The Bible, Douay-Rheims Part 254

5:5. And brought it in, together with all the furniture of the tabernacle. And the priests with the Levites carried the vessels of the sanctuary, which were in the tabernacle.

5:6. And king Solomon and all the a.s.sembly of Israel and all that were gathered together before the ark, sacrificed rams, and oxen without number: so great was the mult.i.tude of the victims.

5:7. And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord into its place, that is, to the oracle of the temple, into the holy of holies under the wings of the cherubims:

5:8. So that the cherubims spread their wings over the place, in which the ark was set, and covered the ark itself and its staves.

5:9. Now the ends of the staves wherewith the ark was carried, because they were some thing longer, were seen before the oracle: but if a man were a little outward, he could not see them. So the ark has been there unto this day.

5:10. And there was nothing else in the ark but the two tables which Moses put there at h.o.r.eb when the Lord gave the law to the children of Israel, at their coming out of Egypt.

5:11. Now when the priests were come out of the sanctuary, for all the priests that could be found there, were sanctified: and as yet at that time the courses and orders of the ministries were not divided among them,

5:12. Both the Levites and the singing men, that is, both they that were under Asaph, and they that were under Heman, and they that were under Idithun, with their sons, and their brethren, clothed with fine linen, sounded with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps, standing on the east side of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests, sounding with trumpets.

5:13. So when they all sounded together, both with trumpets, and voice, and cymbals, and organs, and with divers kind of musical instruments, and lifted up their voice on high: the sound was heard afar off, so that when they began to praise the Lord, and to say: Give glory to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: the house of G.o.d was filled with a cloud.

5:14. Nor could the priests stand and minister by reason of the cloud.

For the glory of the Lord had filled the house of G.o.d.

2 Paralipomenon Chapter 6

Solomon's blessings and prayer.

6:1. Then Solomon said: The Lord promised that he would dwell in a cloud.

6:2. But I have built a house to his name, that he might dwell there for ever.

6:3. And the king turned his face, and blessed all the mult.i.tude of Israel for all the mult.i.tude stood attentive and he said:

6:4. Blessed be the Lord the G.o.d of Israel, who hath accomplished in deed that which he spoke to David my father, saying:

6:5. From the day that I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel, for a house to be built in it to my name: neither chose I any other man, to be the ruler of my people Israel.

6:6. But I chose Jerusalem, that my name might be there: and I chose David to set him over my people Israel.

6:7. And whereas David my father had a mind to build a house to the name of the Lord the G.o.d of Israel,

6:8. The Lord said to him: Forasmuch as it was thy will to build a house to my name, thou hast done well indeed in having such a will:

6:9. But thou shalt not build the house, but thy son, who shall come out of thy loins, he shall build a house to my name.

6:10. The Lord therefore hath accomplished his word which he spoke: and I am risen up in the place of David my father, and sit upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised: and have built a house to the name of the Lord G.o.d of Israel.

6:11. And I have put in it the ark, wherein is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with the children of Israel.

6:12. And he stood before the altar of the Lord, in presence of all the mult.i.tude of Israel, and stretched forth his hands.

6:13. For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, and had set it in the midst of the temple, which was five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high: and he stood upon it: then kneeling down in the presence of all the mult.i.tude of Israel, and lifting up his hands towards heaven,

6:14. He said: O Lord G.o.d of Israel, there is no G.o.d like thee in heaven nor in earth: who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:

6:15. Who hast performed to thy servant David my father all that thou hast promised him: and hast accomplished in fact, what thou hast spoken with thy mouth, as also the present time proveth.

6:16. Now then, O Lord G.o.d of Israel, fulfil to thy servant David my father, whatsoever 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 ways, and walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.

6:17. And now, Lord G.o.d of Israel, let thy word be established which thou hast spoken to thy servant David.

6:18. Is it credible then that G.o.d should dwell with men on the earth?

If heaven and the heavens of heavens do not contain thee, how much less this house, which I have built?

6:19. But to this end only it is made, that thou mayest regard the prayer of thy servant and his supplication, O Lord my G.o.d: and mayest hear the prayers which thy servant poureth out before thee.

6:20. That thou mayest open thy eyes upon this house day and night, upon the place wherein thou hast promised that thy name should be called upon,

6:21. And that thou wouldst hear the prayer which thy servant prayeth in it: hearken then to the prayers of thy servant, and of thy people Israel. Whosoever shall pray in its place, hear thou from thy dwelling place, that is, from heaven, and shew mercy.

6:22. If any man sin against his neighbour, and come to swear against him, and bind himself with a curse before the altar in this house:

6:23. Then hear thou from heaven, and do justice to thy servants, so to requite the wicked by making his wickedness fall upon his own head, and to revenge the just, rewarding him according to his justice.

6:24. If thy people Israel be overcome by their enemies, (for they will sin against thee,) and being converted shall do penance, and call upon thy name, and pray to thee in this place,

6:25. Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel and bring them back into the land which thou gavest to them, and their fathers.

6:26. If the heavens be shut up, and there fall no rain by reason of the sin of the people, and they shall pray to thee in this place, and confess to thy name, and be converted from their sins, where thou dost afflict them,

6:27. Then hear thou from heaven, O Lord, and forgive the sins of thy servants and of thy people Israel and teach them the good way in which they may walk: and give rain to thy land which thou hast given to thy people to possess.

6:28. If a famine arise in the land, or a pestilence or blasting, or mildew, or locusts, or caterpillars: or if their enemies waste the country, and besiege the cities, whatsoever scourge or infirmity shall be upon them:

6:29. Then if any of thy people Israel, knowing his own scourge and infirmity shall pray, and shall spread forth his hands in this house,

6:30. Hear thou from heaven, from thy high dwelling place, and forgive, and render to every one according to his ways, which thou knowest him to have in his heart: for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:

6:31. That they may fear thee, and walk in thy ways all the days that they live upon the face of the land, which thou hast given to our fathers.

6:32. If the stranger also, who is not of thy people Israel, come from a far country, for the sake of thy great name, and thy strong hand, and thy stretched out arm, and adore in this place:

6:33. Hear thou from heaven thy firm dwelling place, and do all that which that stranger shall call upon thee for: that all the people of the earth may know thy name, and may fear thee, as thy people Israel, and may know, that thy name is invoked upon this house, which I have built.

6:34. If thy people go out to war against their enemies, by the way that thou shalt send them, and adore thee towards the way of this city, which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built to thy name:

6:35. Then hear thou from heaven their prayers, and their supplications, and revenge them.

6:36. And if they sin against thee (for there is no man that sinneth not) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them up to their enemies, and they lead them away captive to a land either afar off, or near at hand,

6:37. And if they be converted in their heart in the land to which they were led captive, and do penance, and pray to thee in the land of their captivity saying: We have sinned, we have done wickedly, we have dealt unjustly: