6. Everybody stood up during the ceremony. The priests were in their assigned places, blowing their trumpets. And the Levites faced them, playing the musical instruments that David had made for them to use when they praised the Lord for his never-ending love.
7. On that same day, Solomon dedicated the courtyard in front of the temple and got it ready to be used for worship. The bronze altar he had made was too small, so he used the courtyard to offer sacrifices to please the Lord and grain sacrifices, and also to send up in smoke the fat from the other offerings.
8. For seven days, Solomon and the crowd celebrated the Festival of Shelters, and people came from as far away as the Egyptian Gorge in the south and Lebo-Hamath in the north.
9. Then on the next day, everyone came together for worship. They had celebrated a total of fourteen days, seven days for the dedication of the altar and seven more days for the festival.
10. Then on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, Solomon sent everyone home. They left very happy because of all the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon, and for his people Israel.
11. The Lord's temple and Solomon's palace were now finished. In fact, everything Solomon had planned to do was completed.
12. Some time later, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and said:I heard your prayer, and I have chosen this temple as the place where sacrifices will be offered to me.
13. Suppose I hold back the rain or send locusts to eat the crops or make my people suffer with deadly diseases.