Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

^2 (A)Then Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, ^(B)to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David, which is Zion. ^3 (C)All the men of Israel assembled themselves before the king at ^(D)the feast, that is in the seventh month. ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel came, and ^(E)the Levites picked up the ark. ⁵ They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and all the holy utensils that were in the tent. The Levitical priests brought them up. ⁶ And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who had assembled with him before the ark were sacrificing ^[a]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. ⁷ Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its ^[b]poles. ⁹ The poles were so long that ^(F)the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and ^[c]they are there to this day. ^10 (G)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

The Glory of God Fills the Temple

¹¹ When the priests came out from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard ^(H)to divisions), ¹² and all the Levitical singers, ^(I)Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, ^(J)with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them 120 priests ^(K)blowing trumpets ¹³ in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they raised their voices ^(L)accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments, and when they praised the Lord saying, “^(M)He indeed is good for His ^[d]kindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, ¹⁴ so that the priests could not rise to minister because of the cloud, for ^(N)the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

¹⁹ “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but continually proclaimed ^(A)to those in Damascus first, and ^(B)in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even ^(C)to the Gentiles, that they are to ^(D)repent and turn to God, performing deeds ^(E)consistent with repentance. ²¹ For these reasons some Jews ^(F)seized me in the temple and tried ^(G)to murder me. ²² So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day ^(H)testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what ^(I)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, ²³ as to ^(J)whether the ^[a]Christ was ^[b]to suffer, and whether, as ^(K)first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim ^(L)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

²⁴ While ^[c]Paul was stating these things in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! ^[d]Your great ^(M)learning is ^[e]driving you insane.” ²⁵ But Paul *said, “I am not insane, ^(N)most excellent Festus; on the contrary, I am speaking out with ^[f]truthful and rational words. ²⁶ For the king ^[g](O)knows about these matters, and I also speak to him with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a ^[h]corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you believe.” ²⁸ Agrippa replied to Paul, “^[i]In a short time you are going to persuade me to ^[j]make a ^(P)Christian of myself.” ²⁹ And Paul said, “I would ^[k]wish to God that even ^[l]in a short or long time not only you, but also all who hear me this day would become such as I myself am, except for these ^(Q)chains.”