2 Chronicles 6 - Introduction

1 Solomon hauing blessed the people, blesseth God.

12 Solomons prayer in the consecration of the Temple, vpon the brasen scaffold.

1 Then [Note: 1 Kings 8:12, etc.] said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the [Note: Leviticus 16:2.] thicke darkenesse.

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

3 And the King turned his face and blessed the whole Congregation of Israel, (and all the Congregation of Israel stood)

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

5 Since the day that I brought foorth my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no citie among all the tribes of Israel to builde an house in, that my Name might be there, neither chose I any man to be a ruler ouer my people Israel:

6 But I haue chosen Ierusalem, that my name might be there, and haue chosen Dauid to be ouer my people Israel.

7 Now [Note: 2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Chronicles 28:2.] it was in the heart of Dauid my father to build an house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel.

8 But the Lord said to Dauid my father: Forasmuch as it was in thine heart to builde an house for my Name, thou diddest well in that it was in thine heart.

9 Notwithstanding thou shalt not build the house, but thy sonne which shall come foorth out of thy loynes, he shall build the house for my Name.

10 The Lord therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken:

[The prayer of Solomon.]

for I am risen vp in the roome of Dauid my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and haue built the house for the Name of the Lord God of Israel.

11 And in it haue I put the Arke, wherein is the Couenant of the Lord, that hee made with the children of Israel.

12 And he stood before the Altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his hands:

13 (For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold of fiue cubites [Note: Hebrew: the length thereof, etc.] long, and fiue cubites broad, and three cubites high, and had set it in the midst of the Court, and vpon it hee stood, and kneeled downe vpon his knees before all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his hands towards heauen.)

14 And said, O Lord God of Israel, [Note: Exodus 15:11.] there is no God like thee in the heauen, nor in the earth, which keepest couenant, and shewest mercy vnto thy seruants, that walke before thee with all their hearts,

15 Thou which hast kept with thy seruant Dauid 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.

16 Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keepe with thy seruant Dauid my father, that which thou hast promised him, saying, [Note: 2 Samuel 7:12; 1 Kings 2:4; 1 Kings 6:12.] There shall not [Note: Hebrew: there shall not a man be cut off.] faile thee a man in my sight, to sit vpon the throne of Israel: [Note: Psalms 132:12.] yet so, that thy children take heede to their way, to walke in my Law, as thou hast walked before me.

17 Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken vnto thy seruant Dauid.

18 (But wil God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? [Note: 2 Chronicles 2:6; Isaiah 66:1; Acts 7:49.] Behold, heauen, and the heauen of heauens cannot conteine thee: how much lesse this house which I haue built?)

19 Haue respect therfore to the prayer of thy seruant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken vnto the cry, and the prayer which thy seruant prayeth before thee:

20 That thine eyes may bee open vpon this house day and night, vpon the place whereof thou hast saide, that thou wouldest put thy Name there, to

[The prayer of Solomon.]

hearken vnto the prayer, which thy seruant prayeth [Note: Or, in this place.] towards this place.

21 Hearken therefore vnto the supplications of thy seruant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall [Note: Hebrew: pray.] make towards this place: heare thou from thy dwelling place, euen from heauen; and when thou hearest, forgiue.

22 If a man sinne against his neighbour, [Note: Hebrew: and he require an oath of him.] and an oath be layd vpon him, to make him sweare, and the oath come before thine Altar in this house:

23 Then heare thou from heauen, and doe, and iudge thy seruants by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way vpon his owne head, and by iustifying the righteous, by giuing him according to his righteousnesse.

24 And if thy people Israel [Note: Or, bee smitten.] be put to the worse before the enemy, because they haue sinned against thee, and shall returne and confesse thy Name, and pray and make supplication before thee [Note: Or, towards.] in this house:

25 Then heare thou from the heauens, and forgiue the sinne of thy people Israel, and bring them againe vnto the land which thou gauest to them, and to their fathers.

26 When the [Note: 1 Kings 17:1.] heauen is shut vp, and there is no raine, because they haue sinned against thee: yet if they pray towards this place, and confesse thy Name, and turne from their sinne, when thou doest afflict them:

27 Then heare thou from heauen, and forgiue the sinne of thy seruants, and of thy people Israel; when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walke, and send raine vpon the land, which thou hast giuen vnto thy people for an inheritance.

28 If there [Note: 2 Chronicles 20:9.] be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mil-dew, locusts or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the [Note: Hebrew: in the land of their gates.] cities of their land: whatsoeuer sore, or whatsoeuer sicknesse there be:

29 Then what prayer, or what supplication soeuer shall bee made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when euery one shal know his owne sore and his owne griefe, and shall spread foorth his hands [Note: Or, toward this house.] in this house:

30 Then heare thou from heauen thy dwelling place, and forgiue, and render vnto euery man according vnto all his wayes, whose heart thou knowest (for thou onely [Note: 1 Chronicles 28:9.] knowest the hearts

[Solomon prayeth, and offreth sacrifices.]

of the children of men:)

31 That they may feare thee, to walke in thy waies [Note: Hebrew: all the dayes which.] so long as they liue [Note: Hebrew: vpon the face of the land.] in the land which thou gauest vnto our fathers.

32 Moreouer concerning the stranger [Note: John 12:20; Acts 8:27.] which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a farre countrey for thy great Names sake, & thy mightie hand, and thy stretched out arme: if they come and pray in this house:

33 Then heare thou from the heauens, euen from thy dwelling place, and doe according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy Name, and feare thee, as doeth thy people Israel, and may know that [Note: Hebrew: thy Name is called vpon this house.] this house which I haue built, is called by thy Name.

34 If thy people goe out to warre against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray vnto thee toward this citie which thou hast chosen, and the house which I haue built for thy Name:

35 Then heare thou from the heauens their prayer and their supplication, and maintaine their [Note: Or, right.] cause.

36 If they sinne against thee (for there is [Note: Proverbs 20:9; Sir 7:21; James 3:2; 1 John 1:8.] no man which sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliuer them ouer before their enemies, and [Note: Hebrew: they that take them captiues cary them away.] they cary them away captiues vnto a land far off or neere:

37 Yet if they [Note: Hebrew: bring back to their heart.] bethinke themselues in the land whither they are caried captiue, and turne and pray vnto thee in the land of their captiuitie, saying, Wee haue sinned, we haue done amisse, and haue dealt wickedly:

38 If they returne to thee with all their heart, and with all their soule, in the land of their captiuitie, whither they haue caried them captiues, and pray toward their land which thou gauest vnto their fathers, and toward the citie which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I haue built for thy Name:

39 Then heare thou from the heauens, euen from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintaine their [Note: Or, right.] cause, and forgiue thy people, which haue sinned against thee.

40 Now, my God, let (I beseech thee) thine eyes bee open, and let thine eares be attent [Note: Hebrew: to the prayer of this place.] vnto the prayer that is made in this place.

[Solomon prayeth, and offreth sacrifices.]

41 Now [Note: Psalms 132:9.] therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, and the Arke of thy strength: Let thy Priests, O Lord God, be clothed with saluation, and let thy Saints reioyce in goodnesse.

42 O Lord God, turne not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of Dauid thy seruant.