Old/New Testament

Objects for Worship

4 Then he made a brass altar. It was ten steps long, and ten steps wide, and three times taller than a man. ² He melted brass and made a pool. It was round, and five long steps from one side to the other. It was as tall as a man can raise his hand. And it took fifteen steps to walk around it. ³ There were objects that looked like oxen under the pool and all around it, (ten long steps around it). The oxen were in two rows, and were made of one piece. ⁴ The pool was put on the twelve oxen. Three had their faces toward the north, three toward the west, three toward the south, and three toward the east. The pool was put on top of them. All their tails were toward the center. ⁵ The brass of the pool was as thick as a hand is wide. Its round top was made like the top of a cup, like a lily flower. It could hold 22,000 bottles of water. ⁶ He made ten pots in which to wash. He put five on the right side and five on the left side. They were to wash what was used for the burnt gifts. But the pool was for the religious leaders to wash in.

⁷ Then he made ten gold lamp-stands, as was shown in the plan. He put them in the house of God, five on the right side and five on the left. ⁸ He made ten tables and put them in the house of God. Five were on the right side and five on the left. And he made 100 deep dishes out of gold. ⁹ Then he made the open space of the religious leaders, the large open space, and the doors for the open space. And he covered their doors with brass. ¹⁰ He set the pool at the south-east corner of the house.

¹¹ Then Huram made the pails, the tools for digging, and the pots. So Huram finished the work of God’s house that he did for King Solomon. ¹² He finished making the two pillars, the pots, and the two pieces on top of the pillars. He finished the two networks to cover the two pots of the pieces on top of the pillars. ¹³ He finished the 400 pomegranates for the two networks. There were two rows of pomegranates for each network, to cover the two pots of the pieces on top of the pillars. ¹⁴ He made the stands and he made the pots on the stands. ¹⁵ He made the one pool with the twelve oxen under it. ¹⁶ Huram-abi made the pails, the tools for digging, the meat-hooks, and all their objects. He made them of shining brass for King Solomon for the house of the Lord. ¹⁷ The king had them made on the plain of the Jordan, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah. ¹⁸ Solomon made so many of these objects that the weight of the brass could not be known.

¹⁹ Solomon made all the things that were in the house of God. He made the gold altar, and the tables for the holy bread. ²⁰ He made the lamp-stands with their lamps of pure gold, to burn in front of the most holy place in the way given. ²¹ He made the flowers, the lamps and their objects of pure gold. ²² He made the things to put out the lamps, the pots and the fire-holders of pure gold. And he made the front of the house, its inside doors for the most holy place, and the doors of the holy place, all of gold.

5 So all the work that Solomon did for the Lord’s house was finished. He brought in the things that his father David had set apart, the silver and the gold and all the objects. He put them in the store-rooms of the house of God.

The Special Box Brought into the House of God

² Then Solomon gathered to Jerusalem the leaders of Israel, and all the heads of the families, the leaders of the fathers’ houses of the sons of Israel. He called them together to bring up the special box with the Law of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. ³ All the men of Israel gathered together in front of the king at the special supper in the seventh month. ⁴ All the leaders of Israel came, and the Levites took up the special box of God. ⁵ They brought up the special box of God, the meeting tent, and all the holy objects that were in the tent. The religious leaders and the Levites brought them up. ⁶ Then King Solomon and all the people of Israel who were with him were in front of the special box of God. There they gave on the altar in worship so many sheep and oxen that they could not be numbered. ⁷ The religious leaders brought the special box of the Lord to its place. They brought it into the most holy place in the house, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the special box of God. They made a covering over the special box and its long pieces of wood used for carrying. ⁹ The pieces of wood for the special box of God were so long that their ends could be seen in front of the holy place. But they could not be seen outside. They are there to this day. ¹⁰ There was nothing in the special box of God except the two stone writings which Moses put there at Horeb. It was there that the Lord made an agreement with the people of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ Then the religious leaders came out of the holy place. All the religious leaders who were there had set themselves apart, without thinking of how they were divided. ¹² All the Levite singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and brothers, were dressed in fine linen. They stood east of the altar, with timbrels and different kinds of harps. With them were 120 religious leaders sounding horns. ¹³ Those who sounded the horns and the singers made themselves heard as with one voice, praising and thanking the Lord. They sang in a loud voice, with horns, and timbrels, and other objects for making music. They praised the Lord, saying, “He is good. For His loving-kindness lasts forever.” Then the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud. ¹⁴ The religious leaders could not stand to do their work because of the cloud. For the shining-greatness of the Lord filled the house of God.

Solomon’s Words to the People

6 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that He would live in the thick cloud. ² I have built a great house for You. It is a place for You to live in forever.” ³ Then the king turned around and prayed that good would come to all the people of Israel, while all the people of Israel stood.

⁴ Solomon said, “Honor and thanks be to the Lord, the God of Israel. He spoke with His mouth to my father David. And He has kept His promises with His hands, saying, ⁵ ‘Since the day that I brought My people from the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the families of Israel in which to build a house for My name. I did not choose any man to be a leader over My people Israel. ⁶ But I have chosen Jerusalem that My name might be there. And I have chosen David to rule My people Israel.’ ⁷ Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ⁸ But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Because it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. ⁹ But you will not build the house. Your son who will be born to you will build the house for My name.’ ¹⁰ Now the Lord has kept His promise which He made. For I have taken the place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. And I have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹¹ There I have put the special box with the Law of the Lord which He gave to the people of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer

¹² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in front of all the people of Israel, and spread out his hands. ¹³ Solomon had made a special place to stand, out of brass. It was as long and as wide as three steps, and as high as a man’s chest. And he had put it in the center of the open space. He stood on it, then got down on his knees in front of all the people of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven. ¹⁴ He said, “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth. You keep Your promises and show loving-kindness to Your servants who walk with You with all their hearts. ¹⁵ You have kept Your promises to Your servant David my father. Yes, You have spoken with Your mouth, and have done all You said You would do, as it is today. ¹⁶ So now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep Your promise which You made to Your servant David my father, saying, ‘You will never be without a man to sit on the throne of Israel. But your sons must be careful to walk in My Law, as you have done.’ ¹⁷ So now, O Lord, God of Israel, let Your Word be made sure which You have spoken to Your servant David.

¹⁸ “But is it true that God will live with man on the earth? See, heaven and the highest heaven cannot hold You. How much less can this house hold You which I have built! ¹⁹ But respect the prayer of Your servant and what he asks of You, O Lord my God. Listen to the cry and to the prayer which Your servant prays to You. ²⁰ May Your eyes be open day and night toward this house, the place where You have promised to put Your name. Listen to the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place. ²¹ Listen to what Your servant and Your people Israel ask for when they pray toward this place. Hear from the place where You live, from heaven. Hear and forgive.

²² “If a man sins against his neighbor, and has to make a promise, and he comes and makes a promise before Your altar in this house, ²³ then hear from heaven, and act. Judge Your servants. Punish the sinful by bringing his actions on his own head. And make it known that the one who is right and good is not guilty. Bring good to him because he is right and good.

²⁴ “If Your people Israel lose a battle against those who hate them, because they have sinned against You, and they return to You and tell of Your name, and pray and ask of You in this house, ²⁵ then listen to them from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. Bring them back to the land You have given to them and to their fathers.

²⁶ “When the heavens are shut up and give no rain because the people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and tell of Your name, and turn from their sin when You bring trouble to them, ²⁷ then hear in heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants and Your people Israel. Teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people.

²⁸ “If there is a time of no food in the land, and if there is a disease that kills the plants, or if there are locusts or grasshoppers, if those who hate Your people send armies to trap them in their cities, whatever trouble or sickness there is, ²⁹ hear the prayer made by any man or by all Your people Israel. Each one will know his own trouble and his own pain. And when he spreads his hands toward this house, ³⁰ then hear from heaven where You live, and forgive. Give to each man what he should have. For You, and only You, know the hearts of men. ³¹ May they fear You and walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land You have given to our fathers.

³² “If a stranger who is not from Your people Israel comes from a far country because of Your great name, Your powerful hand, and Your strong arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, ³³ hear from heaven where You live. Do all that the stranger asks of You. Then all the people of the earth may know Your name and honor You with fear, as Your people Israel do. And then they may know that this house I have built is called by Your name.

³⁴ “When Your people go out to battle against those who hate them, by whatever way You send them, and they pray to You toward this city which You have chosen and the house I have built for Your name, ³⁵ then hear their prayer from heaven and help them.

³⁶ “When they sin against You, (for there is no man who does not sin), and You are angry with them and give them to those who hate them, they will be carried away against their will to a land far away or near. ³⁷ If they think about it in the land where they have been taken, and are sorry for their sins and turn away from them and pray to You in the land where they have been taken, saying, ‘We have sinned. We have been bad and have done wrong.’ ³⁸ If they come back to You with all their heart and soul in the land where they have been taken and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers and toward the city You have chosen and toward the house I have built for Your name, ³⁹ then hear from heaven where You live. Hear their prayer and what they ask for, and help them. Forgive Your people who have sinned against You.

⁴⁰ “Now, O my God, I ask You, let Your eyes be open and let Your ears listen to the prayer given in this place. ⁴¹ Now rise up, O Lord God. Go to Your resting place, You and the special box of Your power. O Lord God, let Your religious leaders be dressed in saving power. Let those who belong to You be filled with joy in what is good. ⁴² O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your chosen one. Remember Your loving-kindness to Your servant David.”

²⁴ The Jews gathered around Him. They said, “How long are You going to keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us.”

²⁵ Jesus answered, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name speak of Me. ²⁶ You do not believe because you are not My sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear My voice and I know them. They follow Me. ²⁸ I give them life that lasts forever. They will never be punished. No one is able to take them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father Who gave them to Me is greater than all. No one is able to take them out of My Father’s hand. ³⁰ My Father and I are one!”

Jesus Talks to Angry Men

³¹ Again the Jews picked up stones to throw at Him. ³² Jesus said to them, “Many good things have I shown you from My Father. For which of these things are you going to throw stones at Me?” ³³ They said, “We are not going to throw stones at You for any good work. It is because of the way You talk against God. It is because You make Yourself to be God when You are only a man.” ³⁴ Jesus said to them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ^{(A) 35} The Holy Writings were given to them and God called them gods. (The Word of God cannot be put aside.) ³⁶ But God has set Me apart for Himself. He sent Me into the world. Then how can you say that I am speaking against God because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? ³⁷ If I am not doing the works of My Father, do not believe Me. ³⁸ But if I do them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works that I do. Then you will know the Father is in Me and I am in Him.” ³⁹ They tried again to take Him but He got out of their hands.

Jesus Goes to the Other Side of the Jordan River

⁴⁰ Jesus went away to the other side of the Jordan River to the place where John was baptizing people. Jesus stayed there. ⁴¹ Many people came to Him and said, “John did no powerful work, but what John said about this Man is true.” ⁴² Many people put their trust in Jesus there.