2 Chronicles - The Old Testament

¹ Then Solomon said: Yahweh has chosen to dwell in thick cloud,

² and I have built you a princely dwelling, a residence for you for ever.

³ Then the king turned round and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while the whole assembly of Israel stood.

⁴ He said, 'Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who has carried out by his hand what he promised verbally to my father David, when he said,

⁵ "From the day I brought my people out of Egypt I chose no city, in any of the tribes of Israel, to have a temple built where my name should be, nor did I choose anyone to be prince of my people Israel;

⁶ but I did choose Jerusalem for my name to be there, and I did choose David to rule my people Israel."

⁷ My father David had set his heart on building a temple for the name of Yahweh, God of Israel,

⁸ but Yahweh said to my father David, "You have set your heart on building a temple for my name, and in this you have done well;

⁹ and yet, you are not the man to build the temple; but your son, yet to be born to you, will be the one to build the temple for my name."

¹⁰ Yahweh has kept the promise which he made: I have succeeded my father David and am seated on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised; I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, God of Israel,

¹¹ and I have placed in it the ark containing the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with the Israelites.'

¹² Then in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, he stood facing the altar of Yahweh and stretched out his hands-

¹³ for Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and five cubits high, which he had placed in the middle of the court and on which he was standing; he knelt down in front of the whole assembly of Israel, stretched out his hands to heaven-

¹⁴ and said, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth, you who are loyal to the covenant and show faithful love to your servants as long as they walk wholeheartedly in your way.

¹⁵ You have kept it with your servant, my father David, as you promised him you would. What you promised verbally today you have carried out by your hand.

¹⁶ And now, Yahweh, God of Israel, keep the promise which you made to your servant David when you said, "You will never lack for a man to sit in my presence before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your sons are careful how they behave, following my law as you yourself have done."

¹⁷ So now, God of Israel, let the words come true which you spoke to your servant, my father David.

¹⁸ Yet will God really live with the people on earth? Why, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain you! How much less this temple built by me!

¹⁹ Even so, listen favourably to the prayer and entreaty of your servant, Yahweh my God; listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant makes to you:

²⁰ Day and night, may your eyes watch over this temple, over this place in which you have promised to put your name. Listen to the prayer which your servant offers in this place.

²¹ 'Listen to the entreaties of your servant and of your people Israel; whenever they pray in this place, listen from the place where you reside in heaven; and when you hear, forgive.

²² 'If someone has wronged his neighbour and a curse is laid on him to make him swear here before your altar in this Temple,

²³ then listen from heaven and do justice between your servants, paying back the guilty one by making him suffer for his conduct, and acquitting the upright by rewarding him as his uprightness deserves.

²⁴ 'If your people Israel are defeated by the enemy because they have sinned against you, but then return to you and acknowledge your name, and pray and seek your favour in this temple,

²⁵ then listen from heaven; forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the country which you gave to them and their ancestors.

²⁶ 'When the heavens are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray in this place and praise your name and, having been humbled by you, desist from their sin,

²⁷ then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servant and of your people Israel -- for you are constantly showing them the good way which they must follow -- and send rain on your country, which you have given to your people as their heritage.

²⁸ 'Should there be famine in the country, or pestilence, wind-blast or mildew, locust or caterpillar; should their enemy lay siege to their territory; should there be any plague or any disease;

²⁹ whatever be the prayer or entreaty of any individual, or of all your people Israel, each being aware of his own affliction and pain; when he stretches out his hands towards this Temple,

³⁰ then listen from heaven where you reside; forgive and, since you know what is in his heart, deal with each as his conduct deserves -- for you alone know what is in the human heart-

³¹ so that they may revere you by following your directions, which you gave to our ancestors, throughout their lives on earth.

³² 'Even the foreigner, not belonging to your people Israel but coming from a distant country, attracted by your great name, your mighty hand and outstretched arm, if he comes and prays in this Temple,

³³ then listen from heaven where you reside, and grant all that the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may acknowledge your name and, like your people Israel, revere you, and know that this Temple, which I have built, bears your name.

³⁴ 'If your people go out to war against their enemies, on whatever mission you send them, and they pray to you, turning towards this city which you have chosen and towards the Temple which I have built for your name,

³⁵ then listen from heaven to their prayer and their entreaty, and uphold their cause.

³⁶ 'When they sin against you -- for there is no one who does not sin -- and you are angry with them and abandon them to the enemy, and their captors carry them off to a country be it far away or near,

³⁷ if they come to their senses in the country to which they have been taken as captives and pray to you once again in the country of their captivity, saying, "We have sinned, we have acted wrongly and wickedly,"

³⁸ and turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the country of their captivity to which they have been carried away as captives, and pray, turning towards the country which you gave to their ancestors, towards the city you have chosen, and towards the Temple which I have built for your name,

³⁹ then listen from heaven where you reside, hear their prayer and entreaties, uphold their cause and forgive your people for having sinned against you.

⁴⁰ 'Now, O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.

⁴¹ And now Yahweh God, go up to your resting-place, you and your fortress, the Ark! Let your priests, Yahweh God, be robed in salvation, let your faithful rejoice in what is good!

⁴² Yahweh God, do not rebuff your Anointed -- remember the faithful love of your servant David!'