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耶和華的榮光充滿了殿

所羅門禱告完了,有火從天上降下來,燒盡了燔祭和其他的祭品;耶和華的榮光充滿了那殿。 因為耶和華的榮光充滿了耶和華的殿,祭司都不能進入耶和華的殿。 那火降下,耶和華的榮光停在殿上的時候,以色列眾人都看見;於是他們在鋪石地跪下,俯伏在地,敬拜稱頌耶和華說:“耶和華是良善的,他的慈愛永遠長存。”

所羅門和人民一起獻祭守節(A)

王和全體人民都在耶和華面前獻祭。 所羅門王獻上了二萬二千頭牛、十二萬隻羊為祭。這樣,王和全體人民為 神的殿舉行了奉獻禮。 祭司都站在自己的崗位上;利未人也站著,拿著大衛王所做的耶和華的樂器,稱頌耶和華,因為他的慈愛永遠長存;大衛藉著他們讚美耶和華的時候,祭司在眾人前面吹號;以色列眾人都站著。 所羅門把耶和華殿前院子當中的地方分別為聖,在那裡獻上了燔祭和平安祭的脂肪,因為所羅門所做的銅壇容不下所有的燔祭、素祭和脂肪。

那時,所羅門和全體以色列人,就是來自哈馬口,直到埃及小河的一群極大的會眾,一起舉行了七天的節期。 第八天舉行了嚴肅會,又舉行獻壇禮七天,舉行了七天的節期。 10 七月二十三日,王遣散眾民回家;他們因看見耶和華向大衛、所羅門和他的子民以色列所施的恩惠,心裡都歡喜快樂。

耶和華的警告與應許(B)

11 這樣,所羅門完成了耶和華的殿宇和王宮。在耶和華的殿裡或所羅門的宮中,所羅門心裡要作的,都順利地作成了。 12 夜間,耶和華向所羅門顯現,對他說:“我已經聽了你的禱告,也為我自己選擇了這地方作獻祭的殿。 13 如果我使天閉塞不下雨,或吩咐蝗蟲吞吃這地的土產,或差遣瘟疫到我的子民中間來; 14 這稱為我名下的子民,若是謙卑、禱告、尋求我的面,轉離他們的惡行,我必從天上垂聽,赦免他們的罪,醫治他們的地。 15 現在我的眼睛必張開,我的耳朵必垂聽在這地所發的禱告。 16 現在我揀選了這殿,把它分別為聖,使我的名永遠在這殿中;我的眼和我的心也常常留在那裡。 17 至於你,你若是在我面前行事為人像你的父親大衛所行的那樣,遵行我吩咐你的一切話,謹守我的律例和典章, 18 我就必鞏固你的國位,好像我和你父親大衛所立的約說:‘你的子孫必不會斷人作君王統治以色列。’

19 “可是,如果你們轉離我,丟棄我在你們面前頒布的律例和誡命,去事奉和敬拜別的神, 20 我就必把以色列人從我賜給他們的土地上拔出來,並且我為自己的名分別為聖的這殿,我也必從我面前捨棄,使這殿在萬民中成為笑談和譏笑的對象。 21 這殿雖然高大,但將來經過的人,都必驚訝,說:‘耶和華為甚麼這樣對待這地和這殿呢?’ 22 人必回答說:‘是因為這地的人離棄了耶和華他們列祖的 神,就是領他們從埃及地出來的 神,去親近別的神,敬拜和事奉他們;所以,耶和華使這一切災禍臨到他們。’”

The Temple Is Given to the Lord

When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from the sky. It burned up the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The Lord’s glory filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the Temple of the Lord because the Lord’s glory filled it. All the people of Israel saw the fire come down from heaven. They also saw the Lord’s glory on the Temple. Then they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and thanked the Lord. They said,

“The Lord is good.
    His love continues forever.”

Then King Solomon and all the Israelites offered sacrifices before the Lord. King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people gave the Temple for the worship of God. The priests stood ready to do their work. The Levites also stood with the instruments of the Lord’s music. King David had made these instruments for praising the Lord. The priests and Levites were saying, “The Lord’s love continues forever.” The priests, who stood across from the Levites, blew their trumpets. And all the Israelites were standing.

Solomon made the middle part of the courtyard holy for the Lord. That courtyard is in front of the Temple of the Lord. There Solomon offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings. He used the middle of the courtyard because the bronze altar he had made could not hold everything. It couldn’t hold the burnt offerings, grain offerings and fat.

Solomon and all the Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days. There were many people. They came from as far away as Lebo Hamath. And they came all the way from the brook of Egypt. They had given the altar for the worship of the Lord. And they celebrated that for seven days. Then they celebrated the festival for seven days. On the eighth day they had a meeting. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon sent the people home. They were full of joy. They were happy because the Lord had been so good to David, Solomon and his people the Israelites.

The Lord Appears to Solomon

11 Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord and the king’s palace. He had success in doing everything he planned in the Temple of the Lord and his own palace. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night. The Lord said, “Solomon, I have heard your prayer. And I have chosen this place for myself to be a Temple for sacrifices.

13 “I may stop the sky from sending rain. I may command the locusts to destroy the land. I may send sicknesses to my people. 14 Then my people, who are called by my name, will be sorry for what they have done. They will pray and obey me and stop their evil ways. If they do, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. 15 Now I will see them. And I will listen to the prayers prayed in this place. 16 I have chosen this Temple and made it holy. So I will be worshiped here forever. Yes, I will always watch over it and love it.

17 “Solomon, obey me as your father David did. Obey all I have commanded. Obey my laws and rules. 18 If you do, I will make your kingdom strong. This is the agreement I made with your father David. I told him, ‘David, someone from your family will always be king in Israel.’

19 “But you must not turn away from me. You must not stop obeying the laws and commands I gave you. You must not serve and worship other gods. 20 If you do, I will take the Israelites out of my land, the land I gave them. And I will leave this Temple that I have made holy. All the nations will make fun of it and speak evil about it. 21 This Temple is honored now. But then, everyone who passes by will be surprised. They will say, ‘Why has the Lord done this terrible thing to this land and this Temple?’ 22 Then people will answer, ‘It’s because the Israelites left the Lord, the God their ancestors obeyed. He is the God who led them out of Egypt. But they accepted other gods and worshiped and served them. That is why the Lord brought this disaster on them.’”

The Dedication of the Temple(A)

When Solomon finished praying, fire(B) came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled(C) the temple.(D) The priests could not enter(E) the temple of the Lord because the glory(F) of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(G)

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. The priests took their positions, as did the Levites(H) with the Lord’s musical instruments,(I) which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat(J) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.

So Solomon observed the festival(K) at that time for seven days, and all Israel(L) with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(M) to the Wadi of Egypt.(N) On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated(O) the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival(P) for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon(Q)

11 When Solomon had finished(R) the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared(S) to him at night and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen(T) this place for myself(U) as a temple for sacrifices.

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,(V) or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name,(W) will humble(X) themselves and pray and seek my face(Y) and turn(Z) from their wicked ways, then I will hear(AA) from heaven, and I will forgive(AB) their sin and will heal(AC) their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.(AD) 16 I have chosen(AE) and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully(AF) as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees(AG) and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted(AH) with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor(AI) to rule over Israel.’(AJ)

19 “But if you[a] turn away(AK) and forsake(AL) the decrees and commands I have given you[b] and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot(AM) Israel from my land,(AN) which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule(AO) among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[c] who pass by will be appalled(AP) and say,(AQ) ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them(AR)—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  3. 2 Chronicles 7:21 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now so imposing, all