Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord, a Refuge and Defense.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
11 In the Lord I (A)take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your (B)mountain?
2 For, behold, the wicked (C)bend the bow,
They have [a](D)set their arrow on the string
To (E)shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
3 If the (F)foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?”
4 The Lord is in His (G)holy temple; the [b]Lord’s (H)throne is in heaven;
His (I)eyes see, His eyelids test the sons of mankind.
5 The Lord (J)tests the righteous and (K)the wicked,
And His soul hates one who loves violence.
6 He will (L)rain [c]coals of fire upon the wicked,
(M)And brimstone and (N)burning wind will be the portion of (O)their cup.
7 For the Lord is (P)righteous, (Q)He loves [d]righteousness;
The upright will (R)see His face.
The Building of the Temple
6 (A)Now it came about in the four hundred and eightieth year after the sons of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, that is, the second month, that he [a]began to build the house of the Lord. 2 And the house which King Solomon built for the Lord was [b]sixty cubits in its length, and twenty cubits in its width, and its height was thirty cubits. 3 The porch in front of the main room of the house was [c]twenty cubits in [d]length, [e]corresponding to the width of the house, and its width along the front of the house was ten cubits. 4 Also for the house (B)he made windows with artistic frames. 5 (C)Against the wall of the house he built stories encompassing the walls of the house around both the main room and the [f](D)inner sanctuary; so he made (E)side chambers all around. 6 The lowest story was [g]five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for on the outside he [h]made offsets in the wall of the house all around so that the beams would not [i]be inserted into the walls of the house.
7 (F)The house, while it was being built, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and neither hammer, nor axe, nor any iron tool was heard in the house while it was being built.
8 The doorway for the [j]lowest side chamber was on the right side of the house; and they would go up by a winding staircase to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9 So (G)he built the house and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and [k]planks of cedar. 10 He also built the stories against the whole house, each [l]five cubits high; and they [m]were attached to the house with timbers of cedar.
11 Now the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying, 12 “As for this house which you are building, (H)if you will walk in My statutes and execute My ordinances and keep all My commandments by walking in them, then I will fulfill My word with you which I spoke to David your father. 13 And (I)I will dwell among the sons of Israel, and (J)will not abandon My people Israel.”
14 (K)So Solomon built the house and finished it.
21 (A)Now, so that you also may know about my circumstances as to [a]what I am doing, (B)Tychicus, (C)the beloved brother and faithful [b]servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 [c](D)I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know [d]about us, and that he may (E)comfort your hearts.
23 (F)Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and (G)love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ [e]with incorruptible love.
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