John 7:25-52; 1 Chronicles 29; Zechariah 13

John 7:25-52

25 Some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, "Isn't this the man they want to kill?

26 Yet, look! He's speaking publicly and they're saying nothing to Him. Can it be true that the authorities know He is the Messiah?

27 But we know where this man is from. When the Messiah comes, nobody will know where He is from."

28 As He was teaching in the temple complex, Jesus cried out, "You know Me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on My own, but the One who sent Me is true. You don't know Him;

29 I know Him because I am from Him, and He sent Me."

30 Then they tried to seize Him. Yet no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come.

31 However, many from the crowd believed in Him and said, "When the Messiah comes, He won't perform more signs than this man has done, will He?"

32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about Him, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple police to arrest Him.

33 Then Jesus said, "I am only with you for a short time. Then I'm going to the One who sent Me.

34 You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come."

35 Then the Jews said to one another, "Where does He intend to go so we won't find Him? He doesn't intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, does He?

36 What is this remark He made: 'You will look for Me, and you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come' ?"

37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink!

38 The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him."

39 He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been received, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, "This really is the Prophet!"

41 Others said, "This is the Messiah!" But some said, "Surely the Messiah doesn't come from Galilee, does He?

42 Doesn't the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David's offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David once lived?"

43 So a division occurred among the crowd because of Him.

44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.

45 Then the temple police came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why haven't you brought Him?"

46 The police answered, "No man ever spoke like this!"

47 Then the Pharisees responded to them: "Are you fooled too?

48 Have any of the rulers believed in Him? Or any of the Pharisees?

49 But this crowd, which doesn't know the law, is accursed!"

50 Nicodemus-the one who came to Him previously, being one of them-said to them,

51 "Our law doesn't judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he's doing, does it?"

52 "You aren't from Galilee too, are you?" they replied. "Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee." [

1 Chronicles 29

1 Then King David said to all the assembly, "My son Solomon-God has chosen him alone-is young and inexperienced. The task is great, for the temple will not be for man, but for the Lord God.

2 So to the best of my ability I've made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold [articles], silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, [stones for] mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble.

3 Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I've provided for the holy house:

4 100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings,

5 the gold for the gold [work] and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the Lord today?"

6 Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly.

7 For the service of God's house they gave 185 tons of gold and 10,000 gold drachmas,; 10,000 darics weighed about 185 pounds. 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 4,000 tons of iron.

8 Whoever had [precious] stones gave them to the treasury of the Lord's house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.

9 Then the people rejoiced because of their leaders' willingness to give, for they had given to the Lord with a whole heart. King David also rejoiced greatly.

10 Then David praised the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said, "May You be praised, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity.

11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all.

12 Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. In Your hand are power and might, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all.

13 Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name.

14 "But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? For everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your own hand.

15 For we are foreigners and sojourners in Your presence as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope.

16 Lord our God, all this wealth that we've provided for building You a house for Your holy name comes from Your hand; everything belongs to You.

17 I know, my God, that You test the heart and that You are pleased with uprightness. I have willingly given all these things with an upright heart, and now I have seen Your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to You.

18 Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep this desire forever in the thoughts of the hearts of Your people, and confirm their hearts toward You.

19 Give my son Solomon a whole heart to keep and to carry out all Your commandments, Your decrees, and Your statutes, and to build the temple for which I have made provision."

20 Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the Lord your God." So the whole assembly praised the Lord God of their ancestors. They bowed down and paid homage to the Lord and the king.

21 The following day they offered sacrifices to the Lord and burnt offerings to the Lord: 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, along with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

22 They ate and drank with great joy in the Lord's presence that day. Then, for a second time, they made David's son Solomon king; they anointed him as the Lord's ruler, and Zadok as the priest.

23 Solomon sat on the Lord's throne as king in place of his father David. He prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.

24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and all of King David's sons as well, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon.

25 The Lord highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been [bestowed] on any king over Israel before him.

26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel.

27 The length of his reign over Israel was 40 years; he reigned in Hebron for seven years and in Jerusalem for 33.

28 He died at a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor, and his son Solomon became king in his place.

29 As for the events of King David's [reign], from beginning to end, note that they are written about in the Events of Samuel the Seer, the Events of Nathan the Prophet, and the Events of Gad the Seer,

30 along with all his reign, his might, and the incidents that affected him and Israel and all the kingdoms of the [surrounding] lands.

Zechariah 13

1 "On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the residents of Jerusalem, [to wash away] sin and impurity.

2 On that day"-the declaration of the Lord of Hosts-"I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.

3 If a man still prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will say to him: You cannot remain alive because you have spoken falsely in the name of the Lord. When he prophesies, his father and his mother who bore him will pierce him through.

4 On that day every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not put on a hairy cloak in order to deceive.

5 He will say: I am not a prophet; I am a tiller of the soil, for a man purchased me as a servant since my youth.

6 If someone asks him: What are these wounds on your chest?-then he will answer: The wounds I received in the house of my friends.

7 Sword, awake against My shepherd, against the man who is My associate- the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will also turn My hand against the little ones.

8 In the whole land- the Lord's declaration- two-thirds will be cut off and die, but a third will be left in it.

9 I will put this third through the fire; I will refine them as silver is refined and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are My people, and they will say: The Lord is our God."