AME Zion Universal Reading February 6th 2022

Sunday School Zoom Link

First Portion

Exodus Chapter 25

1"The Lord spoke to Moses saying:2"Speak to the children of Israel, and have them take for Me an offering; from every person whose heart inspires him to generosity, you shall take My offering.3And this is the offering that you shall take from them: gold, silver, and copper;4blue, purple, and crimson wool; linen and goat hair;5ram skins dyed red, tachash skins, and acacia wood;6oil for lighting, spices for the anointing oil and for the incense;7shoham stones and filling stones for the ephod and for the choshen.8And they shall make Me a sanctuary and I will dwell in their midst9according to all that I show you, the pattern of the Mishkan and the pattern of all its vessels; and so shall you do.10They shall make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height.11And you shall overlay it with pure gold; from inside and from outside you shall overlay it, and you shall make upon it a golden crown all around.12And you shall cast four golden rings for it, and you shall place them upon its four corners, two rings on its one side, and two rings on its other side.13And you shall make poles of acacia wood and you shall overlay them with gold.14And you shall bring the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, to carry the ark with them.15The poles of the ark shall be in the rings; they shall not be removed from it.16And you shall place into the ark the testimony, which I will give you.

Sunday

2 Samuel 12:1–31 (NLT): Nathan Rebukes David

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”

5 David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 9 Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. 10 From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.

11 “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. 12 You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.”

David Confesses His Guilt

13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. 14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.”

15 After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife. 16 David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. 17 The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.

18 Then on the seventh day the child died. David’s advisers were afraid to tell him. “He wouldn’t listen to reason while the child was ill,” they said. “What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?”

19 When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.

21 His advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.”

22 David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.”

24 Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the Lord”), as the Lord had commanded.

David Captures Rabbah

26 Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications. 27 Joab sent messengers to tell David, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. 28 Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.”

29 So David gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it. 30 David removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount of plunder from the city. 31 He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.

Second Portion

Exodus Chapter 25

17And you shall make an ark cover of pure gold, two and a half cubits its length and a cubit and a half its width.18And you shall make two golden cherubim; you shall make them of hammered work, from the two ends of the ark cover.19And make one cherub from the one end and the other cherub from the other end; from the ark cover you shall make the cherubim on its two ends.20The cherubim shall have their wings spread upwards, shielding the ark cover with their wings, with their faces toward one another; [turned] toward the ark cover shall be the faces of the cherubim.21And you shall place the ark cover on the ark from above, and into the ark you shall place the testimony, which I will give you.22I will arrange My meetings with you there, and I will speak with you from atop the ark cover from between the two cherubim that are upon the Ark of the Testimony, all that I will command you unto the children of Israel.23And you shall make a table of acacia wood, two cubits its length, one cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height.24And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and you shall make for it a golden crown all around.25And you shall make for it a frame a handbreadth [wide] all around, and you shall make a golden crown for its frame all around.26And you shall make for it four golden rings, and you shall place the rings on the four corners that are on its four legs.27The rings shall be opposite the frame as holders for the poles [with which] to carry the table.28And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with them.29And you shall make its forms, its spoons, its half pipes, and its supports with which it will be covered; of pure gold you shall make them.30And you shall place on the table showbread before Me at all times.

Monday

2 Samuel 11:1–13 (NLT): David and Bathsheba

In the spring of the year, when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. 5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”

6 Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. 8 Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax.” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. 9 But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.

10 When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?”

11 Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.”

12 “Well, stay here today,” David told him, “and tomorrow you may return to the army.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.

Third Portion

Exodus Chapter 25

31And you shall make a menorah of pure gold. The menorah shall be made of hammered work; its base and its stem, its goblets, its knobs, and its flowers shall [all] be [one piece] with it.32And six branches coming out of its sides: three menorah branches from its one side and three menorah branches from its second side.33Three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower, and three decorated goblets on one branch, a knob and a flower; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.34And on [the stem of] the menorah [shall be] four decorated goblets, its knobs and its flowers.35And a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it, and a knob under the two branches from it; so for the six branches that come out of the menorah.36Their knobs and their branches shall [all] be [one piece] with it; all of it [shall be] one hammered mass of pure gold.37And you shall make its lamps seven, and he shall kindle its lamps [so that they] shed light toward its face.38And its tongs and its scoops [shall be] of pure gold.39He shall make it of a talent of pure gold, with all these implements.40Now see and make according to their pattern, which you are shown on the mountain.

Exodus Chapter 26

1"And the Mishkan you shall make out of ten curtains [consisting] of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool. A cherubim design of the work of a master weaver you shall make them.2"The length of one curtain [shall be] twenty eight cubits, and the width of one curtain [shall be] four cubits; the same measure for all the curtains.3"Five of these curtains shall be joined to one another, and [the other] five curtains shall [also] be joined to one another.4"And you shall make loops of blue wool on the edge of one curtain [that is] at the edge of the [first] set, and so shall you do on the edge of the outermost curtain of the second set.5"You shall make fifty loops on [the edge of] one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set; the loops shall correspond to one another.6"And you shall make fifty golden clasps, and you shall fasten the curtains to one another with the clasps; so shall the Mishkan become one.7"And [then] you shall make curtains of goat hair for a tent over the Mishkan; you shall make eleven curtains.8"The length of one curtain [shall be] thirty cubits, and the width of one curtain four cubits; the same measure for the eleven curtains.9"And you shall join the five curtains by themselves, and the [other] six curtains by themselves; and you shall fold the sixth curtain before the front of the tent.10"And you shall make fifty loops on the edge of one curtain, [which is] at the edge of the [first] set, and fifty loops on the edge of the [outermost] curtain of the second set.11"And you shall make fifty copper clasps; you shall bring the clasps into the loops, and you shall fasten the tent together so that it will become one.12"And the overhanging excess in the curtains of the tent half of the extra curtain shall hang over the rear of the Mishkan.13"And the cubit from here and the cubit from there of the excess in the length of the curtains of the tent shall hang over the sides of the Mishkan from here and from there to cover it.14"And you shall make a covering for the tent of ram skins dyed red and a covering of tachash skins above.

Tuesday

2 Samuel 11:14–27 (NLT): David Arranges for Uriah’s Death

14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15 The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. 17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.

18 Then Joab sent a battle report to David. 19 He told his messenger, “Report all the news of the battle to the king. 20 But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls? 21 Wasn’t Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?’ Then tell him, ‘Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.’ ”

22 So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. 23 “The enemy came out against us in the open fields,” he said. “And as we chased them back to the city gate, 24 the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king’s men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.”

25 “Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”

26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.

Fourth Portion

Exodus Chapter 26

15"And you shall make the planks for the Mishkan of acacia wood, upright.16"Ten cubits [shall be] the length of each plank, and a cubit and a half [shall be] the width of each plank.17"Each plank shall have two square pegs, rung like, one even with the other; so shall you make all the planks of the Mishkan.18"And you shall make the planks for the Mishkan, twenty planks for the southern side.19"And you shall make forty silver sockets under the twenty planks; two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs, and two sockets under one plank for its two square pegs.20"And for the second side of the Mishkan on the northern side twenty planks.21"And their forty silver sockets: two sockets under one plank and two sockets under one plank.22"And for the western end of the Mishkan you shall make six planks.23"And you shall make two planks at the corners of the Mishkan at the end.24"And they shall be matched evenly from below, and together they shall match at its top, [to be put] into the one ring; so shall it be for both of them; they shall be for the two corners.25"And there shall be eight planks and their silver sockets, sixteen sockets two sockets under one plank and two sockets under one plank.26"And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the planks of one side of the Mishkan,27"and five bars for the planks of the second side of the Mishkan, and five bars for the planks of the [rear] side of the Mishkan, on the westward end.28"And the middle bar in the midst of the planks shall [extend and] penetrate from one end to the other end.29"And you shall overlay the planks with gold, and their rings you shall make of gold as holders for the bars, and you shall overlay the bars with gold.30"And you shall erect the Mishkan according to its proper manner, as you will have been shown on the mountain.

Wednesday

John 1:1–15 (NLT): Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word

1 In the beginning the Word already existed.

The Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 He existed in the beginning with God.

3 God created everything through him,

and nothing was created except through him.

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,

and his life brought light to everyone.

5 The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness can never extinguish it.

6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

15 John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ ”

Fifth Portion

Exodus Chapter 26

31"And you shall make a dividing curtain of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen; the work of a master weaver he shall make it, in a [woven] cherubim design.32"And you shall place it on four pillars of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, their hooks [shall be] gold, on four silver sockets.33"And you shall place the dividing curtain beneath the clasps. You shall bring there on the inner side of the dividing curtain the Ark of the Testimony, and the dividing curtain shall separate for you between the Holy and the Holy of Holies.34"And you shall place the ark cover over the Ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies.35"And you shall place the table on the outer side of the dividing curtain and the menorah opposite the table, on the southern side of the Mishkan, and you shall place the table on the northern side.36"And you shall make a screen for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen the work of an embroiderer.37"You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia and overlay them with gold, their hooks [shall be] gold, and you shall cast for them five copper sockets.

Thursday

Psalm 51:1–14 (NLT):

1 Have mercy on me, O God,

because of your unfailing love.

Because of your great compassion,

blot out the stain of my sins.

2 Wash me clean from my guilt.

Purify me from my sin.

3 For I recognize my rebellion;

it haunts me day and night.

4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;

I have done what is evil in your sight.

You will be proved right in what you say,

and your judgment against me is just.

5 For I was born a sinner—

yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

6 But you desire honesty from the womb,

teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Oh, give me back my joy again;

you have broken me—

now let me rejoice.

9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.

Remove the stain of my guilt.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Renew a loyal spirit within me.

11 Do not banish me from your presence,

and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

and make me willing to obey you.

13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels,

and they will return to you.

14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;

then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

Sixth Portion

Exodus Chapter 27

1And you shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square, and its height [shall be] three cubits.2And you shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be from it, and you shall overlay it with copper.3And you shall make its pots to remove its ashes, and its shovels and its sprinkling basins and its flesh hooks and its scoops; you shall make all its implements of copper.4And you shall make for it a copper grating of netting work, and you shall make on the netting four copper rings on its four ends.5And you shall place it beneath the ledge of the altar from below, and the net shall [extend downward] until the middle of the altar.6And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with copper.7And its poles shall be inserted into the rings, and the poles shall be on both sides of the altar when it is carried.8You shall make it hollow, out of boards; as He showed you on the mountain, so shall they do.

Friday

Psalm 32:1–11 (NLT):

1 Oh, what joy for those

whose disobedience is forgiven,

whose sin is put out of sight!

2 Yes, what joy for those

whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,

whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

3 When I refused to confess my sin,

my body wasted away,

and I groaned all day long.

4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.

My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you

and stopped trying to hide my guilt.

I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”

And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Interlude

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,

that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.

7 For you are my hiding place;

you protect me from trouble.

You surround me with songs of victory.

Interlude

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.

I will advise you and watch over you.

9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule

that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,

but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.

11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!

Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Seventh Portion

Exodus Chapter 27

9And you shall make the courtyard of the Mishkan on the southern side [there shall be] hangings for the courtyard of twisted fine linen, one hundred cubits long on one side.10And its pillars [shall be] twenty and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands [shall be of] silver.11And so for the northern end in the length hangings one hundred [cubits] long, its pillars twenty, and their sockets twenty of copper; the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.12The width of the courtyard on the western side, hangings fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten.13The width of the courtyard on the eastern side, fifty cubits.14The hangings on the shoulder [shall be] fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.15And on the second shoulder [there shall be] fifteen hangings, their pillars three and their sockets three.16And at the gate of the courtyard shall be a screen of twenty cubits, [made] of blue, purple, and crimson wool, and twisted fine linen, the work of an embroiderer; their pillars four and their sockets four.17All the pillars around the courtyard [shall have] silver bands, silver hooks, and copper sockets.18The length of the courtyard [shall be] one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty [cubits]. The height [of the hangings] shall be five cubits of twisted fine linen, and their sockets [shall be of] copper.19All the implements of the Mishkan for all its labor, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard [shall be] copper.

Saturday

2 John 1–13 (NLT): Greetings

This letter is from John, the elder.

I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth—2 because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

3 Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

Live in the Truth

4 How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.

5 I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

7 I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. 9 Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 11 Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.

Conclusion

12 I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.

13 Greetings from the children of your sister, chosen by God.

Maftir Portion

Exodus Chapter 27

17All the pillars around the courtyard [shall have] silver bands, silver hooks, and copper sockets.18The length of the courtyard [shall be] one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty [cubits]. The height [of the hangings] shall be five cubits of twisted fine linen, and their sockets [shall be of] copper.19All the implements of the Mishkan for all its labor, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard [shall be] copper.

Haftarah

I Kings Chapter 5

26And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as He had promised him, and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they both made a league together.27And King Solomon raised a levy out of all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men.28And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month alternately, a month they were in Lebanon, (and) two months at home, and Adoniram (was) over the levy.29And Solomon had seventy thousand who bore burdens, and eighty thousand hewers in the mountains.30Besides Solomon's chief officers that were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who bore rule over the people that wrought in the work.31And the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, heavy stones, to lay the foundation of the house (with) hewn stone.32And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites did hew (them), and they prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

I Kings Chapter 6

1And it was in the four hundred and eightieth year after the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, in the fourth year, in the month Ziv, which (is) the second month of Solomon's reign over Israel, that he did (begin to) build the house of the Lord.2And the house which king Solomon built for the Lord, the length thereof (was) sixty cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.3And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits (was) the length thereof, before the breadth of the house, (and) ten cubits (was) the breadth thereof before the house.4And he made for the house windows broad without, and narrow within.5And against the wall of the house he built a chamber round about, (against) the walls of the house round about, (both) of the temple and of the sanctuary, and he made chambers round about.6The nethermost chamber (was) five cubits broad, and the middle (was) six cubits broad, and the third (was) seven cubits broad, for he made rebatements in (the wall of) the house round about on the outside, that (the beams) should not have hold in the walls of the house.7And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone finished at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe (nor) any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.8The door of the lowest chamber (was) in the right side of the house, and with winding stairs they went up into the middle (chamber), and from the middle into the third.9And he built the house, and finished it, and he covered the house with panelling and joined planks of cedar.10And he built the chambers against all the house, (each) five cubits high; and he covered the house with timber of cedar.11And the word of the Lord came to Solomon saying,12(Concerning) this house which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, and execute My ordinances, and keep all My commandments to walk in them; then will I establish My word with you, which I spoke to David your father.13And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people, Israel.