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2 Chronicles

Covers Solomon's reign and the kingdom of Judah's history, emphasizing faithfulness to God.

Chapter 6

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1 Then said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

*Then Solomon said, God has told us that he will live in deep darkness.

2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

*But I made a home just for you to live in, and a special space where you can always stay.

3 And the king turned his face, and blessed the whole congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood.

*The king looked and blessed everyone from Israel; everyone from Israel then stood up.

4 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hath with his hands fulfilled that which he spake with his mouth to my father David, saying,

*He said, "Praised is the Lord God of Israel! He has used His power to make true what He promised my dad, David, through what He said."

5 Since the day that I brought forth my people out of the land of Egypt I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build an house in, that my name might be there; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel:

*Since I took my people from Egypt, I didn't pick any city among the Israeli tribes for a special house or choose any person to rule over them. I wanted my presence to be with them everywhere.

6 But I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and have chosen David to be over my people Israel.

*But I picked Jerusalem for my name to be there and chose David to lead my people, the Israelites.

7 Now it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

*Now, King David wanted to build a place for God, to honor him in Israel.

8 But the LORD said to David my father, Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to build an house for my name, thou didst well in that it was in thine heart:

*But the Lord told David, my dad, "Since you wanted to build a place for my name, it was a good thing for you to think about that."

9 Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house; but thy son which shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house for my name.

*Even so, you must not be the one to build the house. Instead, your son who is born from you will be the one to build it for my name.

10 The LORD therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

*The Lord has fulfilled his promise because I now sit on David's throne, just like he said, and I have built a place for his name in Israel.

11 And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.

*In it, I placed the ark containing God's agreement with the Israelites.

12 And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:

*He stood in front of God's altar with everyone from Israel watching, and raised his hands.

13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

*Solomon built a copper platform that was five by five meters in size and three meters tall. He placed it in the center of the courtyard. Then, he stood on it and knelt down, praying to God while facing upwards, in front of all the people of Israel.

14 And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

*The Lord God of Israel, there isn't anyone like you in heaven or on earth. You keep your promises and show kindness to those who faithfully follow you with all their hearts.

15 Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.

*You have kept your promise to my father David, just as you spoke it and fulfilled it with your own hand, as we see today.

16 Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

*Now then, Lord God of Israel, please keep your promise to my father David, saying that there will always be someone from his line on the throne of Israel. Just make sure they follow your laws and live according to your example.

17 Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.

*Now then, Lord God of Israel, make your promise true that you told your servant David.

18 But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

*But will the true God actually live among people on Earth? Look, even heaven and the highest heavens can't hold you; so how could this temple I made possibly contain you?

19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:

*So, please listen carefully to what I'm asking for, dear God, and pay attention to my prayers and cries. My request is important to me.

20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.

*May your eyes always watch over this place, day and night, where you promised to place your name. Listen to the prayers I make towards it.

21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.

*So listen to what your servant and the people of Israel pray for here. Hear this from your home in heaven, and when you do, forgive.

22 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

*If a person does something wrong to another person and has to take an oath about it, and that oath is brought to your altar in your home;

23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

*Then, listen from heaven and act. Punish the wicked by paying them back for their actions, and make them suffer the consequences. Reward the righteous by giving them what they deserve based on their good deeds.

24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;

*If your people Israel face defeat by their enemies because they've sinned against you, but then they come back, admit their wrongs, pray and ask for your forgiveness in this place;

25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

*Then, listen from heaven, and forgive your people Israel's mistake, and return them to the land you gave them and their ancestors.

26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;

27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.

*Then, listen from heaven and forgive the mistake of your helpers and the people of Israel after teaching them the right path to follow. Also, send rain to the land you gave to your people as their special place.

28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:

*If the land has a shortage, if there are diseases, if plants are destroyed, or pests like bugs; if enemies attack them in their cities; any severe problem or illness:

29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:

*Then, whatever prayer or request anyone makes, whether it's from all the people of Israel or just one person, when they understand their own pain and sadness, they will raise their hands in this place.

30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)

*Then listen from heaven, where you live, and forgive everyone for their actions, since you alone understand people's hearts.

31 That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

*So that they respect you, following your path while they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.

32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;

*Additionally, about the non-Israelite foreigner who comes from a distant land because of your famous name, powerful actions, and extended arm; if they come to pray in this temple.

33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.

*Then listen from heaven, where you live, and do what the stranger asks. This way, everyone on Earth will know your name, fear you like your people Israel do, and understand that this temple I built is named after you.

34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;

35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

*Then listen in heaven to their prayer and their request, and support their cause.

36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;

*If they do wrong to you (because nobody is perfect), and you get angry with them and hand them over to their enemies, who take them as prisoners either far away or close by.

37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;

*Even if they remember their actions in the land where they are taken as prisoners, and change their ways by praying to you from that foreign land, admitting they've made mistakes and acted badly.

38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

*If they truly come back to you with all their heart and soul while in the land where they were captured, and pray towards the land you gave to their ancestors, the chosen city, and the building I made for your name, then...

39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.

*Then listen from heaven to their prayers and requests, support their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.

40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.

*Now, God, please, let your eyes see and your ears listen carefully to the prayer being said here.

41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.

*So now, rise up, Lord God, to your peaceful place, along with the strong ark. Let your priests, Lord God, be dressed in salvation, and let your faithful people celebrate goodness.

42 O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.

*Dear GOD, don't ignore your chosen one; remember the kindness you showed to David, your faithful servant.

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