Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The voice of Jehovah in the storm.

A Psalm of David.

² Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ houses of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion. ³ And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. ⁴ And all the elders of Israel came: and the Levites took up the ark; ⁵ and they brought up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these did the priests the Levites bring up. ⁶ And king Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled unto him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. ⁷ And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. ⁸ For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and the staves thereof above. ⁹ And ^[a]the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there it is unto this day. ¹⁰ There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put there at Horeb, ^[b]when Jehovah made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹ And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place (for all the priests that were present had sanctified themselves, and did not keep their courses; ¹² also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brethren, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets); ¹³ it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Jehovah; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments ^[c]of music, and praised Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth for ever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Jehovah, ¹⁴ so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of Jehovah filled the house of God.

¹⁹ Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: ²⁰ but declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of ^[a]repentance. ²¹ For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill me. ²² Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come; ^23 [b]how that the Christ ^[c]must suffer, and ^[d]how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.

²⁴ And as he thus made his defence, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul, thou art mad; thy much learning ^[e]is turning thee mad. ²⁵ But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth words of truth and soberness. ²⁶ For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this hath not been done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest. ²⁸ And Agrippa said unto Paul, ^[f]With but little persuasion thou wouldest fain make me a Christian. ²⁹ And Paul said, I would to God, that ^[g]whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.