9 Once Shelomoh had finished the construction of the temple and his palace, and various other projects of his, 2 Yahweh appeared a second time to him, similar to his appearance at Gibeon[ref] 3 and said, “I’ve heard your prayer and your plea for favour requested from me. I’ve declared that this residence that you built is holy by associating my name with it forever, and my eyes and my heart will constantly be there.[fn] 4 And as for you, if you’ll behave with godliness just like your father David lived with total dedication and honesty, by following everything that I’ve commanded you including keeping my statutes and my judgments, 5 then I’ll continue your dynasty over Israel forever, just like I told your father David when I said, ‘your descendants will never be removed from Israel’s throne.’[ref] 6 If you or your descendants ever turn back from following me and don’t keep my commands and statutes, and you go and serve other gods and bow down to them, 7 then I’ll cut Israel off from the land that I’ve given them and from the temple that’s dedicated to my name—I’ll send them far away, and Israel will become an example and a laughing stock among all the other countries. 8 As this temple is on a hill and very visible, everyone who passes anywhere nearby will see it and will be appalled and will hiss and they’ll say, ‘What did the people do that was so bad that Yahweh did that to this country and to this temple?’[ref] 9 Then they’ll answer, ‘It’s because they abandoned their God Yahweh who brought their ancestors out of Egypt, but they held on to other gods and bowed down to them and served them. Therefore Yahweh brought all this calamity onto them.’ ”

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