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Psalm 66

Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel

To the leader. A Song. A Psalm.

Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;(A)
    sing the glory of his name;
    give to him glorious praise.(B)
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.(C)
All the earth worships you;
    they sing praises to you,
    sing praises to your name.” Selah(D)

Come and see what God has done:
    he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.(E)
He turned the sea into dry land;
    they passed through the river on foot.
There we rejoiced in him,(F)
    who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
    let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah(G)

Bless our God, O peoples;
    let the sound of his praise be heard,(H)
who has kept us among the living
    and has not let our feet slip.(I)
10 For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried.(J)
11 You brought us into the net;
    you laid burdens on our backs;(K)
12 you let people ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.[a](L)

13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
    I will pay you my vows,(M)
14 those that my lips uttered
    and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.(N)
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatted calves,
    with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah(O)

16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for me.(P)
17 I cried aloud to him,
    and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.(Q)
19 But truly God has listened;
    he has heard the words of my prayer.(R)

20 Blessed be God,
    who has not rejected my prayer
    or removed his steadfast love from me.(S)

Footnotes

  1. 66.12 Cn Compare Gk Syr Jerome Tg: Heb to a saturation

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
    Sing the glory of his name;(B)
    make his praise glorious.(C)
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
All the earth bows down(F) to you;
    they sing praise(G) to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”[a]

Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds(H) for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,(I)
    they passed through(J) the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice(K) in him.
He rules forever(L) by his power,
    his eyes watch(M) the nations—
    let not the rebellious(N) rise up against him.

Praise(O) our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives(P)
    and kept our feet from slipping.(Q)
10 For you, God, tested(R) us;
    you refined us like silver.(S)
11 You brought us into prison(T)
    and laid burdens(U) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(V)
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.(W)

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(X)
    and fulfill my vows(Y) to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.(Z)

16 Come and hear,(AA) all you who fear God;
    let me tell(AB) you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;(AC)
19 but God has surely listened
    and has heard(AD) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected(AE) my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 66:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.

The Vision of the Scroll

He said to me: “O mortal,[a] stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you.”(A) And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.(B) He said to me, “Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation[b] of rebels who have rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day.(C) The descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’(D) Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.(E) And you, O mortal, do not be afraid of them, and do not be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns surround you and you live among scorpions; do not be afraid of their words, and do not be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.(F) You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.1 Heb son of man (and so throughout the book when Ezekiel is addressed)
  2. 2.3 Syr: Heb to nations

Ezekiel’s Call to Be a Prophet

He said to me, “Son of man,[a](A) stand(B) up on your feet and I will speak to you.(C) As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me(D) to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day.(E) The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn.(F) Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’(G) And whether they listen or fail to listen(H)—for they are a rebellious people(I)—they will know that a prophet has been among them.(J) And you, son of man, do not be afraid(K) of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns(L) are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.(M) You must speak(N) my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 2:1 The Hebrew phrase ben adam means human being. The phrase son of man is retained as a form of address here and throughout Ezekiel because of its possible association with “Son of Man” in the New Testament.

Peter’s Report to the Church at Jerusalem

11 Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers[a] criticized him,(A) saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?”(B) Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners, and it came close to me.(C) As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ 10 This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. 11 At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us.[b] These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house.(D) 13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter;(E) 14 he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning.(F) 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’(G) 17 If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?”(H) 18 When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”(I)

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Footnotes

  1. 11.2 Gk lacks believers
  2. 11.12 Or not to hesitate

Peter Explains His Actions

11 The apostles and the believers(A) throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.(B) So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers(C) criticized him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”(D)

Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision.(E) I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

“I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

“The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’(F) 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea(G) stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told(H) me to have no hesitation about going with them.(I) These six brothers(J) also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel(K) appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message(L) through which you and all your household(M) will be saved.’

15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on(N) them as he had come on us at the beginning.(O) 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with[a] water,(P) but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’(Q) 17 So if God gave them the same gift(R) he gave us(S) who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 11:16 Or in
  2. Acts 11:16 Or in

The Servant’s Mission

49 Listen to me, O coastlands;
    pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born;
    while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.(A)
He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
    in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
    in his quiver he hid me away.(B)
And he said to me, “You are my servant,
    Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”(C)
But I said, “I have labored in vain;
    I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord
    and my reward with my God.”(D)

And now the Lord says,
    who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
    and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
    and my God has become my strength—(E)
he says,
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
    to raise up the tribes of Jacob
    and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
    that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”(F)

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The Servant of the Lord

49 Listen(A) to me, you islands;(B)
    hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born(C) the Lord called(D) me;
    from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.(E)
He made my mouth(F) like a sharpened sword,(G)
    in the shadow of his hand(H) he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow(I)
    and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, “You are my servant,(J)
    Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.(K)
But I said, “I have labored in vain;(L)
    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,(M)
    and my reward(N) is with my God.”(O)

And now the Lord says—
    he who formed me in the womb(P) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
    and gather Israel(Q) to himself,
for I am[a] honored(R) in the eyes of the Lord
    and my God has been my strength(S)
he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(T)
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(U)
I will also make you a light(V) for the Gentiles,(W)
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”(X)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be

Paul and the Other Apostles

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me.(A) I went up in response to a revelation. Then I laid before them (though only in a private meeting with the acknowledged leaders) the gospel that I proclaim among the gentiles, in order to make sure that I was not running, or had not run, in vain.(B) But even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.(C) But because of false brothers and sisters secretly brought in, who slipped in to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might enslave us(D) we did not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might always remain with you.(E) And from those who were supposed to be acknowledged leaders (what they actually were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those leaders contributed nothing to me.(F) On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel for the circumcised(G) (for he who worked through Peter making him an apostle to the circumcised also worked through me in sending me to the gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the gentiles and they to the circumcised.(H)

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Paul Accepted by the Apostles

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem,(A) this time with Barnabas.(B) I took Titus(C) along also. I went in response to a revelation(D) and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.(E) I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race(F) in vain. Yet not even Titus,(G) who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.(H) This matter arose because some false believers(I) had infiltrated our ranks to spy on(J) the freedom(K) we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel(L) might be preserved for you.

As for those who were held in high esteem(M)—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism(N)—they added nothing to my message.(O) On the contrary, they recognized that I had been entrusted with the task(P) of preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised,[a](Q) just as Peter(R) had been to the circumcised.[b] For God, who was at work in Peter as an apostle(S) to the circumcised, was also at work in me as an apostle(T) to the Gentiles. James,(U) Cephas[c](V) and John, those esteemed as pillars,(W) gave me and Barnabas(X) the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me.(Y) They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles,(Z) and they to the circumcised.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 2:7 That is, Gentiles
  2. Galatians 2:7 That is, Jews; also in verses 8 and 9
  3. Galatians 2:9 That is, Peter; also in verses 11 and 14

Psalm 97

The Glory of God’s Reign

The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!(A)
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.(B)
Fire goes before him
    and consumes his adversaries on every side.(C)
His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.(D)

The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples behold his glory.
All servants of images are put to shame,
    those who make their boast in worthless idols;
    all gods bow down before him.(E)
Zion hears and is glad,
    and the towns[a] of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgments, O God.(F)
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.(G)

10 You who love the Lord, hate evil;
    he guards the lives of his faithful;
    he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.(H)
11 Light dawns[b] for the righteous
    and joy for the upright in heart.(I)
12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
    and give thanks to his holy name!

Footnotes

  1. 97.8 Heb daughters
  2. 97.11 Gk Syr Jerome: Heb is sown

Psalm 97

The Lord reigns,(A) let the earth be glad;(B)
    let the distant shores(C) rejoice.
Clouds(D) and thick darkness(E) surround him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.(F)
Fire(G) goes before(H) him
    and consumes(I) his foes on every side.
His lightning(J) lights up the world;
    the earth(K) sees and trembles.(L)
The mountains melt(M) like wax(N) before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.(O)
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,(P)
    and all peoples see his glory.(Q)

All who worship images(R) are put to shame,(S)
    those who boast in idols(T)
    worship him,(U) all you gods!(V)

Zion hears and rejoices
    and the villages of Judah are glad(W)
    because of your judgments,(X) Lord.
For you, Lord, are the Most High(Y) over all the earth;(Z)
    you are exalted(AA) far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,(AB)
    for he guards(AC) the lives of his faithful ones(AD)
    and delivers(AE) them from the hand of the wicked.(AF)
11 Light shines[a](AG) on the righteous(AH)
    and joy on the upright in heart.(AI)
12 Rejoice in the Lord,(AJ) you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.(AK)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 97:11 One Hebrew manuscript and ancient versions (see also 112:4); most Hebrew manuscripts Light is sown

Psalm 138

Thanksgiving and Praise

Of David.

I give you thanks, O Lord,[a] with my whole heart;
    before the gods I sing your praise;(A)
I bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted your name and your word
    above everything.[b](B)
On the day I called, you answered me;
    you increased my strength of soul.[c](C)

All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth.(D)
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he perceives from far away.(E)

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
    and your right hand delivers me.(F)
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.(G)

Footnotes

  1. 138.1 Q mss Gk: MT lacks O Lord
  2. 138.2 Cn: Heb you have exalted your word above all your name
  3. 138.3 Syr Compare Gk Tg: Heb you made me arrogant in my soul with strength

Psalm 138

Of David.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”(A) I will sing(B) your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple(C)
    and will praise your name(D)
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,(E)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.(F)
When I called,(G) you answered me;(H)
    you greatly emboldened(I) me.

May all the kings of the earth(J) praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing(K) of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord(L) is great.

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(M)
    though lofty, he sees them(N) from afar.
Though I walk(O) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.(P)
You stretch out your hand(Q) against the anger of my foes;(R)
    with your right hand(S) you save me.(T)
The Lord will vindicate(U) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever(V)
    do not abandon(W) the works of your hands.(X)