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 judgements, 5 then I’ll continue your dynasty over Yisrael forever, just like I told your father David when I said, ‘your descendants will never be removed from Yisrael’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 Yisrael 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 Yisrael 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.’ ”

11 So Shelomoh finished Yahweh’s temple and the king’s palace—he’d succeeded in implementing everything that he’d envisaged. 12 One night, Yahweh appeared to Shelomoh in a dream and told him, “I’ve heard your prayer, and I’ve chosen this temple to be the place where my people will offer sacrifices to me. 13 If I restrain the skies so there’s no rain, or if I command locusts to devour the land, or if I send disease among my people, 14 then if my people who are known by my name humble themselves and pray, and request my help and turn back from their evil ways, then I myself will hear them from the heavens, and I’ll forgive their sin, and I will heal their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears will be attentive to prayers offered towards this place, 16 as I’ve chosen and consecrated this temple to be associated with my name forever—I’ll be permanently present there. 17 Also, if you’ll obey me like your father David did, and do everything that I’ve instructed you, and keep my rules and regulations, 18 then I’ll ensure that your descendants rule your kingdom, just as I promised your father David when I said, ‘You won’t fail to have one of your descendants ruling over Yisrael.’ 19 However, if you all turn away, and abandon my rules and instructions that I gave you all, and decide to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I’ll remove these people from my land that I gave them. Also this temple that I consecrated for myself, I’ll throw it away where I can’t see it, and I’ll make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the other nations.

21 Then this temple which everyone admires as they pass by, will be devasted and people will ask, ‘Why did Yahweh do such terrible things to that temple and to that land?’

22 ‘It happened because they abandoned Yahweh, the god of their ancestors,’ others will reply. ‘He brought them out from slavery in Egypt, but then they obtained other gods and worshipped them and served them—that’s why he sent them all this misery.’ ”