Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Promise to Act with Integrity

Of David. A psalm.^[a]

Solomon Continues to Build

7 Solomon built his house over thirteen years, and he finished all of his house.

² He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; one hundred cubits its length, fifty cubits its width, and thirty cubits its height, on four rows of cedar pillars and cedar beams atop the pillars. ³ It was covered with cedar above, and the supporting beams which were on the forty-five pillars, fifteen to the row. ⁴ There were three rows of specially designed windows; with window to window three times. ⁵ All of the doorways and the doorframes had four-sided casings, with opening to opposite opening three times.

⁶ The hall of pillars he made fifty cubits in its length and thirty cubits in its width, and a porch was in front of them,^[a] with pillars and an overhang in front of them.^{[b] 7} He made the hall of the throne where he would pronounce judgment, the hall of justice, and it was covered with cedar from the floor to the rafters.^{[c] 8} His house where he would live in the next courtyard on the inside of the porch was like this work, and he would make a house like this porch for the daughter of Pharaoh whom Solomon had taken as wife. ⁹ All of these were of precious stones, according to the measurement of dressed stone, sawn with a saw on all sides;^[d] from the foundation up to the eaves and from the outside up to the great courtyard. ¹⁰ The foundation was of precious stones, and large stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits ¹¹ with precious stones above, just the right size,^[e] and cedar. ¹² The great courtyard all around had three rows of dressed stones and a row of cedar beams; for both the courtyard of the inner house^[f] of Yahweh and for the porch of the house.

⁹ And the patriarchs, because they^[a] were jealous of Joseph, sold him^[b] into Egypt. And God was with him, ¹⁰ and rescued him from all his afflictions and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And he appointed him ruler over Egypt and all^[c] his household. ¹¹ And a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction, and our fathers could not find food. ¹² So when^[d] Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. ¹³ And on the second visit^[e] Joseph was made known to his brothers, and the family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ So Joseph sent and^[f] summoned his father Jacob and all his^[g] relatives, seventy-five persons in all. ¹⁵ And Jacob went down to Egypt and died, he and our fathers. ¹⁶ And they were brought back to Shechem and buried in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.