Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Longing for the Temple Worship.
For the choir director; [a]on the Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
84 How lovely are Your (A)dwelling places,
O Lord of hosts!
2 My (B)soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the (C)living God.
3 The bird also has found a house,
And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young,
Even Your (D)altars, O Lord of hosts,
(E)My King and my God.
4 How (F)blessed are those who dwell in Your house!
They are (G)ever praising You. [b]Selah.
5 How blessed is the man whose (H)strength is in You,
In [c]whose heart are the (I)highways to Zion!
6 Passing through the valley of [d]Baca they make it a [e]spring;
The (J)early rain also covers it with blessings.
7 They (K)go from strength to strength,
[f]Every one of them (L)appears before God in Zion.
8 O (M)Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O (N)God of Jacob! Selah.
9 Behold our (O)shield, O God,
And look upon the face of (P)Your anointed.
10 For (Q)a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is (R)a sun and (S)shield;
The Lord gives grace and (T)glory;
(U)No good thing does He withhold [g]from those who walk [h]uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts,
How (V)blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Alliance with King Hiram
5 [a](A)Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for (B)Hiram had [b]always been a friend of David. 2 Then (C)Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, 3 “You know that (D)David my father was unable to build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the wars which surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. 4 But now (E)the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor [c]misfortune. 5 Behold, (F)I [d]intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, ‘Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he will build the house for My name.’ 6 Now therefore, command that they cut for me (G)cedars from Lebanon, and my servants will be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you say, for you know that there is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.”
7 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly and said, “Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son over this great people.” 8 So Hiram sent word to Solomon, saying, “I have heard the message which you have sent me; I will do [e]what you desire concerning the cedar and cypress timber. 9 My servants will bring them down from Lebanon to the sea; and I will make them into rafts to go by sea (H)to the place where you [f]direct me, and I will have them broken up there, and you shall carry them away. Then (I)you shall accomplish my desire by giving food to my household.” 10 So [g]Hiram [h]gave Solomon [i]as much as he desired of the cedar and cypress timber. 11 (J)Solomon then gave Hiram 20,000 [j]kors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty [k]kors of beaten oil; thus Solomon would give Hiram year by year. 12 (K)The Lord gave wisdom to Solomon, just as He [l]promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a covenant.
5 Then He said to them, “[a]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [b]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet (A)because of his [c]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “So I say to you, [d](B)ask, and it will be given to you; [e]seek, and you will find; [f]knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. 11 Now [g]suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a [h]fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? 12 Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? 13 (C)If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your [i]heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
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