Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
To the chief Musician. Upon the Gittith. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.
84 How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Jehovah of hosts!
2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of Jehovah; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she layeth her young, thine altars, O Jehovah of hosts, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be constantly praising thee. Selah.
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee,—they, in whose heart are the highways.
6 Passing through the valley of Baca, they make it a well-spring; yea, the early rain covereth it with blessings.
7 They go from strength to strength: [each one] will appear before God in Zion.
8 Jehovah, God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For Jehovah Elohim is a sun and shield: Jehovah will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12 Jehovah of hosts, blessed is the man that confideth in thee!
6 Then king Darius gave orders, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon.
2 And there was found at Achmetha in the fortress that is in the province of Media a roll, and therein was a record thus written:
3 In the first year of king Cyrus, king Cyrus made a decree [concerning] the house of God at Jerusalem: Let the house be built for a place where they offer sacrifices, and let its foundations be solidly laid; its height sixty cubits, its breadth sixty cubits,
4 [with] three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the king's house:
5 and also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is at Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought again to the temple that is at Jerusalem, in their place; and thou shalt put [them] in the house of God.
6 Therefore Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shethar-boznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, who are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:
7 let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in its place.
8 Moreover, I give orders what ye shall do to these elders of the Jews, for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, of the tribute beyond the river, expenses be diligently given to these men, that they be not hindered.
9 And that which they have need of, both young bullocks and rams and lambs, for the burnt-offerings to the God of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests that are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail;
10 that they may present sweet odours to the God of the heavens, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons.
11 Also I have given order that whosoever shall alter this rescript, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon, and let his house be made a dunghill for this.
12 And the God that has caused his name to dwell there overthrow every king and people that shall put forth their hand to alter [or] to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have given [this] order; let it be done diligently.
13 Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shethar-boznai, and their companions, because of that which king Darius had sent, did so diligently.
14 And the elders of the Jews built; and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and completed [it] according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of king Darius.
16 And the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy;
15 And they come to Jerusalem, and entering into the temple, he began to cast out those who sold and who bought in the temple, and he overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of the dove-sellers,
16 and suffered not that any one should carry any package through the temple.
17 And he taught saying to them, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but *ye* have made it a den of robbers.
18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard [it], and they sought how they might destroy him; for they feared him, because all the crowd were astonished at his doctrine.
19 And when it was evening he went forth without the city.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)