2 Chronicles 6
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1Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he lives shrouded in darkness. 1Then Solomon prayed, “O LORD, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness.
2Now I have constructed a magnificent temple dedicated to you that will serve as a place for you to inhabit forever."2Now I have built a glorious Temple for you, a place where you can live forever!”
3Then the king turned to face the entire congregation of Israel while the congregation of Israel remained standing. 3Then the king turned around to the entire community of Israel standing before him and gave this blessing:
4Then Solomon prayed: "Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who made a commitment to my father David and then personally fulfilled what he had promised when he said: 4“Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who has kept the promise he made to my father, David. For he told my father,
5From the day I brought out my people from the land of Egypt I never chose a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple where my name might reside. And I never chose any man to become Commander-in-Chief over my people Israel. 5‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have never chosen a city among any of the tribes of Israel as the place where a Temple should be built to honor my name. Nor have I chosen a king to lead my people Israel.
6But I have chosen Jerusalem, where my name will reside. And I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.'6But now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place for my name to be honored, and I have chosen David to be king over my people Israel.’”
7"My father David wanted to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. 7Then Solomon said, “My father, David, wanted to build this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
8The LORD told my father David: 'Therefore, since you determined to build a temple for my name, you acted well, because it was your choice to do so. 8But the LORD told him, ‘You wanted to build the Temple to honor my name. Your intention is good,
9Nevertheless, you are not to build the Temple, but your son who will be born to you is to build a temple for my name.'9but you are not the one to do it. One of your own sons will build the Temple to honor me.’
10"The LORD has brought to fulfillment what he promised, and now here I stand, having succeeded my father David to sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the Temple for the name of the Lord GOD of Israel. 10“And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise he made, for I have become king in my father’s place, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised. I have built this Temple to honor the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
11I have placed in it the ark in which the covenant that the LORD made with the Israelis is stored."11There I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel.” Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication
12Then Solomon took his place in front of the LORD's altar in the presence of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands. 12Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the entire community of Israel, and he lifted his hands in prayer.
13Solomon had a bronze platform constructed five cubits square and three cubits high. He had it erected in the middle of the courtyard, and stood on it. Then he knelt down on his knees in front of the entire congregation of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, 13Now Solomon had made a bronze platform 7 1/2 feet long, 7 1/2 feet wide, and 4 1/2 feet high and had placed it at the center of the Temple’s outer courtyard. He stood on the platform, and then he knelt in front of the entire community of Israel and lifted his hands toward heaven.
14and said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no one like you, God of heaven and earth, who watches over his covenant, showing gracious love to your servants who live their lives in your presence with all their hearts. 14He prayed, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.
15It is you, LORD God, who has kept your promise to my father, your servant David, that you made to him. Indeed, you made a commitment to my father David and then personally fulfilled what you had promised today.15You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today.
16"Now therefore, LORD God of Israel, keep your promise that you made to my father, your servant David, when you said, 'You are to not lack a man to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants will watch their lives, to live according to my Law, just as you have lived in my presence.' 16“And now, O LORD, God of Israel, carry out the additional promise you made to your servant David, my father. For you said to him, ‘If your descendants guard their behavior and faithfully follow my Law as you have done, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
17"Now therefore, LORD God of Israel, may your promise that you made to your servant David be fulfilled… 17Now, O LORD, God of Israel, fulfill this promise to your servant David.
18and yet, will God truly reside on earth with human beings? Look! Neither the sky nor the highest heaven can contain you! How much less this Temple that I have built! 18“But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!
19Pay attention to the prayer of your servant and to his request, LORD my God, and listen to the cry and prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. 19Nevertheless, listen to my prayer and my plea, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is making to you.
20Let your eyes always look toward this Temple day and night, toward the location where you have said you would place your name. Listen to the prayer that your servant prays in this direction.20May you watch over this Temple day and night, this place where you have said you would put your name. May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place.
21Listen to the requests from your servant and from your people Israel as they pray in this direction, and listen from the place where you reside—from heaven!—then hear and forgive.21May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.
22"If a man sins against his neighbor and he is required to take an oath, and he then comes to take an oath in front of your altar in this Temple, 22“If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar at this Temple,
23then listen from heaven, act, and judge your servants, recompensing the wicked by bringing back to him the consequences of his choices and by justifying the righteous by recompensing him according to his righteousness.23then hear from heaven and judge between your servants—the accuser and the accused. Pay back the guilty as they deserve. Acquit the innocent because of their innocence.
24"If your people Israel are defeated in a battle with their enemy because they have sinned against you, when they return to you and confess to you, pray, and in this Temple they ask you to show grace to them, 24“If your people Israel are defeated by their enemies because they have sinned against you, and if they turn back and acknowledge your name and pray to you here in this Temple,
25then hear from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and return them to the soil that you gave to them and to their ancestors.25then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and return them to this land you gave to them and to their ancestors.
26"When the skies remain closed, and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and they pray in the direction of this place, confessing your name and turning from their sin when you afflict them,26“If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,
27then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Israel. Indeed, teach them the best way to live and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as an inheritance.27then hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them to follow the right path, and send rain on your land that you have given to your people as their special possession.
28"If a famine comes to the land, or if there comes plant diseases, mildew, locusts, or grasshoppers, or if their enemies attack them in their settlements of the land, no matter what the epidemic or illness is, 28“If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people’s enemies are in the land besieging their towns—whatever disaster or disease there is—
29whatever prayer or request is made, no matter whether it's made by a single man or by all of your people Israel, each praying out of his own illness and anguish and stretching out their hands toward this Temple, 29and if your people Israel pray about their troubles or sorrow, raising their hands toward this Temple,
30then hear from heaven, the place where you reside, and forgive, repaying each person according to all of his ways, since you know their hearts—for you alone know the hearts of human beings— 30then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart.
31so they will fear you and live life your way as long as they live in the land that you have given to our ancestors.31Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.
32"Now concerning the foreigner who is not from your people Israel, when he comes from a land far away for the sake of your great name, your mighty acts, and your obvious power, when they come and pray in the direction of this Temple, 32“In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of you. They will come from distant lands when they hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple,
33then hear from heaven where you reside, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the people of the earth may know your name, fear you as do your people Israel, and so they may know that this Temple that I have built is called by your name.33then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.
34"When your people go out to war against their enemies, no matter what way you send them, and they pray to you in the direction of this city that you have chosen and in the direction of the Temple that I have built for your name, 34“If your people go out where you send them to fight their enemies, and if they pray to you by turning toward this city you have chosen and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name,
35then hear their prayer and their request from heaven, and fight for their cause.35then hear their prayers from heaven and uphold their cause.
36"When they sin against you—because there isn't a single human being who doesn't sin—and you become angry with them and deliver them over to their enemy, who takes them away captive to a land that's near or far away, 36“If they sin against you—and who has never sinned?—you might become angry with them and let their enemies conquer them and take them captive to a foreign land far away or near.
37if they turn their hearts back to you in the land where they have been taken captive, repent, and pray to you—even if they do so in the land where they have been taken captive—confessing, 'We have sinned, we have committed abominations, and practiced wickedness,' 37But in that land of exile, they might turn to you in repentance and pray, ‘We have sinned, done evil, and acted wickedly.’
38if they return to you with all of their heart and with all of their soul in the land where they have been taken captive, as they pray in the direction of their land that you have given to their ancestors and to the city that you have chosen, and to the Temple that I have built for your name, 38If they turn to you with their whole heart and soul in the land of their captivity and pray toward the land you gave to their ancestors—toward this city you have chosen, and toward this Temple I have built to honor your name—
39then hear their prayer and requests from heaven, where you reside, and fight for their cause, forgiving your people who have sinned against you.39then hear their prayers and their petitions from heaven where you live, and uphold their cause. Forgive your people who have sinned against you.
40"And now, my God, please let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers that are uttered in this place.40“O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place.
41"And now may the LORD God arise, to your place of rest, you, and the ark of your power! Let your priests, LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and cause your godly ones to find their joy in what is good.41“And now arise, O LORD God, and enter your resting place, along with the Ark, the symbol of your power. May your priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation; may your loyal servants rejoice in your goodness.
42"LORD God, do not turn your face away from your anointed one. Remember your gracious love to your servant David."42O LORD God, do not reject the king you have anointed. Remember your unfailing love for your servant David.”
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
2 Chronicles 5
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