Solomon & The Temple

then, regardless of what prayer or plea anyone among all your people Isra'el makes -for each individual will know his own plague and his own pain -and the person spreads out his hands toward this house;

then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive; also, since you know what is in each one's heart, give each person what his conduct deserves (because you, and only you, know human hearts),

so that they will fear you and therefore live according to your ways throughout the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

"Also the foreigner who does not belong to your people Isra'el -when he comes from a distant country because of your great reputation, your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when they come and pray toward this house;

then hear from heaven, from where you live; and act in accordance with everything about which the foreigner is calling to you; so that all the peoples of the earth will know your name and fear you, as does your people Isra'el, and so that they will know that this house which I have built bears your name.

"If your people go out to fight their enemies, no matter by which way you send them, and they pray to you toward the city you chose and the house I built for your name;

then, from heaven, hear their prayer and plea, and uphold their cause.

"If they sin against you - for there is no one who doesn't sin - and you are angry with them and hand them over to the enemy, so that they carry them off captive to a land far away or nearby;

then, if they come to their senses in the land where they have been carried away captive, turn back and make their plea to you in the land where they are being held captive, saying, 'We sinned, we acted wrongly, we behaved wickedly,'

if, in the land where they were brought and are being held captive, they return to you with all their heart and being and pray to you toward their own land, which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you chose and toward the house I have built for your name;

then, from heaven, from where you live, hear their prayer and pleas, uphold their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

"Now, my God, please, let your eyes be open, and let your ears pay attention to the prayer being made in this place.

"Now go up, ADONAI, God, to your place of rest, you and the ark through which you give strength. "May your cohanim, ADONAI, God, be clothed with salvation; may those loyal to you take joy in good.

"ADONAI, God, don't turn away the face of your anointed one; remember the mercies of your servant David."

When Shlomo had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of ADONAI filled the house,

so that the cohanim could not enter the house of ADONAI; because the glory of ADONAI filled ADONAI's house.

All the people of Isra'el saw when the fire came down, and the glory of ADONAI was on the house; they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the flooring; prostrating themselves, they gave thanks to ADONAI, "for he is good, for his grace continues forever."

Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before ADONAI.

King Shlomo offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

The cohanim stood at their appointed stations, while the L'vi'im used the instruments that David the king had provided for making music to ADONAI in order to "give thanks to ADONAI, for his grace continues forever,"by means of the praises David had composed. Opposite them the cohanim sounded trumpets; and all Isra'el stood up.

Shlomo also consecrated the center of the courtyard in front of the house of ADONAI; because he had to offer the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there. For the bronze altar which Shlomo had made could not receive the burnt offering, the grain offering and the fat.

So Shlomo celebrated the festival at that time for seven days, together with all Isra'el, an enormous gathering; [they had come all the way] from the entrance of Hamat to the Vadi [of Egypt].

On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, having observed the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days.

Then, on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their tents full of joy and glad of heart for all the goodness ADONAI had shown to David, to Shlomo and to Isra'el his people.

Thus Shlomo finished the house of ADONAI and the royal palace. Everything that Shlomo had set his heart on making in the house of ADONAI and in his own palace he accomplished successfully.