1 And when Salomon had made an ende of praying, fire came downe from heauen, and consumed the burnt offring and the sacrifices: and the glory of the Lord filled the house, 2 So that the Priestes could not euter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lordes house. 3 And when all the children of Israel saw the fire, and the glory of the Lord come downe vpon the house, they bowed themselues with their faces to the earth vpon the pauement, and worshipped and praysed the Lord, saying, For he is good, because his mercy lasteth for euer. 4 Then the King and all the people offred sacrifices before the Lord. 5 And King Salomon offered a sacrifice of two and twentie thousand bullockes, and an hundreth and twentie thousand sheepe. so the King and all the people dedicated the house of God. 6 And the Priests waited on their offices, and the Leuites with the instruments of musicke of the Lord, which King Dauid had made to praise the Lord, Because his mercy lasteth for euer: whe Dauid praysed God by them, the Priestes also blewe trumpets ouer against them: and all they of Israel stoode by. 7 Moreouer Salomon halowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lord: for there hee had prepared burnt offerings, and the fatte of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Salomon had made, was not able to receiue the burnt offering, and the meate offring, and the fat. 8 And Salomon made a feast at that time of seuen dayes, and all Israel with him, a very great Congregation, from the entring in of Hamath, vnto the riuer of Egypt. 9 And in the eight day they made a solemne assemblie: for they had made the dedication of the altar seuen daies, and the feast seuen dayes. 10 And the three and twentieth day of the seuenth moneth, he sent the people away into their tentes, ioyous and with glad heart, because of the goodnesse that the Lord had done for Dauid and for Salomon, and for Israel his people. 11 So Salomon finished the house of the Lord, and the Kings house, and all that came into Salomons heart to make in the house of the Lord: and he prospered in his house. 12 And the Lord appeared to Salomon by night and said to him, I haue heard thy prayer, and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice. 13 If I shut the heauen that there be no raine, or if I commaund the grashopper to deuoure the lande, or if I sende pestilence among my people, 14 If my people, among whome my Name is called vpon, doe humble them selues, and praye, and seeke my presence, and turne from their wicked wayes, then will I heare in heauen, and be mercifull to their sinne, and wil heale their land: 15 Then mine eies shalbe open and mine eares attent vnto the prayer made in this place. 16 For I haue nowe chosen and sanctified this house, that my Name may be there for euer: and mine eyes and mine heart shalbe there perpetually. 17 And if thou wilt walke before me, as Dauid thy father walked, to doe according vnto all that I haue commanded thee, and shalt obserue my statutes and my iudgements, 18 Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdome, according as I made the couenant with Dauid thy father, saying, Thou shalt not want a man to be ruler in Israel. 19 But if ye turne away, and forsake my statutes and my commandements which I haue set before you, and shall goe and serue other gods, and worshippe them, 20 Then will I plucke them vp out of my lande, which I haue giuen them, and this house which I haue sanctified for my Name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a prouerbe and a common talke among all people. 21 And this house which is most hie, shall be an astonishment to euery one that passeth by it, so that he shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus to this lande, and to this house? 22 And they shall answere, Because they forsooke the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the lande of Egypt, and haue taken holde on other gods, and haue worshipped them, and serued them, therefore hath he brought all this euill vpon them.
Solomon Dedicates the Temple
(1 Kings 8.62-66)1 As soon as Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and burned up the offerings. The Lord's dazzling glory then filled the temple, 2 and the priests could not go in.
3 When the crowd of people saw the fire and the Lord's glory, they knelt down and worshiped the Lord. They prayed:
“The Lord is good,
and his love never ends.”
4-5 Solomon and the people dedicated the temple to the Lord by sacrificing 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. 6 Everybody stood up during the ceremony. The priests were in their assigned places, blowing their trumpets. And the Levites faced them, playing the musical instruments that David had made for them to use when they praised the Lord for his never-ending love.
7 On that same day, Solomon dedicated the courtyard in front of the temple and got it ready to be used for worship. The bronze altar he had made was too small, so he used the courtyard to offer sacrifices to please the Lord and grain sacrifices, and also to send up in smoke the fat from the other offerings.
8 For 7 days, Solomon and the crowd celebrated the Festival of Shelters, and people came from as far away as the Egyptian Gorge in the south and Lebo-Hamath in the north. 9 Then on the next day, everyone came together for worship. They had celebrated a total of 14 days, 7 days for the dedication of the altar and 7 more days for the festival. 10 Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent everyone home. They left very happy because of all the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon, and for his people Israel.
The Lord Appears to Solomon Again
(1 Kings 9.1-9)11 The Lord's temple and Solomon's palace were now finished. In fact, everything Solomon had planned to do was completed.
12 Some time later, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said:
I heard your prayer, and I have chosen this temple as the place where sacrifices will be offered to me.
13 Suppose I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat the crops or make my people suffer with deadly diseases. 14 If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again. 15 I will hear the prayers made in this temple, 16 because it belongs to me, and this is where I will be worshiped forever. I will never stop watching over it.
17 Your father David obeyed me, and now, Solomon, you must do the same. Obey my laws and teachings, 18 and I will keep my solemn promise to him that someone from your family will always be king of Israel.
19 But if you or any of the people of Israel disobey my laws or start worshiping foreign gods, 20 I will pull you out of this land I gave you. I will desert this temple where I said I would be worshiped, so that people everywhere will think it is only a joke and will make fun of it. 21 This temple is now magnificent. But when these things happen, everyone who walks by it will be shocked and will ask, “Why did the Lord do such a terrible thing to his people and to this temple?” 22 Then they will answer, “It was because the people of Israel rejected the Lord their God, who rescued their ancestors from Egypt, and they started worshiping other gods.”