BIBLE – ADVENTURE
BIBLE INDEXES
OLD TESTAMENT
PSALMS
.
.
THE GOSPELS
MATTHEW – MARK
LUKE – JOHN
NEW TESTAMENT
PRAYERS
SACRED MUSIC – LITURGICAL SONGS
CATEQUESIS – VIDEOS
LIVES OF SAINTS
SUNDAYS
LITURGICAL FESTIVITIES
Bible texts in
Saint Matthew – Chapter 5
The Bible – New Testament Saint Matthew Index 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. Chapter 5 1 1 When he saw the crowds, 2 he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He began to teach them,… Continue reading Saint Matthew – Chapter 5
Psalms – Chapter 147
The Bible – Old Testament Psalms Index Int. 1. 2. 3. … 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. Chapter 147 1 Hallelujah! 1 How good to celebrate our God in song; how sweet to give fitting praise. 2 The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem, gathers the dispersed of Israel, 3 Heals the brokenhearted, binds up their wounds, 4 Numbers all the stars, calls each of them by name. 5 Great is our Lord, vast in power, with wisdom beyond measure. 6 The LORD sustains the poor, but casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; with the lyre celebrate our God, 8 2 Who covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, makes grass sprout on the mountains, 9 Who gives animals their food and ravens what they cry for. 10 3 God takes no delight in… Continue reading Psalms – Chapter 147
Deuteronomy – Chapter 4
The Bible – Old Testament Deuteronomy Index 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. Chapter 4 1 “Now, Israel, hear the statutes and decrees which I am teaching… Continue reading Deuteronomy – Chapter 4
The Prophetic Books
Isaiah
Int. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44.
45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55.
56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66.
Jeremiah
Int. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32.
33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42.
43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52.
Lamentations
Baruch
Ezekiel
Int. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29.
30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38.
39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48.
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Int. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
The Bible – New Testament
Revelation
Index
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
Introduction
The Apocalypse, or Revelation to John, the last book of the Bible, is one of the most difficult to understand because it abounds in unfamiliar and extravagant symbolism, which at best appears unusual to the modern reader. Symbolic language, however, is one of the chief characteristics of apocalyptic literature, of which this book is an outstanding example. Such literature enjoyed wide popularity in both Jewish and Christian circles from ca. 200 B.C. to A.D. 200.
This book contains an account of visions in symbolic and allegorical language borrowed extensively from the Old Testament, especially Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Daniel. Whether or not these visions were real experiences of the author or simply literary conventions employed by him is an open question.
This much, however, is certain: symbolic descriptions are not to be taken as literal descriptions, nor is the symbolism meant to be pictured realistically. One would find it difficult and repulsive to visualize a lamb with seven horns and seven eyes; yet Jesus Christ is described in precisely such words (⇒ Rev 5:6). The author used these images to suggest Christ’s universal (seven) power (horns) and knowledge (eyes). A significant feature of apocalyptic writing is the use of symbolic colors, metals, garments (⇒ Rev 1:13-16; ⇒ 3:18; ⇒ 4:4; ⇒ 6:1-8; ⇒ 17:4; ⇒ 19:8), and numbers (four signifies the world, six imperfection, seven totality or perfection, twelve Israel’s tribes or the apostles, one thousand immensity). Finally the vindictive language in the book (⇒ Rev 6:9-10; ⇒ 18:1-⇒ 19:4) is also to be understood symbolically and not literally. The cries for vengeance on the lips of Christian martyrs that sound so harsh are in fact literary devices the author employed to evoke in the reader and hearer a feeling of horror for apostasy and rebellion that will be severely punished by God.
The lurid descriptions of the punishment of Jezebel (⇒ Rev 2:22) and of the destruction of the great harlot, Babylon (⇒ Rev 16:9-⇒ 19:2),are likewise literary devices. The metaphor of Babylon as harlot would be wrongly construed if interpreted literally. On the other hand, the stylized figure of the woman clothed with the sun (⇒ Rev 12:1-6), depicting the New Israel, may seem to be a negative stereotype. It is necessary to look beyond the literal meaning to see that these images mean to convey a sense of God’s wrath at sin in the former case and trust in God’s providential care over the church in the latter.
The Book of Revelation cannot be adequately understood except against the historical background that occasioned its writing. Like Daniel and other apocalypses, it was composed as resistance literature to meet a crisis. The book itself suggests that the crisis was ruthless persecution of the early church by the Roman authorities; the harlot Babylon symbolizes pagan Rome, the city on seven hills (17, 9). The book is, then, an exhortation and admonition to Christians of the first century to stand firm in the faith and to avoid compromise with paganism, despite the threat of adversity and martyrdom; they are to await patiently the fulfillment of God’s mighty promises. The triumph of God in the world of men and women remains a mystery, to be accepted in faith and longed for in hope. It is a triumph that unfolded in the history of Jesus of Nazareth and continues to unfold in the history of the individual Christian who follows the way of the cross, even, if necessary, to a martyr’s death.
Though the perspective is eschatological – ultimate salvation and victory are said to take place at the end of the present age when Christ will come in glory at the parousia – the book presents the decisive struggle of Christ and his followers against Satan and his cohorts as already over. Christ’s overwhelming defeat of the kingdom of Satan ushered in the everlasting reign of God (⇒ Rev 11:15; ⇒ 12:10). Even the forces of evil unwittingly carry out the divine plan (⇒ Rev 17:17), for God is the sovereign Lord of history.
The Book of Revelation had its origin in a time of crisis, but it remains valid and meaningful for Christians of all time. In the face of apparently insuperable evil, either from within or from without, all Christians are called to trust in Jesus’ promise, “Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (⇒ Matthew 28:20). Those who remain steadfast in their faith and confidence in the risen Lord need have no fear. Suffering, persecution, even death by martyrdom, though remaining impenetrable mysteries of evil, do not comprise an absurd dead end. No matter what adversity or sacrifice Christians may endure, they will in the end triumph over Satan and his forces because of their fidelity to Christ the victor. This is the enduring message of the book; it is a message of hope and consolation and challenge for all who dare to believe.
The author of the book calls himself John (⇒ Rev 1:1, 4, 9; ⇒ 22:8), who because of his Christian faith has been exiled to the rocky island of Patmos, a Roman penal colony. Although he never claims to be John the apostle, whose name is attached to the fourth gospel, he was so identified by several of the early church Fathers, including Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Hippolytus. This identification, however, was denied by other Fathers, including Denis of Alexandria, Eusebius of Caesarea, Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom. Indeed, vocabulary, grammar, and style make it doubtful that the book could have been put into its present form by the same person(s) responsible for the fourth gospel. Nevertheless, there are definite linguistic and theological affinities between the two books. The tone of the letters to the seven churches (⇒ Rev 1:4-⇒ 3:22) is indicative of the great authority the author enjoyed over the Christian communities in Asia. It is possible, therefore, that he was a disciple of John the apostle, who is traditionally associated with that part of the world. The date of the book in its present form is probably near the end of the reign of Domitian (A.D. 81-96), a fierce persecutor of the Christians.
The principal divisions of the Book of Revelation are the following:
I. Prologue (⇒ Rev 1:1-3) Letters to the Churches of Asia (⇒ Rev 1:4-⇒ 3:22)
II. God and the Lamb in Heaven (⇒ Rev 4:1-⇒ 5:14)
III. The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Plagues, with Interludes (⇒ Rev 6:1-⇒ 16:21)
IV. The Punishment of Babylon and the Destruction of Pagan Nations (⇒ Rev 17:1-⇒ 20:15)
V. The New Creation (⇒ Rev 21:1-⇒ 22:5)
VI. Epilogue (⇒ Rev 22:6-21)
Index
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
The Bible – Old Testament
Psalms
Index
Int. 1. 2. 3. … 32. 33. 34. … 149. 150.
Chapter 33
1
1 Rejoice, you just, in the LORD; praise from the upright is fitting.
2
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp; on the ten-stringed lyre offer praise.
3
Sing to God a new song; skillfully play with joyful chant.
4
For the LORD’S word is true; all his works are trustworthy.
5
The LORD loves justice and right and fills the earth with goodness.
6
2 By the LORD’S word the heavens were made; by the breath of his mouth all their host.
7
3 The waters of the sea were gathered as in a bowl; in cellars the deep was confined.
8
Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all who dwell in the world show reverence.
9
For he spoke, and it came to be, commanded, and it stood in place.
10
The LORD foils the plan of nations, frustrates the designs of peoples.
11
But the plan of the LORD stands forever, wise designs through all generations.
12
Happy the nation whose God is the LORD, the people chosen as his very own.
13
From heaven the LORD looks down and observes the whole human race,
14
Surveying from the royal throne all who dwell on earth.
15
The one who fashioned the hearts of them all knows all their works.
16
A king is not saved by a mighty army, nor a warrior delivered by great strength.
17
Useless is the horse for safety; its great strength, no sure escape.
18
But the LORD’S eyes are upon the reverent, upon those who hope for his gracious help,
19
Delivering them from death, keeping them alive in times of famine.
20
Our soul waits for the LORD, who is our help and shield.
21
For in God our hearts rejoice; in your holy name we trust.
22
May your kindness, LORD, be upon us; we have put our hope in you.
1 [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (⇒ Psalm 33:1-3) to praise God, who by a mere word (⇒ Psalm 33:4-5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (⇒ Psalm 33:6-9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (⇒ Psalm 33:10-11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (⇒ Psalm 33:12-22).
2 [6] All their host: the stars of the sky are commonly viewed as a vast army, e.g., ⇒ Nehemiah 9:6; ⇒ Isaiah 40:26; ⇒ 45:12; ⇒ Jeremiah 33:22.
3 [7] The waters . . . as in a bowl: ancients sometimes attributed the power keeping the seas from overwhelming land to a primordial victory of the storm-god over personified Sea. God confines the seas as easily as one puts water in a bowl.
The Bible – Old Testament
Psalms
Index
Int. 1. 2. 3. … 32. 33. 34. … 149. 150.
OLD TESTAMENT
THE GOSPELS
NEW TESTAMENT
The Bible – Old Testament
Sirach
Index
Int. For. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.
42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51.
Chapter 15
1
He who fears the LORD will do this; he who is practiced in the law will come to wisdom.
2
Motherlike she will meet him, like a young bride she will embrace him,
3
Nourish him with the bread of understanding, and give him the water of learning to drink.
4
He will lean upon her and not fall, he will trust in her and not be put to shame.
5
She will exalt him above his fellows; in the assembly she will make him eloquent.
6
Joy and gladness he will find, an everlasting name inherit.
7
Worthless men will not attain to her, haughty men will not behold her.
8
Far from the impious is she, not to be spoken of by liars.
9
Unseemly is praise on a sinner’s lips, for it is not accorded to him by God.
10
But praise is offered by the wise man’s tongue; its rightful steward will proclaim it.
11
Say not: “It was God’s doing that I fell away”; for what he hates he does not do.
12
Say not: “It was he who set me astray”; for he has no need of wicked man.
13
Abominable wickedness the LORD hates, he does not let it befall those who fear him.
14
When God, in the beginning, created man, he made him subject to his own free choice.
15
If you choose you can keep the commandments; it is loyalty to do his will.
16
There are set before you fire and water; to whichever you choose, stretch forth your hand.
17
Before man are life and death, whichever he chooses shall be given him.
18
Immense is the wisdom of the LORD; he is mighty in power, and all-seeing.
19
The eyes of God see all he has made; he understands man’s every deed.
20
No man does he command to sin, to none does he give strength for lies.
The Bible – Old Testament
Sirach
Index
Int. For. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.
42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51.
The Bible – Old Testament
Sirach
Index
Int. For. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.
42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51.
Introduction
The Book of Sirach derives its name from the author, Jesus, son of Eleazar, son of Sirach (⇒ Sirach 50:27). Its earliest title seems to have been “Wisdom of the Son of Sirach.” The designation “Liber Ecclesiasticus,” meaning “Church Book,” appended to some Greek and Latin manuscripts was due to the extensive use which the church made of this book in presenting moral teaching to catechumens and to the faithful.
The author, a sage who lived in Jerusalem, was thoroughly imbued with love for the law, the priesthood, the temple, and divine worship. As a wise and experienced observer of life he addressed himself to his contemporaries with the motive of helping them to maintain religious faith and integrity through study of the holy books, and through tradition.
The book contains numerous maxims formulated with care, grouped by affinity, and dealing with a variety of subjects such as the individual, the family, and the community in their relations with one another and with God. It treats of friendship, education, poverty and wealth, the law, religious worship, and many other matters which reflect the religious and social customs of the time.
Written in Hebrew between 200 and 175 B.C., the text was translated into Greek sometime after 132 B.C. by the author’s grandson, who also wrote a Foreword which contains information about the book, the author, and the translator himself. Until the close of the nineteenth century Sirach was known only in translations, of which this Greek rendering was the most important. From it the Latin version was made. Between 1896 and 1900, again in 1931, and several times since 1956, manuscripts were discovered containing in all about two thirds of the Hebrew text, which agrees substantially with the Greek. One such text, from Masada, is pre-Christian in date.
Though not included in the Hebrew Bible after the first century A.D., nor accepted by Protestants, the Book of Sirach has always been recognized by the Catholic Church as divinely inspired and canonical. The Foreword, though not inspired, is placed in the Bible because of its antiquity and importance.
The contents of Sirach are of a discursive nature, not easily divided into separate parts. Sir 1-43 deal largely with moral instruction; ⇒ Sirach 44:1-⇒ 50:24 contain a eulogy of the heroes of Israel and some of the patriarchs. There are two appendices in which the author expresses his gratitude to God, and appeals to the unlearned to acquire true wisdom.
The Church uses the Book of Sirach extensively in her liturgy.
Index
Int. For. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31.
32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41.
42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51.
Matthew
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.
Mark
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Luke
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.
John
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
OLD TESTAMENT
THE GOSPELS
NEW TESTAMENT
The Bible – New Testament
Saint Mark
Index
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Chapter 7
1
1 Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him,
2
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
3
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, 2 keeping the tradition of the elders.
4
And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles (and beds).)
5
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders 3 but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?”
6
He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
7
In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’
8
You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.”
9
He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!
10
For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother shall die.’
11
Yet you say, ‘If a person says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban”‘ 4 (meaning, dedicated to God),
12
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
13
You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”
14
He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.
15
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.”
16
) 5
17
6 When he got home away from the crowd his disciples questioned him about the parable.
18
He said to them, “Are even you likewise without understanding? Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
19
7 since it enters not the heart but the stomach and passes out into the latrine?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
20
“But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles.
21
From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
22
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
23
All these evils come from within and they defile.”
24
From that place he went off to the district of Tyre. 8 He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice.
25
Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet.
26
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27
He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. 9 For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
28
She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”
29
Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”
30
When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
31
Again he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis.
32
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him.
33
He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue;
34
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
35
And (immediately) the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly.
36
10 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it.
37
They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and (the) mute speak.”
1 [1-23] See the note on ⇒ Matthew 15:1-20. Against the Pharisees’ narrow, legalistic, and external practices of piety in matters of purification (⇒ Mark 7:2-5), external worship (⇒ Mark 7:6-7), and observance of commandments, Jesus sets in opposition the true moral intent of the divine law (⇒ Mark 7:8-13). But he goes beyond contrasting the law and Pharisaic interpretation of it. The parable of ⇒ Mark 7:14-15 in effect sets aside the law itself in respect to clean and unclean food. He thereby opens the way for unity between Jew and Gentile in the kingdom of God, intimated by Jesus’ departure for pagan territory beyond Galilee. For similar contrast see ⇒ Mark 2:1-⇒ 3:6; ⇒ 3:20-35; ⇒ 6:1-6.
2 [3] Carefully washing their hands: refers to ritual purification.
3 [5] Tradition of the elders: the body of detailed, unwritten, human laws regarded by the scribes and Pharisees to have the same binding force as that of the Mosaic law; cf ⇒ Gal 1:14.
4 [11] Qorban: a formula for a gift to God, dedicating the offering to the temple, so that the giver might continue to use it for himself but not give it to others, even needy parents.
5 [16] ⇒ Mark 7:16, “Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear,” is omitted because it is lacking in some of the best Greek manuscripts and was probably transferred here by scribes from ⇒ Mark 4:9, ⇒ 23.
6 [17] Away from the crowd . . . the parable: in this context of privacy the term parable refers to something hidden, about to be revealed to the disciples; cf ⇒ Mark 4:10-11.34. Jesus sets the Mosaic food laws in the context of the kingdom of God where they are abrogated, and he declares moral defilement the only cause of uncleanness.
7 [19] (Thus he declared all foods clean): if this bold declaration goes back to Jesus, its force was not realized among Jewish Christians in the early church; cf ⇒ Acts 10:1-⇒ 11:18.
8 [24-37] The withdrawal of Jesus to the district of Tyre may have been for a respite (⇒ Mark 7:24), but he soon moved onward to Sidon and, by way of the Sea of Galilee, to the Decapolis. These districts provided a Gentile setting for the extension of his ministry of healing because the people there acknowledged his power (⇒ Mark 7:29, ⇒ 37). The actions attributed to Jesus (⇒ Mark 7:33-35) were also used by healers of the time.
9 [27-28] The figure of a household in which children at table are fed first and then their leftover food is given to the dogs under the table is used effectively to acknowledge the prior claim of the Jews to the ministry of Jesus; however, Jesus accedes to the Gentile woman’s plea for the cure of her afflicted daughter because of her faith.
10 [36] The more they proclaimed it: the same verb proclaim attributed here to the crowd in relation to the miracles of Jesus is elsewhere used in Mark for the preaching of the gospel on the part of Jesus, of his disciples, and of the Christian community (⇒ Mark 1:14; ⇒ 13:10; ⇒ 14:9). Implied in the action of the crowd is a recognition of the salvific mission of Jesus; see the note on ⇒ Matthew 11:5-6.
The Bible – New Testament
Saint Mark
Index
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
The Bible – Old Testament
1 Kings
Index
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
Chapter 8
1
At the order of Solomon, the elders of Israel and all the leaders of the tribes, the princes in the ancestral houses of the Israelites, came to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the LORD’S covenant from the city of David (which is Zion).
2
All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during 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
they carried the ark of the LORD and the meeting tent with all the sacred vessels that were in the tent. (The priests and Levites carried them.)
5
King Solomon and the entire community of Israel present for the occasion sacrificed before the ark sheep and oxen too many to number or count.
6
1 The priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place beneath the wings of the cherubim in the sanctuary, the holy of holies of the temple.
7
The cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the ark, sheltering the ark and its poles from above.
8
The poles were so long that their ends could be seen from that part of the holy place adjoining the sanctuary; however, they could not be seen beyond. (They have remained there to this day.)
9
There was nothing in the ark but the two stone tablets which Moses had put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites at their departure from the land of Egypt.
10
When the priests left the holy place, the cloud filled the temple of the LORD
11
so that the priests could no longer minister because of the cloud, since the LORD’S glory had filled the temple of the LORD.
12
Then Solomon said, “The LORD intends to dwell in the dark cloud;
13
I have truly built you a princely house, a dwelling where you may abide forever.”
14
The king turned and greeted the whole community of Israel as they stood.
15
He said to them: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who with his own mouth made a promise to my father David and by his hand has brought it to fulfillment. It was he who said,
16
‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city out of any tribe of Israel for the building of a temple to my honor; but I choose David to rule my people Israel.’
17
When my father David wished to build a temple to the honor of the LORD, the God of Israel,
18
the LORD said to him, ‘In wishing to build a temple to my honor, you do well.
19
It will not be you, however, who will build the temple; but the son who will spring from you, he shall build the temple to my honor.’
20
And now the LORD has fulfilled the promise that he made: I have succeeded my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD foretold, and I have built this temple to honor the LORD, the God of Israel.
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I have provided in it 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 the whole community of Israel, and stretching forth his hands toward heaven,
23
he said, “LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below; you keep your covenant of kindness with your servants who are faithful to you with their whole heart.
24
You have kept the promise you made to my father David, your servant. You who spoke that promise, have this day, by your own power, brought it to fulfillment.
25
Now, therefore, LORD, God of Israel, keep the further promise you made to my father David, your servant, saying, ‘You shall always have someone from your line to sit before me on the throne of Israel, provided only that your descendants look to their conduct so that they live in my presence, as you have lived in my presence.’
26
Now, LORD, God of Israel, may this promise which you made to my father David, your servant, be confirmed.
27
“Can it indeed be that God dwells among men on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!
28
Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, O LORD, my God, and listen to the cry of supplication which I, your servant, utter before you this day.
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May your eyes watch night and day over this temple, the place where you have decreed you shall be honored; may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place.
30
Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel which they offer in this place. Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.
31
“If a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath sanctioned by a curse, when he comes and takes the oath before your altar in this temple,
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listen in heaven; take action and pass judgment on your servants. Condemn the wicked and punish him for his conduct, but acquit the just and establish his innocence.
33
2 “If your people Israel sin against you and are defeated by an enemy, and if then they return to you, praise your name, pray to you, and entreat you in this temple,
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listen in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave their fathers.
35
“If the sky is closed, so that there is no rain, because they have sinned against you and you afflict them, and if then they repent of their sin, and pray, and praise your name in this place,
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listen in heaven and forgive the sin of your servant and of your people Israel, teaching them the right way to live and sending rain upon this land of yours which you have given to your people as their heritage.
37
“If there is famine in the land or pestilence; or if blight comes, or mildew, or a locust swarm, or devouring insects; if an enemy of your people besieges them in one of their cities; whatever plague or sickness there may be,
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if then any one (of your entire people Israel) has remorse of conscience and offers some prayer or petition, stretching out his hands toward this temple,
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listen from your heavenly dwelling place and forgive. You who alone know the hearts of all men, render to each one of them according to his conduct; knowing their hearts, so treat them
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that they may fear you as long as they live on the land you gave our fathers.
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“To the foreigner, likewise, who is not of your people Israel, but comes from a distant land to honor you
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(since men will learn of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple,
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listen from your heavenly dwelling. Do all that the foreigner asks of you, that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, may fear you as do your people Israel, and may acknowledge that this temple which I have built is dedicated to your honor.
44
“Whatever the direction in which you may send your people forth to war against their enemies, if they pray to you, O LORD, toward the city you have chosen and the temple I have built in your honor,
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listen in heaven to their prayer and petition, and defend their cause.
46
“When they sin against you (for there is no man who does not sin), and in your anger against them you deliver them to the enemy, so that their captors deport them to a hostile land, far or near,
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may they repent in the land of their captivity and be converted. If then they entreat you in the land of their captors and say, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have been wicked’;
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if with their whole heart and soul they turn back to you in the land of the enemies who took them captive, pray to you toward the land you gave their fathers, the city you have chosen, and the temple I have built in your honor,
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listen from your heavenly dwelling.
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Forgive your people their sins and all the offenses they have committed against you, and grant them mercy before their captors, so that these will be merciful to them.
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For they are your people and your inheritance, whom you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of an iron furnace.
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“Thus may your eyes be open to the petition of your servant and to the petition of your people Israel. Hear them whenever they call upon you,
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because you have set them apart among all the peoples of the earth for your inheritance, as you declared through your servant Moses when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.”
54
When Solomon finished offering this entire prayer of petition to the LORD, he rose from before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands outstretched toward heaven.
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He stood and blessed the whole community of Israel, saying in a loud voice:
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“Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not a single word has gone unfulfilled of the entire generous promise he made through his servant Moses.
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May the LORD, our God, be with us as he was with our fathers and may he not forsake us nor cast us off.
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May he draw our hearts to himself, that we may follow him in everything and keep the commands, statutes, and ordinances which he enjoined on our fathers.
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May this prayer I have offered to the LORD, our God, be present to him day and night, that he may uphold the cause of his servant and of his people Israel as each day requires,
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that all the peoples of the earth may know the LORD is God and there is no other.
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You must be wholly devoted to the LORD, our God, observing his statutes and keeping his commandments, as on this day.”
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The king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD.
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Solomon offered as peace offerings to the LORD twenty-two thousand oxen and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. Thus the king and all the Israelites dedicated the temple of the LORD.
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On that day the king consecrated the middle of the court facing the temple of the LORD; he offered there the holocausts, the cereal offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar before the LORD was too small to hold these offerings.
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On this occasion Solomon and all the Israelites, who had assembled in large numbers from Labo of Hamath to the Wadi of Egypt, celebrated the festival before the LORD, our God, for seven days.
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On the eighth day he dismissed the people, who bade the king farewell and went to their homes, rejoicing and happy over all the blessings the LORD had given to his servant David and to his people Israel.
1 [6-9] The transfer of the ark of the covenant into the newly constructed temple building, and the oracle of God’s acceptance (⇒ 1 Kings 9:3-9), and his act of possession (⇒ 1 Kings 8:10-13), constituted the temple’s solemn dedication, and made of it the abiding dwelling of God among his people for which David had hoped (⇒ 2 Sam 6:12-15; ⇒ 7:1-3). The concurrence of the feast of Booths marks an appropriate transition of God’s dwelling among nomadic tribes to his permanent abode among a settled people.
2 [33-34,46-53] These references to deportation of Israelites to a hostile land are an expansion of Solomon’s prayer dating from the Babylonian exile four centuries later.
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