4. Then the king and all the people sacrificed to the Lord.
5. King Solomon sacrificed twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep when the king and all the people dedicated God’s temple.
6. The priests stood at their posts, as did the Levites with the Lord’s musical instruments, which King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord, saying, "Yes, God’s faithful love lasts forever!" and which David had used when he gave praise. Across from them, the priests were blowing trumpets while all Israel was standing.
7. Solomon also dedicated the middle of the courtyard in front of the Lord’s temple. He had to offer the entirely burned offerings and the fat of the well-being sacrifices there because the bronze altar Solomon had made was too small to contain the entirely burned offerings, the grain offerings, and the pieces of fat.
8. At that time Solomon, together with all Israel, celebrated the festival for seven days. It was a very large assembly that came from Lebo-hamath to the border of Egypt.
9. On the eighth day there was a gathering. They had dedicated the altar for seven days and celebrated the festival for another seven days.
10. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon dismissed the people to their tents, happy and content because of the goodness the Lord had shown to David, to Solomon, and to his people Israel.
11. In this way, Solomon finished the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. He successfully accomplished everything he intended for the Lord’s temple and his own palace.
12. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place as my house of sacrifice.
13. When I close the sky so that there is no rain or I order the locusts to consume the land or I send a plague against my people,
14. if my people who belong to me will humbly pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
15. From now on my eyes will be open and my ears will pay attention to the prayers offered in this place,
16. because I have chosen this temple and declared it holy so that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.
17. As for you, if you will walk before me just as your father David did, doing all that I have commanded you and keeping my regulations and case laws,