Old Testament · 2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 7

Fire from Heaven

(Psalm 136:1–26)

1And as Solomon finished praying, the fire came down from the heavens and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.

3And all the sons of Israel were seeing as the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house; and they bowed their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and prostrated themselves, and gave thanks to the LORD, "For He is good, for His mercy is forever."

Sacrifices of Dedication

(1 Kings 8:62–66)

4And the king and all the people were sacrificing a sacrifice before the LORD. 5And king Solomon sacrificed the sacrifice of the oxen, twenty and two thousand, and of sheep, a hundred and twenty thousand; and the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

6And the priests were standing over their charges^a, and the Levites with instruments of song of the LORD, which David the king had made, to give thanks to the LORD, for His mercy is forever, when David praised by their hand; and the priests were sounding trumpets opposite them, and all Israel was standing.

7And Solomon sanctified the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD, for there he made the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings; because the altar of bronze which Solomon had made was not able to hold the burnt offering and the meal offering and the fat.

8And Solomon made the feast^b at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt. 9And on the eighth day they made a solemn assembly, for the dedication of the altar they made seven days, and the feast seven days.

10And on the twenty and third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and good of heart for the good that the LORD had done for David and for Solomon and for Israel His people.

The LORD’s Response to Solomon

(1 Kings 9:1–9)

11And Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the house of the king; and all that came upon the heart of Solomon to do in the house of the LORD and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12And the LORD appeared to Solomon in the night, and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself for a house of sacrifice. 13Behold, if I shut up the heavens and there is no rain, and if I command^c the locust to devour the land, and if I send pestilence among My people; 14and My people, upon whom My name is called, humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn back from their evil ways; then I will hear from the heavens, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

15Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayer of this place. 16And now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there all the days.

17And you, if you walk before Me as David your father walked, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and keep My statutes^d and My judgments^e; 18then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I cut a covenant with David your father, saying, There shall not be cut off to you a man^f ruling in Israel.

19But if you turn back, you, and forsake My statutes^g and My commandments^h which I have set before you, and go and serveⁱ other gods, and bow down to them; 20then I will pluck them up from upon My ground^j which I have given to them; and this house, which I have sanctified for My name, I will cast away from upon My face, and I will make it for a proverb and for a byword among all the peoples.

21And this house, which was high, everyone passing by it will be astonished, and will say, Why has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house? 22And they will say, Because they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and bowed down to them, and served them; therefore He brought upon them all this evil.