Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord Is in His Holy Temple
To the choirmaster. Of David.
11 In the Lord I take refuge;
how can you say to my soul,
(A)“Flee like a bird to your mountain,
2 for behold, the wicked (B)bend the bow;
(C)they have fitted their arrow to the string
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;
3 if (D)the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”[a]
4 (E)The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord's (F)throne is in heaven;
his eyes see, his eyelids (G)test the children of man.
5 The Lord (H)tests the righteous,
but (I)his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.
6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;
(J)fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be (K)the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he (L)loves righteous deeds;
(M)the upright shall behold his face.
Solomon Builds the Temple
6 (A)In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, (B)he began to build the house of the Lord. 2 (C)The house that King Solomon built for the Lord was sixty cubits[a] long, twenty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high. 3 The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was twenty cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and ten cubits deep in front of the house. 4 And (D)he made for the house windows with recessed frames.[b] 5 (E)He also built a structure[c] against the wall of the house, running around the walls of the house, both the nave and (F)the inner sanctuary. And he made (G)side chambers all around. 6 The lowest story[d] was five cubits broad, the middle one was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad. For around the outside of the house he made offsets on the wall in order that the supporting beams should not be inserted into the walls of the house.
7 When the house was built, (H)it was with stone prepared at the quarry, so that neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being built.
8 The entrance for the lowest[e] story was on the south side of the house, and one went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle story to the third. 9 (I)So he built the house and finished it, and he made the ceiling of the house of beams and planks of cedar. 10 He built the structure against the whole house, five cubits high, and it was joined to the house with timbers of cedar.
11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, 12 “Concerning this house that you are building, (J)if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, (K)which I spoke to David your father. 13 And (L)I will dwell among the children of Israel (M)and will not forsake my people Israel.”
14 (N)So Solomon built the house and finished it.
Final Greetings
21 (A)So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, (B)Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may (C)encourage your hearts.
23 (D)Peace be to the brothers,[a] and (E)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all who (F)love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.