Daily Readings

¹ But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.² He built also the house of the forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was an hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.³ And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams, that lay on forty five pillars, fifteen in a row.⁴ And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.⁵ And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows: and light was against light in three ranks.⁶ And he made a porch of pillars; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits: and the porch was before them: and the other pillars and the thick beam were before them.⁷ Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the porch of judgment: and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.⁸ And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also an house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken to wife, like unto this porch.⁹ All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewed stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.¹⁰ And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.¹¹ And above were costly stones, after the measures of hewed stones, and cedars.¹² And the great court round about was with three rows of hewed stones, and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD, and for the porch of the house.¹³ And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.¹⁴ He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his work.¹⁵ For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece: and a line of twelve cubits did compass either of them about.¹⁶ And he made two chapiters of molten brass, to set upon the tops of the pillars: the height of the one chapiter was five cubits, and the height of the other chapiter was five cubits:¹⁷ And nets of checker work, and wreaths of chain work, for the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars; seven for the one chapiter, and seven for the other chapiter.¹⁸ And he made the pillars, and two rows round about upon the one network, to cover the chapiters that were upon the top, with pomegranates: and so did he for the other chapiter.¹⁹ And the chapiters that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.²⁰ And the chapiters upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network: and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other chapiter.²¹ And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz.²² And upon the top of the pillars was lily work: so was the work of the pillars finished.²³ And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about.²⁴ And under the brim of it round about there were knops compassing it, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about: the knops were cast in two rows, when it was cast.²⁵ It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.²⁶ And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: it contained two thousand baths.²⁷ And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.²⁸ And the work of the bases was on this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges:²⁹ And on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims: and upon the ledges there was a base above: and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.³⁰ And every base had four brasen wheels, and plates of brass: and the four corners thereof had undersetters: under the laver were undersetters molten, at the side of every addition.³¹ And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above was a cubit: but the mouth thereof was round after the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it were gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.³² And under the borders were four wheels; and the axletrees of the wheels were joined to the base: and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.³³ And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel: their axletrees, and their naves, and their felloes, and their spokes, were all molten.³⁴ And there were four undersetters to the four corners of one base: and the undersetters were of the very base itself.³⁵ And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high: and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.³⁶ For on the plates of the ledges thereof, and on the borders thereof, he graved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.³⁷ After this manner he made the ten bases: all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.³⁸ Then made he ten lavers of brass: one laver contained forty baths: and every laver was four cubits: and upon every one of the ten bases one laver.³⁹ And he put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house: and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.⁴⁰ And Hiram made the lavers, and the shovels, and the basons. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made king Solomon for the house of the LORD:⁴¹ The two pillars, and the two bowls of the chapiters that were on the top of the two pillars; and the two networks, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters which were upon the top of the pillars;⁴² And four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network, to cover the two bowls of the chapiters that were upon the pillars;⁴³ And the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;⁴⁴ And one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;⁴⁵ And the pots, and the shovels, and the basons: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass.⁴⁶ In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.⁴⁷ And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many: neither was the weight of the brass found out.⁴⁸ And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shewbread was,⁴⁹ And the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle, with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold,⁵⁰ And the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basons, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.⁵¹ So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

¹ Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,² Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is his name;³ Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.⁴ For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the mounts, and by the sword;⁵ They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men, whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city.⁶ Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.⁷ And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return, and will build them, as at the first.⁸ And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.⁹ And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.¹⁰ Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,¹¹ The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.¹² Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.¹³ In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them, saith the LORD.¹⁴ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.¹⁵ In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.¹⁶ In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.¹⁷ For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;¹⁸ Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.¹⁹ And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying,²⁰ Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season;²¹ Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.²² As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.²³ Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,²⁴ Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.²⁵ Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;²⁶ Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

¹ Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.² And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.³ For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.⁴ And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?⁶ He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.⁷ Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.⁹ And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.¹⁰ For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:¹¹ But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.¹² And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;¹³ Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.¹⁴ And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:¹⁵ There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.¹⁶ If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.¹⁷ And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.¹⁸ And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;¹⁹ Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?²⁰ And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,²² Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:²³ All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.²⁴ And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.²⁵ For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:²⁶ The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.²⁷ But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.²⁸ And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.²⁹ And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.³⁰ And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.³¹ And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.³² And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.³³ And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;³⁴ And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.³⁵ And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.³⁶ And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;³⁷ And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.