The Altar of Incense^(A)

²⁵ They made the altar of incense^(B) out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high^[a]—its horns^(C) of one piece with it. ²⁶ They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it. ²⁷ They made two gold rings^(D) below the molding—two on each of the opposite sides—to hold the poles used to carry it. ²⁸ They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.^(E)

²⁹ They also made the sacred anointing oil^(F) and the pure, fragrant incense^(G)—the work of a perfumer.

The Altar of Burnt Offering^(H)

38 They^[b] built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits^[c] high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.^{[d] 2} They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze.^{(I) 3} They made all its utensils^(J) of bronze—its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. ⁴ They made a grating for the altar, a bronze network, to be under its ledge, halfway up the altar. ⁵ They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating. ⁶ They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. ⁷ They inserted the poles into the rings so they would be on the sides of the altar for carrying it. They made it hollow, out of boards.

The Basin for Washing

⁸ They made the bronze basin^(K) and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women^(L) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

The Ark Brought to the Temple^(A)

8 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs^(B) of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark^(C) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David.^{(D) 2} All the Israelites came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival^(E) in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.^(F)

³ When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests^(G) took up the ark, ⁴ and they brought up the ark of the Lord and the tent of meeting^(H) and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites^(I) carried them up, ⁵ and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing^(J) so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

⁶ The priests then brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant^(K) to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place,^(L) and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.^{(M) 7} The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed^(N) the ark and its carrying poles. ⁸ These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.^{(O) 9} There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets^(P) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

¹⁰ When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud^(Q) filled the temple of the Lord. ¹¹ And the priests could not perform their service^(R) because of the cloud, for the glory^(S) of the Lord filled his temple.

¹² Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;^{(T) 13} I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell^(U) forever.”

¹⁴ While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed^(V) them. ¹⁵ Then he said:

A Message About Ammon

49 Concerning the Ammonites:^(A)

This is what the Lord says:

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

The Crucifixion of Jesus^(A)

²¹ A certain man from Cyrene,^(B) Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus,^(C) was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.^{(D) 22} They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). ²³ Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh,^(E) but he did not take it. ²⁴ And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots^(F) to see what each would get.

²⁵ It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. ²⁶ The written notice of the charge against him read: the king of the jews.^(G)

²⁷ They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. ^{[28] [a] 29} Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads^(H) and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,^{(I) 30} come down from the cross and save yourself!” ³¹ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him^(J) among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! ³² Let this Messiah,^(K) this king of Israel,^(L) come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

A Church Divided Over Leaders

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,^[a](A) in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you,^(B) but that you be perfectly united^(C) in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household^(D) have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”;^(E) another, “I follow Apollos”;^(F) another, “I follow Cephas^[b]”;^(G) still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?^{(H) 14} I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus^(I) and Gaius,^{(J) 15} so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household^(K) of Stephanas;^(L) beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize,^(M) but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom^(N) and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.