2 Chronicles 6

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Then Solomon said: Yahweh has chosen to dwel in thick cloud,	1 Then Solomon said: The Lord promised that he would dwell in a cloud.
2 and I have built you a princely dwel ing, a residence for you for ever.	2 But I have built a house to his name, that he might dwell there for ever.
3 Then the king turned round and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while the whole assembly ofIsrael stood.	3 And the king turned his face, and blessed all the multitude of Israel (for all the multitude stood attentive) and he said:
4 He said, 'Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who has carried out by his hand what he promisedverbally to my father David, when he said,	4 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who hath accomplished in deed that which he spoke to David my father, saying:
5 "From the day I brought my people out of Egypt I chose no city, in any of the tribes of Israel, to have atemple built where my name should be, nor did I choose anyone to be prince of my people Israel;	5 From the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel, for a house to be built in it to my name: neither chose I any other man, to be the ruler 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."	6 But I chose Jerusalem, that my name might be there: and I chose David to set him over my people Israel.
7 My father David had set his heart on building a temple for the name of Yahweh, God of Israel,	7 And whereas David my father had a mind to build a house to the name of the Lord the God of Israel,
8 but Yahweh said to my father David, "You have set your heart on building a temple for my name, and inthis you have done wel ;	8 The Lord said to him: Forasmuch as it was thy will to build a house to my name, thou hast done well indeed in having such a will:
9 and yet, you are not the man to build the temple; but your son, yet to be born to you, wil be the one tobuild the temple for my name."	9 But thou shalt not build the house, but thy son, who shall come out of thy loins, he shall build a house to my name.
10 Yahweh has kept the promise which he made: I have succeeded my father David and am seated onthe throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised; I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, God of Israel,	10 The Lord therefore hath accomplished his word which he spoke: and I am risen up in the place of David my father, and sit upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised : and have built a house to the name of the Lord God of Israel.
11 and I have placed in it the ark containing the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with the Israelites.'	11 And I have put in it the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with the children of Israel.
12 Then in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, he stood facing the altar of Yahweh andstretched out his hands-	12 And he stood before the altar of the I Lord, in presence of all the multitude of Israel, and stretched forth his hands.
13 for Solomon had made a bronze platform, five cubits long, five cubits wide and five cubits high, whichhe had placed in the middle of the court and on which he was standing; he knelt down in front of the wholeassembly of Israel, stretched out his hands to heaven-	13 For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, and had set it in the midst of the temple, which was five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high: and he stood upon it: then kneeling down in the presence of all the multitude of Israel, and lifting up his hands towards heaven,
14 and said, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth, you who are loyal tothe covenant and show faithful love to your servants as long as they walk wholeheartedly in your way.	14 He said: O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven nor in earth: who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:
15 You have kept it with your servant, my father David, as you promised him you would. What youpromised verbally today you have carried out by your hand.	15 Who hast performed to thy servant David my father all that thou hast promised him: and hast accomplished in fact, what thou hast spoken with thy mouth, as also the present time proveth.
16 And now, Yahweh, God of Israel, keep the promise which you made to your servant David when yousaid, "You wil never lack for a man to sit in my presence before me on the throne of Israel, provided that yoursons are careful how they behave, fol owing my law as you yourself have done."	16 Now then, O Lord God of Israel, fulfil to thy servant David my father, whatsoever thou hast promised him, saying: There shall not fail thee a man in my sight, to sit upon the throne of Israel: yet so that thy children take heed to their ways, and walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.
17 So now, God of Israel, let the words come true which you spoke to your servant, my father David.	17 And now, Lord God of Israel, let thy word be established which thou hast spoken to thy servant David.
18 Yet wil God real y live with the people on earth? Why, the heavens and the heavens of the heavenscannot contain you! How much less this temple built by me!	18 Is it credible then that God should dwell with men on the earth? If heaven and the heavens of heavens do not contain thee, how much less this house, which I have built?
19 Even so, listen favourably to the prayer and entreaty of your servant, Yahweh my God; listen to the cryand to the prayer which your servant makes to you:	19 But to this end only it is made, that thou mayest regard the prayer of thy servant and his supplication, O Lord my God: and mayest hear the prayers which thy servant poureth out before thee.
20 Day and night, may your eyes watch over this temple, over this place in which you have promised toput your name. Listen to the prayer which your servant offers in this place.	20 That thou mayest open thy eyes upon this house day and night, upon the place wherein thou hast promised that thy name should be called upon,
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.	21 And that thou wouldst hear the prayer which thy servant prayeth in it: hearken then to the prayers of thy servant, and of thy people Israel. Whosoever shall pray in this place, hear thou from thy dwelling place, that is, from heaven, and shew mercy.
22 'If someone has wronged his neighbour and a curse is laid on him to make him swear here beforeyour altar in this Temple,	22 If any man sin against his neighbour, and come to swear against him, and bind himself with a curse before the altar in this house:
23 then listen from heaven and do justice between your servants, paying back the guilty one by makinghim suffer for his conduct, and acquitting the upright by rewarding him as his uprightness deserves.	23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do justice to thy servants, so as to requite the wicked by making his wickedness fall upon his own head, and to revenge the just, rewarding him according to his justice.
24 'If your people Israel are defeated by the enemy because they have sinned against you, but thenreturn to you and acknowledge your name, and pray and seek your favour in this temple,	24 If thy people Israel be overcome by their enemies, (for they will sin against thee,) and being converted shall do penance, and call upon thy name, and pray to thee in this place,
25 then listen from heaven; forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the countrywhich you gave to them and their ancestors.	25 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them back into the land, which thou gavest to them, and their fathers.
26 'When the heavens are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray inthis place and praise your name and, having been humbled by you, desist from their sin,	26 If the heavens be shut up, and there fall no rain by reason of the sine of the people, and they shall pray to thee in this place, and confess to thy name, and be converted from their sins, when thou dost afflict them,
27 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servant and of your people Israel -- for you areconstantly showing them the good way which they must fol ow -- and send rain on your country, which you havegiven to your people as their heritage.	27 Then hear thou from heaven, O Lord, and forgive the sine of thy servants and of thy people Israel, and teach them the good way, in which they may walk: and give rain to thy land which thou hast given to thy people to possess.
28 'Should there be famine in the country, or pestilence, wind-blast or mildew, locust or caterpil ar; shouldtheir enemy lay siege to their territory; should there be any plague or any disease;	28 If a famine arise in the land, or a pestilence or blasting, or mildew, or locusts, or caterpillars: or if their enemies waste the country, and besiege the cities, whatsoever scourge or infirmity shall be upon them:
29 whatever be the prayer or entreaty of any individual, or of al your people Israel, each being aware ofhis own affliction and pain; when he stretches out his hands towards this Temple,	29 Then if any of thy people Israel, knowing his own scourge and infirmity shall pray, and shall spread forth his hands in this house,
30 then listen from heaven where you reside; forgive and, since you know what is in his heart, deal witheach as his conduct deserves -- for you alone know what is in the human heart-	30 Hear thou from heaven, from thy high dwelling place, and forgive, and render to every one according to his ways, which thou knowest him to have in his heart: (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)
31 so that they may revere you by following your directions, which you gave to our ancestors, throughouttheir lives on earth.	31 That they may fear thee, and walk in thy ways all the days that they live upon the face of the land, which thou hast given to our fathers.
32 'Even the foreigner, not belonging to your people Israel but coming from a distant country, attracted byyour great name, your mighty hand and outstretched arm, if he comes and prays in this Temple,	32 If the stranger also, who is not of thy people Israel, come from a far country, for the sake of thy great name, and thy strong hand, and thy stretched out arm, and adore in this place:
33 then listen from heaven where you reside, and grant al that the foreigner asks of you, so that al thepeoples of the earth may acknowledge your name and, like your people Israel, revere you, and know that thisTemple, which I have built, bears your name.	33 Hear thou from heaven thy firm dwelling place, and do all that which that stranger shall call upon thee for: that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and may fear thee, as thy people Israel, and may know, that thy name is invoked upon this house, which I have built.
34 'If your people go out to war against their enemies, on whatever mission you send them, and they prayto you, turning towards this city which you have chosen and towards the Temple which I have built for yourname,	34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies, by the way that thou shalt send them, and adore thee towards the way of this city, which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built to thy name:
35 then listen from heaven to their prayer and their entreaty, and uphold their cause.	35 Then hear thou from heaven their prayers, and their supplications, and revenge them.
36 'When they sin against you -- for there is no one who does not sin -- and you are angry with them andabandon them to the enemy, and their captors carry them off to a country be it far away or near,	36 And if they sin against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them up to their enemies, and they lead them away captive to a land either afar off, or near at hand,
37 if they come to their senses in the country to which they have been taken as captives and pray to youonce again in the country of their captivity, saying, "We have sinned, we have acted wrongly and wickedly,"	37 And if they be converted in their heart in the land to which they were led / captive, and do penance, and pray to thee in the land of their captivity, saying: We have sinned, we have done wickedly, we have dealt unjustly:
38 and turn back to you with al their heart and soul in the country of their captivity to which they havebeen carried away as captives, and pray, turning towards the country which you gave to their ancestors, towardsthe city you have chosen, and towards the Temple which I have built for your name,	38 And return to thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, to which they were led away, and adore thee towards the way of their own land which thou gavest their fathers, and of the city, which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built to thy name:
39 then listen from heaven where you reside, hear their prayer and entreaties, uphold their cause andforgive your people for having sinned against you.	39 Then hear thou from heaven, that is, from thy firm dwelling place, their prayers, and do judgment, and forgive thy people, although they have sinned:
40 'Now, O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.	40 For thou art my God: let thy eyes, I beseech thee, be open, and let thy ears be attentive to the prayer, that is made 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!	41 Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, put on salvation, and thy saints rejoice in good things.
42 Yahweh God, do not rebuff your Anointed -- remember the faithful love of your servant David!'	42 O Lord God, turn not away the face of thy anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.