2 Chronicles 6
English Standard Version
Solomon Blesses the People
6 (A)Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. 2 But I have built you (B)an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.” 3 Then the king turned around and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood. 4 And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying, 5 ‘Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel; 6 (C)but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there, (D)and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel.’ 7 (E)Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to David my father, ‘Whereas (F)it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart. 9 Nevertheless, it is not you who shall build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.’ 10 Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have risen in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 And there I have set the ark, (G)in which is the covenant of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”
Solomon's Prayer of Dedication
12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 (H)Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits[a] long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court, and he stood on it. (I)Then he knelt on his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven, 14 and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, (J)there is no God like you, in heaven or on earth, (K)keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart, 15 (L)who have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. 16 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, (M)‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, (N)if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.’ 17 Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David.
18 “But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, (O)heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built! 19 Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you, 20 (P)that your eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where you have promised to set your name, that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. 21 And listen to the pleas of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen from heaven your dwelling place, (Q)and when you hear, forgive.
22 “If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house, 23 then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
24 “If your people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against you, and they turn again and acknowledge your name and pray and plead with you in this house, 25 (R)then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them again to the land that you gave to them and to their fathers.
26 (S)“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[b] them, 27 (T)then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way[c] in which they should walk, and grant rain upon your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
28 (U)“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is, 29 whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house, 30 (V)then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways, (W)for you, you only, know the hearts of the children of mankind, 31 that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.
32 “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, 33 hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house (X)that I have built is called by your name.
34 “If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you toward this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.
36 “If they sin against you—(Y)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 to a land far or near, 37 yet 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 captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned and have acted perversely and wickedly,’ 38 if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray 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, 39 then hear from heaven your dwelling place their prayer and their pleas, and maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. 40 Now, O my God, (Z)let your eyes be open (AA)and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.
41 “And now arise, O Lord God, and go to your (AB)resting place,
you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests, O Lord God, be (AC)clothed with salvation,
and let your saints (AD)rejoice in your goodness.
42 O Lord God, (AE)do not turn away the face of your anointed one!
(AF)Remember your steadfast love for David your servant.”
Footnotes
- 2 Chronicles 6:13 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters
- 2 Chronicles 6:26 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew answer
- 2 Chronicles 6:27 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate (compare 1 Kings 8:36); Hebrew toward the good way
Divrey Hayamim Bais 6
Orthodox Jewish Bible
6 Then said Sh’lomo, Hashem hath said that He would dwell in a dark cloud.
2 But I have built Thee a lofty Beis, even a place for Thee to dwell olamim.
3 And HaMelech turned his face, v’yevarech at kol Kehal Yisroel, and all the Kehal Yisroel stood.
4 And he said, Baruch Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Who hath with His hands fulfilled that which He spoke with His mouth to Dovid Avi, saying,
5 Since HaYom when I brought forth Ami out of Eretz Mitzrayim I chose no city among all the Shivtei Yisroel to build a Bais in, that Shmi might be there; neither chose I any ish to be a Nagid over Ami Yisroel,
6 But I chose Yerushalayim, that Shmi might be there; and chose Dovid to be over Ami Yisroel.
7 Now it was in the levav Dovid Avi to build a Bais for the Shem of Hashem Elohei Yisroel.
8 But Hashem said to Dovid Avi, Because it was in levavcha to build a Bais for Shmi, thou didst well in that it was in levavcha.
9 Nevertheless thou shalt not build HaBeis; but bincha (your Son) which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build HaBeis for Shmi.
10 Hashem therefore hath performed His Devar that He hath spoken; for I am risen up after Dovid Avi, and I sit on the kisse Yisroel, just as Hashem promised, and I built HaBeis for the Shem of Hashem Elohei Yisroel.
11 And in it have I put the Aron, wherein is the Brit Hashem that He cut with the Bnei Yisroel.
12 And he stood before the Mizbe’ach Hashem in front kol Kehal Yisroel, and spread forth his hands;
13 For Sh’lomo had made a kiyyor nechoshet (bronze platform) five cubits long, and five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the Azarah [see 4:9], and upon it he stood, and knelt down upon his knees before kol Kehal Yisroel, and spread forth his hands toward Shomayim.
14 And said, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, ein kmocha Elohim (there is no G-d like Thee) in Shomayim, nor in Ha’aretz; shomer HaBrit, who showest chesed unto Thy avadim, that walk before Thee with all their hearts.
15 Thou which has been shomer over Thy eved Dovid Avi over that which Thou hast promised him; and spoke with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day.
16 Now therefore, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, be shomer over Dovid Avi to keep that which Thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee an ish in My sight to sit upon the Kisse Yisroel; if only Banecha are shomer over their way to walk in My torah, as thou hast walked before Me.
17 Now then, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, let Thy Davar come true, which Thou hast spoken unto Thy eved Dovid.
18 But will Elohim really dwell with HaAdam on ha’aretz? Hinei, Shomayim and the Shmei HaShomayim cannot contain Thee; how much less this Beis which I built!
19 Yet give attention to the tefillah of Thy eved, and to his techinnah (supplication), O Hashem Elohai, to pay heed unto the cry and the tefillah which Thy eved prayeth before Thee;
20 That Thine eyes may be open toward this Beis yomam valailah, toward the makom (place) whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldest put Shimcha there; to pay heed unto the tefillah which Thy eved prayeth toward this makom.
21 Pay heed therefore unto the tachanunei Avdecha (suppplications of Thy servant), and of Thy people Yisroel, which they shall daven toward this place; hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, even from Shomayim; and when Thou hearest, salachta (forgive).
22 If an ish sin against his neighbor, and he is made to swear under oath and he swears an oath before Thine Mizbe’ach in this Beis,
23 Then hear Thou from Shomayim, and act, and judge Thy avadim, by requiting the guilty, by recompensing his way upon his own rosh; and by justifying the tzaddik, by giving him according to his tzedakah.
24 And if thy people Yisroel be defeated before the oyev (enemy), because they have sinned against Thee; and shall return and confess Shmecha, and pray and make techinnah before Thee in this Beis,
25 Then hear Thou from Shomayim, and forgive the sin of Thy people Yisroel, and bring them back to HaAdamah which Thou gave to them and to Avoteichem.
26 When Shomayim is shut up, and there is no matar (rain), because they have sinned against Thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess Shmecha, and turn from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them;
27 Then hear Thou from Shomayim, and forgive the sin of Thy avadim, and of Thy people Yisroel, when Thou hast taught them the Derech HaTovah, wherein they should walk; and send matar upon Thy land, which Thou hast given unto Thy people for a nachalah.
28 If there be ra’av (hunger, famine) in the land, if there be dever, if there be blight, or mildew, locust, or grasshopper; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever nega or machalah there be,
29 Then what tefillah or what techinnah soever shall be made of kol ha’adam, or of all Thy people Yisroel, when every one shall know his own nega and his own pain, and shall spread forth his hands in this Beis,
30 Then hear Thou from Shomayim Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose lev Thou knowest; (for Thou only knowest the hearts of the Bnei HaAdam),
31 That they may fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways, so long as they live in HaAdamah which Thou gavest unto Avoteinu.
32 Also concerning the nokhri, who is not of Thy people Yisroel, but is come from a far country for the sake of Shimcha Hagadol, Thy yad hachazakeh, and Thy zero’a stretched out; if they come and pray toward this Beis,
33 Then hear Thou from Shomayim, even from Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the nokhri calleth for to Thee, that kol Amei Ha’aretz may know Shmecha, and fear Thee, as doth Thy people Yisroel, and may know that this Beis which I have built is called by Shimcha.
34 If Thy people go out to milchamah against their enemies by the derech that Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Thee toward this city which Thou hast chosen, and the Beis which I have built for Shmecha,
35 Then hear Thou from Shomayim their tefillah and their techinnah, and uphold their mishpat.
36 If they sin against Thee, (for there is no adam which sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captive unto an Eretz rechokah or kerovah,
37 Yet if they change in their heart in the land where they are carried captive, and repent and supplicate unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying, Chatanu (we have sinned), he’evnu (we have done wrong), and rashanu (we acted wickedly);
38 If they return to Thee with all their lev and with all their nefesh in the land of their captivity, where they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which Thou gavest unto Avotam, and toward HaIr which Thou hast chosen, and toward the Beis which I have built for Thy Shem,
39 Then hear Thou from Shomayim, even from Thy dwelling place, their tefillah and their techinnah, and uphold their mishpat, and forgive Thy people which have sinned against Thee.
40 Now, Elohai, may Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attentive unto the tefillah that is davened in this place.
41 Now therefore arise, Hashem Elohim, into Thy resting place, Thou, and the Aron of Thy might; let Thy Kohanim, Hashem Elohim, be clothed with Teshu’ah, and let Thy Chasidim rejoice in goodness.
42 Hashem Elohim, turn not away the face of Thine Moshiach. Remember the Chasdei Dovid Avdecha.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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