Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 20

Deliverance in Battle

For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.

Offerings to Build the Tabernacle

25 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Tell the Israelites to take an offering for Me. You are to take My offering from everyone who is willing to give.^{(A) 3} This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze; ⁴ blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goat hair; ⁵ ram skins dyed red^(B) and manatee skins;^[a] acacia wood; ⁶ oil^(C) for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; ⁷ and onyx^[b] along with other gemstones for mounting on the ephod and breastpiece.^[c](D)

⁸ “They are to make a sanctuary^(E) for Me so that I may dwell^(F) among them. ⁹ You must make it according to all that I show you—the pattern^(G) of the tabernacle as well as the pattern of all its furnishings.

The Ark

¹⁰ “They are to make an ark^(H) of acacia wood, 45 inches long, 27 inches wide, and 27 inches high.^{[d] 11} Overlay it with pure gold; overlay it both inside and out. Also make a gold molding all around it. ¹² Cast four gold rings for it and place them on its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other side. ¹³ Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. ¹⁴ Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark in order to carry the ark with them. ¹⁵ The poles are to remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. ¹⁶ Put the tablets of the testimony that I will give you into the ark.^{(I) 17} Make a mercy seat^(J) of pure gold, 45 inches long and 27 inches wide.^{[e] 18} Make two cherubim of gold; make them of hammered work at the two ends of the mercy seat. ¹⁹ Make one cherub at one end and one cherub at the other end. At its two ends, make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat. ²⁰ The cherubim are to have wings spread out above, covering^(K) the mercy seat with their wings, and are to face one another. The faces of the cherubim should be toward the mercy seat. ²¹ Set the mercy seat on top of the ark and put the testimony that I will give you into the ark.^{(L) 22} I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim^(M) that are over the ark of the testimony; I will speak with you from there about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.

Paul’s Proclamation

2 When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony^[a] of God to you, I did not come with brilliance^(A) of speech^(B) or wisdom. ² For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.^{(C) 3} I came to you in weakness,^(D) in fear,^(E) and in much trembling.^{(F) 4} My speech^(G) and my proclamation were not with persuasive^(H) words of wisdom^[b] but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, ⁵ so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.^(I)

Spiritual Wisdom

⁶ However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature,^(J) but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers^(K) of this age, who are coming to nothing.^{(L) 7} On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined^(M) before the ages for our glory.^{(N) 8} None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^{(O) 9} But as it is written:

¹⁰ Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything,^(Q) even the depths of God.^(R)