Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 101

A Vow of Integrity

A psalm of David.

Solomon’s Palace Complex

7 Solomon completed his entire palace complex after thirteen years of construction.^{(A) 2} He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon.^(B) It was one hundred fifty feet^[a] long, seventy-five feet^[b] wide, and forty-five feet^[c] high on four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams on top of the pillars. ³ It was paneled above with cedar at the top of the chambers that rested on forty-five pillars, fifteen per row. ⁴ There were three rows of window frames, facing each other^[d] in three tiers.^{[e](C) 5} All the doors and doorposts had rectangular frames, the openings facing each other^[f] in three tiers. ⁶ He made the hall of pillars seventy-five feet long and forty-five feet wide. A portico was in front of the pillars, and a canopy with pillars^[g] was in front of them. ⁷ He made the Hall of the Throne where he would judge^(D)—the Hall of Judgment. It was paneled with cedar from the floor to the rafters.^{[h] 8} Solomon’s own palace where he would live, in the other courtyard behind the hall, was of similar construction. And he made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, his wife.^[i](E)

⁹ All of these buildings were of costly stones, cut to size and sawed with saws on the inner and outer surfaces, from foundation to coping and from the outside to the great courtyard. ¹⁰ The foundation was made of large, costly stones twelve and fifteen feet^[j] long. ¹¹ Above were also costly stones, cut to size, as well as cedar wood. ¹² Around the great courtyard, as well as the inner courtyard of the Lord’s temple and the portico of the temple, were three rows of dressed stone and a row of trimmed cedar beams.^(F)

The Patriarchs in Egypt

⁹ “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him^{(A) 10} and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household.^{(B) 11} Now a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan,^(C) and our ancestors could find no food. ¹² When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time. ¹³ The second time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all,^{(D) 15} and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there,^{(E) 16} were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.^(F)