Old Testament · History

2 Chronicles chapter 7

When Solomon finished praying, came down from the sky and consumed the and the sacrifices, and the of Yahweh filled the house.The priests couldn’t even enter the because the heavy, radiant presence of Yahweh filled Yahweh’s house.When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the heavy, radiant presence over the house, they on the pavement and worshiped. They gave thanks to Yahweh: “He is good — his lasts forever.”Then the king and all the people offered before Yahweh.King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand cattle and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. And so the king and all the people the house of God.The priests stood at their posts. The played Yahweh’s musical instruments — the ones King David had made for giving thanks to Yahweh, because “his committed love lasts forever” — whenever David would offer praise through them. The priests blew opposite them, and all Israel was standing.Solomon also gave the middle of the courtyard in front of Yahweh’s house over to God, because he offered the burnt offerings and the fat portions of the there. The bronze altar he had made could not hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and fat portions.Solomon held the at that time for seven days — and all Israel with him, an enormous assembly — people from as far as to the Wadi of Egypt.On the eighth day they held a , because they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days.On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people home. They were about all the good things Yahweh had done for David, for Solomon, and for his people Israel.Solomon finished building Yahweh’s house and the royal palace. Everything Solomon had planned to do in Yahweh’s house and his own palace — he .Then Yahweh to Solomon at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a .If I so there’s no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send a among my people —and my people, who are , , and pray, and , and — then I myself will hear from heaven, and I will , and I will .Now to the prayer offered in this place.I have now chosen this house and , so that will be there forever. My eyes and will be there for all time.As for you — if you the way your father David walked, doing everything I’ve commanded you, and if you keep my and my —then I will establish your royal throne, just as I made a with your father David when I said, ‘You will never lack a man ruling over Israel.’But if you and abandon my guidelines and my commands that I’ve set before you, and go serve and bow down to them —then I will them from my land that I gave them. And this house that I for my name, I will throw out of my sight and make it a and a among all peoples.And this house, once so — everyone who passes by it will be and say, ‘Why did Yahweh do this to this land and to this house?’And they will answer, ‘Because they Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, who . They other gods and bowed down to them and served them. That’s why he brought all this on them.’