Tuesday in Easter

2Verse 2. At that time Solomon assembled in Jerusalem the elders of Israel— all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites — to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David. 3Verse 3. So all the men of Israel came together to the king at the feast in the seventh month. 4Verse 4. When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5Verse 5. and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. The Levitical priests carried them up. 6Verse 6. There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assembled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered. 7Verse 7. Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8Verse 8. For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles. 9Verse 9. The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day. 10Verse 10. There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt. 11Verse 11. Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, 12Verse 12. all the Levitical singers — Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives — stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13Verse 13. The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud 14Verse 14. so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud. For the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

19Verse 19. So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20Verse 20. First to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, then to everyone in the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I declared that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy of their repentance. 21Verse 21. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22Verse 22. But I have had God’s help to this day, and I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen: 23Verse 23. that the Christ would suffer, and as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.” 24Verse 24. At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!” 25Verse 25. But Paul answered, “I am not insane, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and sobriety. 26Verse 26. For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak freely to him. I am confident that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27Verse 27. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” 28Verse 28. Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Can you persuade me in such a short time to become a Christian?” 29Verse 29. “Short time or long,” Paul replied, “I wish to God that not only you but all who hear me this day may become what I am, except for these chains.”