Bible Browser

Psalm 62

1  On God alone my soul in stillness waits; ♦︎
   from him comes my salvation.
2  He alone is my rock and my salvation, ♦︎
   my stronghold, so that I shall never be shaken.
3  How long will all of you assail me to destroy me, ♦︎
   as you would a tottering wall or a leaning fence?
4  They plot only to thrust me down from my place of honour;
      lies are their chief delight; ♦︎
   they bless with their mouth, but in their heart they curse.
5  Wait on God alone in stillness, O my soul; ♦︎
   for in him is my hope.
6  He alone is my rock and my salvation, ♦︎
   my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
7  In God is my strength and my glory; ♦︎
   God is my strong rock; in him is my refuge.
8  Put your trust in him always, my people; ♦︎
   pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
9  The peoples are but a breath,
      the whole human race a deceit; ♦︎
   on the scales they are altogether lighter than air.
10  Put no trust in oppression; in robbery take no empty pride; ♦︎
   though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
11  God spoke once, and twice have I heard the same, ♦︎
   that power belongs to God.
12  Steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord, ♦︎
   for you repay everyone according to their deeds.

Psalm 63

1  O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; ♦︎
   my soul is athirst for you.
2  My flesh also faints for you, ♦︎
   as in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
3  So would I gaze upon you in your holy place, ♦︎
   that I might behold your power and your glory.
4  Your loving-kindness is better than life itself ♦︎
   and so my lips shall praise you.
5  I will bless you as long as I live ♦︎
   and lift up my hands in your name.
6  My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, ♦︎
   and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
7  When I remember you upon my bed ♦︎
   and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
8  For you have been my helper ♦︎
   and under the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.
9  My soul clings to you; ♦︎
   your right hand shall hold me fast.
10  But those who seek my soul to destroy it ♦︎
   shall go down to the depths of the earth;
11  Let them fall by the edge of the sword ♦︎
   and become a portion for jackals.
12  But the king shall rejoice in God;
      all those who swear by him shall be glad, ♦︎
   for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

32 ‘Likewise when foreigners, who are not of your people Israel, come from a distant land because of your great name, and your mighty hand, and your outstretched arm, when they come and pray towards this house, ³³may you hear from heaven your dwelling-place, and do whatever the foreigners ask of you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.

34 ‘If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to you towards this city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name, ³⁵then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and maintain their cause.

36 ‘If they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you are angry with them and give them to an enemy, so that they are carried away captive to a land far or near; ³⁷then if they come to their senses in the land to which they have been taken captive, and repent, and plead with you in the land of their captivity, saying, “We have sinned, and have done wrong; we have acted wickedly”; ³⁸if they repent with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity, to which they were taken captive, and pray towards their land, which you gave to their ancestors, the city that you have chosen, and the house that I have built for your name, ³⁹then hear from heaven your dwelling-place their prayer and their pleas, maintain their cause and forgive your people who have sinned against you. ⁴⁰Now, O my God, let your eyes be open and your ears attentive to prayer from this place.
⁴¹ ‘Now rise up, O Lord God, and go to your resting-place,
   you and the ark of your might.
Let your priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
   and let your faithful rejoice in your goodness.
⁴² O Lord God, do not reject your anointed one.
   Remember your steadfast love for your servant David.’

Solomon Dedicates the Temple

7When Solomon had ended his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. ²The priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house. ³When all the people of Israel saw the fire come down and the glory of the Lord on the temple, they bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and worshipped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,
‘For he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.’

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifice before the Lord. ⁵King Solomon offered as a sacrifice twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God. ⁶The priests stood at their posts; the Levites also, with the instruments for music to the Lord that King David had made for giving thanks to the Lord—for his steadfast love endures for ever—whenever David offered praises by their ministry. Opposite them the priests sounded trumpets; and all Israel stood.

7 Solomon consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the Lord; for there he offered the burnt-offerings and the fat of the offerings of well-being because the bronze altar Solomon had made could not hold the burnt-offering and the grain-offering and the fat parts.

Jesus before the Council

53 They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. ⁵⁴Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire. ⁵⁵Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. ⁵⁶For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. ⁵⁷Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, ⁵⁸‘We heard him say, “I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.” ’ ⁵⁹But even on this point their testimony did not agree. ⁶⁰Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?’ ⁶¹But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, ‘Are you the Messiah,^* the Son of the Blessed One?’ ⁶²Jesus said, ‘I am; and
“you will see the Son of Man
seated at the right hand of the Power”,
and “coming with the clouds of heaven.” ’
⁶³Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, ‘Why do we still need witnesses? ⁶⁴You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?’ All of them condemned him as deserving death. ⁶⁵Some began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to him, ‘Prophesy!’ The guards also took him over and beat him.