Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God in the Thunderstorm
A psalm of David.
29 ·Praise [T Ascribe to] the Lord, you ·angels [L sons of God; C God’s council];
·Praise the Lord’s [T Ascribe to the Lord] glory and power.
2 ·Praise the Lord for [T Ascribe to the Lord] the glory of his name;
worship the Lord ·because he is holy [L in the splendor of his holiness].
3 The Lord’s voice [C thunder] is heard over the ·sea [L waters; C a symbol of chaos].
The glorious God thunders;
the Lord thunders over the ·ocean [L many/mighty waters].
4 The Lord’s voice is powerful;
the Lord’s voice is ·majestic [splendid; awesome].
5 The Lord’s voice breaks the ·trees [L cedars];
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon [C the most famous cedar forests].
6 He makes the land of Lebanon dance like a calf
and ·Mount Hermon [L Sirion] jump like a baby bull.
7 The Lord’s voice ·makes the lightning flash [strikes with flashes of lightning].
8 The Lord’s voice shakes the ·desert [wilderness];
the Lord shakes the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Kadesh.
9 The Lord’s voice ·shakes the oaks [or makes the deer give birth]
and strips the ·leaves off the trees [L forests bare].
In his Temple everyone says, “Glory!”
10 The Lord ·controls [L is enthroned over] the flood [C controls chaos].
The Lord ·will be [L is enthroned as] King forever.
11 The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.
The Ark Is Brought into the Temple(A)
2 Solomon ·called for [summoned; assembled; convened] the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the ·leaders [chiefs] of the ·families [clans] to come to him in Jerusalem. He wanted them to bring the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty; L Testimony] with the Lord from ·the older part of the city [L the city of David, that is, Zion]. 3 So all the Israelites came together with the king during the festival in the seventh month [C the Festival of Shelters or Tabernacles or Booths held in early autumn].
4 When all the ·elders [men] of Israel arrived, the Levites ·lifted [picked; took] up the Ark. 5 They ·carried [brought up] the ·Ark of the Agreement [L ark; Ex. 25:10], the ·Meeting Tent [Tabernacle], and the ·holy utensils [sacred furnishings] in it; the ·priests and the Levites [Levitical priests] brought them up. 6 King Solomon and all the ·Israelites [L congregation/community of Israel] gathered before the ·Ark of the Agreement [L ark] and sacrificed so many sheep and ·bulls [oxen] no one could count or record them.
7 Then the priests put the Ark of the ·Agreement [covenant; treaty; L Testimony] with the Lord in its place inside the inner sanctuary of the ·Temple [L house], the ·Most Holy Place [T Holy of Holies], under the wings of the ·golden creatures [L cherubim]. 8 The wings of ·these creatures [L cherubim] were spread out over the place for the Ark, ·covering [forming a canopy over] it and its carrying poles. 9 The carrying poles were so long that anyone standing in the ·Holy Place [inner sanctuary] in front of the ·Most Holy Place [T Holy of Holies] could see the ends of the poles. But no one could see them from outside the Holy Place. The poles are still there today. 10 The only things inside the Ark were two stone tablets [C inscribed with the Ten Commandments] that Moses had put in the Ark at ·Mount Sinai [L Horeb]. That was where the Lord made his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
11 Then all the priests ·left [came out of; withdrew from] the Holy Place. (All the priests ·from each group [regardless of their divisions/orders; or whether they were serving that day or not] had ·made themselves ready to serve the Lord [consecrated/purified/sanctified themselves].) 12 All the Levite ·musicians [singers]—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun [C all associated with certain psalms; see titles of Ps. 50, 73–83 (Asaph), 88 (Heman), 39, 62, 77 (Jeduthun)], and all their sons and ·relatives [kinsmen; L brothers]—stood on the east side of the altar. They were dressed in ·white [fine] linen and played cymbals, harps, and lyres. ·With [Accompanying] them were one hundred twenty priests who blew trumpets. 13 Those who blew the trumpets and those who sang ·together sounded like one person [performed in unison] as they praised and thanked the Lord. They sang ·as others played their [accompanied by] trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments. They praised the Lord with this song:
“He is good;
his ·love [unfailing love; lovingkindness; loyalty] ·continues [endures] forever [Ps. 136:1].”
Then the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord was filled with a cloud. 14 The priests could not continue their ·work [service] because of the cloud, because the Lord’s ·glory [splendor] filled the ·Temple [L house] of God.
19 “[L So; Therefore] King Agrippa, after I had this vision from heaven, I ·obeyed [L was not disobedient to] it. 20 [Indeed; or On the contrary] I began telling people that they should ·change their hearts and lives and turn to God [repent] and do ·things [works] ·to show they really had changed [L worthy of repentance]. I told this first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and ·in every part [all throughout the countryside] of Judea, and also to ·people everywhere [L the Gentiles; the nations]. 21 This is why the Jews ·took [seized] me and were trying to kill me in the Temple [C courts; 2:46]. 22 But God has helped me [from that day until now; L until this day], and so I stand here today, ·telling [testifying/witnessing to] all people, small and great, what I have seen. But I am saying only what the prophets and Moses [C meaning the whole OT] said would happen— 23 that the ·Christ [Messiah; C the promised king and Savior] would ·die [L suffer; 3:17; 17:3], and as the first to rise from the dead, he would ·bring [L proclaim] light to his own people [C the Jews] and to ·the Gentiles [the nations; people everywhere].”
Paul Tries to Persuade Agrippa
24 While Paul was saying these things to defend himself, Festus said loudly, “Paul, you are ·out of your mind [insane]! Too much ·study [learning] has driven you ·crazy [insane; mad]!”
25 Paul said, “Most excellent Festus, I am not crazy. My words are true and ·sensible [sober; rational]. 26 [L For] ·King Agrippa [L The king] knows about these things, and I can speak ·freely [boldly] to him. [L For] I ·know [L am convinced/persuaded] ·he has heard about all of these things [L none of these things were hidden from him], because they did not happen off in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe ·what the prophets wrote [L the prophets]? I know you believe.”
28 King Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian in such a short time? [or In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian!]”
29 Paul said, “Whether it is a short or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but every person listening to me today ·would be saved and be [L might become] like me—except for these chains I have.”
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