Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Welcome for God into the Temple
A psalm of David.
24 The earth belongs to the Lord, and everything in it—
the world and all its people.
2 He built it on the waters
and set it on the rivers.
3 Who may go up on the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy Temple?
4 Only those with clean hands and pure hearts,
who have not worshiped idols,
who have not made promises in the name of a false god.
5 They will receive a blessing from the Lord;
the God who saves them will declare them right.
6 They try to follow God;
they look to the God of Jacob for help. Selah
7 Open up, you gates.
Open wide, you aged doors
and the glorious King will come in.
8 Who is this glorious King?
The Lord, strong and mighty.
The Lord, the powerful warrior.
9 Open up, you gates.
Open wide, you aged doors
and the glorious King will come in.
10 Who is this glorious King?
The Lord All-Powerful—
he is the glorious King. Selah
The Ark of the Agreement
10 “Use acacia wood and build an Ark forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high. 11 Cover the Ark inside and out with pure gold, and put a gold strip all around it. 12 Make four gold rings for the Ark and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side. 13 Then make poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold. 14 Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark, and use these poles to carry it. 15 These poles must always stay in the rings of the Ark. Do not take them out. 16 Then put in the Ark the Agreement which I will make with you.
17 “Then make a lid of pure gold for the Ark; this is the mercy seat. Make it forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide. 18 Then hammer gold to make two creatures with wings, and put one on each end of the lid. 19 Attach one creature on one end of the lid and the other creature on the other end. Make them to be one piece with the lid at the ends. 20 The creatures’ wings should be spread upward, covering the lid, and the creatures are to face each other across the lid. 21 Put this lid on top of the Ark, and put in the Ark the Agreement which I will make with you. 22 I will meet with you there, above the lid between the two winged creatures on the Ark of the Agreement. There I will give you all my commands for the Israelites.
2 I want you to know how hard I work for you, those in Laodicea, and others who have never seen me. 2 I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love so that they may be rich in their understanding. This leads to their knowing fully God’s secret, that is, Christ himself. 3 In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are safely kept.
4 I say this so that no one can fool you by arguments that seem good, but are false. 5 Though I am absent from you in my body, my heart is with you, and I am happy to see your good lives and your strong faith in Christ.
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.