2 Ihe E Mere 7
1 Ngwangwa, mgbe Solomọn kpesịrị ekpere a, ọkụ sitere nʼeluigwe daa repịa aja nsure ọkụ ahụ na aja ahụ niile. Ebube Onyenwe anyị jupụtakwara nʼụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ,
When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from the sky and burned all the offerings and sacrifices [that were on the altar], and the glorious radiance of Yahweh filled the temple.
2 Ndị nchụaja enweghị ike ịbanye nʼime ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị nʼihi ebube Onyenwe anyị nke jupụtara ụlọnsọ ahụ.
The radiance [was extremely bright], with the result that the priests could not enter the temple of Yahweh.
3 Mgbe ọha ndị Izrel niile hụrụ ọkụ ahụ si nʼelu daa, hụkwa ebube Onyenwe anyị ka o guzo nʼelu ụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ, ha dara nʼala kpọọ isiala nye Onyenwe anyị, kelee ya ekele sị: “Nʼihi na Ọ dị mma ịhụnanya ya na-adịgide ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.”
When all the Israeli people [who were there] saw the fire coming down and the glory of Yahweh above the temple, they prostrated themselves with their faces touching the ground. They worshiped and thanked Yahweh, singing, “Yahweh is always good to us; he faithfully loves us forever.”
4 Mgbe ahụ, eze na ndị a niile chụrụ aja dị iche iche nʼihu Onyenwe anyị.
Then the king and all the people who were there dedicated the temple to Yahweh by offering more sacrifices to him. King Solomon gave 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats to be sacrificed.
5 Eze Solomọn chụrụ aja ehi nke dị puku iri abụọ na abụọ, na ewu na atụrụ dị narị puku na iri abụọ. Ya mere, Eze na ndị ahụ niile si otu a doo ụlọnsọ Chineke nsọ.
6 Ndị nchụaja guzo nʼihu ọrụ ha, ha na ndị Livayị. Ha jiri ngwa egwu Onyenwe anyị nke eze Devid mere maka ị na-eto Onyenwe anyị, bụkwa nke o ji mgbe o nyere ekele, na-asị, “Ịhụnanya ya na-adị ruo ebighị ebi.” Na ncherita ihu ndị Livayị, ndị nchụaja fụrụ opi ike ha mgbe ndị Izrel guzooro ọtọ.
The priests stood in their positions, and the other descendants of Levi stood in their positions holding the musical instruments [to praise] Yahweh, instruments that King David had caused to be made for praising Yahweh and thanking him. [They sang], “He faithfully loves us forever.” Facing the other descendants of Levi the priests stood, blowing their trumpets, while all the Israeli people were standing [and listening].
7 Mgbe ahụ, Solomọn doro etiti ogige dị nʼihu ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị ahụ nsọ. Nʼebe ahụ ka ọ nọ chụọ aja nsure ọkụ, aja onyinye mkpụrụ ọka na aja abụba udo. O mere nke a nʼihi na ebe ịchụ aja bronz nke ọ rụrụ enweghị ike ịbata aja nsure ọkụ niile, aja mkpụrụ ọka niile nakwa aja abụba ndị ahụ.
Solomon dedicated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple. Then he gave offerings to be completely burned there along with the fat of the animals to be sacrificed to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. The priests burned them there in the courtyard because in addition to those things there were offerings of grain, with the result that there was not enough space on the bronze altar to burn all those sacrifices.
8 Ya mere, Solomọn mere mmemme a nʼoge ahụ, ụbọchị asaa, ya na ndị Izrel niile. Ọ bụ nzukọ dị ukwuu. Ndị mmadụ bịara sitere na Lebo Hamat ruo na mmiri iyi Ijipt.
Solomon [and the other people] celebrated the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters for seven days. There was a huge group of people who celebrated with him. Some of them came from [as far away as] Lebo-Hamath [in the far north] and the border of Egypt [in the far south].
9 Nʼụbọchị nke asatọ, ha nwere ọgbakọ, nʼihi na ha mere mmemme nke ido ebe ịchụ aja nsọ nʼime ụbọchị asaa, meekwa mmemme ahụ abalị asaa ọzọ.
On the eighth/next day they gathered again [to worship Yahweh]. They had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the Festival of Living in Temporary Shelters for seven days.
10 Ya mere, nʼụbọchị nke iri abụọ na atọ nʼọnwa nke asaa, o zilagara ndị ahụ niile nʼụlọ ha, nʼịṅụrị ọṅụ na obi ụtọ nʼihi ihe ọma niile nke Onyenwe anyị Devid na Solomọn na ndị ya Izrel.
Then on the next day Solomon sent them to their homes. They were very joyful because of all the good things that Yahweh had done for David and Solomon and for all his Israeli people.
11 Mgbe Solomọn rụchara ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị, na ụlọeze, mezukwaa ihe niile bụ nke o bu nʼobi ime nʼụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị nakwa nʼụlọeze nke ya onwe ya.
Solomon’s [workers] finished building the temple and Solomon’s palace. And Solomon finished doing everything else that he had planned to do.
12 Onyenwe anyị mere ka ọ hụ ya nʼọhụ abalị sị ya, “Anụla m ekpere gị, ahọrọkwala m ebe a nye onwe m, ka ọ bụrụ ebe ịchụ aja.
Then Yahweh appeared to him one night [in a dream] and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this temple to be the place where my people will offer sacrifices to me.
13 “Mgbe ọbụla m mere ka mmiri ghara izo, maọbụ zidata igurube ka ha bịa bibie ihe ubi unu, maọbụ zidata ọrịa nʼetiti unu,
“When I prevent any rain from falling, or when I command locusts to eat all the crops, or when I send a plague among my people,
14 ọ bụrụ na ndị m ndị a kpọkwasịrị aha m, ewedata onwe ha nʼala, kpee ekpere, chọsie ihu m ike, sitekwa na mmehie ha chigharịa, aga m esite nʼeluigwe za ekpere ha, gbaghara ha mmehie ha, mee ka ala ha dịrị ndu.
if the people who belong to me humble themselves and pray, and request me to help them, and if they turn away from their sinful behavior, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive them for having sinned and I will cause them to prosper again.
15 Anya m ga-eghere oghe mgbe niile; otu a kwa, ntị m ga-egherekwa oghe ịhụ na ịnụ ekpere niile a na-ekpe nʼụlọnsọ a.
I [SYN] will see them and I [SYN] will hear them when they pray to me in this place.
16 Edoola m ụlọnsọ a nsọ nye onwe m, ka Aha m dị nʼebe ahụ ruo ebighị ebi; anya m abụọ na obi m ga-adịkwa nʼebe ahụ ụbọchị niile.
I have chosen and have (set apart/dedicated) this temple in order that people may worship [MTY] me there forever. I will always watch over [MTY] it and protect [IDM] it.
17 “Ma gị onwe gị, bie ndụ nʼikwesị ntụkwasị obi nʼihu m dịka Devid nna gị mere, na-eme ihe niile m nyere nʼiwu, debe ụkpụrụ m na iwu m niile.
“And as for you, if you obey me as David your father did, and if you do all that I command you to do, and obey all my laws and decrees,
18 Aga m eme ka ocheeze ọchịchị gị guzosie ike, dịka mụ na nna gị Devid gbara na ndụ, mgbe m sịrị, ‘Ị ghaghị inwe onye nnọchite anya nʼocheeze nke ga-achị Izrel.’
I will make sure that your descendants will always be kings, which is what I promised to David your father, saying, ‘Some of your descendants will always be the kings of Israel.’
19 “Ma ọ bụrụ unu alaghachi azụ, gbakụta ụkpụrụ na iwu niile, bụ nke m nyere unu azụ, pụọ gbasoro chi ndị ọzọ ife ha ofufe, na ịkpọ isiala nye ha,
“But if you Israelis turn away from me and disobey the decrees and commands that I have given to you, and you start to worship other gods,
20 mgbe ahụ, aga m esite nʼala m, bụ nke m nyere ha, hopu Izrel. Aga m ajụkwa ụlọnsọ a m doro nsọ nye Aha m, meekwa ka ọ ghọọ ihe e ji atụ ilu na ihe ịkpa ọchị nʼetiti ndị niile.
I will cause you to be expelled from this land that I have given to you, and I will abandon this temple that I have set apart to be the place where people should worship me. I will cause it to be despised and ridiculed by people of all nations.
21 Ọ bụ ezie na ụlọnsọ ukwu a kachasị elu ugbu a, ma ọnọdụ ya ga-eju ndị niile ga-esi nʼakụkụ ya gafee anya, ha ga-asị, ‘Gịnị mere Onyenwe anyị ji mee ala a na ụlọnsọ a, ihe dị otu a?’
Although this temple is now greatly respected, when that happens, all the people who pass by will be appalled, and they will say, ‘Why has Yahweh done terrible things like this to this country and to this temple?’
22 Ndị mmadụ ga-aza, ‘Ọ bụ nʼihi na ha gbakụtara Onyenwe anyị, Chineke nna nna ha, onye kpọpụtara ha site nʼala Ijipt azụ, makụọ chi ndị ọzọ, na-akpọ isiala na-efekwa ha ofufe. Ọ bụ nʼihi nke a ka O ji mee ka ihe ọjọọ niile ndị a bịakwasị ha.’”
And others will reply, ‘It happened because they rejected Yahweh, the God to whom their ancestors belonged, the one who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, and they have been worshiping other gods and trying to please them. And that is why Yahweh has caused them to experience all these disasters.’”
