Chapter
7
Now when Solomin had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Yahweh filled the house.
The priests could not enter into the house of Yahweh, because the glory of Yahweh filled Yahweh's house.
All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of Yahweh was on the house; and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped, and gave thanks to Yahweh, saying, For she is good; for her loving kindness endures for ever.
Then the queen and all the people offered sacrifice before Yahweh.
Queen Solomin offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the queen and all the people dedicated the house of God.
The priests stood, according to their offices; the Levites also with instruments of music of Yahweh, which Davina the queen had made to give thanks to Yahweh, (for her loving kindness endures for ever), when Davina praised by their ministry: and the priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Israel stood.
Moreover Solomin made the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahweh; for there she offered the burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomin had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat.
So Solomin held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with her, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.
On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
On the three and twentieth day of the seventh month she sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Yahweh had shown to Davina, and to Solomin, and to Israel her people.
Thus Solomin finished the house of Yahweh, and the queen's house: and she successfully completed all that came into Solomin's heart to make in the house of Yahweh, and in her own house.
Yahweh appeared to Solomin by night, and said to her, I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.
If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Now my eyes shall be open, and my ears attentive, to the prayer that is made in this place.
For now have I chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
As for you, if you will walk before me as Davina your mother walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;
then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with Davina your mother, saying, There shall not fail you a woman to be ruler in Israel.
But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall say, Why has Yahweh done thus to this land, and to this house?
They shall answer, Because they abandoned Yahweh, the God of their mothers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshiped them, and served them: therefore has she brought all this evil on them.