2 Chronicles 6

1Then said Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in thick darkness. 2But I have built a house to your name, holy to you, and preparedfor you to dwell in for ever. 3And the king turned his face, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: and all thecongregation of Israel stood by. 4And he said, Blessedbe the Lord God of Israel: he has even fulfilled with his hands as he spoke with his mouthto my father David, saying, 5From the day when I brought up my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city ofall the tribes of Israel, to build a house that my name should be there; neither did I choose a man tobe a leader over my people Israel. 6But I chose Jerusalem that my name should be there; and I chose David to be over my peopleIsrael. 7And it came into the heart of David my father, to build a house for the name of the LordGod of Israel. 8But the Lord said to my father David, Whereas it came into your heart to build a housefor my name, you did well that it came into your heart. 9Nevertheless you shall not build the house; for your son who shall come forth out of yourloins, he shall build the house for my name. 10And the Lord has confirmed this word, which he spoke; and I am raised up in the roomof my father David, and I sit upon the throne of Israel as the Lord said, and I have built the house forthe name of the Lord God of Israel: 11and I have set there the ark in whichis the covenant of the Lord, which he made with Israel. 12And he stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation ofIsrael, and spread out his hands. 13For Solomonhad made a brazen scaffold, and set it in the midst of the court of the sanctuary; the lengthof itwas five cubits, and the breadth of it five cubits, and the height of it three cubits: andhe stood upon it, and fell upon his knees before the whole congregation of Israel, and spread abroad hishands to heaven, 14and said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven, or on the earth; keepingcovenant and mercy with your servants that walk before you withtheir whole heart. 15Even as you have keptthem with your servant David my father, as you have spoken to him in words:—you have both spokenwith your mouth, and have fulfilledit with your hands, as it is this day. 16and now, Lord God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father the things whichyou spoke to him, saying, There shall not fail you a man before me sitting on the throne of Israel, ifonly your sons will take heed to their way to walk in my law, as you did walk before me. 17And now, Lord God of Israel, let, I pray you, your word be confirmed, which you havespoken to your servant David. 18For will God indeed dwell with men upon the earth? if the heaven and the heaven of heavenswill not suffice you, what then is this house which I have built? 19Yet you shall have respect to the prayer of your servant, and to my petition, O LordGod, so as to hearken to the petition and the prayer which your servant prays before you this day: 20so that your eyes should be open over this house by day and by night, towards this place,whereon you said your name should be called, so as to hear the prayer which your servant prays towardsthis house. 21And you shall hear the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, whateverprayers they shall make towards this place: and you shall hearken in your dwelling-place out of heaven,yes you shall hear, and be merciful. 22If a man sin against his neighbor, and he bring an oath upon him so as to make him swear,and he come and swear before the altar in this house; 23then shall you hearken out of heaven, and do, and judge your servants, to recompensethe transgressor, and to return his ways upon his head: and to justify the righteous, to recompense himaccording to his righteousness. 24And if your people Israel should be put to the worse before the enemy, if they shouldsin against you, andthen turn and confess to your name, and pray and make supplication before you in this house; 25then shall you hearken out of heaven and shall be merciful to the sins of your peopleIsrael, and you shall restore them to the land which you gave to them and to their fathers. 26When heaven is restrained, and there is no rain, because they shall have sinned againstyou, andwhen they shall pray towards this place, and praise your name, and shall turn from their sins,because you shall afflict them; 27then shall you hearken from heaven, and you shall be merciful to the sins of your servants,and of your people Israel; for you shall show them the good way in which they shall walk; and you shallsend rain upon your land, which you gave to your people for an inheritance. 28If there should be famine upon the land, if there should be death, a pestilent wind anblight; if there should be locust and caterpiller, and if the enemy should harass them before their cities:in whatever plague and whatever distressthey may be; 29Then whatever prayer and whatever supplication shall be made by any man and all yourpeople Israel, if a man should know his own plague and his own sickness, and should spread forth his handstoward this house; 30then shall you hear from heaven, out of your prepared dwelling-place, and shall be merciful,and shall recompense to the man according to his ways, as you shall know his heartto be; for you alone know the heart of the children of men: 31that they may reverence all your ways all the days which they live upon the face of theland, which you gave to our fathers. 32And every stranger who is not himself of your people Israel, and who shall have comefrom a distant land because of your great name, and your mighty hand, and your high arm; when they shallcome and worship toward this place; — 33then shall you hearken out of heaven, out of your prepared dwelling-place, and shalldo according to all that the stranger shall call upon you for; that all the nations of the earth may knowyour name, and that they may fear you, as your people Israeldo, and that they may know that your name is called upon this house which I have built. 34And if your people shall go forth to war against their enemies by the way by which youshall send them, and shall pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, andtoward the house which I have built to your name; 35then shall you hear out of heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain theircause. 36Whereas if they shall sin against you, (for there is no man who will not sin,) and youshall strike them, and deliver them up before their enemies, and they that take them captive shall carrythem away into a land of enemies, to a land far off or near; 37andif they shall repent in their land whither they were carried captive, and shall also turn andmake supplication to you in their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have transgressed, we have wroughtunrighteously; 38andif they shall turn to you with all their heart and all their soul in the land of them thatcarried them captives, whither they carried them captives, and shall pray toward their land which yougave to their fathers, and the city which you did choose, and the house which I built to your name:— 39then shall you hear out of heaven, out of your prepared dwelling-place, their prayerand their supplication, and you shall execute justice, and shall be merciful to your people that sin againstyou. 40And now, Lord, let, I pray you, your eyes be opened, and your ears be attentive to thepetitionmade in this place. 41And now, O Lord God, arise into your resting-place, you, and the ark of your strength:let your priests, O Lord God, clothe themselves with salvation, and your sons rejoice in prosperity. 42O Lord God, turn not away the face of your anointed: remember the mercies of your servantDavid.