Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

37 B’tzal’el made the ark of acacia-wood three-and-three-quarters feet long, two-and-a-quarter feet wide and two-and-a-quarter feet high. ² He overlaid it with pure gold inside and outside and put a molding of gold for it around the top. ³ He cast four gold rings for it at its four feet, two rings on each side. ⁴ He made poles of acacia-wood and overlaid them with gold. ⁵ He put the carrying-poles for the ark in the rings on the sides of the ark.

⁶ He made a cover for the ark of pure gold, three-and-three-quarters feet long and two-and-a-quarter feet wide. ⁷ He made two k’ruvim of gold; he made them of hammered work for the two ends of the ark-cover — ⁸ one keruv for one end and one keruv for the other end; he made the k’ruvim of one piece with the ark-cover at its two ends. ⁹ The k’ruvim had their wings spread out above, so that their wings covered the ark; their faces were toward each other and toward the ark-cover.

¹⁰ He made the table of acacia-wood, three feet long, eighteen inches wide and eighteen inches high. ¹¹ He overlaid it with pure gold and put a molding of gold around the top of it. ¹² He made around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a molding of gold around the rim. ¹³ He cast for it four gold rings and attached the rings to the four corners, near its four legs. ¹⁴ The rings to hold the carrying-poles for the table were placed close to the rim. ¹⁵ He made the carrying-poles for the table of acacia-wood and overlaid them with gold. ¹⁶ He made the utensils to be put on the table — its dishes, pans, bowls and pitchers — of pure gold.

² Keep persisting in prayer, staying alert in it and being thankful. ³ Include prayer for us, too, that God may open a door for us to proclaim the message about the secret of the Messiah — for that is why I am in prison. ⁴ And pray that I may speak, as I should, in a way that makes the message clear.

⁵ Behave wisely toward outsiders, making full use of every opportunity — ⁶ let your conversation always be gracious and interesting, so that you will know how to respond to any particular individual.

⁷ Our dear brother Tychicus, who is a faithful worker and fellow-slave in the Lord, will give you all the news about me. ⁸ I have sent him to you for this very reason — so that you might know how we are, and so that he might encourage you. ⁹ I have sent him with Onesimus, the dear and faithful brother, who is one of you; they will tell you everything that has happened here.

¹⁰ Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends greetings, as does Mark, Bar-Nabba’s cousin, concerning whom you have received instructions — if he comes to you, welcome him. ¹¹ Yeshua, the one called Justus, also sends greetings. These three are among the Circumcised; and among my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God, only they have turned out to be a comfort to me.

¹² Epaphras sends greetings; he is one of you, a slave of the Messiah Yeshua who always agonizes in his prayer on your behalf, praying that you may stand firm, mature and fully confident, as you devote yourselves completely to God’s will. ¹³ For I can testify to him that he works hard for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

¹⁴ Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send you greetings.

¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, also to Nympha and the congregation that meets in her home. ¹⁶ After this letter has been read to you, have it read also in the congregation of the Laodiceans; and you, in turn, are to read the letter that will come from Laodicea. ¹⁷ And tell Archippus, “See that you complete the task you were given in the Lord.”

¹⁸ This greeting I, Sha’ul, write with my own hand.

Remember my imprisonment!

Grace be with you!