2 Chronicles 6 - The Scriptures 1998

¹ Then Shelomoh said, “יהוה  has said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

² “But I have built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever.”

³ And the sovereign turned around and blessed all the assembly of Yisra’ĕ

⁴ And he said, “Blessed be יהוה  Elohim of Yisra’ĕ

⁵ ‘From the day that I brought My people out of the land of Mitsrayim, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Yisra’ĕ

⁶ ‘But I have chosen Yerushalayim, for My Name to be there. And I have chosen Dawiḏ

⁷ “And it was in the heart of my father Dawiḏ

⁸ “But יהוה  said to my father Dawiḏ

⁹ ‘But you do not build the house, for your son who comes forth from your loins, he does build the House for My Name.’

¹⁰ “Now יהוה  has established His word which He spoke, and I have been raised up instead of my father Dawiḏ

¹¹ “And there I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of יהוה  which He made with the children of Yisra’ĕ

¹² And he stood before the altar of יהוה  in front of all the assembly of Yisra’ĕ

¹³ for Shelomoh had made a bronze platform five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had put it in the midst of the court. And he stood on it, and knelt down on his knees before all the assembly of Yisra’ĕ

¹⁴ and said, “יהוה  Elohim of Yisra’ĕ

¹⁵ who has guarded what You promised Your servant Dawiḏ

¹⁶ “And now, יהוה  Elohim of Yisra’ĕ

¹⁷ “And now, O יהוה  Elohim of Yisra’ĕ

¹⁸ “For is it true: Elohim dwells with men on the earth! See, the heavens and the heavens of the heavens are unable to contain You, how much less this House which I have built!

¹⁹ “Yet, shall You turn to the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O יהוה  my Elohim, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant is praying before You?

²⁰ “For Your eyes to be open toward this House day and night, toward the place You have said to put Your Name there, to listen to the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place.

²¹ “And shall You give heed to the supplications of Your servant and of Your people Yisra’ĕ

²² “If anyone sins against his neighbour, and he has lifted up an oath on him, to cause him to swear, and comes and swears before Your altar in this House,

²³ then hear in the heavens, and act, and rightly rule Your servants, repaying the wrong by bringing his way on his own head, and declare right the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

²⁴ “And if Your people Yisra’ĕ

²⁵ then hear in the heavens and forgive the sin of Your people Yisra’ĕ

²⁶ “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they shall pray toward this place and confess Your Name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

²⁷ then hear in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Yisra’ĕ

²⁸ “When there is scarcity of food in the land; when there is pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies distress them in the land of their cities; any plague or any sickness;

²⁹ whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Yisra’ĕ

³⁰ then hear from the heavens Your dwelling place, and forgive, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know – for You alone know the hearts of the sons of men –

³¹ so that they fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

³² “Also, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Yisra’ĕ

³³ then hear from the heavens Your dwelling place, and do according to all which the foreigner calls to You for, so that all the people of the earth know Your Name and fear You, as do Your people Yisra’ĕ

³⁴ “When Your people go out to battle against their enemies, in the way that You send them, and they shall pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and toward the House which I have built for Your Name,

³⁵ then shall You hear from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause?

³⁶ “When they sin against You – for there is no one who does not sin – and You become enraged with them and give them to the enemy, and they take them captive to a land far or near,

³⁷ and they shall turn back unto their heart, in the land where they have been taken captive, and shall turn, and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, ‘We have sinned, we have acted crookedly, and have done wrong,’

³⁸ and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their being in the land of their captivity, where they have taken them captive, and they shall pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, and the city which You have chosen, and toward the House which I have built for Your Name,

³⁹ then shall You hear from the heavens, Your dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You?

⁴⁰ “Now, my Elohim, I pray, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears be attentive to the prayer of this place.

⁴¹ “And now, arise, O יהוה  Elohim, to Your resting place, You and the ark of Your strength. Let Your priests, O יהוה  Elohim, be robed with deliverance, and let Your kind ones rejoice in goodness.

⁴² “O יהוה  Elohim, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember the kind acts of Your servant Dawiḏ