Bezalel and Oholiab^(A)

31 Then the Lord said to Moses, ² “See, I have chosen Bezalel^(B) son of Uri, the son of Hur,^(C) of the tribe of Judah, ³ and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge^(D) and with all kinds of skills^(E)— ⁴ to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ⁵ to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. ⁶ Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab^(F) son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan,^(G) to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers^(H) to make everything I have commanded you: ⁷ the tent of meeting,^(I) the ark of the covenant law^(J) with the atonement cover^(K) on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent— ⁸ the table^(L) and its articles, the pure gold lampstand^(M) and all its accessories, the altar of incense,^{(N) 9} the altar of burnt offering^(O) and all its utensils, the basin^(P) with its stand— ¹⁰ and also the woven garments^(Q), both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, ¹¹ and the anointing oil^(R) and fragrant incense^(S) for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded^(T) you.”

The Sabbath

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹³ “Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths.^(U) This will be a sign^(V) between me and you for the generations to come,^(W) so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy.^(X)

¹⁴ “‘Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it is to be put to death;^(Y) those who do any work on that day must be cut off from their people. ¹⁵ For six days work^(Z) is to be done, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest,^(AA) holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day is to be put to death. ¹⁶ The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath,^(AB) celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. ¹⁷ It will be a sign^(AC) between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed.^(AD)’”^(AE)

¹⁸ When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,^(AF) he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone^(AG) inscribed by the finger of God.^(AH)

David Makes Solomon King^(A)

²⁸ Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

²⁹ The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,^{(B) 30} I will surely carry out this very day what I swore^(C) to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

³¹ Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

³² King David said, “Call in Zadok^(D) the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, ³³ he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule^(E) and take him down to Gihon.^{(F) 34} There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint^(G) him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet^(H) and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶ Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. ³⁷ As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with^(I) Solomon to make his throne even greater^(J) than the throne of my lord King David!”

³⁸ So Zadok^(K) the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites^(L) and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.^{(M) 39} Zadok the priest took the horn of oil^(N) from the sacred tent^(O) and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet^(P) and all the people shouted,^(Q) “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰ And all the people went up after him, playing pipes^(R) and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

⁴¹ Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”^(S)

⁴² Even as he was speaking, Jonathan^(T) son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”^(U)

⁴³ “Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. ⁴⁴ The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, ⁴⁵ and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds^(V) with it. That’s the noise you hear. ⁴⁶ Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat^(W) on the royal throne. ⁴⁷ Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater^(X) than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed ⁴⁸ and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor^(Y) on my throne today.’”

⁴⁹ At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. ⁵⁰ But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns^(Z) of the altar. ⁵¹ Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”

⁵² Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair^(AA) of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” ⁵³ Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

39 ¹ In the ninth year of Zedekiah^(A) king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege^(C) to it. ² And on the ninth day of the fourth^(D) month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall^(E) was broken through.^{(F) 3} Then all the officials^(G) of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. ⁴ When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,^(H) and headed toward the Arabah.^[a](I)

⁵ But the Babylonian^[b] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah^(J) in the plains of Jericho. They captured^(K) him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah^(L) in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. ⁶ There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles^(M) of Judah. ⁷ Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes^(N) and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.^(O)

⁸ The Babylonians^[c] set fire^(P) to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls^(Q) of Jerusalem. ⁹ Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,^(R) and the rest of the people.^{(S) 10} But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

¹¹ Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: ¹² “Take him and look after him; don’t harm^(T) him but do for him whatever he asks.” ¹³ So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers^(U) of the king of Babylon ¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(V) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(W) son of Ahikam,^(X) the son of Shaphan,^(Y) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(Z)

¹⁵ While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: ¹⁶ “Go and tell Ebed-Melek^(AA) the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words^(AB) against this city—words concerning disaster,^(AC) not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. ¹⁷ But I will rescue^(AD) you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. ¹⁸ I will save^(AE) you; you will not fall by the sword^(AF) but will escape with your life,^(AG) because you trust^(AH) in me, declares the Lord.’”

Psalm 62^[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.^{(A) 40} They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering^(B)

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put^(C) and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”^(D)

Ingrafted Branches

¹¹ Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all!^(A) Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles^(B) to make Israel envious.^{(C) 12} But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles,^(D) how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

¹³ I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,^(E) I take pride in my ministry ¹⁴ in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy^(F) and save^(G) some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection brought reconciliation^(H) to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?^{(I) 16} If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits^(J) is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷ If some of the branches have been broken off,^(K) and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others^(L) and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, ¹⁸ do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.^{(M) 19} You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” ²⁰ Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.^(N) Do not be arrogant,^(O) but tremble.^{(P) 21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

²² Consider therefore the kindness^(Q) and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue^(R) in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.^{(S) 23} And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.^{(T) 24} After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree,^(U) how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!