Day 172 of 365

1 Kgs 5:1–6:38

5:1 Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon; for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father: for Hiram was ever a lover of David.

5:2 Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

5:3 "You know how that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God for the wars which were about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.

5:4 But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence.

5:5 Behold, I purpose to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord spoke to David my father, saying, 'Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, he shall build the house for my name.'

5:6 Now therefore command that they cut me cedar trees out of Lebanon. My servants shall be with your servants; and I will give you wages for your servants according to all that you shall say. For you know that there is not among us any who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians."

5:7 It happened, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly, and said, "Blessed is the Lord this day, who has given to David a wise son over this great people."

5:8 Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have heard the message which you have sent to me. I will do all your desire concerning timber of cedar, and concerning timber of fir.

5:9 My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon to the sea. I will make them into rafts to go by sea to the place that you shall appoint me, and will cause them to be broken up there, and you shall receive them. You shall accomplish my desire, in giving food for my household."

5:10 So Hiram gave Solomon timber of cedar and timber of fir according to all his desire.

5:11 Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year.

5:12 The Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon; and they two made a treaty together.

5:13 King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

5:14 He sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses; a month they were in Lebanon, and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the men subject to forced labor.

5:15 Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand who were stone cutters in the mountains;

5:16 besides Solomon's chief officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people who labored in the work.

5:17 The king commanded, and they cut out great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone.

5:18 Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

6:1 It happened in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.

6:2 The house which king Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty cubits, and its breadth twenty, and its height thirty cubits.

6:3 The porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was its length, according to the breadth of the house. Ten cubits was its breadth before the house.

6:4 For the house he made windows of fixed lattice work.

6:5 Against the wall of the house he built stories all around, against the walls of the house all around, both of the temple and of the oracle; and he made side rooms all around.

6:6 The nethermost story was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for on the outside he made offsets in the wall of the house all around, that the beams should not have hold in the walls of the house.

6:7 The house, when it was in building, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.

6:8 The door for the middle side rooms was in the right side of the house: and they went up by winding stairs into the middle story, and out of the middle into the third.

6:9 So he built the house, and finished it; and he covered the house with beams and planks of cedar.

6:10 He built the stories against all the house, each five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

6:11 The word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying,

6:12 "Concerning this house which you are building, if you will walk in my statutes, and execute my ordinances, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father.

6:13 I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel."

6:14 So Solomon built the house, and finished it.

6:15 He built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar: from the floor of the house to the walls of the ceiling, he covered them on the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the house with boards of fir.

6:16 He built twenty cubits on the hinder part of the house with boards of cedar from the floor to the ceiling: he built them for it within, for an oracle, even for the most holy place.

6:17 In front of the temple sanctuary was forty cubits.

6:18 There was cedar on the house within, carved with buds and open flowers: all was cedar; there was no stone seen.

6:19 He prepared an oracle in the midst of the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the Lord.

6:20 Within the oracle was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in its height; and he overlaid it with pure gold: and he covered the altar with cedar.

6:21 So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold: and he drew chains of gold across before the oracle; and he overlaid it with gold.

6:22 The whole house he overlaid with gold, until all the house was finished: also the whole altar that belonged to the oracle he overlaid with gold.

6:23 In the oracle he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high.

6:24 Five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the uttermost part of the one wing to the uttermost part of the other were ten cubits.

6:25 The other cherub was ten cubits: both the cherubim were of one measure and one form.

6:26 The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

6:27 He set the cherubim within the inner house; and the wings of the cherubim were stretched forth, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

6:28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.

6:29 He carved all the walls of the house around with carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, inside and outside.

6:30 The floor of the house he overlaid with gold, inside and outside.

6:31 For the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive wood: the lintel and door posts were a fifth part of the wall.

6:32 So he made two doors of olive wood; and he carved on them carvings of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread the gold on the cherubim, and on the palm trees.

6:33 So also made he for the entrance of the temple door posts of olive wood, out of a fourth part of the wall;

6:34 and two doors of fir wood: the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

6:35 He carved cherubim and palm trees and open flowers; and he overlaid them with gold fitted on the engraved work.

6:36 He built the inner court with three courses of cut stone, and a course of cedar beams.

6:37 In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the Lord laid, in the month Ziv.

6:38 In the eleventh year, in the month Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all its parts, and according to all its fashion. So was he seven years in building it.

Acts 4:20–37

20 for we cannot help telling the things which we saw and heard."

21 When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done.

22 For the man on whom this miracle of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

23 Being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

24 When they heard it, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, "Master, it is you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;

25 who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of your servant, David, said, 'Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot a vain thing?

26 The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take council together, against the Lord, and against his Messiah.'

27 "For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together

28 to do whatever your hand and your council foreordained to happen.

29 Now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness,

30 while you stretch out your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Servant Jesus."

31 When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

32 The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul. Not one of them claimed that anything of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

33 With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.

34 For neither was there among them any who lacked, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

35 and put them at the apostles' feet, and distribution was made to each, according as anyone had need.

36 Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.

Ps 74:1–23

1 God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

2 Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived.

3 Lift up your feet to the perpetual ruins, all the evil that the enemy has done in the sanctuary.

4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of your assembly. They have set up their standards as signs.

5 They behaved like men wielding axes, cutting through a thicket of trees.

6 Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.

7 They have burned your sanctuary to the ground. They have profaned the dwelling place of your Name.

8 They said in their heart, "We will crush them completely." They have burned up all the places in the land where God was worshiped.

9 We see no miraculous signs. There is no longer any prophet, neither is there among us anyone who knows how long.

10 How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?

11 Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your pocket and consume them!

12 Yet God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

13 You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.

14 You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.

15 You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.

16 The day is yours, the night is also yours. You have prepared the light and the sun.

17 You have set all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.

18 Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, Lord. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.

19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to wild beasts. Do not forget the life of your poor forever.

20 Honor your covenant, for haunts of violence fill the dark places of the earth.

21 Do not let the oppressed return ashamed. Let the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Arise, God! Plead your own cause. Remember how the foolish man mocks you all day.

23 Do not forget the voice of your adversaries. The tumult of those who rise up against you ascends continually.