Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
6 The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its assigned[a] place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim.
Solomon Prays for Israel
22 Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward the sky.[a] 23 He prayed:[b] “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below! You maintain covenantal loyalty[c] to your servants who obey you with sincerity.[d] 24 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David;[e] this very day you have fulfilled what you promised.[f] 25 Now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel,[g] provided that your descendants watch their step[h] and serve me as you have done.’[i] 26 Now, O God of Israel, may the promise you made[j] to your servant, my father David, be realized.[k]
27 “God does not really live on the earth![l] Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! 28 But respond favorably to[m] your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer[n] the desperate prayer[o] your servant is presenting to you[p] today. 29 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live.[q] May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place.[r] 30 Respond to the request of your servant and your people Israel for this place.[s] Hear from inside your heavenly dwelling place[t] and respond favorably.[u]
41 “Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your reputation.[a] 42 When they hear about your great reputation[b] and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds,[c] they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple. 43 Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners.[d] Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation,[e] obey[f] you as your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you.[g]
Psalm 84[a]
For the music director, according to the gittith style;[b] written by the Korahites, a psalm.
84 How lovely is the place where you live,[c]
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies![d]
2 I desperately want to be[e]
in the courts of the Lord’s temple.[f]
My heart and my entire being[g] shout for joy
to the living God.
3 Even the birds find a home there,
and the swallow[h] builds a nest,
where she can protect her young[i]
near your altars, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
my King and my God.
4 How blessed[j] are those who live in your temple
and praise you continually. (Selah)
5 How blessed are those who[k] find their strength in you,
and long to travel the roads that lead to your temple.[l]
6 As they pass through the Baca Valley,[m]
he provides a spring for them.[n]
The rain[o] even covers it with pools of water.[p]
7 They are sustained as they travel along;[q]
each one appears[r] before God in Zion.
8 O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies,[s]
hear my prayer.
Listen, O God of Jacob. (Selah)
9 O God, take notice of our shield.[t]
Show concern for your chosen king.[u]
10 Certainly[v] spending just one day in your temple courts is better
than spending a thousand elsewhere.[w]
I would rather stand at the entrance[x] to the temple of my God
than live[y] in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the Lord God is our sovereign protector.[z]
The Lord bestows favor[aa] and honor;
he withholds no good thing from those who have integrity.[ab]
12 O Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[ac]
how blessed are those who trust in you.[ad]
Exhortations for Spiritual Warfare
10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes[a] of the devil. 12 For our struggle[b] is not against flesh and blood,[c] but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,[d] against the spiritual forces[e] of evil in the heavens.[f] 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground[g] on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening[h] the belt of truth around your waist,[i] by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 by fitting your[j] feet with the preparation that comes from the good news[k] of peace,[l] 16 and in all of this,[m] by taking up the shield[n] of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation[o] and the sword[p] of the Spirit (which is the word of God). 18 With every prayer and petition, pray[q] at all times in the Spirit, and to this end[r] be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints. 19 Pray[s] for me also, that I may be given the right words when I begin to speak[t]—that I may confidently make known[u] the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.
56 The one who eats[a] my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him.[b] 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes[c] me will live because of me. 58 This[d] is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors[e] ate, but then later died.[f] The one who eats[g] this bread will live forever.”
Many Followers Depart
59 Jesus[h] said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue[i] in Capernaum.[j] 60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things,[k] said, “This is a difficult[l] saying![m] Who can understand it?”[n] 61 When Jesus was aware[o] that his disciples were complaining[p] about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended?[q] 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?[r] 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help![s] The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.[t] 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.)[u] 65 So Jesus added,[v] “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.”[w]
Peter’s Confession
66 After this many of his disciples quit following him[x] and did not accompany him[y] any longer. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”[z] 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We[aa] have come to believe and to know[ab] that you are the Holy One of God!”[ac]
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