2 Chronicles 6:18-31

New American Standard Bible

¹⁸ “But ^(A)will God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, ^(B)heaven and the ^[a]highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built! ¹⁹ Nevertheless, turn Your attention to the prayer of Your servant and to his plea, Lord, my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays before You; ²⁰ that Your ^(C)eye will be open toward this house day and night, toward ^(D)the place of which You have said that You would put Your name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant shall pray toward this place. ²¹ Listen to the pleadings of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place; hear from Your dwelling place, from heaven; ^(E)hear and forgive.

²² “If someone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house, ²³ then hear from heaven and take action and judge Your servants, ^[b](F)punishing the wicked by bringing his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous by ^[c]repaying him according to his righteousness.

²⁴ “If Your people Israel are ^[d]defeated before an enemy because ^(G)they have sinned against You, and they return to You and praise Your name, and pray and plead before You in this house, ²⁵ then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You have given to them and to their fathers.

²⁶ “When the ^(H)heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, ²⁷ then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel; indeed, ^(I)teach them the good way in which they are to walk. And provide rain on Your land, which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.

²⁸ “If there is a ^(J)famine in the land, if there is a plague, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their ^[e]cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, ²⁹ whatever prayer or plea is made by anyone or by all Your people Israel, ^[f]each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, ³⁰ then hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart You know—^(K)for You alone know the hearts of the sons of mankind— ³¹ so that they may ^[g]fear You, to walk in Your ways ^[h]as long as they live in the land which You have given to our fathers.