The Temple’s Furnishings^(A)

4 He made a bronze altar^(B) twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.^{[a] 2} He made the Sea^(C) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits^[b] high. It took a line of thirty cubits^[c] to measure around it. ³ Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.^[d] The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

⁴ The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east.^(D) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. ⁵ It was a handbreadth^[e] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.^[f]

⁶ He then made ten basins^(E) for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings^(F) were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing.

⁷ He made ten gold lampstands^(G) according to the specifications^(H) for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

⁸ He made ten tables^(I) and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls.^(J)

⁹ He made the courtyard^(K) of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. ¹⁰ He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner.

¹¹ And Huram also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished^(L) the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God:

All the objects that Huram-Abi^(N) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of polished bronze. ¹⁷ The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth^(O) and Zarethan.^{[g] 18} All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze^(P) could not be calculated.

¹⁹ Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God’s temple:

Jerusalem as an Adulterous Wife

16 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, confront^(A) Jerusalem with her detestable practices^{(B) 3} and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says to Jerusalem: Your ancestry^(C) and birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father^(D) was an Amorite^(E) and your mother a Hittite.^{(F) 4} On the day you were born^(G) your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to make you clean, nor were you rubbed with salt or wrapped in cloths. ⁵ No one looked on you with pity or had compassion enough to do any of these things for you. Rather, you were thrown out into the open field, for on the day you were born you were despised.

⁶ “‘Then I passed by and saw you kicking about in your blood, and as you lay there in your blood I said to you, “Live!”^{[a](H) 7} I made you grow^(I) like a plant of the field. You grew and developed and entered puberty. Your breasts had formed and your hair had grown, yet you were stark naked.^(J)

⁸ “‘Later I passed by, and when I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for love, I spread the corner of my garment^(K) over you and covered your naked body. I gave you my solemn oath and entered into a covenant^(L) with you, declares the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.^(M)

⁹ “‘I bathed you with water and washed^(N) the blood from you and put ointments on you. ¹⁰ I clothed you with an embroidered^(O) dress and put sandals of fine leather on you. I dressed you in fine linen^(P) and covered you with costly garments.^{(Q) 11} I adorned you with jewelry:^(R) I put bracelets^(S) on your arms and a necklace^(T) around your neck, ¹² and I put a ring on your nose,^(U) earrings^(V) on your ears and a beautiful crown^(W) on your head.^{(X) 13} So you were adorned with gold and silver; your clothes^(Y) were of fine linen and costly fabric and embroidered cloth. Your food was honey, olive oil^(Z) and the finest flour. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen.^{(AA) 14} And your fame^(AB) spread among the nations on account of your beauty,^(AC) because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AD)

¹⁵ “‘But you trusted in your beauty and used your fame to become a prostitute. You lavished your favors on anyone who passed by^(AE) and your beauty became his.^{(AF) 16} You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,^(AG) where you carried on your prostitution.^(AH) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.^{[b] 17} You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.^{(AI) 18} And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense^(AJ) before them. ¹⁹ Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(AK)

²⁰ “‘And you took your sons and daughters^(AL) whom you bore to me^(AM) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?^{(AN) 21} You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.^{(AO) 22} In all your detestable practices and your prostitution you did not remember the days of your youth,^(AP) when you were naked and bare,^(AQ) kicking about in your blood.^(AR)

²³ “‘Woe!^(AS) Woe to you, declares the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, ²⁴ you built a mound for yourself and made a lofty shrine^(AT) in every public square.^{(AU) 25} At every street corner^(AV) you built your lofty shrines and degraded your beauty, spreading your legs with increasing promiscuity to anyone who passed by.^{(AW) 26} You engaged in prostitution^(AX) with the Egyptians,^(AY) your neighbors with large genitals, and aroused my anger^(AZ) with your increasing promiscuity.^{(BA) 27} So I stretched out my hand^(BB) against you and reduced your territory; I gave you over^(BC) to the greed of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines,^(BD) who were shocked by your lewd conduct. ²⁸ You engaged in prostitution with the Assyrians^(BE) too, because you were insatiable; and even after that, you still were not satisfied.^{(BF) 29} Then you increased your promiscuity to include Babylonia,^[c](BG) a land of merchants, but even with this you were not satisfied.^(BH)

³⁰ “‘I am filled with fury against you,^[d] declares the Sovereign Lord, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!^{(BI) 31} When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines^(BJ) in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment.

³² “‘You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! ³³ All prostitutes receive gifts,^(BK) but you give gifts^(BL) to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors.^{(BM) 34} So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.

³⁵ “‘Therefore, you prostitute, hear the word of the Lord! ³⁶ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because you poured out your lust and exposed your naked body in your promiscuity with your lovers, and because of all your detestable idols, and because you gave them your children’s blood,^{(BN) 37} therefore I am going to gather all your lovers, with whom you found pleasure, those you loved as well as those you hated. I will gather them against you from all around and will strip^(BO) you in front of them, and they will see you stark naked.^{(BP) 38} I will sentence you to the punishment of women who commit adultery and who shed blood;^(BQ) I will bring on you the blood vengeance of my wrath and jealous anger.^{(BR) 39} Then I will deliver you into the hands^(BS) of your lovers, and they will tear down your mounds and destroy your lofty shrines. They will strip you of your clothes and take your fine jewelry and leave you stark naked.^{(BT) 40} They will bring a mob against you, who will stone^(BU) you and hack you to pieces with their swords. ⁴¹ They will burn down^(BV) your houses and inflict punishment on you in the sight of many women.^(BW) I will put a stop^(BX) to your prostitution, and you will no longer pay your lovers. ⁴² Then my wrath against you will subside and my jealous anger will turn away from you; I will be calm and no longer angry.^(BY)

⁴³ “‘Because you did not remember^(BZ) the days of your youth but enraged me with all these things, I will surely bring down^(CA) on your head what you have done, declares the Sovereign Lord. Did you not add lewdness to all your other detestable practices?^(CB)

⁴⁴ “‘Everyone who quotes proverbs^(CC) will quote this proverb about you: “Like mother, like daughter.” ⁴⁵ You are a true daughter of your mother, who despised^(CD) her husband^(CE) and her children; and you are a true sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.^{(CF) 46} Your older sister^(CG) was Samaria, who lived to the north of you with her daughters; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you with her daughters, was Sodom.^{(CH) 47} You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.^{(CI) 48} As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign^(CJ) Lord, your sister Sodom^(CK) and her daughters never did what you and your daughters have done.^(CL)

⁴⁹ “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom:^(CM) She and her daughters were arrogant,^(CN) overfed and unconcerned;^(CO) they did not help the poor and needy.^{(CP) 50} They were haughty^(CQ) and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.^{(CR) 51} Samaria did not commit half the sins you did. You have done more detestable things than they, and have made your sisters seem righteous by all these things you have done.^{(CS) 52} Bear your disgrace, for you have furnished some justification for your sisters. Because your sins were more vile than theirs, they appear more righteous^(CT) than you. So then, be ashamed and bear^(CU) your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.

⁵³ “‘However, I will restore^(CV) the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and of Samaria and her daughters, and your fortunes along with them,^{(CW) 54} so that you may bear your disgrace^(CX) and be ashamed of all you have done in giving them comfort. ⁵⁵ And your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will return to what they were before; and you and your daughters will return to what you were before.^{(CY) 56} You would not even mention your sister Sodom in the day of your pride, ⁵⁷ before your wickedness was uncovered. Even so, you are now scorned^(CZ) by the daughters of Edom^[e](DA) and all her neighbors and the daughters of the Philistines—all those around you who despise you. ⁵⁸ You will bear the consequences of your lewdness and your detestable practices, declares the Lord.^(DB)

⁵⁹ “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will deal with you as you deserve, because you have despised my oath by breaking the covenant.^{(DC) 60} Yet I will remember the covenant^(DD) I made with you in the days of your youth,^(DE) and I will establish an everlasting covenant^(DF) with you. ⁶¹ Then you will remember your ways and be ashamed^(DG) when you receive your sisters, both those who are older than you and those who are younger. I will give them to you as daughters,^(DH) but not on the basis of my covenant with you. ⁶² So I will establish my covenant^(DI) with you, and you will know that I am the Lord.^{(DJ) 63} Then, when I make atonement^(DK) for you for all you have done, you will remember and be ashamed^(DL) and never again open your mouth^(DM) because of your humiliation, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(DN)’”

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House^(A)

14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee,^(B) he was being carefully watched.^{(C) 2} There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. ³ Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law,^(D) “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”^{(E) 4} But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

⁵ Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child^[a] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?”^{(F) 6} And they had nothing to say.

⁷ When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table,^(G) he told them this parable: ⁸ “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. ⁹ If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. ¹¹ For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”^(H)

¹² Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,^{(I) 14} and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”^(J)

The Parable of the Great Banquet^(K)

¹⁵ When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast^(L) in the kingdom of God.”^(M)

¹⁶ Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

¹⁸ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

¹⁹ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

²⁰ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

²¹ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’^(N)

²² “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

²³ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”^(O)

The Cost of Being a Disciple

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.^{(P) 27} And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.^(Q)

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, ³⁰ saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.^(R)

³⁴ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?^{(S) 35} It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.^(T)

“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(U)