Solomon Dedicates the Temple
1When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the
2The priests were unable to enter the
3When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the
4The king and all the people were presenting sacrifices to the
5King Solomon sacrificed 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. Then the king and all the people dedicated God’s temple.
6The priests stood in their assigned spots, along with the Levites who had the musical instruments used for praising the
7Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that is in front of the
8At that time Solomon and all Israel with him celebrated a festival for seven days. This great assembly included people from Lebo Hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt in the south.
9On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had dedicated the altar for seven days and celebrated the festival for seven more days.
10On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent the people home. They left happy and contented because of the good the
The Lord Gives Solomon a Promise and a Warning
11After Solomon finished building the
12the
13When I close up the sky so that it doesn’t rain, or command locusts to devour the land’s vegetation, or send a plague among my people,
14if my people, who belong to me, humble themselves, pray, seek to please me, and repudiate their sinful practices, then I will respond from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
15Now I will be attentive and responsive to the prayers offered in this place.
16Now I have chosen and consecrated this temple by making it my permanent home; I will be constantly present there.
17You must serve me as your father David did. Do everything I commanded and obey my rules and regulations.
18Then I will establish your dynasty, just as I promised your father David, ‘You will not fail to have a successor ruling over Israel.’
19“But if you people ever turn away from me, fail to obey the regulations and rules I instructed you to keep, and decide to serve and worship other gods,
20then I will remove you from my land I have given you, I will abandon this temple I have consecrated with my presence, and I will make you an object of mockery and ridicule among all the nations.
21As for this temple, which was once majestic, everyone who passes by it will be shocked and say, ‘Why did the
22Others will then answer, ‘Because they abandoned the
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