1 Kings 8, Ephesians 5, Ezekiel 38, Psalm 89

1 Kings 8,

1 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David.
 
2 All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month.
 
3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark,
 
4 and they brought up the ark of the LORD and the Tent of Meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The priests and Levites carried them up,
 
5 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.
 
6 The priests then brought the ark of the LORD's covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim.
 
7 The cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its carrying poles.
 
8 These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today.
 
9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.
 
10 When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD.
 
11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled his temple.
 
12 Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;
 
13 I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever."
 
14 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them.
 
15 Then he said: "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own hand has fulfilled what he promised with his own mouth to my father David. For he said,
 
16 'Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built for my Name to be there, but I have chosen David to rule my people Israel.'
 
17 "My father David had it in his heart to build a temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
 
18 But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because it was in your heart to build a temple for my Name, you did well to have this in your heart.
 
19 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, who is your own flesh and blood-he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.'
 
20 "The LORD has kept the promise he made: I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the LORD promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
 
21 I have provided a place there for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with our fathers when he brought them out of Egypt."
 
22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven
 
23 and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below-you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.
 
24 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it-as it is today.
 
25 "Now LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons are careful in all they do to walk before me as you have done.'
 
26 And now, O God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David my father come true.
 
27 "But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
 
28 Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.
 
29 May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.
 
30 Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.
 
31 "When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple,
 
32 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence.
 
33 "When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple,
 
34 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to their fathers.
 
35 "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,
 
36 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.
 
37 "When famine or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when an enemy besieges them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come,
 
38 and when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel-each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart, and spreading out his hands toward this temple-
 
39 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart (for you alone know the hearts of all men),
 
40 so that they will fear you all the time they live in the land you gave our fathers.
 
41 "As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name-
 
42 for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm-when he comes and prays toward this temple,
 
43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.
 
44 "When your people go to war against their enemies, wherever you send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name,
 
45 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
 
46 "When they sin against you-for there is no one who does not sin-and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near;
 
47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly';
 
48 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name;
 
49 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.
 
50 And forgive your people, who have sinned against you; forgive all the offenses they have committed against you, and cause their conquerors to show them mercy;
 
51 for they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, out of that iron-smelting furnace.
 
52 "May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you.
 
53 For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, O Sovereign LORD, brought our fathers out of Egypt."
 
54 When Solomon had finished all these prayers and supplications to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward heaven.
 
55 He stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
 
56 "Praise be to the LORD, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses.
 
57 May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our fathers; may he never leave us nor forsake us.
 
58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep the commands, decrees and regulations he gave our fathers.
 
59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the LORD, be near to the LORD our God day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and the cause of his people Israel according to each day's need,
 
60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.
 
61 But your hearts must be fully committed to the LORD our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time."
 
62 Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD.
 
63 Solomon offered a sacrifice of fellowship offerings to the LORD : twenty-two thousand cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD.
 
64 On that same day the king consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the LORD, and there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings.
 
65 So Solomon observed the festival at that time, and all Israel with him-a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt. They celebrated it before the LORD our God for seven days and seven days more, fourteen days in all.
 
66 On the following day he sent the people away. They blessed the king and then went home, joyful and glad in heart for all the good things the LORD had done for his servant David and his people Israel.
 

Ephesians 5,

1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
 
2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
 
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.
 
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
 
5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-such a man is an idolater-has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
 
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
 
7 Therefore do not be partners with them.
 
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
 
9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
 
10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
 
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
 
12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
 
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
 
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
 
15 Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise,
 
16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
 
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
 
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
 
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
 
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
 
22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.
 
23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
 
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
 
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
 
26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,
 
27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
 
28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
 
29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church-
 
30 for we are members of his body.
 
31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."
 
32 This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church.
 
33 However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
 

Ezekiel 38,

1 The word of the LORD came to me:
 
2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him
 
3 and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
 
4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army-your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords.
 
5 Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets,
 
6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops-the many nations with you.
 
7 " 'Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them.
 
8 After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety.
 
9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.
 
10 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme.
 
11 You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people-all of them living without walls and without gates and bars.
 
12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land."
 
13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?" '
 
14 "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it?
 
15 You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.
 
16 You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.
 
17 " 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Are you not the one I spoke of in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel? At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them.
 
18 This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD.
 
19 In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.
 
20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.
 
21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man's sword will be against his brother.
 
22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.
 
23 And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.'
 

Psalm 89

1 I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
 
2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself.
 
3 You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant,
 
4 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.' " Selah
 
5 The heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.
 
6 For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD? Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
 
7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.
 
8 O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you.
 
9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.
 
10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain; with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.
 
11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it.
 
12 You created the north and the south; Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.
 
13 Your arm is endued with power; your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.
 
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
 
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.
 
16 They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.
 
17 For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.
 
18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
 
19 Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: "I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have exalted a young man from among the people.
 
20 I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
 
21 My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.
 
22 No enemy will subject him to tribute; no wicked man will oppress him.
 
23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.
 
24 My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted.
 
25 I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.
 
26 He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.'
 
27 I will also appoint him my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
 
28 I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail.
 
29 I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure.
 
30 "If his sons forsake my law and do not follow my statutes,
 
31 if they violate my decrees and fail to keep my commands,
 
32 I will punish their sin with the rod, their iniquity with flogging;
 
33 but I will not take my love from him, nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
 
34 I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered.
 
35 Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness-and I will not lie to David-
 
36 that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun;
 
37 it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky." Selah
 
38 But you have rejected, you have spurned, you have been very angry with your anointed one.
 
39 You have renounced the covenant with your servant and have defiled his crown in the dust.
 
40 You have broken through all his walls and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
 
41 All who pass by have plundered him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
 
42 You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.
 
43 You have turned back the edge of his sword and have not supported him in battle.
 
44 You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground.
 
45 You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame. Selah
 
46 How long, O LORD ? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?
 
47 Remember how fleeting is my life. For what futility you have created all men!
 
48 What man can live and not see death, or save himself from the power of the grave? Selah
 
49 O Lord, where is your former great love, which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
 
50 Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
 
51 the taunts with which your enemies have mocked, O LORD, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.
 
52 Praise be to the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.