Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Adonai’s Promise to David

7 Now it came about when the king lived in his palace and Adonai had granted him rest from all his enemies around him, ² that the king said to the prophet Nathan, “See now, I am living in a house of cedar, yet the ark of God remains within curtains.”

³ “Go, do all that is in your heart,” Nathan said to the king, “for Adonai is with you.”

⁴ But it came to pass the same night that the word of Adonai came to Nathan saying: ⁵ “Go, tell My servant David: Thus says Adonai: Are you to build Me a house for Me to dwell in? ⁶ Since the day that I brought up the children of Israel from Egypt to this day I have not dwelt in a house, but have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. ⁷ In all My journeying among all the children of Israel, did I ever speak a word to any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’ ⁸ So now, thus you shall say to My servant David: Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel. ⁹ I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make your name as great as the greatest on earth. ¹⁰ I will also set up a place for My people Israel and will plant them, so they may dwell in their own place and not be disturbed again. Nor will the children of wickedness afflict them anymore as in the past, ¹¹ since the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. So I will give you rest from all your enemies.

“Moreover, Adonai declares to you that Adonai will make a house for you. ¹² When your days are done and you sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your seed, who will come forth from you after you, and I will establish his kingdom. ¹³ He will build a house for My Name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. ^{[a] 14} I will be a father to him, and he will be a son to Me.^[b] If he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the strokes from sons of men.

Jew and Gentile, One in Messiah

¹¹ Therefore, keep in mind that once you—Gentiles in the flesh—were called “uncircumcision” by those called “circumcision” (which is performed on flesh by hand). ¹² At that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. ¹⁴ For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. Within His flesh He made powerless the hostility— ¹⁵ the law code of mitzvot contained in regulations. He did this in order to create within Himself one new man from the two groups, making shalom, ¹⁶ and to reconcile both to God in one body through the cross—by which He put the hostility to death. ¹⁷ And He came and proclaimed shalom to you who were far away and shalom to those who were near^[a]— ¹⁸ for through Him we both have access to the Father by the same Ruach. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. ²⁰ You have been built on the foundation made up of the emissaries and prophets, with Messiah Yeshua Himself being the cornerstone. ^{[b] 21} In Him the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple for the Lord. ²² In Him, you also are being built together into God’s dwelling place^[c] in the Ruach.

Feeding 5000 Families

³⁰ The twelve emissaries gathered together with Yeshua, and they reported to Him all they had done and taught. ³¹ There were many coming and going, and they had no time even to eat. So He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to an isolated place and rest awhile.” ³² So they left privately by boat to an isolated place. ³³ However, the people saw them leaving, and many recognized them. They ran on foot from all the towns to get there ahead of them. ³⁴ As Yeshua came ashore, He saw a large crowd and felt compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.^[a] So He taught them many things.

Miracles Multiply

⁵³ After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and set anchor there. ⁵⁴ As they got out of the boat, immediately people recognized Yeshua. ⁵⁵ They ran about the region and began to carry around on their mats all those who were in bad shape, to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶ And wherever He entered villages, towns, or countryside, people were placing the sick in the marketplaces and begging Him to let them touch even the tzitzit of His garment—and all who touched it were being healed.