Interlude: Where Wisdom Is Found

⁷ These have come so that the proven genuineness^(A) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire^(B)—may result in praise, glory and honor^(C) when Jesus Christ is revealed.^(D)

² But who can endure^(A) the day of his coming?^(B) Who can stand^(C) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire^(D) or a launderer’s soap.^{(E) 3} He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;^(F) he will purify^(G) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.^(H) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,^(I)

² With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God—gold^(A) for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise,^[a](B) stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble—all of these in large quantities.^{(C) 3} Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided^(D) for this holy temple: ⁴ three thousand talents^[b] of gold (gold of Ophir)^(E) and seven thousand talents^[c] of refined silver,^(F) for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, ⁵ for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate themselves to the Lord today?”