Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Voice of the Lord in the Storm.

A Psalm of David.

^2 (A)Then Solomon assembled to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers’ households of the sons of Israel, ^(B)to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. ^3 (C)All the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at ^(D)the feast, that is in the seventh month. ⁴ Then all the elders of Israel came, and ^(E)the Levites took up the ark. ⁵ They brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the holy utensils which were in the tent; the Levitical priests brought them up. ⁶ And King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him before the ark, were sacrificing ^[a]so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. ⁷ Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the house, to the holy of holies, under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubim made a covering over the ark and its ^[b]poles. ⁹ The poles were so long that ^(F)the ends of the poles of the ark could be seen in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen outside; and ^[c]they are there to this day. ^10 (G)There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which Moses put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the sons of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

The Glory of God Fills the Temple

¹¹ When the priests came forth from the holy place (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, without regard ^(H)to divisions), ¹² and all the Levitical singers, ^(I)Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and kinsmen, clothed in fine linen, ^(J)with cymbals, harps and lyres, standing east of the altar, and with them one hundred and twenty priests ^(K)blowing trumpets ¹³ in unison when the trumpeters and the singers were to make themselves heard with one voice to praise and to glorify the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice ^(L)accompanied by trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and when they praised the Lord saying, “^(M)He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,” then the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, ¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for ^(N)the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

¹⁹ “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but kept declaring both ^(A)to those of Damascus first, and also ^(B)at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even ^(C)to the Gentiles, that they should ^(D)repent and turn to God, performing deeds ^(E)appropriate to repentance. ²¹ For this reason some Jews ^(F)seized me in the temple and tried ^(G)to put me to death. ²² So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day ^(H)testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what ^(I)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; ^23 [a](J)that ^[b]the Christ was ^[c]to suffer, and ^[d]that ^(K)by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim ^(L)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

²⁴ While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! ^[e]Your great ^(M)learning is ^[f]driving you mad.” ²⁵ But Paul *said, “I am not out of my mind, ^(N)most excellent Festus, but I utter words ^[g]of sober truth. ²⁶ For the king ^[h](O)knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a ^[i]corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you ^[j]do.” ²⁸ Agrippa replied to Paul, “^[k]In a short time you ^[l]will persuade me to ^[m]become a ^(P)Christian.” ²⁹ And Paul said, “^[n]I would wish to God, that whether ^[o]in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these ^(Q)chains.”