Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

22 Then David said, “The house of the Lord God^(A) is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.”

Preparations for the Temple

² So David gave orders to assemble the foreigners^(B) residing in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters^(C) to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. ³ He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed.^{(D) 4} He also provided more cedar logs^(E) than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.

⁵ David said, “My son Solomon is young^(F) and inexperienced, and the house to be built for the Lord should be of great magnificence and fame and splendor^(G) in the sight of all the nations. Therefore I will make preparations for it.” So David made extensive preparations before his death.

⁶ Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build^(H) a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁷ David said to Solomon: “My son, I had it in my heart^(I) to build^(J) a house for the Name^(K) of the Lord my God. ⁸ But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars.^(L) You are not to build a house for my Name,^(M) because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. ⁹ But you will have a son who will be a man of peace^(N) and rest,^(O) and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon,^[a](P) and I will grant Israel peace and quiet^(Q) during his reign. ¹⁰ He is the one who will build a house for my Name.^(R) He will be my son,^(S) and I will be his father. And I will establish^(T) the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’^(U)

¹¹ “Now, my son, the Lord be with^(V) you, and may you have success and build the house of the Lord your God, as he said you would. ¹² May the Lord give you discretion and understanding^(W) when he puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. ¹³ Then you will have success^(X) if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws^(Y) that the Lord gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous.^(Z) Do not be afraid or discouraged.

¹⁴ “I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents^[b] of gold, a million talents^[c] of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them.^{(AA) 15} You have many workers: stonecutters, masons and carpenters,^(AB) as well as those skilled in every kind of work ¹⁶ in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen^(AC) beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you.”

¹⁷ Then David ordered^(AD) all the leaders of Israel to help his son Solomon. ¹⁸ He said to them, “Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest^(AE) on every side?^(AF) For he has given the inhabitants of the land into my hands, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. ¹⁹ Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God.^(AG) Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.”

John and the Angel

⁶ The angel said to me,^(A) “These words are trustworthy and true.^(B) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,^(C) sent his angel^(D) to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon!^(E) Blessed^(F) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”^(G)

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.^(H) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet^(I) of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹ But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.^(J) Worship God!”^(K)

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up^(L) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,^(M) because the time is near.^{(N) 11} Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”^(O)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

¹² “Look, I am coming soon!^(P) My reward is with me,^(Q) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.^{(R) 13} I am the Alpha and the Omega,^(S) the First and the Last,^(T) the Beginning and the End.^(U)

¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes,^(V) that they may have the right to the tree of life^(W) and may go through the gates^(X) into the city.^{(Y) 15} Outside^(Z) are the dogs,^(AA) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

¹⁶ “I, Jesus,^(AB) have sent my angel^(AC) to give you^[a] this testimony for the churches.^(AD) I am the Root^(AE) and the Offspring of David,^(AF) and the bright Morning Star.”^(AG)

¹⁷ The Spirit^(AH) and the bride^(AI) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.^(AJ)

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:^(AK) If anyone adds anything to them,^(AL) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.^{(AM) 19} And if anyone takes words away^(AN) from this scroll of prophecy,^(AO) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life^(AP) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things^(AQ) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”^(AR)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.^(AS)

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.^(AT) Amen.

The Parable of the Wandering Sheep^(A)

¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels^(B) in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. ^[11] [a]

¹² “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? ¹³ And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. ¹⁴ In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Dealing With Sin in the Church

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister^[b] sins,^[c] go and point out their fault,^(C) just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’^{[d](D) 17} If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church;^(E) and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.^(F)

¹⁸ “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be^[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be^[f] loosed in heaven.^(G)

¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them^(H) by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”^(I)