Exodus 36; John 15; Proverbs 12; Ephesians 5

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Exodus 36

Bezalel and Oholiab and ievery craftsman in whom the Lord has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the Lord has commanded.

And Moses called Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whose mind the Lord had put skill, everyone jwhose heart stirred him up to come to do the work. And they received from Moses all the kcontribution that the people of Israel had brought for doing the work on the sanctuary. They still kept bringing him lfreewill offerings every morning, so that all the craftsmen who were doing every sort of task on the sanctuary came, each from the task that he was doing, and said to Moses, mThe people bring much more than enough for doing the work that the Lord has commanded us to do. So Moses gave command, and word was proclaimed throughout the camp, Let no man or woman do anything more for the ncontribution for the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing, for the material they had was sufficient to do all the work, and more.

oAnd all the craftsmen among the workmen made the tabernacle with ten curtains. They were made of fine twined linen and blue and purple and scarlet yarns, with cherubim skillfully worked. The length of each curtain was twenty-eight cubits,1 and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. All the curtains were the same size.

10 He2 coupled five curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he coupled to one another. 11 He made loops of blue on the edge of the outermost curtain of the first set. Likewise he made them on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set. 12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that was in the second set. The loops were opposite one another. 13 And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one to the other with clasps. So the tabernacle was a single whole.

14 He also made curtains of goats’ hair for a tent over the tabernacle. He made eleven curtains. 15 The length of each curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits. The eleven curtains were the same size. 16 He coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 17 And he made fifty loops on the edge of the outermost curtain of the one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the other connecting curtain. 18 And he made fifty clasps of bronze to couple the tent together that it might be a single whole. 19 And he made for the tent a covering of tanned rams’ skins and goatskins.

20 pThen he made the upright frames for the tabernacle of qacacia wood. 21 Ten cubits was the length of a frame, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each frame. 22 Each frame had two tenons for fitting together. He did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 23 The frames for the tabernacle he made thus: twenty frames for the south side. 24 And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two tenons, and two bases under the next frame for its two tenons. 25 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, he made twenty frames 26 and their forty bases of silver, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next frame. 27 For the rear of the tabernacle westward he made six frames. 28 He made two frames for corners of the tabernacle in the rear. 29 And they were separate beneath but joined at the top, at the first ring. He made two of them this way for the two corners. 30 There were eight frames with their bases of silver: sixteen bases, under every frame two bases.

31 He made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, 32 and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle at the rear westward. 33 And he made the middle bar to run from end to end halfway up the frames. 34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and made their rings of gold for holders for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

35 rHe made the veil of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen; with cherubim skillfully worked into it he made it. 36 And for it he made four pillars of acacia and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four bases of silver. 37 He also made a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework, 38 and its five pillars with their hooks. He overlaid their capitals, and their fillets were of gold, but their five bases were of bronze.


John 15

I Am the True Vine

I am the rtrue vine, and my Father is sthe vinedresser. tEvery branch in me that does not bear fruit uhe takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, vthat it may bear more fruit. Already wyou are clean xbecause of the word that I have spoken to you. yAbide zin me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; ayou are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bbears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me che is thrown away like a branch and withers; dand the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If eyou abide in me, and my words abide in you, fask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. gBy this my Father is glorified, that you hbear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. iAs the Father has loved me, jso have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 kIf you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as lI have kept mmy Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, nthat my joy may be in you, and that oyour joy may be full.

12 pThis is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 qGreater love has no one than this, rthat someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are smy friends tif you do what I command you. 15 uNo longer do I call you servants,1 for the servant wdoes not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for xall that I have heard from my Father yI have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but zI chose you and appointed you that you should go and abear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that bwhatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, cso that you will love one another.

The Hatred of the World

18 dIf the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 eIf you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because fyou are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: gA servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, hthey will also persecute you. iIf they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But jall these things they will do to you kon account of my name, lbecause they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, mthey would not have been guilty of sin,2 but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 nWhoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 oIf I had not done among them the works that no one else did, mthey would not be guilty of sin, but now they have pseen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But qthe word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: rThey hated me without a cause.

26 But swhen the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, the will bear witness about me. 27 And uyou also will bear witness, vbecause you have been with me wfrom the beginning.


Proverbs 12

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but he who zhates reproof is astupid.

A good man bobtains favor from the Lord,

but a man of evil devices he condemns.

No one is established by wickedness,

but the root of cthe righteous will never be moved.

dAn excellent wife is ethe crown of her husband,

but she who fbrings shame is like grottenness in his bones.

hThe thoughts of the righteous are just;

the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

The words of the wicked ilie in wait for blood,

but jthe mouth of the upright delivers them.

kThe wicked are loverthrown and are no more,

mbut the house of the righteous will stand.

A man is commended according to his good sense,

but one of twisted mind is ndespised.

Better to be lowly and have a servant

than to play the great man and lack bread.

10  oWhoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast,

but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.

11  pWhoever works his land qwill have plenty of bread,

rbut he who follows sworthless pursuits lacks sense.

12  Whoever is wicked covets tthe spoil of evildoers,

but the root of the righteous bears fruit.

13  An evil man is ensnared uby the transgression of his lips,1

vbut the righteous escapes from trouble.

14  From the fruit of his mouth wa man is satisfied with good,

xand the work of a man’s hand comes back to him.

15  yThe way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

but a wise man listens to advice.

16  zThe vexation of a fool is known at once,

but the prudent ignores an insult.

17  aWhoever speaks2 the truth gives honest evidence,

but ba false witness utters deceit.

18  cThere is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,

but the tongue of the wise brings dhealing.

19  Truthful lips endure forever,

but ea lying tongue is but for a moment.

20  Deceit is in the heart of fthose who devise evil,

but those who plan peace have joy.

21  gNo ill befalls the righteous,

but the wicked are filled with trouble.

22  hLying lips are ian abomination to the Lord,

jbut those who act faithfully are his delight.

23  kA prudent man conceals knowledge,

kbut the heart of fools proclaims folly.

24  lThe hand of the diligent will rule,

while the slothful will be mput to forced labor.

25  nAnxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,

but a good word makes him glad.

26  One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor,3

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

27  oWhoever is slothful will not roast his game,

but the diligent man will get precious wealth.4

28  pIn the path of righteousness is life,

and in its pathway there is no death.


Ephesians 5

Walk in Love

jTherefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And kwalk in love, las Christ loved us and mgave himself up for us, a nfragrant ooffering and sacrifice to God.

But psexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness qmust not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be rno filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, swhich are out of place, but instead tlet there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that ueveryone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (vthat is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. wLet no one xdeceive you with empty words, for because of these things ythe wrath of God comes upon zthe sons of disobedience. Therefore ado not become partners with them; for bat one time you were cdarkness, but now you are light in the Lord. dWalk as children of light (for ethe fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and ftry to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 gTake no part in the hunfruitful iworks of darkness, but instead jexpose them. 12 For kit is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when lanything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

mAwake, O sleeper,

and narise from the dead,

and oChrist will shine on you.

15 pLook carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 pmaking the best use of the time, because qthe days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what rthe will of the Lord is. 18 And sdo not get drunk with wine, for that is tdebauchery, but ube filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in vpsalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 wgiving thanks always and for everything to God the Father xin the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 ysubmitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

22 zWives, asubmit to your own husbands, bas to the Lord. 23 For cthe husband is the head of the wife even as dChrist is the head of the church, his body, and is ehimself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit fin everything to their husbands.

25 gHusbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and hgave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ithe washing of water jwith the word, 27 so kthat he might present the church to himself in splendor, lwithout spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.1 28 In the same way mhusbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because nwe are members of his body. 31 oTherefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and pthe two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, qlet each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she rrespects her husband.