2 Chronicles 5-6

New International Version

5 When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished,^(A) he brought in the things his father David had dedicated^(B)—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

The Ark Brought to the Temple^(C)

²Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark^(D) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. ³And all the Israelites^(E) came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

⁴When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, ⁵and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests^(F) carried them up; ⁶and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

⁷The priests then brought the ark^(G) of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. ⁸The cherubim^(H) spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. ⁹These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. ¹⁰There was nothing in the ark except^(I) the two tablets^(J) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

¹¹The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.^(K) ¹²All the Levites who were musicians^(L)—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.^(M) ¹³The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;
his love endures forever.”^(N)

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud,^(O) ¹⁴and the priests could not perform^(P) their service because of the cloud,^(Q) for the glory^(R) of the Lord filled the temple of God.

6 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;^(S) ²I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.^(T)”

³While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. ⁴Then he said:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, ⁵‘Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel. ⁶But now I have chosen Jerusalem^(U) for my Name^(V) to be there, and I have chosen David^(W) to rule my people Israel.’

⁷“My father David had it in his heart^(X) to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. ⁹Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’

¹⁰“The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹¹There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant^(Y) of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication^(Z)^(AA)

¹²Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. ¹³Now he had made a bronze platform,^(AB) five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high,^[a] and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down^(AC) before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. ¹⁴He said:

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you^(AD) in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love^(AE) with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. ¹⁵You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised^(AF) and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

¹⁶“Now, Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail^(AG) to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law,^(AH) as you have done.’ ¹⁷And now, Lord, the God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true.

¹⁸“But will God really dwell^(AI) on earth with humans? The heavens,^(AJ) even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! ¹⁹Yet, Lord my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. ²⁰May your eyes^(AK) be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name^(AL) there. May you hear^(AM) the prayer your servant prays toward this place. ²¹Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.^(AN)

²²“When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath^(AO) and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, ²³then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning^(AP) the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.

²⁴“When your people Israel have been defeated^(AQ) by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, ²⁵then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.

²⁶“When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain^(AR) because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, ²⁷then hear from heaven and forgive^(AS) the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

²⁸“When famine^(AT) or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, ²⁹and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of their afflictions and pains, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— ³⁰then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive,^(AU) and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart),^(AV) ³¹so that they will fear you^(AW) and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

³²“As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come^(AX) from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand^(AY) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, ³³then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner^(AZ) asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

³⁴“When your people go to war against their enemies,^(BA) wherever you send them, and when they pray^(BB) to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, ³⁵then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

³⁶“When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin^(BC)—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive^(BD) to a land far away or near; ³⁷and if they have a change of heart^(BE) in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; ³⁸and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; ³⁹then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive^(BF) your people, who have sinned against you.

⁴⁰“Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive^(BG) to the prayers offered in this place.

⁴¹“Now arise,^(BH) Lord God, and come to your resting place,^(BI)
    you and the ark of your might.
May your priests,^(BJ) Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
    may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.^(BK)
⁴²Lord God, do not reject your anointed one.^(BL)
    Remember the great love^(BM) promised to David your servant.”

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 6:13 That is, about 7 1/2 feet long and wide and 4 1/2 feet high or about 2.3 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high

Psalm 79:11-13

New International Version

¹¹May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
¹²Pay back into the laps^(A) of our neighbors seven times^(B)
    the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
¹³Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,^(C)
    will praise you forever;^(D)
from generation to generation
    we will proclaim your praise.

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Proverbs 20:13-14

New International Version

¹³Do not love sleep or you will grow poor;^(A)
stay awake and you will have food to spare.

¹⁴“It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

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Acts 13:1-25

New International Version

13 ¹Now in the church at Antioch^(A) there were prophets^(B) and teachers:^(C) Barnabas,^(D) Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene,^(E) Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod^(F) the tetrarch) and Saul. ²While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said,^(G) “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work^(H) to which I have called them.”^(I) ³So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them^(J) and sent them off.^(K)

On Cyprus

⁴The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit,^(L) went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.^(M) ⁵When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God^(N) in the Jewish synagogues.^(O) John^(P) was with them as their helper.

⁶They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer^(Q) and false prophet^(R) named Bar-Jesus, ⁷who was an attendant of the proconsul,^(S) Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer^(T) (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul^(U) from the faith.^(V) ⁹Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,^(W) looked straight at Elymas and said, ¹⁰“You are a child of the devil^(X) and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?^(Y) ¹¹Now the hand of the Lord is against you.^(Z) You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”^(AA)

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹²When the proconsul^(AB) saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

In Pisidian Antioch

¹³From Paphos,^(AC) Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,^(AD) where John^(AE) left them to return to Jerusalem. ¹⁴From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch.^(AF) On the Sabbath^(AG) they entered the synagogue^(AH) and sat down. ¹⁵After the reading from the Law^(AI) and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”

¹⁶Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand^(AJ) and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! ¹⁷The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country;^(AK) ¹⁸for about forty years he endured their conduct^[a]^(AL) in the wilderness;^(AM) ¹⁹and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan,^(AN) giving their land to his people^(AO) as their inheritance.^(AP) ²⁰All this took about 450 years.

“After this, God gave them judges^(AQ) until the time of Samuel the prophet.^(AR) ²¹Then the people asked for a king,^(AS) and he gave them Saul^(AT) son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin,^(AU) who ruled forty years. ²²After removing Saul,^(AV) he made David their king.^(AW) God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;^(AX) he will do everything I want him to do.’^(AY)

²³“From this man’s descendants^(AZ) God has brought to Israel the Savior^(BA) Jesus,^(BB) as he promised.^(BC) ²⁴Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.^(BD) ²⁵As John was completing his work,^(BE) he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for.^(BF) But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’^(BG)