Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A song of David.

The Holy Box Carried Into the Temple

² Solomon commanded the elders of Israel, the leaders of the tribes, and the heads of families to meet together in Jerusalem. He did this so that they could bring the Box of the Lord’s Agreement up to the Temple from the City of David, that is, Zion. ³ All the men of Israel met together before King Solomon during the special festival^[a] in the seventh month of the year.

⁴ When all the elders of Israel arrived, the Levites^[b] lifted the Box of the Agreement ⁵ and carried it up to the Temple. The priests and the Levites^[c] also brought the Meeting Tent and all the holy things that were in it to the Temple in Jerusalem. ⁶ Then King Solomon and all the Israelites met in front of the Box of the Agreement to offer sheep and bulls as sacrifices. There were so many offerings that no one could count them. ⁷ Then the priests carried the Box of the Lord’s Agreement to the place that was prepared for it in the Most Holy Place inside the Temple. They put the Box of the Agreement under the wings of the Cherub angels. ⁸ The Cherub angels stood with their wings spread over the Box of the Agreement and the poles that were used to carry it. ⁹ The poles are still there today. They were too long for the Most Holy Place, so their ends could be seen by anyone standing in the Holy Place, although no one outside could see them. ¹⁰ The only things inside the Holy Box are the two tablets that Moses put there at Mt. Horeb. This is where the Lord made his agreement with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ All the priests who were there did the ceremony to make themselves holy. Then, as they came out of the Holy Place, they stood together, but not in their special groups. ¹² The Levite singers stood at the east side of the altar. All the singing groups of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun were there. And their sons and relatives were there. The Levite singers were dressed in white linen. They had cymbals, lyres, and harps. There were 120 priests there with the Levite singers. The 120 priests blew trumpets. ¹³ Those who blew the trumpets and those who sang were like one person. They made one sound when they praised and thanked the Lord. They made a loud noise with the trumpets, cymbals, and instruments of music. They praised the Lord, singing,

Then the Lord’s Temple was filled with a cloud. ¹⁴ The priests could not continue to serve because of the cloud, because the Glory of the Lord filled the Temple.

Paul Tells About His Work

¹⁹ Paul continued speaking: “King Agrippa, after I had this vision from heaven, I obeyed it. ²⁰ I began telling people to change their hearts and lives and turn back to God. And I told them to do what would show that they had really changed. I went first to people in Damascus. Then I went to Jerusalem and to every part of Judea and told the people there. I also went to the non-Jewish people.

²¹ “This is why the Jews grabbed me and were trying to kill me at the Temple. ²² But God helped me, and he is still helping me today. With God’s help I am standing here today and telling all people what I have seen. But I am saying nothing new. I am saying only what Moses and the prophets said would happen. ²³ They said that the Messiah would die and be the first to rise from death. They said that he would bring the light of God’s saving truth^[a] to the Jewish people and to the non-Jewish people.”

Paul Tries to Persuade Agrippa

²⁴ While Paul was still defending himself, Festus shouted, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Too much study has made you crazy.”

²⁵ Paul said, “Most Honorable Festus, I am not crazy. What I am saying is true. It all makes perfect sense. ²⁶ King Agrippa knows about all this, and I can speak freely to him. I know that he has heard about these things, because they happened where everyone could see them. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe what the prophets wrote? I know you believe!”

²⁸ King Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think you can persuade me to become a ‘Christ-follower’ so easily?”

²⁹ Paul said, “It is not important if it is easy or if it is hard. I pray to God that not only you but that everyone listening to me today could be saved and be just like me—except for these chains I have!”