Old/New Testament
Chapter 4
1 Then Solomon made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. 2 After that, he made the sea of cast metal. It was circular in shape, ten cubits from rim to rim, and five cubits high.
3 Under the sea and completely encircling the thirty cubits of its circumference there was a ring of figures of oxen in two rows, ten to the cubit. 4 It stood on twelve oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The hindquarters of each faced inward, and the sea was set on them. 5 It was a hand’s breadth in thickness, and its rim was like that of a cup—lily-shaped. It could hold three thousand baths.[a]
6 He also made ten basins for washing, placing five on the right and five on the left. These were to be employed to rinse what would be used for the burnt offerings. However, the sea was for the priests to wash in.
7 Then he made ten lampstands of gold as prescribed and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 8 He also made ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right and five on the left, as well as one hundred basins of gold.[b]
9 Next he made the court of the priests and the great courtyard with its gates. After he had overlaid the doors with bronze, 10 he placed the sea off to the southeast on the right-hand side of the temple.
11 Meanwhile Huram made the pots, the shovels, and the basins. He thus completed all the work he had undertaken for King Solomon on the temple of God: 12 the two pillars, the bowls, and the two capitals that were on the top of the pillars; the two sets of filigree to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the pillars; 13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, with two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover two bowl-shaped capitals surmounting the two pillars; 14 the ten stands and the basins on the stands; 15 the one sea and the twelve oxen that supported it; 16 likewise the pots, the shovels, and the basins—all of these articles Huram-abi made of burnished bronze cast for King Solomon for the house of the Lord.
17 Then the king had them cast in the foundry between Succoth and Zeredah in the plain of the Jordan. 18 Solomon made all these objects in great quantities, and as a result, the weight of the bronze was not determined.
19 Solomon had all of these articles made for the Lord God: the golden altar, the tables for the bread of the Presence, 20 [c]the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn before the inner sanctuary as prescribed; 21 the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of the purest gold; 22 the snuffers, the bowls, the ladles, and the firepans of pure gold. As for the entrance to the temple, the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors to the nave of the temple were of gold.
Chapter 5
Dedication of the Temple. 1 When all the work that Solomon had done was completed, he brought in the treasures that his father David had dedicated, and he deposited the silver, the gold, and all the vessels in the treasuries of the house of God.
2 Then Solomon summoned the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes and the princes of the families of Israel, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. 3 All the men of Israel assembled before the king at the festival of the seventh month.
4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites lifted up the Ark, 5 and the priests and the Levites carried it and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels that it contained. 6 King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who were present with him assembled before the Ark and sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or reckoned.
7 Then the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place where the Ark stood, so that they sheltered the Ark and its poles.
9 The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from outside. They are still there to this very day.[d] 10 There was nothing inside the Ark aside from the two tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb when the Lord had made a covenant with the people of Israel after they had departed from Egypt.
11 When the priests emerged from the Holy Place—for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves without regard to their divisions— 12 all the Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, with their sons and brothers, dressed themselves in fine linen, with cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were standing to the east of the altar with one hundred and twenty priests, blowing the trumpets.
13 The trumpeters and the singers joined in unison to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and when the volume was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise of the Lord:
“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever,”[e]
the temple was filled with the cloud of the glory of the Lord, 14 and as a result of the cloud the priests could not continue to minister, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.
Chapter 6
1 Then Solomon said:
“The Lord has said
that he has chosen to dwell in thick darkness.
2 I have built you a magnificent temple, O Lord,
a dwelling place in which you may reside forever.”
3 Then the king turned around and blessed the entire assembly of Israelites as they stood before him. 4 He said: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with his hand what he promised with his mouth to my father David, when he said: 5 ‘From the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any of the tribes of Israel in which to have a temple built to honor my name, nor did I choose any man to be the ruler over my people Israel. 6 However, now I have chosen Jerusalem, where I shall be honored, and I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.’
7 “My father David was determined to build a temple to honor the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 However, the Lord said to him: ‘In wishing to build a temple in my honor, you did well. 9 But nevertheless you shall not build the temple. Rather, your son who shall be born to you shall be the one who will build the temple in my name.’
10 “Now the Lord has fulfilled his promise that he made. For I have succeeded my father David and taken his place on the throne of Israel, as the Lord foretold. In addition, I have built the temple to honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have installed the Ark containing the covenant of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”
12 Solomon’s Prayer.[f] Then, in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord and spread out his hands. 13 Solomon had made a bronze platform, measuring five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, which he directed to be placed in the center of the courtyard, and he stood on it. Then he knelt down[g] in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.
14 “Lord, God of Israel,” he said, “there is no God like you in heaven or on earth, as you keep your covenant and show steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart. 15 You have kept the promise you made to my father David. Indeed, what you promised him with your words you have fulfilled by your deeds.
16 “And now, Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant David, my father, when you said: ‘You shall never fail to have a successor to sit in my presence on the throne of Israel, provided that your sons are careful to keep to their ways and conform to my law, as you yourself have done.’ 17 Therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, let this promise be confirmed which you promised to your servant David.
18 “And yet, will God indeed dwell with the people on earth? If the heavens and even the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built! 19 Look with kindness on your servant’s prayer and his plea, O Lord, my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant makes before you.
20 “May your eyes be forever on this house day and night, the place where you decreed that you would establish your name. Listen to the prayer that your servant offers in your presence. 21 Also hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel which they direct toward this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling, and when you hear, grant us forgiveness.
22 “When anyone sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes forth and swears before your altar in this temple, 23 then listen from heaven and take the necessary action. Judge your servants, requiting the guilty person and holding him responsible for his conduct, but absolving the innocent person and rewarding him in accordance with his righteousness.
24 “Should your people Israel sin against you and as a result be defeated by an enemy, but then return to you and confess your name and pray and plead to you in this temple, 25 listen to them and forgive the sin of your people Israel and then bring them back to the land that you gave to them and their ancestors.
26 “When the heavens are shut and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray toward this place, praise your name, and desist from sin because you have afflicted them, 27 listen to their pleas in heaven and forgive the sin of your servants and of your people Israel. Show them the path of righteousness along which they should walk and send down rain upon your land which you have given to your people as an inheritance.
28 “Should there be famine afflicting the land, or plague, or blight, or mildew, or locusts, or caterpillars, or should enemies besiege your people in any of their cities, or should plague or sickness befall them, 29 then mercifully listen to the prayer or supplication of everyone among your people Israel, each one knowing his own suffering and his own sorrows and stretching out his hands toward this temple. 30 Listen from heaven, your dwelling place, as you grant forgiveness and deal with each man according to his deeds, since you alone know what is in each person’s heart.[h] 31 As a result, the people will fear you and walk in your ways throughout all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our ancestors.
32 “Likewise, when foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel come from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, and they approach and pray in your temple, 33 listen from heaven, your dwelling place, and grant whatever they ask of you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may acknowledge your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built bears your name.
34 “If your people go forth to engage in war against their enemies, wherever you choose to send them, and they pray to you, facing toward this city that you have chosen and toward this house that I have built to honor your name, 35 then listen from heaven to their prayer and their supplication, and defend their cause.
36 “When your people sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and in your anger against them you deliver them into the power of the enemy who will carry them away captive to a land far or near, 37 and then, later on, if they come to their senses in the land to which they have been taken as captives and they repent, entreating you in the land of their captivity as they say: ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’ 38 and they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity to which they have been taken, and they pray, turning toward the land which you gave to their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built to honor your name, 39 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, uphold their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
40 “Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears be attentive to the prayer offered in this place.
41 “Now rise up, O Lord God,
and go to your resting place,
you and the Ark of your might.
Let your priests, Lord God,
be clothed with your salvation,
and let your faithful ones
rejoice in your goodness.
42 O Lord God, do not reject your anointed one.
Remember the faithful love of your servant David.”
24 The Jews gathered around him and asked, “How much longer will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus replied,
“I have told you,
but you do not believe.
The works that I do in my Father’s name
bear witness to me,
26 but you do not believe
because you are not my sheep.
27 “My sheep listen to my voice.
I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish.
No one will ever snatch them from my hand.
29 My Father who has given them to me
is greater than all,
and no one can snatch them
out of the Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”[a]
31 Once again, the Jews picked up rocks to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have performed in your presence many good works from my Father. For which of these works are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered, “We are not going to stone you for any good work you have done, but for blasphemy. Even though you are a man, you are claiming to be God.” 34 Jesus replied,
“Is it not written in your Law,[b]
‘I said: You are gods’?
35 If those to whom
the word of God was addressed
are called ‘gods’
—and Scripture cannot be set aside—
36 how can you say, ‘You blaspheme,’
to the one whom the Father has consecrated
and sent into the world
for saying, ‘I am the Son of God’?
37 “If I am not performing
the works of my Father,
then do not believe me.
38 However, if I am doing them,
then even if you do not believe me,
at least believe my works,
so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me
and I am in the Father.”
39 They again tried to seize him, but he escaped from their clutches.
40 The Testimony of John the Baptist.[c] He went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and he remained there. 41 Many people came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many there came to believe in him.
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