2 Chronicles 7

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 When Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offeringand the sacrifices; and the glory of Yahweh filled the Temple.	1 When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the holocaust and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house.
2 The priests could not enter the Temple of Yahweh, because the glory of Yahweh fil ed the Temple ofYahweh.	2 But the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.
3 When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the glory of Yahweh resting on the Temple, theybowed down on the pavement with their faces to the earth, worshipping and praising Yahweh with 'For he isgood, for his faithful love lasts for ever!'	3 All the Israelites looked on while the fire came down and the glory of the LORD was upon the house, and they fell down upon the pavement with their faces to the earth and adored, praising the LORD, "for he is good, for his mercy endures forever."
4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before Yahweh.	4 The king and all the people were offering sacrifices before the LORD.
5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousandsheep; and thus the king and al the people dedicated the Temple of God.	5 King Solomon offered as sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen, and one hundred twenty thousand sheep.
6 The priests stood in their places, as did the Levites with Yahweh's musical instruments which KingDavid had provided, to render 'Give thanks to Yahweh, for his faithful love lasts for ever!' whenever David offeredpraise to their accompaniment. Opposite them, the priests blew trumpets, while al Israel stood.	6 Thus the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. The priests were standing at their stations, as were the Levites, with the musical instruments of the LORD which King David had made for "praising the LORD, for his mercy endures forever," when David used them to accompany the hymns. Across from them the priests blew the trumpets and all Israel stood.
7 Solomon also consecrated the middle part of the court in front of the Temple of Yahweh; for that waswhere he presented the burnt offerings and the fatty parts of the communion sacrifices, since the bronze altarwhich Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering, the oblation and the fatty parts.	7 Then Solomon consecrated the middle part of the court which lay before the house of the LORD; there he offered the holocausts and the fat of the peace offerings, since the bronze altar which Solomon had made could not hold the holocausts, the cereal offerings and the fat.
8 And then Solomon and with him al Israel from the Pass of Hamath to the Torrent of Egypt -- a verygreat assembly -- celebrated the feast for seven days.	8 On this occasion Solomon and with him all Israel, who had assembled in very large numbers from Labo of Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt, celebrated the festival for seven days.
9 On the eighth day they held the assembly, for they had devoted seven days to the dedication of thealtar and seven days to the feast.	9 On the eighth day they held a special meeting, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the feast for seven days.
10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon dismissed the people to their homes, rejoicingand happy of heart over the goodness which Yahweh had shown to David, to Solomon and to his people Israel.	10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people back to their tents, rejoicing and glad at heart at the good things the LORD had done for David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.
11 Thus Solomon finished the Temple of Yahweh and the royal palace, and he successful y concludedeverything that he was of a mind to do in the Temple of Yahweh and in his own palace.	11 Solomon completed the house of the LORD and the royal palace; he successfully accomplished everything he had planned to do in regard to the house of the LORD and his own house.
12 Then Yahweh appeared to Solomon in the night and said, 'I have heard your prayer and have chosenthis place for myself as a house of sacrifice.	12 The LORD appeared to Solomon during the night and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and I have chosen this place for my house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the country, or if Isend pestilence among my people,	13 If I close heaven so that there is no rain, if I command the locust to devour the land, if I send pestilence among my people,
14 if my people who bear my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my presence and turn fromtheir wicked ways, then I wil listen from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their country.	14 and if my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my presence and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and revive their land.
15 Now and for the future my eyes are open and my ears attentive to prayer offered in this place,	15 Now my eyes shall be open and my ears attentive to the prayer of this place.
16 for now I have chosen and consecrated this Temple, for my name to be there for ever; my eyes andmy heart will constantly be there.	16 And now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever; my eyes and my heart also shall be there always.
17 And if, for your part, you walk before me as your father David did, and do everything that I havecommanded you to do, and keep my laws and my ordinances,	17 "As for you, if you live in my presence as your father David did, doing all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and ordinances,
18 I shal make your royal throne secure, as I covenanted with your father David when I said: You willnever lack for a male to rule in Israel.	18 I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David when I said, 'There shall never be lacking someone of yours as ruler in Israel.'
19 But if you turn away and forsake my laws and commandments which I have laid down for you, and goand serve other gods and worship them,	19 But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and commands which I placed before you, if you proceed to venerate and worship strange gods,
20 then I shall uproot them from the country which I have given them, and shall disown this Temple whichI have consecrated for my name and make it a proverb and a byword among all the peoples.	20 then I will uproot the people from the land I gave them; I will cast from my sight this house which I have consecrated to my honor, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
21 And at this once-exalted Temple, everyone who passes by wil be appal ed, and wil say, "Why hasYahweh treated this country and this Temple like this?"	21 This temple which is so exalted--everyone passing by it will be amazed and ask: 'Why has the LORD done this to this land and to this house?'
22 And the answer will be, "Because they deserted Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, who broughtthem out of Egypt, and adopted other gods and worshipped and served them; that is why he has brought althese disasters on them." '	22 And men will answer: 'They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted strange gods and worshiped them and served them. That is why he has brought down upon them all this evil.'"