Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Call to Worship the Lord the Righteous Judge.

^23 (A)Also in the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. ²⁴ Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub and five cubits the other wing of the cherub; from the end of one wing to the end of the other wing were ten cubits. ²⁵ The other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubim were of the same measure and the same form. ²⁶ The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. ²⁷ He placed the cherubim in the midst of the inner house, and ^(B)the wings of the cherubim were spread out, so that the wing of the one was touching the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub was touching the other wall. So their wings were touching each other in the center of the house. ²⁸ He also overlaid the cherubim with gold.

²⁹ Then he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved engravings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, inner and outer sanctuaries. ³⁰ He overlaid the floor of the house with gold, inner and outer sanctuaries.

³¹ For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood, the lintel and five-sided doorposts. ³² So he made two doors of olive wood, and he carved on them carvings of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees.

³³ So also he made for the entrance of the nave four-sided doorposts of olive wood ³⁴ and ^(C)two doors of cypress wood; the two leaves of the one door turned on pivots, and the two ^[a]leaves of the other door turned on pivots. ³⁵ He carved on it cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold evenly applied on the engraved work. ^36 (D)He built the inner court with three rows of cut stone and a row of cedar beams.

^37 (E)In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. ³⁸ In the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished throughout all its parts and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.

¹¹ Therefore, knowing the ^(A)fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are ^(B)made manifest also in your consciences. ¹² We are not ^(C)again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an ^(D)occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For if we ^[a]are ^(E)beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ ^(F)controls us, having concluded this, that ^(G)one died for all, therefore all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer ^(H)live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

¹⁶ Therefore from now on we recognize no one ^[b](I)according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ ^[c]according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is ^(J)in Christ, ^[d]he is ^(K)a new creature; ^(L)the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.