31 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take (A)an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 32 then hear in heaven and act and judge your servants, (B)condemning the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

33 (C)“When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and (D)if they turn again to you and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 34 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to their fathers.

35 (E)“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them, 36 then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when (F)you teach them (G)the good way in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.

37 (H)“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemy besieges them in the land at their gates,[a] whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 38 whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, 39 then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways ((I)for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), 40 that they may fear you (J)all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

41 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake 42 (for they shall hear of your great name (K)and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, 43 hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order (L)that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and (M)fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

44 “If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to the Lord (N)toward the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 45 then hear in heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

46 “If they sin against you—(O)for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive (P)to the land of the enemy, far off or near, 47 yet (Q)if they turn their heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors, saying, (R)‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 48 (S)if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you (T)toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, 49 then hear in heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause 50 and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions that they have committed against you, and (U)grant them compassion in the sight of those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them 51 ((V)for they are your people, and your heritage, which you brought out of Egypt, (W)from the midst of the iron furnace).

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Kings 8:37 Septuagint, Syriac in any of their cities

31 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath and they come and swear the oath(A) before your altar in this temple, 32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.(B)

33 “When your people Israel have been defeated(C) by an enemy because they have sinned(D) against you, and when they turn back to you and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple,(E) 34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.

35 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain(F) because your people have sinned(G) against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach(H) them the right way(I) to live, and send rain(J) on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

37 “When famine(K) or plague(L) comes to the land, or blight(M) or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers,(N) or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 38 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of the afflictions of their own hearts, and spreading out their hands(O) toward this temple— 39 then hear(P) from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive(Q) and act; deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know(R) their hearts (for you alone know every human heart), 40 so that they will fear(S) you all the time they live in the land(T) you gave our ancestors.

41 “As for the foreigner(U) who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— 42 for they will hear(V) of your great name and your mighty hand(W) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know(X) your name and fear(Y) you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.(Z)

44 “When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray(AA) to the Lord toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.(AB)

46 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin(AC)—and you become angry with them and give them over to their enemies, who take them captive(AD) to their own lands, far away or near; 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead(AE) with you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly’;(AF) 48 and if they turn back(AG) to you with all their heart(AH) and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray(AI) to you toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple(AJ) I have built for your Name;(AK) 49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause. 50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their captors to show them mercy;(AL) 51 for they are your people and your inheritance,(AM) whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.(AN)

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