1When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.2The priests could not enter the temple of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it.3When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshipped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; his love endures for ever.’4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.5And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God.6The priests took up their positions, as did the Levites with the Lord’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, ‘His love endures for ever.’ Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.7Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.8So Solomon observed the festival at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him – a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt.9On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival for seven days more.10On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.
The Lord appears to Solomon
11When Solomon had finished the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace,12the Lord appeared to him at night and said: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.13‘When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.15Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.16I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there for ever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.17‘As for you, if you walk before me faithfully as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees and laws,18I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father when I said, “You shall never fail to have a successor to rule over Israel.”19‘But if you[1] turn away and forsake the decrees and commands I have given you[2] and go off to serve other gods and worship them,20then I will uproot Israel from my land, which I have given them, and will reject this temple which I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.21This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[3] who pass by will be appalled and say, “Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?”22People will answer, “Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshipping and serving them – that is why he brought all this disaster on them.” ’
2 Chronicles 7
English Standard Version
Fire from Heaven
1As soon as Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. (Le 9:24; 1Ki 8:54; 1Ki 18:38; 1Ch 21:26; 2Ch 5:13)2And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house.3When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.” (2Ch 5:13)
The Dedication of the Temple
4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. (1Ki 8:62; 1Ki 8:63)5King Solomon offered as a sacrifice 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.6The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his steadfast love endures forever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry;[1] opposite them the priests sounded trumpets, and all Israel stood. (1Ch 15:16; 2Ch 5:12; 2Ch 7:3)7And Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord, for there he offered the burnt offering and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt offering and the grain offering and the fat. (1Ki 8:64)8At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt. (Nu 34:5; Nu 34:8)9And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.10On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity[2] that the Lord had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people.
If My People Pray
11Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. (1Ki 9:1)12Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. (De 12:5)13When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, (2Ch 6:26; 2Ch 6:28)14if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. (2Ch 12:7)15Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. (2Ch 6:40)16For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. (2Ch 7:12)17And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules,18then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’ (1Ki 8:25; 2Ch 6:16)19“But if you[3] turn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, (Le 26:14; De 28:15)20then I will pluck you[4] up from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. (De 28:37; De 29:28)21And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ (De 29:24; Jer 22:8)22Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’”