The Temple Is Given to the Lord

7 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from ·the sky [heaven] and ·burned up [consumed] the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The Lord’s ·glory [splendor] filled the ·Temple [^Lhouse]. ² The priests could not enter the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord, because the Lord’s ·glory [splendor] filled it. ³ When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the Lord’s ·glory [splendor] on the ·Temple [^Lhouse], they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and ·thanked [praised] the Lord, saying,

⁴ Then King Solomon and all the people ·offered [sacrificed] sacrifices to the Lord. ⁵ King Solomon ·offered [sacrificed] a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand ·cattle [oxen] and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people ·gave [dedicated] the ·Temple [^Lhouse] to God. ⁶ The priests stood ·ready to do their work [in their places/positions/posts]. The Levites also stood with the instruments of the Lord’s music that King David had made for praising the Lord. The priests and Levites were ·saying [singing], “His ·love [unfailing love; lovingkindness; loyalty] ·continues [endures] forever [Ps. 136].” The priests, who stood across from the Levites, blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

⁷ Solomon ·made holy [consecrated] the middle part of the courtyard, which is in front of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord. There he ·offered [sacrificed] whole burnt offerings and the fat of the ·fellowship [peace] offerings. He ·offered [sacrificed] them in the courtyard, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17], ·grain [^Lgift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1], and fat [Lev. 3:16].

⁸ Solomon and all the Israelites ·celebrated [kept; observed] the festival [^Cof Shelters/Tabernacles/Booths] for seven days. There ·were many people [^Lwas a great assembly/congregation], and they came from as far away as Lebo Hamath [^Cin the north] and the brook of Egypt [^Cin the south]. ⁹ For seven days they celebrated ·giving [the dedication of] the altar. Then they ·celebrated [kept; observed] the festival for seven days. On the eighth day they had a ·meeting [solemn assembly; closing ceremony]. ¹⁰ On the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon sent the people home, full of joy. They were ·happy [content; glad; ^Lgood of heart] because the Lord had been so good to David, Solomon, and his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon^(A)

¹¹ Solomon finished the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and his royal ·palace [^Lhouse]. He had success in ·doing [completing; accomplishing] everything he planned in the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord and his own ·palace [^Lhouse]. ¹² Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself to be a ·Temple [^Lhouse] ·for [of] sacrifices.

¹³ “·I may [^LIf I…] ·stop the sky [shut the heavens] from sending rain. ·I may [^L…or if I…] command the locusts to ·destroy [devour] the land. ·I may [^L…or if I…] send ·sicknesses [plague; pestilence] to my people. ¹⁴ Then if my people, who ·are called by my name [belong to me], will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek ·me [^Lmy face] and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will ·heal [restore] their land. ¹⁵ Now ·I will see them, and I will listen [my eyes will be open and my ears attentive; 6:40] to the prayers prayed in this place. ¹⁶ I have chosen this ·Temple [^Lhouse] and ·made it holy [consecrated/purified/sanctified it]. So ·I will be worshiped [^Lmy name will be] there forever. Yes, ·I will always watch over it and love it [^Lmy eyes and my heart will be there forever].

¹⁷ “But you must ·serve [^Lwalk before] me as your father David did. You must ·obey [do] all I have commanded and keep my laws and rules. ¹⁸ If you do, I will ·make your kingdom strong [secure/establish your throne/dynasty]. This is the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I made with your father David, saying, ‘·Someone from your family will always [You will not fail to have a successor to] rule in Israel [17:10–14; 2 Sam. 7:11–16].’

¹⁹ “But ·you must follow me and obey the [if any of you turn away from me and abandon/forsake my…] laws and commands I have given you, and you must not serve or worship other gods. ²⁰ If you do, I will ·take the Israelites out of [^Luproot you from] my land, the land I have given ·you [^Lthem], and I will ·leave [reject; disown; abandon] this ·Temple [^Lhouse] that I have ·made holy [^Lconsecrated/purified/sanctified for my name]. All the nations will ·make fun of [mock] it and ·speak evil about [ridicule] it. ²¹ This ·Temple [^Lhouse] is ·honored [exalted] now, but then, everyone who passes by will be ·shocked [appalled]. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do this terrible thing to this land and this ·Temple [^Lhouse]?’ ²² People will answer, ‘This happened because they ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord, the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], the God who brought them out of Egypt. They ·decided to follow [embraced; adopted] other gods and worshiped and served them, so he brought all this ·disaster [calamity] on them.’”