Solomon Builds the Temple^(A)

3 Then Solomon began to build^(B) the temple of the Lord^(C) in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah^[a](D) the Jebusite, the place provided by David. ² He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.^(E)

³ The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide^[b](F) (using the cubit of the old standard). ⁴ The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits^[c] long across the width of the building and twenty^[d] cubits high.

He overlaid the inside with pure gold. ⁵ He paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree^(G) and chain designs. ⁶ He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. ⁷ He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim^(H) on the walls.

⁸ He built the Most Holy Place,^(I) its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents^[e] of fine gold. ⁹ The gold nails^(J) weighed fifty shekels.^[f] He also overlaid the upper parts with gold.

¹⁰ For the Most Holy Place he made a pair^(K) of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold. ¹¹ The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits^[g] long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub. ¹² Similarly one wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the other temple wall, and its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the first cherub. ¹³ The wings of these cherubim^(L) extended twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main hall.^[h]

¹⁴ He made the curtain^(M) of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim^(N) worked into it.

¹⁵ For the front of the temple he made two pillars,^(O) which together were thirty-five cubits^[i] long, each with a capital^(P) five cubits high. ¹⁶ He made interwoven chains^[j](Q) and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates^(R) and attached them to the chains. ¹⁷ He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin^[k] and the one to the north Boaz.^[l]

Jerusalem as a Useless Vine

15 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, how is the wood of a vine^(A) different from that of a branch from any of the trees in the forest? ³ Is wood ever taken from it to make anything useful?^(B) Do they make pegs^(C) from it to hang things on? ⁴ And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire burns both ends and chars the middle, is it then useful for anything?^{(D) 5} If it was not useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it is charred?

⁶ “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As I have given the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest as fuel for the fire, so will I treat the people living in Jerusalem. ⁷ I will set my face against^(E) them. Although they have come out of the fire^(F), the fire will yet consume them. And when I set my face against them, you will know that I am the Lord.^{(G) 8} I will make the land desolate^(H) because they have been unfaithful,^(I) declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Repent or Perish

13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate^(A) had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?^{(B) 3} I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam^(C) fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent,^(D) you too will all perish.”

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.^{(E) 7} So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!^(F) Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,^{(G) 11} and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.^(H) She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her,^(I) and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,^(J) the synagogue leader^(K) said to the people, “There are six days for work.^(L) So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?^{(M) 16} Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,^(N) whom Satan^(O) has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,^(P) but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(Q)(R)

¹⁸ Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God^(S) like?^(T) What shall I compare it to? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,^(U) and the birds perched in its branches.”^(V)

²⁰ Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? ²¹ It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”^(W)

The Narrow Door

²² Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.^{(X) 23} Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,^(Y) because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’^(Z)

²⁶ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

²⁷ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’^(AA)

²⁸ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth,^(AB) when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from east and west^(AC) and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”^(AD)

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem^(AE)(AF)

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod^(AG) wants to kill you.”

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’^{(AH) 33} In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet^(AI) can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(AJ) and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^(AK) I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[b]”^(AL)