2 Chronicles 7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Solomon Dedicates the Temple
7 When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.(A) 2 The priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,
“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”(B)
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord.(C) 5 King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 The priests stood at their posts, the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his steadfast love endures forever—whenever David offered praises through their playing. Opposite them the priests sounded trumpets, and all Israel stood.(D)
7 Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the offerings of well-being because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat parts.(E)
8 At that time Solomon held the festival for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from Lebo-hamath to the Wadi of Egypt.(F) 9 On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had observed the dedication of the altar seven days and the festival seven days.(G) 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and in good spirits because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David and to Solomon and to his people Israel.(H)
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished.(I)
God’s Second Appearance to Solomon
12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.(J) 13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain or command the locust to devour the land or send pestilence among my people,(K) 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.(L) 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.(M) 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time.(N) 17 As for you, if you walk before me as your father David walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my ordinances,(O) 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I made a covenant[a] with your father David saying, ‘You shall never lack a successor to rule over Israel.’(P)
19 “But if you[b] turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you and go and serve other gods and worship them,(Q) 20 then I will pluck you[c] up from the land that I have given you,[d] and this house, which I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.(R) 21 And regarding this house, now exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this house?’(S) 22 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord the God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they embraced other gods and worshiped them and served them; therefore he has brought all this calamity upon them.’ ”
2 Chronicles 7
New American Standard Bible
The Shekinah Glory
7 (A)Now when Solomon had finished praying, (B)fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the house. 2 (C)And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. 3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the Lord, saying, “(D)Certainly He is good, certainly His faithfulness is everlasting.”
Sacrifices Offered
4 (E)Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 The priests stood at their posts, and (F)the Levites also, with the musical instruments for the Lord, which King David had made for giving praise to the Lord—“for His faithfulness is everlasting”—whenever David gave praise through their [a]ministry; (G)the priests on the other side blew trumpets and all Israel was standing.
7 (H)Then Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the house of the Lord, for he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat.
The Feast of Dedication
8 So (I)Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly that came from the entrance of Hamath to the (J)brook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held (K)a solemn assembly, because they held the dedication of the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days. 10 Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.
God’s Promise and Warning
11 (L)So Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s palace, and successfully completed everything that [b]he had planned on doing in the house of the Lord and in his palace.
12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and (M)have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 (N)If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14 (O)and My people [c]who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 (P)Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the [d]prayer offered in this place. 16 For (Q)now I have chosen and consecrated this house so that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there [e]always. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, to do according to everything that I have commanded you, and keep My statutes and My ordinances, 18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘[f](R)You shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’
19 “(S)But if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 (T)then I will uproot [g]you from My land which I have given [h]you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it (U)a proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples. 21 As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘(V)Why has the Lord done these things to this land and to this house?’ 22 And they will say, ‘Because (W)they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 7:6 Lit hand
- 2 Chronicles 7:11 Lit came upon the heart of Solomon to do
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 Lit over whom My name is called
- 2 Chronicles 7:15 Lit prayer of this place
- 2 Chronicles 7:16 Lit all the days
- 2 Chronicles 7:18 Lit There shall not be cut off to you a man
- 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in ancient versions; MT them
- 2 Chronicles 7:20 As in some ancient versions; MT them
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
