Thursday 9 November 2023

1He brought me back to the door of the temple;and behold, waters flowed out from under the threshold of the temple eastward,for the front of the temple faced toward the east.The waters came down from underneath,from the right side of the temple,on the south of the altar.2Then he brought me out by the way of the gate northward,and led me around by the way outside to the outer gate,by the way of the gate that looks toward the east.Behold, waters ran out on the right side.· · · verses 3–7 are not read8Then he said to me,“These waters flow out toward the eastern regionand will go down into the Arabah.Then they will go toward the seaand flow into the sea which will be made to flow out;and the waters will be healed.9It will happen that every living creature which swarms,in every place where the rivers come, will live.Then there will be a very great multitude of fish;for these waters have come there,and the waters of the sea will be healed,and everything will live wherever the river comes.· · · verses 10–11 are not read12By the river banks,on both sides, will grow every tree for food,whose leaf won’t wither,neither will its fruit fail.It will produce new fruit every month,because its waters issue out of the sanctuary.Its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for healing.”

2God is our refuge and strength,a very present help in trouble.3Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes,though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas;

5There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad,the holy place of the tents of the Most High.6God is within her. She shall not be moved.God will help her at dawn.

8The Lord of Armies is with us.The God of Jacob is our refuge.9Come, see the Lord’s works,what desolations he has made on the earth.

9For we are God’s fellow workers.You are God’s farming, God’s building.

10According to the grace of God which was given to me,as a wise master builder I laid a foundation,and another builds on it.But let each man be careful how he builds on it.11For no one can lay any other foundation thanthat which has been laid,which is Jesus Christ.

· · · verses 12–15 are not read16Don’t you know that you are God’s templeand that God’s Spirit lives in you?17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him;for God’s temple is holy, which you are.

13The Passover of the Jews was at hand,and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.14He found in the temple those who sold oxen,sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.15He made a whip of cords and drove all out of the temple,both the sheep and the oxen;and he poured out the changers’ moneyand overthrew their tables.16To those who sold the doves,he said, “Take these things out of here!Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”17His disciples remembered that it was written,“Zeal for your house will eat me up.”

18The Jews therefore answered him,“What sign do you show us,seeing that you do these things?”

19Jesus answered them,“Destroy this temple,and in three days I will raise it up.”

20The Jews therefore said,“It took forty-six years to build this temple!Will you raise it up in three days?”21But he spoke of the temple of his body.22When therefore he was raised from the dead,his disciples remembered that he said this,and they believed the Scriptureand the word which Jesus had said.