Solomon Builds the Temple^(A)

3 Then Solomon began to build^(B) the temple of the Lord^(C) in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah^[a](D) the Jebusite, the place provided by David. ² He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.^(E)

³ The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide^[b](F) (using the cubit of the old standard). ⁴ The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits^[c] long across the width of the building and twenty^[d] cubits high.

He overlaid the inside with pure gold. ⁵ He paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree^(G) and chain designs. ⁶ He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. ⁷ He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim^(H) on the walls.

⁸ He built the Most Holy Place,^(I) its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents^[e] of fine gold. ⁹ The gold nails^(J) weighed fifty shekels.^[f] He also overlaid the upper parts with gold.

¹⁰ For the Most Holy Place he made a pair^(K) of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits^[g] long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub. ¹² Similarly one wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the other temple wall, and its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the first cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubim^(L) extended twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main hall.^[h]

¹⁴ He made the curtain^(M) of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim^(N) worked into it.

¹⁵ For the front of the temple he made two pillars,^(O) which together were thirty-five cubits^[i] long, each with a capital^(P) five cubits high. ¹⁶ He made interwoven chains^[j](Q) and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates^(R) and attached them to the chains. ¹⁷ He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin^[k] and the one to the north Boaz.^[l]

To the Elders and the Flock

5 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder^(A) and a witness^(B) of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:^{(C) 2} Be shepherds of God’s flock^(D) that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;^(E) not pursuing dishonest gain,^(F) but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over^(G) those entrusted to you, but being examples^(H) to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd^(I) appears, you will receive the crown of glory^(J) that will never fade away.^(K)

⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves^(L) to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility^(M) toward one another, because,

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.^{(O) 7} Cast all your anxiety on him^(P) because he cares for you.^(Q)

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind.^(R) Your enemy the devil prowls around^(S) like a roaring lion^(T) looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him,^(U) standing firm in the faith,^(V) because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.^(W)

¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you^(X) to his eternal glory^(Y) in Christ, after you have suffered a little while,^(Z) will himself restore you and make you strong,^(AA) firm and steadfast. ¹¹ To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.^(AB)

Final Greetings

¹² With the help of Silas,^[b](AC) whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly,^(AD) encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.^(AE)

¹³ She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.^{(AF) 14} Greet one another with a kiss of love.^(AG)

Peace^(AH) to all of you who are in Christ.

The Lord’s Case Against Israel

6 Listen to what the Lord says:

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Warnings and Encouragements^(A)

12 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be^[a] on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.^{(B) 2} There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.^{(C) 3} What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends,^(D) do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.^{(E) 6} Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.^(F) Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^(G)

⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.^{(H) 9} But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned^(I) before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man^(J) will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.^(K)

¹¹ “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,^{(L) 12} for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”^(M)

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”

¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”^(N)

¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’

¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’

²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool!^(O) This very night your life will be demanded from you.^(P) Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’^(Q)

²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”^(R)

Do Not Worry^(S)

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.^(T) And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[b]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor^(U) was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!^{(V) 29} And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father^(W) knows that you need them.^{(X) 31} But seek his kingdom,^(Y) and these things will be given to you as well.^(Z)

³² “Do not be afraid,^(AA) little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.^{(AB) 33} Sell your possessions and give to the poor.^(AC) Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven^(AD) that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.^{(AE) 34} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.^(AF)

Watchfulness^(AG)(AH)

³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes.^(AI) Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them.^{(AJ) 38} It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. ³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief^(AK) was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready,^(AL) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

⁴² The Lord^(AM) answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. ⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.^(AN) He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows.^{(AO) 48} But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.^(AP) From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Not Peace but Division^(AQ)

⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism^(AR) to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed!^{(AS) 51} Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”^(AT)

Interpreting the Times

⁵⁴ He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does.^{(AU) 55} And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. ⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?^(AV)

⁵⁷ “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸ As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled on the way, or your adversary may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.^{(AW) 59} I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”^(AX)