Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Song of Praise to God Coming in Judgment^(A)

²³ Inside the inner sanctuary ^(A)he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. ²⁴ One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub five cubits: ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. ²⁵ And the other cherub was ten cubits; both cherubim were of the same size and shape. ²⁶ The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. ²⁷ Then he set the cherubim inside the inner ^[a]room; and ^(B)they stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. ²⁸ Also he overlaid the cherubim with gold.

²⁹ Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved ^(C)figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. ³⁰ And the floor of the temple he overlaid with gold, both the inner and outer sanctuaries.

³¹ For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood; the lintel and doorposts were ^[b]one-fifth of the wall. ³² The two doors were of olive wood; and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. ³³ So for the door of the ^[c]sanctuary he also made doorposts of olive wood, ^[d]one-fourth of the wall. ³⁴ And the two doors were of cypress wood; ^(D)two panels comprised one folding door, and two panels comprised the other folding door. ³⁵ Then he carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers on them, and overlaid them with gold applied evenly on the carved work.

³⁶ And he built the ^(E)inner court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams.

^37 (F)In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of ^[e]Ziv. ³⁸ And in the eleventh year, in the month of ^[f]Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was ^(G)seven years in building it.

¹¹ Knowing, therefore, ^(A)the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God

¹² For ^(B)we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity ^(C)to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For ^(D)if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that ^(E)if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, ^(F)that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

^16 (G)Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, ^(H)yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone ^(I)is in Christ, he is ^(J)a new creation; ^(K)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^(L)new.