Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the director: On the gittith. A song of praise from the Korah family.

²⁰ In Judah and Israel there were as many people as sand on the seashore. The people were happy and had plenty to eat and drink.

²¹ Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines. His kingdom went as far as the border of Egypt. These countries sent gifts to Solomon, and they obeyed him all of his life.^[a]

^22-23 This is the amount of food that Solomon needed each day for himself and for everyone who ate at his table: 150 bushels^[b] of fine flour, 300 bushels^[c] of flour, 10 cattle that were fed grain, 20 cattle that were raised in the fields, 100 sheep, wild animals such as deer, gazelles, roebucks,^[d] and game birds.

²⁴ Solomon ruled over all the countries west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza. And Solomon had peace along all the borders of his kingdom. ²⁵ During Solomon’s life everyone in Judah and Israel, all the way from Dan to Beersheba, lived in peace and security. The people were at peace sitting under their own fig trees and grapevines.

²⁶ Solomon had places to keep 4000^[e] horses for his chariots and he had 12,000 horse soldiers. ²⁷ And each month one of the twelve district governors gave King Solomon everything he needed for all the people who ate at the king’s table. ²⁸ The district governors also gave the king enough straw and barley for the chariot horses and the riding horses. Everyone brought this grain to the necessary places.

Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming

5 Now, brothers and sisters, we don’t need to write to you about times and dates. ² You know very well that the day when the Lord comes again will be a surprise, like a thief who comes at night. ³ People will say, “We have peace and we are safe.” At that time destruction will come to them quickly, like the pains of a woman giving birth. And those people will not escape.

⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not living in darkness. And so that day will not surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all people who belong to the light. You belong to the day. We don’t belong to the night or to darkness. ⁶ So we should not be like other people. We should not be sleeping. We should be awake and have self-control. ⁷ People who sleep, sleep at night. People who drink too much, drink at night. ⁸ But we belong to the day, so we should control ourselves. We should wear faith and love to protect us. And the hope of salvation should be our helmet.

⁹ God did not choose us to suffer his anger. God chose us to have salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him. It is not important if we are alive or dead when Jesus comes. ¹¹ So encourage each other and help each other grow stronger in faith, just as you are already doing.