God stretched out the northern sky and hung the earth in empty space.

He lifts the poor from the dust and raises the needy from their misery. He makes them companions of princes and puts them in places of honor. The foundations of the earth belong to the LORD; on them he has built the world.

He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.

The LORD is king. He is clothed with majesty and strength. The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved.

You have set the earth firmly on its foundations, and it will never be moved.

This is a message about Israel from the LORD, the LORD who spread out the skies, created the earth, and gave life to man. He says,

They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water,

Make twenty frames for the south side

Make twenty frames for the north side of the Tent

For the back of the Tent on the west, make six frames,

These corner frames are to be joined at the bottom and connected all the way to the top. The two frames that form the two corners are to be made in this way.

The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.

May our sons in their youth be like plants that grow up strong. May our daughters be like stately columns which adorn the corners of a palace.

This, now, is what the Sovereign LORD says: "I am placing in Zion a foundation that is firm and strong. In it I am putting a solid cornerstone on which are written the words, 'Faith that is firm is also patient.'

You, too, are built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, the cornerstone being Christ Jesus himself.

He is the one who holds the whole building together and makes it grow into a sacred temple dedicated to the Lord.