First In Our Worship

¹In the seventh month on the twenty-first day, the word of Yahweh came through Haggai the prophet, saying, ²“Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, ³‘Who among you is left that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it seem like nothing to you? ⁴‘But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares Yahweh. ‘Take courage, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and take courage, all the people of the land,’ declares Yahweh. ‘Do the work, because I am with you,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ⁵‘according to the promise that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit is with you; do not be afraid.’ ⁶For thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and dry land. ⁷I will shake all the nations so that the treasure of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says Yahweh of hosts. ⁸‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares Yahweh of hosts. ⁹‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace’ declares Yahweh of hosts.’ ”

³³But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

³⁶Now one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he entered into the house of the Pharisee and reclined at the table. ³⁷And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, when she learned that he was dining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of perfumed oil, ³⁸and standing behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and was wiping them with the hair of her head and was kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfumed oil. ³⁹Now when the Pharisee who invited him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” ⁴⁰And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.” ⁴¹“There were two debtors who owed a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. ⁴²When they were not able to repay him, he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³Simon answered and said, “I suppose that it is the one to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged correctly.” ⁴⁴And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house. You did not give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not anoint my head with olive oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. ⁴⁷For this reason I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.”

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