歷代志下 7
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
聖殿奉獻禮
7 所羅門禱告完畢，就有火從天上降下，燒盡了燔祭和其他祭物。殿裡充滿了耶和華的榮光， 2 以致祭司不能進殿。 3 全體以色列人看見有火降下，又看見耶和華的榮光停在殿上，便俯伏敬拜，稱謝耶和華說：
「耶和華是美善的，
祂的慈愛永遠長存。」
4 所羅門王和全體民眾一同向耶和華獻祭。 5 所羅門王獻上兩萬二千頭牛和十二萬隻羊，王和全體民眾為上帝的殿舉行奉獻典禮。 6 祭司在自己的崗位上侍立，利未人奏著大衛王為頌讚耶和華而為他們製造的樂器，歌頌說：「祂的慈愛永遠長存。」他們對面的祭司也吹響號角，全體以色列人都肅立。
7 所羅門因所造的銅壇太小，容不下燔祭、素祭和脂肪，就把耶和華殿前院子中間的地方分別出來，作聖潔之地，在那裡獻上燔祭和平安祭祭牲的脂肪。
8 所羅門和從哈馬口直至埃及小河而來的全體以色列人聚成一大群會眾，一起守節期七天。 9 第八天舉行莊嚴的聚會，又舉行七天獻壇禮。之後，他們又歡慶七天。 10 七月二十三日，所羅門王讓民眾各回本鄉。他們看見耶和華向大衛、所羅門和祂的以色列子民所施的恩惠，就滿心歡喜地回家去了。
耶和華向所羅門顯現
11 所羅門建完了耶和華的殿和他自己的王宮，他按計劃完成了耶和華殿裡和他自己宮裡的一切工作。 12 耶和華在夜間向所羅門顯現，對他說：「我已聽見你的禱告，也已選擇這殿作為給我獻祭的地方。 13 若我使天不下雨，使蝗蟲吞吃地上的出產，或叫瘟疫在我民中流行， 14 而這些被稱為我名下的子民若謙卑下來，祈禱、尋求我的面，離開惡道，我必從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，醫治他們的土地。 15 現在，我會睜眼看、留心聽在這殿裡獻上的禱告。 16 我已選擇這殿，使之聖潔，永遠歸在我的名下，我的眼和我的心必常在那裡。 17 如果你像你父親大衛一樣事奉我，遵行我一切的吩咐，謹守我的律例和典章， 18 我必使你的王位穩固，正如我曾與你父親大衛立約，說，『你的子孫必永遠統治以色列。』
19 「然而，如果你們背棄我指示你們的律例和誡命，去供奉、祭拜別的神明， 20 我必把你們從我賜給你們的土地上剷除，並離棄我為自己的名而使之聖潔的這殿，使這殿在萬民中成為笑柄、被人嘲諷。 21 這殿雖然宏偉，但將來經過的人必驚訝地問，『耶和華為什麼這樣對待這地方和這殿呢？』 22 人們會回答，『因為他們背棄曾領他們祖先離開埃及的耶和華——他們的上帝，去追隨、祭拜、供奉別的神明，所以耶和華把這一切災禍降在他們身上。』」
2 Chronicles 7
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 7
1 When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, after which the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord had filled it.
3 When all the Israelites beheld the fire descending and the glory of the Lord upon the temple, they bowed down upon the pavement with their faces to the ground. Then they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying:
“For he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.”
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
The Dedication. 6 The priests stood at their appointed posts, as did the Levites, with the musical instruments for the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his love endures forever—whenever David used them to offer praise to their accompaniment. Opposite them the priests sounded their trumpets while all the Israelites stood.[a]
7 Then Solomon consecrated the middle part of the court that lay in front of the house of the Lord. There he presented the burnt offerings and the fatty portions of the shared offerings because the bronze altar which he had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fatty parts.
8 After that Solomon, and all Israel with him, a massive congregation, from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt, celebrated the festival for seven days. 9 On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, inasmuch as they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days.
10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people back to their homes rejoicing and happy in heart because of all the wonderful things that the Lord had granted to David, to Solomon, and to his people Israel. 11 Solomon had completed the house of the Lord and the royal palace. Everything that he had been determined to accomplish in the house of the Lord and in his own house had been successfully completed.
12 God’s Warning to Solomon. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send a pestilence to overcome my people, 14 and if then my people who bear my name humble themselves and pray to me and seek my presence as they turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their land.
15 “Then my eyes will be open and my ears will be attentive to the prayers that are offered in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that my name may be there forever and my eyes and my heart shall constantly be there.
17 “As for you, if you on your part live in my presence as your father David lived, doing everything that I have commanded you and observing my laws and my decrees, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I promised by a covenant with your father David when I said: ‘You shall never lack a male successor of yours to rule over Israel.’
19 “However, if you turn away and forsake my laws and my commandments which I have laid down for you, and then proceed to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot the people from the land which I have given them. I will cast from my sight this temple which I have consecrated for my name, cast it out of my sight, and make it a byword and an object of ridicule for all people.
21 “And in regard to this temple that was once so exalted, everyone who passes by it will be appalled at the sight and ask: ‘Why has the Lord allowed this to happen[b] to this land and to this house?’ 22 Then others will reply: ‘Because the people abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt. Instead, they adopted other gods, whom they worshiped and served. That is why the Lord has brought all these disasters upon them.’ ”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 7:6 The reference to the Psalms is clear. But on this point see the introduction to the Book of Psalms.
- 2 Chronicles 7:21 Allowed this to happen: it’s easier to accept that God punishes those who commit sinful acts, but thousands of years later good people continue to grapple with the question of unmerited hardship and random violence. Even Solomon’s wisdom does not provide the answer to God’s allowing will. Only faith will suffice.
