2 Kronieken 7

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De Heerlijkheid van de Here vult de tempel

7 ^1,2Nadat Salomo zijn gebed had beëindigd, flitste vuur vanuit de hemel naar beneden dat de offers verteerde. En de Heerlijkheid van de Here vulde de tempel, zodat de priesters niet naar binnen konden. ³Alle mensen hadden het zien gebeuren en knielden met gebogen hoofd om de Here te aanbidden en te danken. Zij riepen uit: ‘Hij is goed en zijn goedheid en liefde duren tot in eeuwigheid!’

^4,5Daarna wijdden de koning en zijn onderdanen de tempel in door brandoffers aan de Here te offeren. Koning Salomoʼs bijdrage daaraan bedroeg tweeëntwintigduizend ossen en honderdtwintigduizend schapen. ⁶De priesters stonden op hun normale posten en de Levieten speelden een lied om de Here te danken voor zijn eeuwigdurende goedheid. Daarvoor gebruikten zij de muziekinstrumenten die koning David zelf had gemaakt en had gebruikt om de Here te loven. Toen de priesters op de trompetten bliezen, bleef iedereen staan. ⁷Salomo heiligde de binnenhof van de tempel, zodat deze die dag kon worden gebruikt als offerplaats, want het koperen altaar kon de vele offers niet verwerken. ⁸De zeven dagen die volgden, werden gebruikt voor de viering van het loofhuttenfeest. Vanuit heel Israël kwamen grote groepen mensen en onder hen waren er zelfs uit Hamath in het uiterste noorden en uit de buurt van de grens met Egypte in het uiterste zuiden. ⁹Zeven dagen lang werd dit feest van de inwijding van de tempel gevierd, op de achtste dag werd een plechtige bijeenkomst gehouden en vervolgens vierden ze zeven dagen lang het loofhuttenfeest. ¹⁰Op de drieëntwintigste dag van de zevende maand stuurde Salomo de mensen terug naar huis. Iedereen was blij en opgewekt, omdat de Here zo goed was geweest voor David, Salomo en zijn volk Israël.

¹¹Toen Salomo de bouw van de tempel en van zijn eigen paleis voltooid had en alles had gedaan wat hij zich had voorgenomen, ¹²verscheen de Here hem in de nacht en zei: ‘Ik heb uw gebed gehoord en deze tempel gekozen als de plaats waar u Mij uw offers mag brengen. ¹³Als Ik de hemel sluit zodat er geen regen valt of als Ik de sprinkhanenzwermen beveel dat zij al uw oogsten moeten opeten of als Ik de pest onder u laat uitbreken ¹⁴en mijn volk zich vernedert en bidt, Mij weer zoekt en breekt met zijn zondige praktijken, dan zal Ik vanuit de hemel luisteren, zijn zonden vergeven en het land weer gezond maken. ^15,16Ik zal aandachtig luisteren naar elk gebed dat wordt uitgesproken op deze plaats die Ik heb uitgekozen en afgezonderd als mijn eeuwige woonplaats, mijn ogen en mijn hart zullen daar voor altijd zijn. ¹⁷En wat uzelf betreft: als u Mij volgt zoals uw vader David deed, ¹⁸zal Ik ervoor zorgen dat u en uw nakomelingen voor altijd koningen van Israël blijven. ¹⁹Maar als u Mij niet volgt en de wetten die Ik u gaf, niet naleeft en afgoden aanbidt, ²⁰zal Ik mijn volk wegjagen uit dit land dat Ik het gaf en zal deze tempel worden verwoest, ook al heb Ik hem voor mijzelf geheiligd. Ik zal er dan een afschrikwekkend voorbeeld van maken, een plaats die het onderwerp wordt van spot en kwaadsprekerij. ²¹Dan zal die plaats niet langer beroemd zijn. Nee, de mensen die er voorbijkomen, zullen zich vol verbazing afvragen: “Waarom heeft de Here zoiets vreselijks gedaan met dit land en deze tempel?” ²²En het antwoord zal dan luiden: “Omdat de Israëlieten de Here, de God van hun voorouders de rug toekeerden—de God die hen uit het land Egypte bevrijdde—en zij in plaats van Hem andere goden vereerden. Daarom heeft Hij deze vreselijke ramp over hen gebracht.” ’

2 Chronicles 7

King James Version

7 Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house.

²And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.

³And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

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

⁵And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

⁶And the priests waited on their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord, because his mercy endureth for ever, when David praised by their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

⁷Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the fat.

⁸Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

⁹And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.

¹⁰And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

¹¹Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

¹²And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.

¹³If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

¹⁴If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

¹⁵Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

¹⁶For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

¹⁷And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;

¹⁸Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.

¹⁹But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;

²⁰Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

²¹And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and unto this house?

²²And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

2 Chronicles 7

New King James Version

Solomon Dedicates the Temple^(A)

7 When ^(B)Solomon had finished praying, ^(C)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and ^(D)the glory of the Lord filled the ^[a]temple. ²^(E)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house. ³When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying:

^(F)“For He is good,
^(G)For His mercy endures forever.”

⁴^(H)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. ⁵King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. ⁶^(I)And the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of the music of the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord, saying, “For His mercy endures forever,” whenever David offered praise by their ^[b]ministry. ^(J)The priests sounded trumpets opposite them, while all Israel stood.

⁷Furthermore ^(K)Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.

⁸^(L)At that time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly ^(M)from the entrance of Hamath to ^(N)the^[c] Brook of Egypt. ⁹And on the eighth day they held a ^(O)sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. ¹⁰^(P)On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel. ¹¹Thus ^(Q)Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.

God’s Second Appearance to Solomon^(R)

¹²Then the Lord ^(S)appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, ^(T)and have chosen this ^(U)place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. ¹³^(V)When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, ¹⁴if My people who are ^(W)called by My name will ^(X)humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, ^(Y)then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ¹⁵Now ^(Z)My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. ¹⁶For now ^(AA)I have chosen and ^[d]sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and ^[e]My eyes and ^[f]My heart will be there perpetually. ¹⁷^(AB)As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, ¹⁸then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ^(AC)‘You shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’

¹⁹^(AD)“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, ²⁰^(AE)then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have ^[g]sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a ^(AF)byword among all peoples.

²¹“And as for ^(AG)this ^[h]house, which ^[i]is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be ^(AH)astonished and say, ^(AI)‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and this house?’ ²²Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’ ”