Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

(A psalm by David.)

The Voice of the Lord in a Storm

Solomon Brings the Sacred Chest to the Temple

(1 Kings 8.1-13)

^2-3 (A) The sacred chest had been kept on Mount Zion, also known as the city of David. But Solomon decided to have the chest moved to the temple while everyone was in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Shelters during the seventh month.^[a]

Solomon called together all the important leaders of Israel. ^4-5 Then the priests and the Levites picked up the sacred chest, the sacred tent, and the objects used for worship, and they carried them to the temple. ⁶ Solomon and a crowd of people stood in front of the chest and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted.

⁷ The priests carried the chest into the most holy place and put it under the winged creatures, ⁸ whose wings covered both the chest and the poles used for carrying it. ⁹ The poles were so long that they could be seen from just outside the most holy place, but not from anywhere else. And they stayed there from then on.

^10 (B) The only things kept in the chest were the two flat stones Moses had put there when the Lord made his agreement with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai,^[b] after bringing them out of Egypt.

^11-13 (C) The priests of every group had gone through the ceremony to make themselves clean and acceptable to the Lord. The Levite musicians, including Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives, were wearing robes of fine linen. They were standing on the east side of the altar, playing cymbals, small harps, and other stringed instruments. One hundred and twenty priests were with these musicians, and they were blowing trumpets.

They were praising the Lord by playing music and singing:

Suddenly a cloud filled the temple as the priests were leaving the holy place. ¹⁴ The Lord's glory was in that cloud, and the light from it was so bright that the priests could not stay inside to do their work.

¹⁹ King Agrippa, I obeyed this vision from heaven. ^20 (A) First I preached to the people in Damascus, and then I went to Jerusalem and all over Judea. Finally, I went to the Gentiles and said, “Stop sinning and turn to God! Then prove what you have done by the way you live.”

²¹ That is why some men grabbed me in the temple and tried to kill me. ²² But all this time God has helped me, and I have preached both to the rich and to the poor. I have told them only what the prophets and Moses said would happen. ^23 (B) I told them how the Messiah would suffer and be the first to be raised from death, so he could bring light to his own people and to the Gentiles.

²⁴ Before Paul finished defending himself, Festus shouted, “Paul, you're crazy! Too much learning has driven you out of your mind.”

²⁵ But Paul replied, “Honorable Festus, I am not crazy. What I am saying is true, and it makes sense. ²⁶ None of these things happened off in a corner somewhere. I am sure that King Agrippa knows what I am talking about. That's why I can speak so plainly to him.”

²⁷ Then Paul said to Agrippa, “Do you believe what the prophets said? I know you do.”

²⁸ Agrippa asked Paul, “In such a short time do you think you can talk me into being a Christian?”

²⁹ Paul answered, “Whether it takes a short time or a long time, I wish you and everyone else who hears me today would become just like me! Except, of course, for these chains.”