SARAH
所罗门当王的时候，终于把圣殿建好了。
When Solomon was king, he finally finished building the temple.
这一天，他把以色列所有的长老、各支派的首领，还有各家族的族长，都召集到耶路撒冷。
On this day, he gathered all the elders of Israel, the leaders of the tribes, and the heads of all the families to Jerusalem.
大家聚在一起，要做一件非常重要的事：把约柜搬进刚刚建好的圣殿里。
Everyone gathered together to do something very important: to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the newly built temple.
到了七月过节的时候，以色列的长老们都来了。
When the festival came in the seventh month, all the elders of Israel came.
祭司们抬起约柜，利未人也把会幕和里面所有圣器具一起搬了过来。
The priests carried the Ark of the Covenant, and the Levites also brought the tabernacle and all the sacred objects inside it.
所罗门王和所有聚集的以色列人，在约柜面前献上了大量的牛羊作祭物，多得根本数不过来。
King Solomon and all the Israelites who had gathered offered a great number of cattle and sheep before the Ark of the Covenant, so many that they could not even be counted.
然后，祭司把约柜抬进圣殿最里面的地方，也就是至圣所，放在两个基路伯翅膀下面。
Then the priests carried the Ark into the innermost part of the temple, which was the Most Holy Place, and placed it under the wings of the two cherubim.
约柜里面只有两块石版，就是当年摩西在何烈山领受的、神和以色列人所立的约。
Inside the Ark were only the two stone tablets that Moses had received at Mount Horeb, containing the covenant God had made with the Israelites.
祭司刚从圣所出来，突然有云彩充满了圣殿。
As soon as the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud suddenly filled the temple.
云彩太浓了，祭司甚至没有办法继续站在那里服事。
The cloud was so overwhelming that the priests could not even continue standing there to minister.
因为——耶和华的荣耀充满了圣殿。
Because—the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
所罗门看到这一幕，就说：
When Solomon saw this, he said:
“耶和华以前说过，他要住在幽暗之处。
“The LORD had said that he would dwell in a dark cloud.
现在我终于为他建好了这座殿，作为敬拜他的地方。”
Now I have finally built this temple for him as a place of worship.”
然后，所罗门转过身来，为以色列百姓祝福。
Then Solomon turned around and blessed the people of Israel.
他说：
He said:
“以色列的神耶和华真是应该受到赞美！
“Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel!
他以前答应我父亲大卫的话，现在真的实现了。
What he promised to my father David has now truly come to pass.
我父亲大卫一直想给耶和华建一座圣殿。
My father David had always wanted to build a temple for the LORD.
神说他想法虽然好，但是神告诉他：‘你不能亲自建，因为你不能完成这件事；你的儿子会替你建。’
God said that his desire was good, but he told him, ‘You cannot build it yourself, because you will not complete this work; your son will build it instead.’
现在神真的照着自己的话做了。
Now God has truly done what he said.
我接替我父亲大卫做王，也按照神的心意把这座圣殿建起来了。
I succeeded my father David as king, and I built this temple according to God’s will.
现在，约柜也有了一个专门放置的地方。
Now the Ark of the Covenant also has a special place.
这里面的约柜，就是神当年带领我们的祖先离开埃及以后，和他们立约的见证。”
This Ark is the witness of the covenant God made with our ancestors after he led them out of Egypt.”
说完，所罗门来到祭坛前，在所有以色列人面前跪下来，向天举起双手，开始向神祷告。
After saying this, Solomon came before the altar, knelt down in front of all the Israelites, raised his hands toward heaven, and began to pray to God.
他说：
He said:
“耶和华，以色列的神啊！
“LORD, God of Israel!
天上地下没有任何神能够和你相比。
There is no God in heaven above or on earth below who is like you.
你一直信守自己的承诺，也一直向那些真心跟随你的人施慈爱。
You always keep your promises, and you always show steadfast love to those who sincerely follow you.
你答应我父亲大卫的事情，现在已经实现了。
What you promised my father David has now come true.
求你继续按照你的应许成就一切。
Please continue to fulfill everything according to your promises.
但是，我想问一个问题：
But I want to ask one question:
神真的会住在地上吗？
Can God really live on earth?
看哪，天和天上的天尚且不足你居住的， 更何况我们建造的这座小小的圣殿呢？
Look, even the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you; how much less this small temple that we have built!
所以，求你听仆人的祷告。
So please hear the prayer of your servant.
求你日夜看顾这座圣殿，因为这是你所指定、让你的名得到尊荣的地方。
Please watch over this temple day and night, because this is the place you have chosen for your name to be honored.
以后我们来到这里向你祷告的时候，求你从天上听我们的祷告，并且赦免我们的罪。”
Whenever we come here to pray to you, please hear our prayers from heaven and forgive our sins.”
接着，所罗门为百姓祷告。
Then Solomon prayed for the people.
他说：
He said:
“如果有人得罪了邻居，来到你的面前起誓，求你从天上判断谁对谁错。
“If someone sins against his neighbor and comes before you to take an oath, please judge from heaven who is right and who is wrong.
如果你的百姓犯罪，被敌人打败，但是他们后来回头承认自己的罪，向你祷告，求你赦免他们。
If your people sin and are defeated by their enemies, but later turn back, confess their sins, and pray to you, please forgive them.
如果因为百姓犯罪，你让天下雨停止了，他们后来悔改，来到你面前祷告，求你赦免他们，并且教他们重新走正确的道路。
If you stop the rain because your people have sinned, and they later repent and come before you in prayer, please forgive them and teach them to walk in the right way again.
如果国家发生饥荒、瘟疫、干旱、蝗灾，或者敌人来攻打他们，无论遇到什么灾难，
If there is famine, plague, drought, locusts, or enemies attacking the land, whatever disaster they may face,
只要他们真心来到你面前祷告，求你从天上听他们，赦免他们，并按照每个人所做的来审判他们。
if they sincerely come before you in prayer, please hear them from heaven, forgive them, and judge each person according to what they have done.
因为只有你真正知道每一个人的心。”
Because only you truly know the heart of every person.”
所罗门又想到一个更加严重的情况：
Solomon then thought about an even more serious situation:
“如果你的百姓犯罪，你让他们被敌人抓走，甚至被带到很远的地方。
“If your people sin and you allow them to be captured by their enemies and taken to a distant land,
如果他们在那里想起自己的罪，真正悔改，说：
if they remember their sins there and truly repent, saying:
‘我们犯罪了，我们背叛了神，我们做错了。’
‘We have sinned, we have rebelled against God, and we have done wrong.’
如果他们真心回到你面前，全心全意地跟随你，即使他们已经身在敌人的国家，他们仍然向着自己的家乡、你所选择的城市，以及这座圣殿祷告，
If they sincerely return to you and follow you with all their heart, even while they are in the land of their enemies, and they pray toward their homeland, the city you have chosen, and this temple,
求你从天上听他们的祷告。
please hear their prayers from heaven.
求你怜悯他们，赦免他们。
Please have mercy on them and forgive them.
因为他们是你的百姓，是你自己的产业。
Because they are your people, your own inheritance.
你曾经把他们从埃及带出来，就像把他们从一个烧得滚烫的铁炉里救出来一样。
You brought them out of Egypt, like rescuing them from a blazing furnace.
所以，求你一直看顾他们，听他们的呼求。
So please continue to watch over them and hear their cries.
无论什么时候他们向你呼求，求你回应他们。
Whenever they cry out to you, please answer them.
因为你曾经把他们从世界上的万民中分别出来，让他们成为属于你的百姓。”
Because you separated them from all the peoples of the world and made them your own people.”
所罗门祷告完以后，从祭坛前站起来。
After Solomon finished praying, he stood up from before the altar.
然后，他面对所有以色列人，大声为他们祝福：
Then he faced all the Israelites and loudly blessed them:
“耶和华真是应该受到赞美！
“The LORD truly deserves praise!
他照着自己应许的一切，把平安赐给了以色列。
He has given Israel peace according to everything he promised.
他通过摩西应许我们的话，没有一句落空。
Not one word of what he promised us through Moses has failed.
愿我们的神耶和华一直和我们同在，就像他过去和我们的祖先同在一样。
May the LORD our God always be with us, just as he was with our ancestors.
愿他永远不要离开我们，也不要丢下我们。
May he never leave us or abandon us.
愿他改变我们的心，让我们的心一直愿意跟随他。
May he change our hearts so that our hearts will always be willing to follow him.
让我们按照他的道路生活，遵守他的命令、律例和诫命。
May we live according to his ways and obey his commands, laws, and commandments.
我今天向神祷告的这些话，愿神天天记念。
May God remember these words that I have prayed before him today, day after day.
愿他一直看顾他的百姓，为他们伸冤，供应他们每天的需要。
May he continually watch over his people, defend them, and provide what they need each day.
这样，世界上的所有人就都会知道：
Then all the people of the world will know:
只有耶和华是神，没有别的神。
The LORD alone is God; there is no other.
所以，你们一定要真心跟随我们的神，按照他的教导生活，遵守他的命令，一直坚持下去，就像今天这样。”
So you must sincerely follow our God, live according to his teaching, obey his commands, and remain faithful, just as you are today.”
最后，所罗门王和所有以色列人一起向耶和华献祭。
Finally, King Solomon and all the Israelites offered sacrifices to the LORD together.
所罗门献上了非常多的祭物：
Solomon offered a tremendous number of sacrifices:
牛两万两千头，羊十二万只。
22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep.
于是，他们为圣殿举行了盛大的奉献典礼。
So they held a great dedication ceremony for the temple.
因为铜祭坛太小，根本放不下这么多燔祭和祭物，所以所罗门把院子中间的地方也分别出来，当作献祭的地方。
Because the bronze altar was too small to hold all the burnt offerings and other sacrifices, Solomon also set apart the middle of the courtyard as a place for sacrifices.
接下来，他们一起庆祝节期七天。
Then they celebrated the festival together for seven days.
第八天又举行了严肃会。
On the eighth day, they held a solemn assembly.
整个庆典结束以后，大家都非常高兴。
After the entire celebration was over, everyone was very happy.
为什么高兴？
Why were they happy?
因为他们看见神对大卫和以色列人所施的一切恩惠，也看见神的应许真的实现了。
Because they had seen all the goodness God had shown to David and the Israelites, and they had also seen that God’s promises had truly been fulfilled.
最后，所有人都高高兴兴地回自己的家去了。
Finally, everyone happily returned to their own homes.