2 Chronicles · Chapter 6

[ edit] Thanne Salomon ſeiþ, Þe Lord behiȝte, þat he ſchulde dwellen in þe dirkeneſſe; I forſoþe haue bilde up an hous to þe name of hym, þat he ſchulde dwellen þere in to wiþ oute eende.

And þe kyng turnede his face, and bleſſide to al þe multitude of Iſrael; for why al þe puple ſtood, inwardly takynge heede; and he ſeiþ, Bleſſed þe Lord God of Yrael, for þat he ſpake to Dauid, my fadir, in deede he haþ fulfillide, ſeyinge, Fro þe day þat I ladde my puple fro þe lond of Egipt, I chees not a cytee of alle þe lynagis of Yrael, þat þere ſchulde be bilde up in it an hous to my name, ne eny oþere man I chees, þat he were duyke vpon my puple Yrael; bot I chees Jeruſalem, þat my name be in it, and I chees Dauid, þat I ordeyn hym vpon my puple Yrael.

And whanne it was of þe wille of Dauid, my fadir, þat he bilde an hous to þe name of þe Lord God of Yrael, þe Lord ſeid to hym, For þis was þi wille, þat þou ſchuldiſt bylden an hous to my name, forſoþe þou didyſt wele, hauynge ſuch a maner wille, bot þou ſchalt not bylden vp an hous to me; neuerþelater þe ſone, þat gooþ out of þi reynes, he ſchal bylden up an hous to my name. Þanne þe Lord fulfillide his word, þat he hadde ſpoken; and I roos for Dauid, my fadir, and ſat vpon þe trone of Yſrael, as þe Lord ſpac, and bilde up an hous to þe name of þe Lord God of Yrael; and putte in it þe arke, in þe whiche is þe couenaunt of þe Lord, þat he couenauntide wiþ þe ſonis of Yrael.

Þanne he ſtode before þe auter of þe Lord forn aȝeynſt of al þe multitude of Yrael, and ſtrauȝt out his hondis.

Forſoþe Salomon hadde maad þe braſyn ſtondynge, and hadde putte it in þe mydil of þe grete hous, hauynge fyue cubitis of lengþe, and fyue of brede, and þre cubitis of heiȝt, and he ſtode vpon it; and þeraftir þe knees bowed aȝeinus al þe multitude of Yrael, and þe hondis in to heuen rered, ſeiþ, Lord God of Yrael, þer is not lijc þee, God in heuen and in erþ, þe whiche kepiſt couenaunt and mercy wiþ þi ſeruauntis, þat goon before þee in al þeir herte; þe whiche haſt ȝeuen to Dauid þi ſeruaunt, my fadir, whateuer þingis þou haddiſt ſpoken to hym, and þat wiþ mouþe þou byheetiſt, in deed þou haſt fulfylde, as and þe preſent tyme preueþ.

Now þanne, Lord God of Yrael, fulfille to þi ſeruaunt my fadir Dauid, whateuer þingis þou haſt ſpoken, ſeyinge, Þer ſchal not faylen of þee a man beforn me, þat ſytt vpon þe trone of Yrael; ſo neuer þe later ȝif þi ſonis kepen my weies, and goon in my lawe, as and þou wentiſt before me. And nowe, Lord God of Yrael, be faſtned þi word, þat þou ſpeke to þi ſeruaunt Dauid. Þanne wheþir leeuable it be, þat þe Lord dwelle wiþ men vpon erþ? Ȝif heuen and heuens of heuens þee taken not, how myche more þis hous, þat I haue bylde?

Bot to þis oonly it is maad, þat þou beholde þe oriſoun of þi ſeruaunt, and his biſechynge, Lord my God, and þou here þe preyers, þat þi ſeruaunt heldiþ out before þee; þat þou opene þi eeȝen vpon þis hows dais and nyȝtis, vpon þe place in þe whiche þou haſt behoten, þat þy name ſchulde be inwardly clepid, and þou ſchuldiſt heeren þe oriſoun, þat þi ſeruaunt preieþ in it.

Heere þou þe preyers of þi ſeruaunt, and of þi puple Yrael; who ſo euer preye in þis place, here fro þi dwellynge place, þat is fro heuens, and be þou maad pleſed. Ȝif eny man ſynne in to his neiȝbour, and redi comme to ſweren aȝeinus hym, and by curſe bynde hym before þe auter in þis hous, þou ſchalt heeren fro heuen, and þou ſchalt do dome of þi ſeruauntis; ſo þat þou ȝelde to þe wickide his weie in to his owne heued, and venge þe riȝtwijs, and ȝeldynge to hym aftir his riȝtwiſneſſe. Ȝif þi puple Yrael were ouercomen of enmyes, forſoþe þei ſchul ſynnen to þee, and turned done penaunce, and beſechen þi name, and preyen in þis place, þou ſchalt heeren fro heuen, and haue þou mercy to þe ſynne of þi puple Yrael, and brynge hem aȝein in to þe lond, þat þou ȝeue to hem, and to þeir fadirs. Ȝif, heuen cloſed, reyn flowe not for ſynne of þi puple, and þei preyen þee in þis place, and knowlechen to þi name, and turned fro þeir ſynnes, whanne hem þou tormentiſt, here, Lord, fro heuen, and forȝeue þe ſynnes to þi ſeruauntis, and to þi puple Yrael, and teche hem a good wei, by þe whiche þei goon in, and ȝeue reyn to þe erþ, þat þou haſt ȝeuen to þi puple to weelden. Ȝif hunger were ſprungyn in þe lond, and peſtilence, and ruſt, and weder rootynge tilþ, and locuſt, and werm, and enmyes, þe regyouns waſted, beſeegen þe ȝatis of þe cytee, and alle veniaunce and infirmyte þriſt doun; ȝif any of þi puple Irael preye, knowynge þe veniaunce, and his infirmyte, ſtretche out his hondis in þis hous, þou ſchalt heeren fro heuen, þat is, fro þin heeȝ dwellynge place, and be þou pleſed, and ȝeeld to eche man aftir his weies, þe whiche þou haſt knowen hym to han in his hert; þou forſoþe aloone haſt knowen þe hertis of þe ſonis of men; þat þei dreeden þee, and goon in þi weies alle days, þe whiche þei lyuen vpon þe face of þe erþ, þat þou haſt ȝeuen to oure fadirs.

A ſtraunger alſo þat is not of þy puple Yrael, ȝif he come fro a ferre lond for þi grete name, and for þi ſtrong hond, and for þi ſtrauȝt out arme, and honour in þis place, þou ſchalt heeren fro heuen, þi moſt faſt place; and þou ſchalt don alle þingis, for þe whiche þat pilgryme inwardly clepiþ þee, þat alle puplis of erþ knowen þi name, and dreeden þee, as þi puple Yrael; and knowen þei, for þi name is inwardly clepide vpon þis hous, þat I haue bilde to þi name. Ȝif þi puple weren goon out to bataile aȝeinus þer aduerſaries, by þe weye in to þe whiche þou ſentiſt hem, þei ſchuln honouren þee aȝeinus þe weye in þe whiche is þe cytee þat þou haſt choſen, and þe hous þat I haue bylde to þi name, þat þou here fro heuen þe preyers of hem and þe beſechynge, and þou do veniaunce. Ȝif forſoþe þei ſynnen to þee, and forſoþe þer is no man þat ſynneþ not, and þou were wroþ to hem, and takiſt hem to þe enmyes; and caytijf þei leeden hem in to a ferre lond, or certis þat is niȝ; and turned in al þeir herte in þe lond, to þe whiche þei weren ladde caytijf, done penaunce, and preyen þee in þe lond of þeir caytijfte, ſeyinge, We han ſynned, wickidly we han wrouȝt, vnriȝtwiſely we han done; and weren torned to þee in al þeir herte, and in al þeir ſoule, in þe lond of þeir caytyfte, to þe whiche þei ben lad, þei ſchuln honouren þee aȝeinus þe weie of þeir lond, þat þou haſt ȝeuen to þeir fadirs, and of þe cytee þat þou haſt choſen, and of þe hous þat I haue bilde to þi name; þat þou heere fro heuen, þat is, fro þi faſt dwellynge place, þe preyers of hem, and do dome, and forȝyue to þi puple, þof ſynful; þou ert forſoþe my God; I biſeche, þin eeȝen ben opened, and þin eeris ben takynge heed to þe oriſoun þat is don in þis place.

Nowe þanne, Lord God, arijs in to þi reſt, þou and þe ark of þi ſtrengþ; þi preſtis, Lord God, ben cloþed helþ, and þin halowes glaaden þei in goodes. Lord God, ne turne þou awey þe face of þi criſt; haue mynde of þe mercyes of Dauid þi ſeruaunt.