Day 174 of 365

1 Kgs 8:1–40

1 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' households of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion.

2 All the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

3 All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

4 They brought up the ark of the Lord, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these the priests and the Levites brought up.

5 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.

6 The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.

7 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.

8 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the oracle; but they were not seen outside: and there they are to this day.

9 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,

11 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.

12 Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

13 I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever."

14 The king turned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.

15 He said, "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying,

16 'Since the day that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.'

17 "Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

18 But the Lord said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.

19 Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.'

20 The Lord has established his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

21 There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."

22 Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

23 and he said, "Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;

24 who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day.

25 Now therefore, may the Lord, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.'

26 "Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.

27 But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house that I have built!

28 Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, Lord my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you this day;

29 that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there;' to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place.

30 Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

31 "If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swear before your altar in this house;

32 then hear in heaven, and do, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

33 "When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house:

34 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers.

35 "When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them:

36 then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.

37 "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is;

38 whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:

39 then hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;)

40 that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.

Acts 5:25–42

25 One came and told them, "Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people."

26 Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

27 When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them,

28 saying, "Did not we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood on us."

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed, hanging him on a tree.

31 God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.

32 We are witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and wanted to kill them.

34 But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the men out for a little while.

35 He said to them, "You men of Israel, be careful concerning these men, what you are about to do.

36 For before these days Todah rose up, making himself out to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing.

37 After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the enrollment, and drew away some people after him. He also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.

38 Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of man, it will be overthrown.

39 But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them, and you would be found even to be fighting against God!"

40 They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.

42 Every day, in the temple and at home, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming Jesus, the Messiah.

Eccl 9:1–3

1 For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn't know it; all is before them.

2 All things come alike to all. There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good, to the clean, to the unclean, to him who sacrifices, and to him who doesn't sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; he who takes an oath, as he who fears an oath.

3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.