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Now when Sh’lomo had made an end of davening, the eish came down from Shomayim, and consumed the olah and the zevakhim; and the kavod Hashem filled HaBeis.

And the Kohanim could not enter into the Beis Hashem, because the kavod Hashem had filled the Beis Hashem.

And when all the Bnei Yisroel saw how the eish came down, and the kavod Hashem upon HaBeis, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the ritzpah (floor, pavement) and worshiped, and gave thanks to Hashem, saying, Ki tov ki l’olam chasdo (For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever).

Then HaMelech and kol HaAm offered zevach before Hashem.

And HaMelech Sh’lomo offered zevach of 22,000 bakar, and 120,000 tzon; so HaMelech and kol HaAm dedicated the Beis HaElohim.

And the Kohanim stood at their mishmerot (watches); the Levi’im also with kelei shir Hashem, (musical instruments of Hashem) which Dovid HaMelech had made to give thanks to Hashem‖ki l’oham chasdo (for His mercy endureth forever)‖whenever Dovid praised by their means; and the Kohanim sounded khatzotzrot (trumpets) opposite them, and kol Yisroel stood.

Moreover Sh’lomo set apart as kodesh the toch hekhatzer (center of the courtyard) that was in front of the Beis Hashem; for there he offered HaOlot and the chelvei hashelamim (fat of peace offerings), because the Mizbe’ach hanechoshet which Sh’lomo had made was not able to receive the Olot, and the Mincha, and HaChalavim (the fats).

Also at the same time Sh’lomo kept the Chag (see v. 9) shivat yamim, and kol Yisroel with him, a Kahal Gadol Me’od, from the Levo (Approach) Chamat unto the Wadi Mitzrayim.

And on the Yom HaShemini they held an Atzeret (solemn assembly); for they kept the chanukat HaMizbe’ach (dedication of the altar, i.e., the Beis Hamikdash) shivat yamim, and the chag [Sukkot] shivat yamim.

10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent HaAm away into their ohalim joyful and tovei lev for the goodness that Hashem had showed unto Dovid, and to Sh’lomo, and to Yisroel His Am.

11 Thus Sh’lomo finished the Beis Hashem, and the Beis HaMelech; and all that came into the lev Sh’lomo to do in the Beis Hashem, and in his own palace, he prosperously effected.

12 And Hashem appeared to Sh’lomo balailah, and said unto him, I have heard thy tefillah, and have chosen this makom for Myself for a Beis Zevach.

13 When I shut up Shomayim that there be no matar, or when I command the locusts to devour HaAretz, or when I send dever among Ami (My People)

14 If Ami, which are called by Shmi, shall humble themselves, and daven, and seek my face, and turn from their derakhim hara’im (wicked ways), then will I hear from Shomayim, and will forgive their chattat, and will heal their land.

15 Now Mine eyes shall be open, and Mine ears attentive unto the tefillah that is made in Makom HaZeh.

16 For now have I chosen and set apart as kodesh HaBeis HaZeh, that Shmi may be there ad olam, and Mine eyes and Mine lev shall be there kol hayamim.

17 And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before Me, as Dovid Avicha walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe My chukkot and My mishpatim;

18 Then will I establish the kisse of thy Malchut, just as I have covenanted with Dovid Avicha, saying, Lo yikaret lecha ish moshel b’Yisroel.

19 But if ye turn away, and forsake My chukkot and My mitzvot, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve elohim acherim, and worship them,

20 Then will I uproot them out of My Adamah which I have given them; and HaBeis HaZeh, which I have set apart as kodesh for Shmi, will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a Mashal (byword) and an object of ridicule among Kol haAmim.

21 And HaBeis HaZeh, which is elyon, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath Hashem done thus unto HaAretz HaZot, and unto HaBeis Hazeh?

22 And it shall be answered, Because they forsook Hashem Elohei Avoteihem, Who brought them forth out of Eretz Mitzrayim, and they laid hold on elohim acherim, and worshiped them, and served them; therefore hath He brought all this ra’ah upon them.

The Dedication of the Temple(A)

When Solomon finished praying, fire(B) came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled(C) the temple.(D) The priests could not enter(E) the temple of the Lord because the glory(F) of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(G)

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. The priests took their positions, as did the Levites(H) with the Lord’s musical instruments,(I) which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat(J) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.

So Solomon observed the festival(K) at that time for seven days, and all Israel(L) with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(M) to the Wadi of Egypt.(N) On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated(O) the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival(P) for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon(Q)

11 When Solomon had finished(R) the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared(S) to him at night and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen(T) this place for myself(U) as a temple for sacrifices.

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,(V) or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name,(W) will humble(X) themselves and pray and seek my face(Y) and turn(Z) from their wicked ways, then I will hear(AA) from heaven, and I will forgive(AB) their sin and will heal(AC) their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.(AD) 16 I have chosen(AE) and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully(AF) as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees(AG) and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted(AH) with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor(AI) to rule over Israel.’(AJ)

19 “But if you[a] turn away(AK) and forsake(AL) the decrees and commands I have given you[b] and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot(AM) Israel from my land,(AN) which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule(AO) among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[c] who pass by will be appalled(AP) and say,(AQ) ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them(AR)—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  2. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  3. 2 Chronicles 7:21 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now so imposing, all