Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Ark Brought into the Temple

8 ^(A)Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, ^(B)the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, ^(C)to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of ^(D)the city of David, which is Zion.

^6 (A)Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord ^(B)to its place in ^(C)the inner sanctuary of the house, in the Most Holy Place, underneath the wings of the cherubim.

¹⁰ And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, ^(A)a cloud filled the house of the Lord, ¹¹ so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

²² Then Solomon ^(A)stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and ^(B)spread out his hands toward heaven, ²³ and said, “O Lord, God of Israel, ^(C)there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, ^(D)keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart; ²⁴ you have kept with your servant David my father what you declared to him. ^(E)You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it this day. ²⁵ Now therefore, O Lord, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father what you have promised him, saying, ^(F)‘You shall not lack a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ ^26 (G)Now therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you have spoken to your servant David my father.

²⁷ “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, ^(H)heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! ²⁸ Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you this day, ^29 (I)that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, ^(J)‘My name shall be there,’ that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place. ³⁰ And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

⁴¹ “Likewise, when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for your name's sake ⁴² (for they shall hear of your great name ^(A)and your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this house, ⁴³ hear in heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order ^(B)that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and ^(C)fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

My Soul Longs for the Courts of the Lord

To the choirmaster: according to ^(A)The Gittith.^[a] A Psalm of ^(B)the Sons of Korah.

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, ^(A)be strong in the Lord and in ^(B)the strength of his might. ^11 (C)Put on ^(D)the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against ^(E)the schemes of the devil. ¹² For ^(F)we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against ^(G)the rulers, against the authorities, against ^(H)the cosmic powers over ^(I)this present darkness, against ^(J)the spiritual forces of evil ^(K)in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore ^(L)take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in ^(M)the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, ^(N)having fastened on the belt of truth, and ^(O)having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and, ^(P)as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In all circumstances take up ^(Q)the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all ^(R)the flaming darts of ^(S)the evil one; ¹⁷ and take ^(T)the helmet of salvation, and ^(U)the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ praying ^(V)at all times ^(W)in the Spirit, ^(X)with all prayer and supplication. To that end, ^(Y)keep alert with all perseverance, making ^(Z)supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and ^(AA)also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth ^(AB)boldly to proclaim ^(AC)the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I ^(AD)am an ambassador ^(AE)in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

⁵⁶ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood ^(A)abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As ^(B)the living Father ^(C)sent me, and ^(D)I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ^58 (E)This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread^[a] the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” ⁵⁹ Jesus^[b] said these things in the synagogue, as he taught ^(F)at Capernaum.

The Words of Eternal Life

^60 (G)When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” ⁶¹ But Jesus, ^(H)knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? ⁶² Then what if you were to see ^(I)the Son of Man ^(J)ascending to ^(K)where he was before? ^63 (L)It is the Spirit who gives life; ^(M)the flesh is no help at all. ^(N)The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But ^(O)there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus ^(P)knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and ^(Q)who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵ And he said, “This is why I told you ^(R)that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

^66 (S)After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷ So Jesus said to ^(T)the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have ^(U)the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹ and ^(V)we have believed, and have come to know, that ^(W)you are ^(X)the Holy One of God.”