¹ Het woord, dat tot Jeremia geschiedde aan al de Joden, die in Egypteland woonden, die te Migdol woonden, en te Tachpanhes, en te Nof, en in het land Pathros, zeggende:

² Alzo zegt de HEERE der heirscharen, de God Israels: Gij hebt gezien al het kwaad, dat Ik gebracht heb over Jeruzalem en over alle steden van Juda; en ziet, zij zijn een woestheid te deze dage, en niemand woont daarin;

³ Vanwege hun boosheid, die zij gedaan hebben, om Mij te tergen, gaande om te roken en andere goden te dienen, die zij niet kenden, zij, gij, noch uw vaders.

⁴ En Ik heb tot u gezonden al Mijn knechten, de profeten, vroeg op zijnde en zendende, om te zeggen: Doet toch deze gruwelijke zaak niet, die Ik haat.

⁵ Maar zij hebben niet gehoord, noch hun oor geneigd, om zich van hun boosheid te bekeren, dat zij anderen goden niet roken.

⁶ Daarom is Mijn grimmigheid en Mijn toorn uitgestort, en heeft gebrand in de steden van Juda en in de straten van Jeruzalem; zodat zij tot eenzaamheid en tot verwoesting geworden zijn, gelijk het is te dezen dage.

⁷ En nu, zo zegt de HEERE, de God der heirscharen, de God Israels: Waarom doet gij zulk een groot kwaad tegen uw zielen, opdat gij u den man en de vrouw, het kind en den zuigeling uit het midden van Juda uitroeit, opdat gij u geen overblijfsel overlaat?

⁸ Tergende Mij door de werken uwer handen, rokende anderen goden in het land van Egypte, alwaar gij gekomen zijt, om daar als vreemdeling te verkeren; opdat gij uzelven uitroeit, en opdat gij wordt tot een vloek, en tot een smaadheid onder alle volken der aarde?

⁹ Hebt gij vergeten de boosheden uwer vaderen, en de boosheden der koningen van Juda, en de boosheden hunner vrouwen, en uw boosheden, en de boosheden uwer vrouwen, die zij gedaan hebben in het land van Juda en in de straten van Jeruzalem?

¹⁰ Zij zijn tot op dezen dag nog niet verbrijzeld van hart, en zij hebben niet gevreesd, noch gewandeld in Mijn wet en in Mijn inzettingen, die Ik voor ulieder aangezicht en voor het aangezicht uwer vaderen gegeven heb.

¹¹ Daarom, zo zegt de HEERE der heirscharen, de God Israels: Ziet, Ik zal Mijn aangezicht tegen ulieden stellen ten kwade, en om gans Juda uit te roeien.

¹² En Ik zal het overblijfsel van Juda wegnemen, die hun aangezichten gesteld hebben, om in Egypteland te gaan, om aldaar als vreemdelingen te verkeren; en zij zullen allen in Egypteland verteerd worden; door het zwaard zullen zij vallen, door den honger zullen zij verteerd worden, van den kleinste tot den grootste toe; door het zwaard en door den honger zullen zij sterven; en zij zullen worden tot een vervloeking, tot een ontzetting en tot een vloek, en tot een smaadheid.

¹³ Want Ik zal bezoeking doen over degenen, die in Egypteland wonen, gelijk als Ik bezoeking gedaan heb over Jeruzalem, door het zwaard, door den honger en door de pestilentie;

¹⁴ Zodat het overblijfsel van Juda, die in Egypteland gekomen zijn, om aldaar als vreemdelingen te verkeren, geen zal hebben, die ontkome, of overblijve; te weten om weder te keren in het land van Juda, waarnaar hun ziel verlangt weder te keren, om aldaar te wonen; maar zij zullen er niet wederkeren, behalve die ontkomen zullen.

¹⁵ Toen antwoordden aan Jeremia al de mannen, die wisten, dat hun vrouwen anderen goden rookten, en al de vrouwen, die daar stonden, zijnde een grote hoop, mitsgaders al het volk, die in Egypteland, in Pathros, woonde, zeggende:

¹⁶ Aangaande het woord, dat gij tot ons in des HEEREN Naam gesproken hebt, wij zullen naar u niet horen.

¹⁷ Maar wij zullen ganselijk doen al hetgeen uit onzen mond is uitgegaan, rokende aan Melecheth des hemels, en haar drankofferen offerende, gelijk als wij gedaan hebben, wij en onze vaders, onze koningen en onze vorsten, in de steden van Juda en in de straten van Jeruzalem; toen werden wij met brood verzadigd, en waren vrolijk, en zagen geen kwaad.

¹⁸ Maar van toen af, dat wij opgehouden hebben aan Melecheth des hemels te roken, en haar drankofferen te offeren, hebben wij van alles gebrek gehad, en zijn door het zwaard en door den honger verteerd.

¹⁹ Ook wanneer wij aan Melecheth des hemels roken en haar drankofferen offeren, maken wij haar gebeelde koeken, om haar af te beelden, en offeren wij haar drankofferen, zonder onze mannen?

²⁰ Toen sprak Jeremia tot al het volk, tot de mannen en tot de vrouwen, en tot al het volk, die hem zulks geantwoord hadden, zeggende:

²¹ Het roken, dat gijlieden in de steden van Juda en in de straten van Jeruzalem gerookt hebt, gij en uw vaderen, uw koningen en uw vorsten, en het volk des lands, heeft de HEERE daaraan niet gedacht, en is het niet in Zijn hart opgekomen?

²² Zodat het de HEERE niet meer kon verdragen, vanwege de boosheid uwer handelingen, vanwege de gruwelen, die gij deedt; daarom is uw land geworden tot een woestheid, en tot ontzetting, en tot een vloek, dat er niemand in woont, gelijk het is te dezen dage;

²³ Vanwege dat gij gerookt hebt, en dat gij tegen den HEERE gezondigd hebt, en des HEEREN stem niet gehoorzaam zijt geweest, en in Zijn wet en in Zijn inzettingen, en in Zijn getuigenissen niet hebt gewandeld; daarom is u dit kwaad wedervaren, gelijk het is te dezen dage.

²⁴ Voorts zeide Jeremia tot al het volk, en tot al de vrouwen: Hoort des HEEREN woord, gij gans Juda, die in Egypteland zijt!

²⁵ Zo spreekt de HEERE der heirscharen, de God Israels, zeggende: Aangaande u en uw vrouwen, zij hebben toch met uw mond gesproken, en gij hebt het met uw handen vervuld, zeggende: Wij zullen onze geloften, die wij beloofd hebben, ganselijk houden, rokende aan Melecheth des hemels, en haar drankofferen offerende; nu, zij hebben uw geloften volkomenlijk bevestigd en uw geloften volkomenlijk gehouden.

²⁶ Daarom hoort des HEEREN woord, gij gans Juda, die in Egypteland woont! Ziet, Ik zweer bij Mijn groten Naam, zegt de HEERE, zo Mijn Naam met den mond van enig man van Juda in gans Egypteland meer zal genoemd worden, die zegge: Zo waarachtig als de HEERE HEERE leeft!

²⁷ Ziet, Ik zal over hen waken ten kwade en niet ten goede; en alle mannen van Juda, die in Egypteland zijn, zullen door het zwaard en door den honger verteerd worden, totdat zij ten einde zijn.

²⁸ Maar die van het zwaard ontkomen, zullen uit Egypteland wederkeren in het land van Juda, weinig in getal; en het ganse overblijfsel van Juda, die in Egypteland gekomen zijn, om aldaar als vreemdelingen te verkeren, zullen weten, wiens woord bestaan zal, het Mijn of het hunne.

²⁹ En dit zal ulieden het teken zijn, spreekt de HEERE, dat Ik in deze plaats over u bezoeking zal doen; opdat gij weet, dat Mijn woorden zekerlijk over u bestaan zullen ten kwade;

³⁰ Alzo zegt de HEERE: Ziet, Ik zal Farao Hofra, den koning van Egypte, geven in de hand zijner vijanden, en in de hand dergenen, die zijn ziel zoeken, gelijk als Ik Zedekia, den koning van Juda, gegeven heb in de hand van Nebukadrezar, den koning van Babel, zijn vijand, en die zijn ziel zocht.

¹ Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' [houses] of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion.

² All the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

³ All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

⁴ They brought up the ark of Yahweh, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

⁵ King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.

⁶ The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

⁷ For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.

⁸ The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the oracle; but they were not seen outside: and there they are to this day.

⁹ There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰ It came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh,

¹¹ so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.

¹² Then Solomon said, "Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

¹³ I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever."

¹⁴ The king turned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.

¹⁵ He said, "Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying,

¹⁶ 'Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.'

¹⁷ "Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

¹⁸ But Yahweh said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.

¹⁹ Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.'

²⁰ Yahweh has established his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.

²¹ There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."

²² Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

²³ and he said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;

²⁴ who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day.

²⁵ Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.'

²⁶ "Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.

²⁷ But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house that I have built!

²⁸ Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you this day;

²⁹ that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there;' to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place.

³⁰ Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

³¹ "If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swear before your altar in this house;

³² then hear in heaven, and do, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

³³ "When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house:

³⁴ then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers.

³⁵ "When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them:

³⁶ then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.

³⁷ "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is;

³⁸ whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:

³⁹ then hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;)

⁴⁰ that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.

⁴¹ "Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for your name's sake

⁴² (for they shall hear of your great name, and of your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house;

⁴³ hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.

⁴⁴ "If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name;

⁴⁵ then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

⁴⁶ If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn't sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;

⁴⁷ yet if they shall repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, 'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;'

⁴⁸ if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name:

⁴⁹ then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling place, and maintain their cause;

⁵⁰ and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

⁵¹ (for they are your people, and your inheritance, which you brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron);

⁵² that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you.

⁵³ For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh."

⁵⁴ It was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven.

⁵⁵ He stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

⁵⁶ "Blessed be Yahweh, who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant.

⁵⁷ May Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us;

⁵⁸ that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers.

⁵⁹ Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require;

⁶⁰ that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh, he is God. There is none else.

⁶¹ "Let your heart therefore be perfect with Yahweh our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day."

⁶² The king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before Yahweh.

⁶³ Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, two and twenty thousand head of cattle, and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh.

⁶⁴ The same day did the king make the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahweh; for there he offered the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too little to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.

⁶⁵ So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

⁶⁶ On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David his servant, and to Israel his people.