וּכְכַלּוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְהָאֵשׁ יָרְדָה מֵהַשָּׁמַיִם וַתֹּאכַל הָעֹלָה וְהַזְּבָחִים וּכְבוֹד ה' מָלֵא אֶת־הַבָּיִת

When Solomon had concluded praying, the fire descended from the heavens, and consumed the burnt offering and the feast offerings, and the glory of the Lord filled the House.

וְלֹא יָכְלוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים לָבוֹא אֶל־בֵּית ה' כִּי־מָלֵא כְבוֹד־ה' אֶת־בֵּית ה'

The priests were unable to enter the House of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the House of the Lord.

וְכֹל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל רֹאִים בְּרֶדֶת הָאֵשׁ וּכְבוֹד ה' עַל־הַבָּיִת וַיִּכְרְעוּ אַפַּיִם אַרְצָה עַל־הָרִצְפָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ וְהוֹדוֹת לַה' כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ

All the children of Israel saw as the fire descended, and the glory of the Lord was revealing itself upon the House, whether by way of a cloud or some other manner of revelation, and they knelt with their faces to the ground on the floor and prostrated themselves, and gave thanks to the Lord: For He is good, for His kindness is forever.

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־הָעָם זֹבְחִים זֶבַח לִפְנֵי ה'

And the king and all the people were slaughtering feast offerings before the Lord.

וַיִּזְבַּח הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־זֶבַח הַבָּקָר עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם אֶלֶף וְצֹאן מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים אָלֶף וַיַּחְנְכוּ אֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־הָעָם

King Solomon slaughtered a feast offering of twenty-two thousand bulls, and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep, and the king and the entire people dedicated the House of God. Most of these sacrifices were peace offerings, the meat of which could be eaten by any Israelite who was not ritually impure.

וְהַכֹּהֲנִים עַל־מִשְׁמְרוֹתָם עֹמְדִים וְהַלְוִיִּם בִּכְלֵי־שִׁיר ה' אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה דָּוִיד הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהֹדוֹת לַה' כִּי־לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ בְּהַלֵּל דָּוִיד בְּיָדָם וְהַכֹּהֲנִים מַחְצְרִים נֶגְדָּם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עֹמְדִים

The priests stood at their watches and the Levites were with the musical instruments of the Lord, which David the king had made to give thanks to the Lord, for His kindness is forever, with David’s songs of praise in their hand. These songs were probably in written form, and the Levites held them in their hands and sang them from a written text; alternatively, this means that they sang David’s songs of praise accompanied by the musical instruments in their hands. And the priests sounded trumpets opposite them, and all Israel were standing.

וַיְקַדֵּשׁ שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־תּוֹךְ הֶחָצֵר אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵי בֵית־ה' כִּי־עָשָׂה שָׁם הָעֹלוֹת וְאֵת חֶלְבֵי הַשְּׁלָמִים כִּי־מִזְבַּח הַנְּחֹשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שְׁלֹמֹה לֹא יָכוֹל לְהָכִיל אֶת־הָעֹלָה וְאֶת־הַמִּנְחָה וְאֶת־הַחֲלָבִים

Solomon also consecrated the inside of the courtyard that was before the House of the Lord, for there he presented the burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings. He sanctified the floor of the courtyard so that it should be holy like the altar, because the bronze altar that Solomon had crafted was unable to accommodate the burnt offerings, which are burnt in their entirety upon the altar, the meal offerings, and the fats, the parts of the peace offering burnt upon the altar. Although the altar was very large, it could not contain so large a number of offerings, and therefore these were burnt on the floor of the Temple courtyard.

וַיַּעַשׂ שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־הֶחָג בָּעֵת הַהִיא שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל עִמּוֹ קָהָל גָּדוֹל מְאֹד מִלְּבוֹא חֲמָת עַד־נַחַל מִצְרָיִם

Solomon made the Festival of the Tabernacles, Sukkot, at that time, for seven days, and all Israel were with him, a very great assembly, as Israelites dwelled at the time throughout the expansive borders of the land, from Levo Hamat, or the entrance of Hamat, in northern Syria, up to the Ravine of Egypt, the southern tip of the territory under Solomon’s control.

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי עֲצָרֶת כִּי חֲנֻכַּת הַמִּזְבֵּחַ עָשׂוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים וְהֶחָג שִׁבְעַת יָמִים

On the eighth day of Sukkot they held an assembly, for they performed the dedication of the altar for seven days before Sukkot, and afterward the festival of Sukkot, for seven days. In that year, the children of Israel did not fast on Yom Kippur, as it was one of the days on which they offered and partook of sacrifices. Exceptional practices of this type required the authorization of a prophet.

וּבְיוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי שִׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָם לְאָהֳלֵיהֶם שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב עַל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה ה' לְדָוִיד וְלִשְׁלֹמֹה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ

On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, after the seven days of Sukkot and the eighth day of the festival, Shemini Atzeret, he sent the people to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the benevolence that the Lord had performed for David, and for Solomon, and for Israel His people.

וַיְכַל שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת־בֵּית ה' וְאֶת־בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵת כָּל־הַבָּא עַל־לֵב שְׁלֹמֹה לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּבֵית־ה' וּבְבֵיתוֹ הִצְלִיחַ

Solomon completed the House of the Lord, and the house of the king, and in everything that entered Solomon’s heart, all that he thought to accomplish in the House of the Lord and in his house, he was successful.

וַיֵּרָא ה' אֶל־שְׁלֹמֹה בַּלָּיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֶךָ וּבָחַרְתִּי בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה לִי לְבֵית זָבַח

The Lord again appeared to Solomon at night, and said to him: I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place, this Temple that you have built for Me, as a house of offerings, where offerings will be sacrificed in My name.

הֵן אֶעְצֹר הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה מָטָר וְהֵן אֲצַוֶּה עַל־חָגָב לֶאֱכוֹל הָאָרֶץ וְאִם־אֲשַׁלַּח דֶּבֶר בְּעַמִּי

I have also heard the rest of your prayer: If I restrain the heavens and there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people;

וְיִכָּנְעוּ עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא־שְׁמִי עֲלֵיהֶם וְיִתְפַּלְלוּ וִיבַקְשׁוּ פָנַי וְיָשֻׁבוּ מִדַּרְכֵיהֶם הָרָעִים וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁמַע מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶסְלַח לְחַטָּאתָם וְאֶרְפָּא אֶת־אַרְצָם

if any of these afflictions occur, and My people upon whom My name is called humble themselves, and pray, and seek My presence, and repent from their evil ways, then I will hear their prayers from the heavens, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

עַתָּה עֵינַי יִהְיוּ פְתֻחוֹת וְאָזְנַי קַשֻּׁבוֹת לִתְפִלַּת הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה

Now My eyes will be open, and My ears attentive, to the prayer of this place.

וְעַתָּה בָּחַרְתִּי וְהִקְדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה לִהְיוֹת־שְׁמִי שָׁם עַד־עוֹלָם וְהָיוּ עֵינַי וְלִבִּי שָׁם כָּל־הַיָּמִים

Now I have chosen and sanctified this House, for My name to be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there always. This place will indeed be very important to Me, as you requested in your prayer.

וְאַתָּה אִם־תֵּלֵךְ לְפָנַי כַּאֲשֶׁר הָלַךְ דָּוִיד אָבִיךָ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ וְחֻקַּי וּמִשְׁפָּטַי תִּשְׁמוֹר

And you, if you will walk before Me as David your father walked, and take care to act in accordance with all that I have commanded you, and observe My statutes and My ordinances,

וַהֲקִימוֹתִי אֵת כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתֶךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר כָּרַתִּי לְדָוִיד אָבִיךָ לֵאמֹר לֹא־יִכָּרֵת לְךָ אִישׁ מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל

I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I established a covenant with David your father, saying: A man of yours will not cease to be ruler in Israel. Your dynasty will endure for generations.

וְאִם־תְּשׁוּבוּן אַתֶּם וַעֲזַבְתֶּם חֻקּוֹתַי וּמִצְוֹתַי אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵיכֶם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם וַעֲבַדְתֶּם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם לָהֶם

But if you turn away, stray, and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have placed before you, and go and serve other gods, and prostrate yourselves to them,

וּנְתַשְׁתִּים מֵעַל אַדְמָתִי אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם וְאֶת־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר־הִקְדַּשְׁתִּי לִשְׁמִי אַשְׁלִיךְ מֵעַל פָּנָי וְאֶתְּנֶנּוּ לְמָשָׁל וְלִשְׁנִינָה בְּכָל־הָעַמִּים

I will displace them from My land which I have given them, and this House, which I have sanctified for My name, I will cast from before Me, it will be destroyed, and I will render it a proverb, an archetype of disaster, and an adage of mockery among all peoples.

וְהַבַּיִת הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה עֶלְיוֹן לְכָל עֹבֵר עָלָיו יִשֹּׁם וְאָמַר בַּמֶּה עָשָׂה ה' כָּכָה לָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְלַבַּיִת הַזֶּה

This House, which had been exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and say: For what did the Lord do so to this land, and to this House?

וְאָמְרוּ עַל אֲשֶׁר עָזְבוּ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וַיַּחֲזִיקוּ בֵּאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לָהֶם וַיַּעַבְדוּם עַל־כֵּן הֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת

They, those who will speak of this matter, will say: It is because they forsook the Lord, God of their fathers, who took them out of the land of Egypt, and they embraced other gods, and prostrated themselves to them, and worshipped them; therefore, He brought all this evil upon them. God agrees that this will be His chosen house for prayer and supplications, but He also warns that this determination depends on the deeds of Israel and their king. The continued reign of Solomon’s dynasty throughout the generations, the status of the Temple, and even the very presence of Israel upon its land, are all liable to be compromised if Israel sins.