1Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. 2The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD filled the LORD's house. 3All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD was on the house; and they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped, and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, "For he is good; for his loving kindness endures for ever."

4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the LORD. 5King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God's house. 6The priests stood, according to their positions; the Levites also with instruments of music of the LORD, which David the king had made to give thanks to the LORD, when David praised by their ministry, saying "For his loving kindness endures for ever." The priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Israel stood.

7Moreover Solomon made the middle of the court holy that was before the house of the LORD; for there he offered the burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat.

8So Solomon held the feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. 9On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days. 10On the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.

11Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and he successfully completed all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house.

12The LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. 13If 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 a plague among my people; 14then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15Now my eyes shall be open, and my ears attentive, to the prayer that is made in this place. 16For 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. 17As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances; 18then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with David your father, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.'

19But 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; 20then I will 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, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21This house, which is so exalted, will become a heap of ruins. Everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall say, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this land, and to this house?' 22They shall answer, 'Because they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, worshiped them, and served them. Therefore he has brought all these disasters on them.'"