Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

David’s Address about the Temple

28 Now ^(A)David assembled at Jerusalem all the officials of Israel, the leaders of the tribes, and the commanders of the divisions that served the king, the commanders of thousands, and the commanders of hundreds, and the overseers of all the property and livestock belonging to the king and his sons, with the officials and ^(B)the mighty men, all the valiant warriors. ² Then King David rose to his feet and said, “Listen to me, my brothers and my people; ^[a]I ^(C)had intended to build a ^[b]permanent home for the ark of the covenant of the Lord and for ^(D)the footstool of our God. So I had made preparations to build it. ³ But God said to me, ‘^(E)You shall not build a house for My name, because you are a man of war and have shed blood.’ ⁴ Yet, the Lord, the God of Israel, ^(F)chose me from all the household of my father to be king over Israel ^(G)forever. For ^(H)He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and ^(I)in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel. ^5 (J)Of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons), ^(K)He has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel. ⁶ He said to me, ‘Your son ^(L)Solomon is the one who shall build My house and My courtyards; for I have chosen him to be a son to Me, and I will be a Father to him. ⁷ I will establish his kingdom forever ^(M)if he resolutely performs My commandments and My ordinances, as ^[c]is done now.’ ⁸ So now, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the ^[d]presence of our God, keep and seek after all the commandments of the Lord your God so that you may possess the good land and leave it as an inheritance to your sons after you forever.

⁹ “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and ^(N)serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing ^[e]mind; ^(O)for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. ^(P)If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. ¹⁰ Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; ^(Q)be courageous and act.”

¹⁰ According to ^(A)the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder ^(B)I laid a foundation, and ^(C)another is building on it. But each person must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a ^(D)foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, ^13 (E)each one’s work will become evident; for ^(F)the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[a]the quality of each one’s work. ¹⁴ If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will ^(G)receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only ^(H)so as through fire.

^16 (I)Do you not know that ^(J)you are a ^[b]temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys the ^[c]temple of God, God will destroy ^[d]that person; for the ^[e]temple of God is holy, ^[f]and that is what you are.