^aNow when Solomon had finished praying, ^bfire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2 ^aAnd the priests could not enter the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD’S house. 3 All the sons of Israel, seeing the fire come down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave praise to the LORD, saying, “^aCertainly He is good, certainly His faithfulness is everlasting.”

4 ^aThen the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen and 120,000 sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 The priests stood at their posts, and ^athe Levites also, with the musical instruments for the LORD, which King David had made for giving praise to the LORD—“for His faithfulness is everlasting”—whenever David gave praise through their ¹ministry; ^bthe priests on the other side blew trumpets and all Israel was standing.

7 ^aThen Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was before the house of the LORD, for he offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings there, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to contain the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat.

8 So ^aSolomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly that came from the entrance of Hamath to the ^bbrook of Egypt. 9 And on the eighth day they held ^aa solemn assembly, because they held the dedication of the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days. 10 Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the LORD had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

11 ^aSo Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king’s palace, and successfully completed everything that ¹he had planned on doing in the house of the LORD and in his palace.

12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, “I have heard your prayer and ^ahave chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 ^aIf I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, 14 ^aand My people ¹who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 15 ^aNow My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the ¹prayer offered in this place. 16 For ^anow I have chosen and consecrated this house so that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there ¹always. 17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, to do according to everything that I have commanded you, and keep My statutes and My ordinances, 18 then I will establish your royal throne as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘^1aYou shall not lack a man to be ruler in Israel.’

19 “^aBut if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 ^athen I will uproot ¹you from My land which I have given ²you, and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight; and I will make it ^ba proverb and an object of scorn among all peoples. 21 As for this house, which was exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say, ‘^aWhy has the LORD done these things to this land and to this house?’ 22 And they will say, ‘Because ^athey abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them from the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity on them.’”

^aWhen Solomon had finished praying, ^bfire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the ¹Shekinah glory and brilliance of the LORD filled the house. Lev 9:24 2 ^aThe priests could not enter the house of the LORD because the glory and brilliance of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. 3 When all the people of Israel saw how the fire came down and saw the glory and brilliance of the LORD upon the house, they bowed down on the stone pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, “For ^aHe is good, for His mercy and lovingkindness endure forever.”

4 ^aThen the king and all the people offered a sacrifice before the LORD. 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep. In this way the king and all the people dedicated God’s house. 6 The priests stood at their posts ready for service, and ^athe Levites also, with the musical instruments of the LORD which King David had made to praise the LORD, saying, “For His lovingkindness and mercy endure forever,” whenever David offered praise through their ministry. ^bThe priests were opposite the Levites blowing the trumpets and all Israel was standing.

7 ^aMoreover, Solomon consecrated the middle of the courtyard that was in front of the house of the LORD, for it was there that he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings because the bronze altar which he had made was not sufficient to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat all together.

8 At that time ^aSolomon observed the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very large assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the ^bBrook of Egypt. 9 On the eighth day they held ^aa celebration, for they had observed the dedication of the altar for seven days, and the feast for seven days. 10 And on the twenty-third day of the seventh month Solomon sent the people to their tents, rejoicing and happy in heart because of the goodness that the LORD had shown to David, to Solomon, and to His people Israel.

11 ^aAnd so Solomon finished the house (temple) of the LORD and the palace of the king. He successfully accomplished all that he had planned to do in the house of the LORD and in his palace.

12 Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and ^ahave chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. 13 ^aIf I shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence and plague among My people, 14 ^aand My people, who are called by My Name, humble themselves, and pray and seek (crave, require as a necessity) My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 ^aNow My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place. 16 For now ^aI have chosen and sanctified and set apart for My purpose this house that My Name may be here forever, and My eyes and My heart will be here perpetually. 17 As for you Solomon, if you will ¹walk before me as your father David walked, and do everything that I have commanded you, and observe My statutes and My ordinances, 1+@Kin 11:1-11 18 then I will establish your royal throne just as I covenanted with your father David, saying, ‘You ^awill not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’

19 “^aBut if you people turn away and abandon My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and you go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 ^athen I will uproot Israel from My land which I have given them; and I will cast this house, which I have consecrated for My Name, out of My sight, and will make it ^ba proverb and an object of scorn among all nations. Jer 24:9, 10 21 And as for this house, which was so exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and appalled and say, ‘^aWhy has the LORD done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22 Then people will say, ‘It is because ^athey abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they adopted other gods, and worshiped them and served them; therefore He has brought all this adversity and evil on them.’”