24th February

¹ And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:² And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.³ And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.⁴ And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.⁵ And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.⁶ And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.⁷ And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;⁸ One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.⁹ And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.¹⁰ And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:¹¹ And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.¹² Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.¹³ And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.¹⁴ Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.¹⁵ And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.¹⁶ And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.¹⁷ And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:¹⁸ And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:¹⁹ Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.²⁰ And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:²¹ And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.²² Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.²³ And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.²⁴ Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.²⁵ And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.²⁶ And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.²⁷ And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.²⁸ And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.²⁹ And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.

¹ O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.² Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.³ Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.⁴ For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.⁶ Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.⁷ Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.⁸ Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.⁹ O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.¹⁰ Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.¹² Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice¹³ Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

¹ The LORD reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof.² Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.³ A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about.⁴ His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled.⁵ The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.⁶ The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.⁷ Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods.⁸ Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.⁹ For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.¹⁰ Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.¹¹ Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.¹² Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

¹ O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.² The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.³ He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.⁴ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.⁵ Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.⁶ With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.⁷ Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.⁸ Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together⁹ Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

¹ The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.² The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.³ Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.⁴ The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.⁵ Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.⁶ Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.⁷ He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.⁸ Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.⁹ Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

¹ Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.² Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.³ Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.⁴ The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.⁵ Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.⁶ But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.⁷ For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.⁸ I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.⁹ But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.¹⁰ And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:¹¹ But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.¹² But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.¹³ And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.¹⁴ For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.¹⁵ But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.¹⁶ For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?¹⁷ But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.¹⁸ Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.¹⁹ Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.²⁰ Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.²¹ Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.²² For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.²³ Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.²⁴ Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.²⁵ Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful.²⁶ I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress, I say, that it is good for a man so to be.²⁷ Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.²⁸ But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.²⁹ But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none;³⁰ And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not;³¹ And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.³² But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:³³ But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife.³⁴ There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.³⁵ And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.³⁶ But if any man think that he behaveth himself uncomely toward his virgin, if she pass the flower of her age, and need so require, let him do what he will, he sinneth not: let them marry.³⁷ Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.³⁸ So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.³⁹ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.⁴⁰ But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.