2 Chronicles 6

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.	1 Then Solomon said: Yahweh has chosen to dwel in thick cloud,
2 I have built thee an exalted house, a place for thee to dwell in for ever."	2 and I have built you a princely dwel ing, a residence for you for ever.
3 Then the king faced about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel stood.	3 Then the king turned round and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while the whole assembly ofIsrael stood.
4 And he said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to David my father, saying,	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,
5 'Since the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city in all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my name might be there, and I chose no man as prince over my people Israel;	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;
6 but I have chosen Jerusalem that my name may be there and I have chosen David to be over 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 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.	7 My father David had set his heart on building a temple for the name of Yahweh, God of Israel,
8 But the LORD said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart;	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 ;
9 nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall build the house for my name.'	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."
10 Now the LORD has fulfilled his promise which he made; for I have risen in the place of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and I have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.	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,
11 And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which he made with the people of Israel."	11 and I have placed in it the ark containing the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with the Israelites.'
12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands.	12 Then in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, he stood facing the altar of Yahweh andstretched out his hands-
13 Solomon had made a bronze platform five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, and had set it in the court; and he stood upon it. Then he knelt upon his knees in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;	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-
14 and said, "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven or on earth, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to thy servants who walk before thee with all their heart;	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.
15 who hast kept with thy servant David my father what thou didst declare to him; yea, thou didst speak with thy mouth, and with thy hand hast fulfilled it this day.	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.
16 Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father what thou hast promised him, saying, 'There shall never fail you a man before me to sit upon the throne of Israel, if only your sons take heed to their way, to walk in my law as you have walked before me.'	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."
17 Now therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, let thy word be confirmed, which thou hast spoken to thy servant David.	17 So now, God of Israel, let the words come true which you spoke to your servant, my father David.
18 "But will God dwell indeed with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!	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!
19 Yet have regard to the prayer of thy servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, hearkening to the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prays before thee;	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:
20 that thy eyes may be open day and night toward this house, the place where thou hast promised to set thy name, that thou mayest hearken to the prayer which thy servant offers toward this place.	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.
21 And hearken thou to the supplications of thy servant and of thy people Israel, when they pray toward this place; yea, hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive.	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 a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and comes and swears his oath before thy altar in this house,	22 'If someone has wronged his neighbour and a curse is laid on him to make him swear here beforeyour altar in this Temple,
23 then hear thou from heaven, and act, and judge thy servants, requiting the guilty by bringing his conduct upon his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.	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.
24 "If thy people Israel are defeated before the enemy because they have sinned against thee, when they turn again and acknowledge thy name, and pray and make supplication to thee in this house,	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,
25 then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again to the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.	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.
26 "When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against thee, if they pray toward this place, and acknowledge thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them,	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,
27 then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, thy people Israel, when thou dost teach them the good way in which they should walk; and grant rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people as an inheritance.	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.
28 "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in any of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is;	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;
29 whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by any man or by all thy people Israel, each knowing his own affliction, and his own sorrow and stretching out his hands toward this house;	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,
30 then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each whose heart thou knowest, according to all his ways (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men);	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-
31 that they may fear thee and walk in thy ways all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest to our fathers.	31 so that they may revere you by following your directions, which you gave to our ancestors, throughouttheir lives on earth.
32 "Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of thy people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of thy great name, and thy mighty hand, and thy outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house,	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,
33 hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to thee; in order that all the peoples of the earth may know thy name and fear thee, as do thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.	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.
34 "If thy people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way thou shalt send them, and they pray to thee toward this city which thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for thy name,	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,
35 then hear thou from heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.	35 then listen from heaven to their prayer and their entreaty, and uphold their cause.
36 "If they sin against thee--for there is no man who does not sin--and thou art angry with them, and dost give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near;	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,
37 yet if they lay it to heart in the land to which they have been carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to thee in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, and have acted perversely and wickedly';	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,"
38 if they repent with all their mind and with all their heart in the land of their captivity, to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest to their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name,	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,
39 then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee.	39 then listen from heaven where you reside, hear their prayer and entreaties, uphold their cause andforgive your people for having sinned against you.
40 Now, O my God, let thy eyes be open and thy ears attentive to a prayer of this place.	40 'Now, O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.
41 "And now arise, O LORD God, and go to thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy might. Let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in thy goodness.	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 O LORD God, do not turn away the face of thy anointed one! Remember thy steadfast love for David thy servant."	42 Yahweh God, do not rebuff your Anointed -- remember the faithful love of your servant David!'