Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord is Holy

Moses Inspects the Completed Work

³² All the work on the Tent of Meeting was completed, and the Israelis had crafted it according to everything that the Lord had commanded Moses, as they should have.^{[a] 33} They brought to Moses the tent, all its furnishings, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, ³⁴ the covering of ram skins dyed red,^[b] the covering of dolphin^[c] skins, the curtain,^{[d] 35} the Ark of the Testimony and its poles, the Mercy Seat, ³⁶ the table and all its utensils, the bread of the presence, ³⁷ the lamp stand of pure gold,^[e] its lamps (with the lamps in order), its furnishings, its oil for lighting, ³⁸ the altar of gold, anointing oil, aromatic incense, the screen for the doorway to the tent, ³⁹ the bronze altar and the bronze lattice for it, its poles, all its furnishings, the basin and its base, ⁴⁰ the hangings for the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pegs, all the furnishings for the service of the tent, for the Tent of Meeting, ⁴¹ the woven garments for Aaron the priest for ministering in the Holy Place, and the garments for his sons for serving as priests. ⁴² The Israelis had done all the work according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses. ⁴³ Moses blessed them when he saw all the work and that they had completed it. They had done it just as the Lord had commanded.

The Death of John the Baptist^(A)

14 At that time Herod the tetrarch,^[a] hearing about the fame of Jesus, ² told his servants, “This is John the Baptist! He has been raised from the dead, and that’s why these miracles are being done by him.” ³ Herod had arrested John, bound him with chains, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s^[b] wife.

⁴ John had been telling him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.” ⁵ Although Herod^[c] wanted to kill him, he was afraid of the crowd, since they regarded John^[d] as a prophet.

⁶ But when Herod’s birthday celebration was held, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests.^[e] She pleased Herod ⁷ so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked for. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me, right here on a platter, the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ Under pressure because of his promises and his assembled guests, the king ordered that it be done. ¹⁰ So he sent word^[f] and had John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother. ¹² When John’s^[g] disciples came, they carried off the body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.