hows,

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 thou schalt here fro heuene, and schalt do the doom of thi seruauntis; so that thou yelde to the wickid man his weie in to his owne heed, and that thou venge the iust man, and yelde to hym after his riytfulnesse.

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 If thi puple Israel is ouercomen of enemyes, for thei schulen do synne ayens thee, and if thei conuertid doen penaunce, and bisechen thi name, and preien in this place,

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 thou schalt here fro heuene, and do thou mercy to the synne of thi puple Israel, and brynge hem ayen `in to the lond, which thou hast youe to hem, and to `the fadris of hem.

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 If whanne heuene is closid, reyn come not doun for the synne of thi puple, and thei bisechen thee in this place, and knowlechen to thi name, and ben turned fro her synnes, whanne thou hast turmentid hem,

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 here thou, Lord, fro heuene, and foryyue thou synnes to thi seruauntis, and to thi puple Israel, and teche thou hem a good weie, bi which thei schulen entre, and yyue thou reyn to the lond, which thou hast youe to thi puple to haue in possessioun.

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 If hungur risith in the lond, and pestilence, and rust, and wynd distriynge cornes, and a locuste, and bruke cometh, and if enemyes bisegen the yatis of the citee, aftir that the cuntreis ben distried, and al veniaunce and sikenesse oppressith;

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 if ony of thi puple Israel bisechith, and knowith his veniaunce and sikenesse, and if he spredith abrood hise hondis in this hows,

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 thou schalt here fro heuene, that is, fro thin hiye dwellyng place, and do thou mercy, and yelde thou to ech man aftir hise weies, whiche thou knowist, that he hath in his herte; for thou aloone knowist the hertis of the sones 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 thei drede thee, and go in thi weies in alle daies, in which thei lyuen on the face of erthe, which thou hast youe to oure fadris.

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 Also thou schalt here fro heuene, thi moost stidfast dwellyng place, a straunger, which is not of thi puple Israel, if he cometh fro a fer lond for thi greet name, and for thi stronge hond, and arm holdun forth, `and preye in this place;

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 and thou schalt do alle thingis, for which thilke pilgrym `inwardli clepith thee, that alle the puplis of erthe knowe thi name, and drede thee, as thi puple Israel doith; and that thei knowe, that thi name is clepid on this hows, which Y haue bildid to thi name.

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 If thi puple goith out to batel ayens hise aduersaries, bi the weie in which thou sendist hem, thei schulen worschipe thee ayens the weie in which this citee is, which thou hast chose, and the hows which Y bildide to thi 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 that thou here fro heuene her preieris and bisechyng, and do veniaunce.

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

36 Forsothe if thei synnen ayens thee, for no man is that synneth not, and if thou art wrooth to hem, and bitakist hem to enemyes; and enemyes leden hem prisoneris in to a fer lond, ether certis which lond is nyy;

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 and if thei ben conuertid in her herte in the lond, to which thei ben led prisoneris, and thei don penaunce, and bisechen thee in the lond of her caitifte, and seien, We han synned, we han do wickidly, we diden vniustli;

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 and if thei turnen ayen to thee in al her herte, and in al her soule, in the lond of her caitifte, to which thei ben led, thei schulen worschipe thee ayens the weie of her lond, which thou hast youe to the fadris of hem, and of the citee which thou hast chose, and of the hows which Y bildide to thi name; that thou here fro heuene,

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 that is, fro thi stidefast dwellyng place, the preieris of hem, and that thou make dom, and foryyue to thi puple, thouy `it be synful; for thou art my God;

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 Y biseche, be thin iyen openyd, and thin eeris be ententif to the preier which is maad 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 Now therfor, Lord God, rise in to thi reste, thou and the arke of thi strengthe; Lord God, thi preestis be clothid with helthe, and thi hooli men be glad in goodis.

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 Lord God, turne thou not a weie the face of thi crist; haue thou mynde on the mercyes of Dauid thi seruaunt.

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.”