Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
84 How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young” even Thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; they will be ever praising Thee. Selah
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee, in whose heart are Thy ways,
6 who passing through the Valley of Baca makes it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7 They go from strength to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed.
10 For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee!
6 Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
2 And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a scroll, and therein was a record thus written:
3 “In the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid — the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits,
4 with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber — and let the expenses be given out of the king’s house.
5 And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem and brought unto Babylon, be restored and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God.
6 “Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, be ye far from thence.
7 Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.
8 Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do for the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.
9 And that which they have need of — both young bullocks and rams and lambs for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests who are at Jerusalem — let it be given them day by day without fail,
10 that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savors unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
11 Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
12 And the God who hath caused His name to dwell there, destroy all kings and people who shall put forth their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with speed.”
13 Then Tattenai, governor on this side of the river, Shetharboznai and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.
14 And the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Idd. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves.
16 And He would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17 And He taught, saying unto them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called for all nations the house of prayer’? But ye have made it a den of thieves.”
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His doctrine.
19 And when evening had come, He went out of the city.
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