2 Chronicles 7

1When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven. The fire burned up the burnt offering and the sacrifices. The glory of the LORD filled the temple.

2The priests could not go into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled it.

3All the people of Israel saw the fire come down. They saw the glory of the LORD on the temple. They bowed down with their faces to the stone floor. They worshiped the LORD and said: He is good. His mercy lasts forever.

4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices to the LORD.

5King Solomon offered 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep as a sacrifice. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

6The priests stood at their places. The Levites stood with the instruments King David had made for praising the LORD. David used them when he praised the LORD. The song was: His mercy lasts forever. The priests blew trumpets across from the Levites. All Israel stood.

7Solomon made the middle of the courtyard in front of the temple holy. There he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings. The bronze altar Solomon had made was too small. It could not hold all the burnt offerings, grain offerings and fat.

8At that time Solomon held the festival for 7 days. All Israel was with him. It was a very large crowd. People came from Lebo Hamath in the north. They came from the stream of Egypt in the south.

9On the 8th day they held a holy gathering. They had celebrated the dedication of the altar for 7 days. They had celebrated the festival for 7 days.

10On the 23rd day of the 7th month, Solomon sent the people home. They were happy and glad in their hearts. The LORD had been good to David, to Solomon and to His people Israel.

11Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's palace. Solomon succeeded in everything he planned to build. He built in the house of the LORD and in his own palace.

12Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night. The LORD said: I have heard your prayer. I have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.

13Suppose I shut up the sky so there is no rain. Suppose I command locusts to eat up the land. Suppose I send a deadly sickness among My people.

14My people are called by My name. Suppose they become humble and pray. Suppose they seek My face and turn from their evil ways. Then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin and heal their land.

15Now My eyes will be open. My ears will listen to the prayers made in this place.

16I have chosen this house and made it holy. My name will be there forever. My eyes and My heart will be there always.

17Solomon, suppose you walk before Me as your father David did. Suppose you do everything I have commanded you and obey My laws and My rules.

18Then I will make your royal throne strong. This is the agreement I made with your father David. I told him: You will always have a man to rule Israel.

19But suppose you turn away and leave My laws and commands that I gave you. Suppose you go and serve other gods and worship them.

20Then I will pull you up by the roots from My land. I gave you this land. I made this house holy for My name. But I will throw it out of My sight. I will make it something that people laugh at in all the nations.

21This house is great now. But everyone who passes by will be shocked. They will say: Why did the LORD do this to this land and this house?

22People will answer: Because they left the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of Egypt. They held on to other gods, worshiped them and served them. That is why the LORD brought all this trouble on them.