◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 101 109:1–4 (5–19) 20–30; Ps. 119:121–144; 2 Samuel 14:21–33; Acts 21:15–26; Mark 10:17–31 (New English Translation)

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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 101

Psalm 101^[a]

A psalm of David.

101 I will sing about loyalty and justice.
To you, O Lord, I will sing praises.
²I will walk^[b] in the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace.^[c]
³I will not even consider doing what is dishonest.^[d]
I hate doing evil;^[e]
I will have no part of it.^[f]
⁴I will have nothing to do with a perverse person;^[g]
I will not permit^[h] evil.
⁵I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret.
I will not tolerate anyone who has a haughty demeanor and an arrogant attitude.^[i]
⁶I will favor the honest people of the land,^[j]
and allow them to live with me.^[k]
Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me.^[l]
⁷Deceitful people will not live in my palace.^[m]
Liars will not be welcome in my presence.^[n]
⁸Each morning I will destroy all the wicked people in the land,
and remove all evildoers from the city of the Lord.

Psalm 109:1-30

Psalm 109^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

109 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me.^[b]
²For they say cruel and deceptive things to me;
they lie to me.^[c]
³They surround me and say hateful things;^[d]
they attack me for no reason.
⁴They repay my love with accusations,^[e]
but I continue to pray.^[f]
⁵They repay me evil for good,^[g]
and hate for love.
⁶^[h] Appoint an evil man to testify against him.^[i]
May an accuser stand^[j] at his right side.
⁷When he is judged, he will be found^[k] guilty.^[l]
Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful.
⁸May his days be few.^[m]
May another take his job.^[n]
⁹May his children^[o] be fatherless,
and his wife a widow.
¹⁰May his children^[p] roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home.^[q]
¹¹May the creditor seize^[r] all he owns.
May strangers loot his property.^[s]
¹²May no one show him kindness.^[t]
May no one have compassion^[u] on his fatherless children.
¹³May his descendants^[v] be cut off.^[w]
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives.^[x]
¹⁴May his ancestors’^[y] sins be remembered by the Lord.
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten.^[z]
¹⁵May the Lord be constantly aware of them,^[aa]
and cut off the memory of his children^[ab] from the earth.
¹⁶For he never bothered to show kindness;^[ac]
he harassed the oppressed and needy,
and killed the disheartened.^[ad]
¹⁷He loved to curse^[ae] others, so those curses have come upon him.^[af]
He had no desire to bless anyone, so he has experienced no blessings.^[ag]
¹⁸He made cursing a way of life,^[ah]
so curses poured into his stomach like water
and seeped into his bones like oil.^[ai]
¹⁹May a curse attach itself to him, like a garment one puts on,^[aj]
or a belt^[ak] one wears continually.
²⁰May the Lord repay my accusers in this way,^[al]
those who say evil things about^[am] me.^[an]
²¹O Sovereign Lord,
intervene on my behalf for the sake of your reputation.^[ao]
Because your loyal love is good, deliver me.
²²For I am oppressed and needy,
and my heart beats violently within me.^[ap]
²³I am fading away like a shadow at the end of the day;^[aq]
I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴I am so starved my knees shake;^[ar]
I have turned into skin and bones.^[as]
²⁵I am disdained by them.^[at]
When they see me, they shake their heads.^[au]
²⁶Help me, O Lord my God.
Because you are faithful to me, deliver me.^[av]
²⁷Then they will realize^[aw] this is your work,^[ax]
and that you, Lord, have accomplished it.
²⁸They curse, but you will bless.^[ay]
When they attack, they will be humiliated,^[az]
but your servant will rejoice.
²⁹My accusers will be covered^[ba] with shame,
and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.
³⁰I will thank the Lord profusely.^[bb]
In the middle of a crowd^[bc] I will praise him,

Footnotes

Psalm 109:1 sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.
Psalm 109:1 tn Heb “do not be deaf.”
Psalm 109:2 tn Heb “for a mouth of evil and a mouth of deceit against me they open, they speak with me [with] a tongue of falsehood.”
Psalm 109:3 tn Heb “and [with] words of hatred they surround me.”
Psalm 109:4 tn Heb “in place of my love they oppose me.”
Psalm 109:4 tn Heb “and I, prayer.”
Psalm 109:5 tn Heb “and they set upon me evil in place of good.”
Psalm 109:6 sn In vv. 6-19 the psalmist calls on God to judge his enemies severely. Some attribute this curse-list to the psalmist’s enemies rather than the psalmist. In this case one should paraphrase v. 6: “They say about me, ‘Appoint an evil man, etc.’” Those supporting this line of interpretation point out that vv. 2-5 and 20 refer to the enemies’ attack on the psalmist being a verbal one. Furthermore in vv. 1-5, 20 the psalmist speaks of his enemies in the plural, while vv. 6-19 refer to an individual. This use of the singular in vv. 6-19 could be readily explained if this is the psalmist’s enemies’ curse on him. However, it is much more natural to understand vv. 6-19 as the psalmist’s prayer against his enemies. There is no introductory quotation formula in v. 6 to indicate that the psalmist is quoting anyone, and the statement “may the Lord repay my accusers in this way” in v. 20 most naturally appears to be a fitting conclusion to the prayer in vv. 6-19. But what about the use of the singular in vv. 6-19? Often in the psalms the psalmist will describe his enemies as a group, but then speak of them as an individual as well, as if viewing his adversaries collectively as one powerful foe. See, for example, Ps 7, where the psalmist uses both the plural (vv. 1, 6) and the singular (vv. 2, 4-5) in referring to enemies. Perhaps by using the singular in such cases, the psalmist wants to single out each enemy for individual attention, or perhaps he has one especially hostile enemy in mind who epitomizes the opposition of the whole group. This may well be the case in Ps 109. Perhaps we should understand the singular throughout vv. 6-19 in the sense of “each and every one.” For a lengthy and well-reasoned defense of the opposite view—that vv. 6-19 are a quotation of what the enemies said about the psalmist—see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 72-73.
Psalm 109:6 tn Heb “appoint against him an evil [man].”
Psalm 109:6 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive here (note the imperative in the preceding line).
Psalm 109:7 tn The prefixed verbal form could be taken as a jussive, but the use of the imperfect form in the following line suggests that v. 7 anticipates the outcome of the accusation envisioned in v. 6.
Psalm 109:7 tn Heb “he will go out [as] a criminal” (that is, guilty).
Psalm 109:8 tn The prefixed verbal forms (except those with vav [ו] consecutive) in vv. 8-20 are taken as jussives of prayer. Note the distinct jussive forms used in vv. 12-13, 15, 19.
Psalm 109:8 tn The Hebrew noun פְּקֻדָּה (p^equddah) can mean “charge” or “office,” though BDB 824 s.v. suggests that here it refers to his possessions.
Psalm 109:9 tn Or “sons.”
Psalm 109:10 tn Or “sons.”
Psalm 109:10 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (v^edar^eshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (y^egor^eshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shiʾelu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
Psalm 109:11 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
Psalm 109:11 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
Psalm 109:12 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
Psalm 109:12 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
Psalm 109:13 tn Or “offspring.”
Psalm 109:13 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
Psalm 109:13 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
Psalm 109:14 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
Psalm 109:14 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)
Psalm 109:15 tn Heb “may they [that is, the sins mentioned in v. 14] be before the Lord continually.”
Psalm 109:15 tn Heb “their memory.” The plural pronominal suffix probably refers back to the children mentioned in v. 13, and for clarity this has been specified in the translation.
Psalm 109:16 tn Heb “he did not remember to do loyal love.”
Psalm 109:16 tn Heb “and he chased an oppressed and needy man, and one timid of heart to put [him] to death.”
Psalm 109:17 sn A curse in OT times consists of a formal appeal to God to bring judgment down upon another. Curses were sometimes justified (such as the one spoken by the psalmist here in vv. 6-19), but when they were not, the one pronouncing the curse was in danger of bringing the anticipated judgment down upon himself.
Psalm 109:17 tn Heb “and he loved a curse and it came [upon] him.” A reference to the evil man experiencing a curse seems premature here, for the psalmist is asking God to bring judgment on his enemies. For this reason some (cf. NIV, NRSV) prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” as conjunctive and translate the verb as a jussive of prayer (“may it come upon him!”). The prefixed form with vav consecutive in the next line is emended in the same way and translated, “may it be far from him.” However, the psalmist may be indicating that the evil man’s lifestyle has already begun to yield its destructive fruit.
Psalm 109:17 tn Heb “and he did not delight in a blessing and it is far from him.”
Psalm 109:18 tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”
Psalm 109:18 tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the verb from the preterite form וַתָּבֹא (vattavoʾ, “and it came”) to a jussive form וְתָבֹא (v^etavoʾ, “and may it come!”).
Psalm 109:19 tn Heb “may it be for him like a garment one puts on.”
Psalm 109:19 tn The Hebrew noun מֵזַח (mezakh, “belt; waistband”) occurs only here in the OT. The form apparently occurs in Isa 23:10 as well, but an emendation is necessary there.
Psalm 109:20 tn Heb “[may] this [be] the repayment to my accusers from the Lord.”
Psalm 109:20 tn Or “against.”
Psalm 109:20 tn The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “being; soul”) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
Psalm 109:21 tn Heb “but you, Lord, Master, deal with me for the sake of your name” or “on account of your name.” Here “name” stands metonymically for God’s reputation. The Psalmist’s appeal is for God to act consistently with, and therefore maintain, his reputation (as a deliverer of the righteous and one who punishes evildoers). Note that “for your name’s sake” is paralleled by “because your loyal love is good.” The point is that the Psalmist is making an appeal not based on his own personal whim or vendetta but is calling for judicial penalties (or the fulfillment of prior prophetic indictment).
Psalm 109:22 tc The verb in the Hebrew text (חָלַל, khalal) appears to be a Qal form from the root חלל meaning “pierced; wounded.” However, the Qal of this root is otherwise unattested. The translation assumes an emendation to יָחִיל (yakhil), a Qal imperfect from חוּל (khul, “tremble”) or to חֹלַל (kholal), a Polal perfect from חוּל (khul). See Ps 55:4, which reads לִבִּי יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי (libbi yakhil b^eqirbbi, “my heart trembles [i.e., “beats violently”] within me”).
Psalm 109:23 tn Heb “like a shadow when it is extended I go.” He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
Psalm 109:24 tn Heb “my knees stagger from fasting.”
Psalm 109:24 tn Heb “and my flesh is lean away from fatness [i.e., “lean so as not to be fat”].”
Psalm 109:25 tn Heb “as for me, I am a reproach to them.”
Psalm 109:25 sn They shake their heads. Apparently shaking the head was a taunting gesture. See also Job 16:4; Ps 22:7; Lam 2:15.
Psalm 109:26 tn Heb “deliver me according to your faithfulness.”
Psalm 109:27 tn After the preceding imperative, the prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.
Psalm 109:27 tn Heb “that your hand [is] this.”
Psalm 109:28 tn Another option is to translate the imperfect as a prayer/request (“may you bless”).
Psalm 109:28 tn The verbal sequence is perfect + prefixed form with vav (ו) consecutive. Since the psalmist seems to be anticipating the demise of his enemies, he may be using these forms rhetorically to describe the enemies’ defeat as if it were already accomplished. Some emend the text to קָמוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ (qamu yevoshu, “may those who attack me be humiliated”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 75.
Psalm 109:29 tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).
Psalm 109:30 tn Heb “I will thank the Lord very much with my mouth.”
Psalm 109:30 tn Heb “many.”

Psalm 119:121-144

ע (Ayin)

¹²¹I do what is fair and right.^[a]
Do not abandon me to my oppressors.
¹²²Guarantee the welfare of your servant.^[b]
Do not let the arrogant oppress me.
¹²³My eyes grow tired as I wait for your deliverance,^[c]
for your reliable promise to be fulfilled.^[d]
¹²⁴Show your servant your loyal love.^[e]
Teach me your statutes.
¹²⁵I am your servant. Give me insight,
so that I can understand^[f] your rules.
¹²⁶It is time for the Lord to act—
they break your law.
¹²⁷For this reason^[g] I love your commands
more than gold, even purest gold.
¹²⁸For this reason I carefully follow all your precepts.^[h]
I hate all deceitful actions.^[i]

פ (Pe)

¹²⁹Your rules are marvelous.
Therefore I observe them.
¹³⁰Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines.^[j]
They give^[k] insight to the untrained.^[l]
¹³¹I open my mouth and pant,
because I long^[m] for your commands.
¹³²Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,
as you typically do to your loyal followers.^[n]
¹³³Direct my steps by your word.^[o]
Do not let any sin dominate me.
¹³⁴Deliver me^[p] from oppressive men,
so that I can keep^[q] your precepts.
¹³⁵Smile^[r] on your servant.
Teach me your statutes!
¹³⁶Tears stream down from my eyes,^[s]
because people^[t] do not keep your law.

צ (Tsade)

¹³⁷You are just, O Lord,
and your judgments are fair.
¹³⁸The rules you impose are just,^[u]
and absolutely reliable.
¹³⁹My zeal^[v] consumes^[w] me,
for my enemies forget your instructions.^[x]
¹⁴⁰Your word is absolutely pure,
and your servant loves it.
¹⁴¹I am insignificant and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
¹⁴²Your justice endures,^[y]
and your law is reliable.^[z]
¹⁴³Distress and hardship confront^[aa] me,
yet I find delight in your commands.
¹⁴⁴Your rules remain just.^[ab]
Give me insight so that I can live.^[ac]

Footnotes

Psalm 119:121 tn Heb “do justice and righteousness.”
Psalm 119:122 tn Heb “be surety for your servant for good.”
Psalm 119:123 tn Heb “my eyes fail for your deliverance.” The psalmist has intently kept his eyes open, looking for God to intervene, but now his eyes are watery and bloodshot, impairing his vision. See the similar phrase in v. 82.
Psalm 119:123 tn Heb “and for the word of your faithfulness.”
Psalm 119:124 tn Heb “do with your servant according to your loyal love.”
Psalm 119:125 tn or “know.” The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
Psalm 119:127 tn “For this reason” connects logically with the statement made in v. 126. Because the judgment the psalmist fears (see vv. 119-120) is imminent, he remains loyal to God’s law.
Psalm 119:128 tn Heb “for this reason all the precepts of everything I regard as right.” The phrase “precepts of everything” is odd. It is preferable to take the כ (kaf) on כֹּל (kol, “everything) with the preceding form as a pronominal suffix, “your precepts,” and the ל (lamed) with the following verb as an emphatic particle. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 138.
Psalm 119:128 tn Heb “every false path.”
Psalm 119:130 tn Heb “the doorway of your words gives light.” God’s “words” refer here to the instructions in his law (see vv. 9, 57).
Psalm 119:130 tn Heb “it [i.e., the doorway] gives.”
Psalm 119:130 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Pss 19:7; 116:6.
Psalm 119:131 tn The verb occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 119:132 tn Heb “according to custom toward the lovers of your name.” The “lovers of” God’s “name” are the Lord’s loyal followers. See Pss 5:11; 69:36; Isa 56:6.
Psalm 119:133 tn God’s “word” refers here to his law (see v. 11).
Psalm 119:134 tn Or “redeem me.”
Psalm 119:134 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
Psalm 119:135 tn Heb “cause your face to shine.”
Psalm 119:136 tn Heb “[with] flowing streams my eyes go down.”
Psalm 119:136 tn Heb “they”; even though somewhat generic, the referent (people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Psalm 119:138 tn Heb “you commanded [in] justice your rules.”
Psalm 119:139 tn or “zeal.”
Psalm 119:139 tn Heb “destroys,” in a hyperbolic sense.
Psalm 119:139 tn Heb “your words.”
Psalm 119:142 tn Heb “your justice [is] justice forever.”
Psalm 119:142 tn Or “truth.”
Psalm 119:143 tn Heb “find.”
Psalm 119:144 tn Heb “just are your rules forever.”
Psalm 119:144 tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

2 Samuel 14:21-33

²¹Then the king said to Joab, “All right! I^[a] will do this thing. Go and bring back the young man Absalom!” ²²Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground and thanked^[b] the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your^[c] servant!”

²³So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. ²⁴But the king said, “Let him go over^[d] to his own house. He may not see my face.” So Absalom went over^[e] to his own house; he did not see the king’s face.

²⁵Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom.^[f] From the soles of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance.^[g] ²⁶When he would shave his head—at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too long^[h] and he would shave it—he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds^[i] according to the king’s weight. ²⁷Absalom had^[j] three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman.^[k]

²⁸Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king’s face. ²⁹Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab^[l] was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come. ³⁰So he said to his servants, “Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire.”^[m] So Absalom’s servants set Joab’s^[n] portion of the field on fire.

³¹Then Joab got up and came to Absalom’s house. He said to him, “Why did your servants set my portion of field on fire?” ³²Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent a message to you saying, ‘Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message:^[o] “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.”’ Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!”

³³So Joab went to the king and informed him. The king^[p] summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom^[q] bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him.^[r]

Acts 21:15-26

¹⁵After these days we got ready^[a] and started up^[b] to Jerusalem. ¹⁶Some of the disciples from Caesarea^[c] came along with us too, and brought us to the house^[d] of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times,^[e] with whom we were to stay. ¹⁷When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly.^[f] ¹⁸The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.^[g] ¹⁹When Paul^[h] had greeted them, he began to explain^[i] in detail^[j] what God^[k] had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰When they heard this, they praised^[l] God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews^[m] there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers^[n] of the law.^[o] ²¹They have been informed about you—that you teach all the Jews now living^[p] among the Gentiles to abandon^[q] Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children^[r] or live^[s] according to our customs. ²²What then should we do? They will no doubt^[t] hear that you have come. ²³So do what^[u] we tell you: We have four men^[v] who have taken^[w] a vow;^[x] ²⁴take them and purify^[y] yourself along with them and pay their expenses,^[z] so that they may have their heads shaved.^[aa] Then^[ab] everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told^[ac] about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with^[ad] the law.^[ae] ²⁵But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided^[af] that they should avoid^[ag] meat that has been sacrificed to idols^[ah] and blood and what has been strangled^[ai] and sexual immorality.” ²⁶Then Paul took the men the next day,^[aj] and after he had purified himself^[ak] along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice^[al] of the completion of the days of purification,^[am] when^[an] the sacrifice would be offered for each^[ao] of them.

Footnotes

Acts 21:15 tn Or “we made preparations.”
Acts 21:15 tn Grk “were going up”; the imperfect verb ἀνεβαίνομεν (anebainomen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect. sn In colloquial speech Jerusalem was always said to be “up” from any other location in Palestine. The group probably covered the 65 mi (105 km) in two days using horses. Their arrival in Jerusalem marked the end of Paul’s third missionary journey.
Acts 21:16 sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.
Acts 21:16 tn Grk “to Mnason…”; the words “the house of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the verb ξενισθῶμεν (xenisthōmen).
Acts 21:16 tn Or perhaps, “Mnason of Cyprus, one of the original disciples.” BDAG 137 s.v. ἀρχαῖος 1 has “ἀ. μαθητής a disciple of long standing (perh. original disc.) Ac 21:16.”
Acts 21:17 tn Or “warmly” (see BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσμένως).
Acts 21:18 tn BDAG 760 s.v. παραγίνομαι 1 has this use under the broad category of meaning “draw near, come, arrive, be present.”sn All the elders were there. This meeting shows how the Jerusalem church still regarded Paul and his mission with favor, but also with some concerns because of the rumors circulating about his actions.
Acts 21:19 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Acts 21:19 tn Or “to report,” “to describe.” The imperfect verb ἐξηγεῖτο (exēgeito) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
Acts 21:19 tn BDAG 293 s.v. εἷς 5.e has “καθ᾿ ἕν one after the other (hence τὸ καθ᾿ ἕν ‘a detailed list’: PLille 11, 8 [III bc]; PTebt. 47, 34; 332, 16) J 21:25. Also καθ᾿ ἕν ἕκαστον…Ac 21:19.”
Acts 21:19 sn Note how Paul credited God with the success of his ministry.
Acts 21:20 tn Or “glorified.”
Acts 21:20 tn Grk “how many thousands there are among the Jews.”sn How many thousands of Jews. See Acts 2-5 for the accounts of their conversion, esp. 2:41 and 4:4. Estimates of the total number of Jews living in Jerusalem at the time range from 20,000 to 50,000.
Acts 21:20 tn Or “are all zealous for the law.” BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.β has “of thing…τοῦ νόμου an ardent observer of the law Ac 21:20.”
Acts 21:20 sn That is, the law of Moses. These Jewish Christians had remained close to their Jewish practices after becoming believers (1 Cor 7:18-19; Acts 16:3).
Acts 21:21 tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.a has “τοὺς κ. τὰ ἔθνη ᾿Ιουδαίους the Judeans (dispersed) throughout the nations 21:21.” The Jews in view are not those in Palestine, but those who are scattered throughout the Gentile world.
Acts 21:21 tn Or “to forsake,” “to rebel against.” BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποστασία has “ἀποστασίαν διδάσκεις ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως you teach (Judeans) to abandon Moses Ac 21:21.”sn The charge that Paul was teaching Jews in the Diaspora to abandon Moses was different from the issue faced in Acts 15, where the question was whether Gentiles needed to become like Jews first in order to become Christians. The issue also appears in Acts 24:5-6, 13-21; 25:8.
Acts 21:21 sn That is, not to circumcise their male children. Biblical references to circumcision always refer to male circumcision.
Acts 21:21 tn Grk “or walk.”
Acts 21:22 tn L&N 71.16 has “pertaining to being in every respect certain—‘certainly, really, doubtless, no doubt.’…‘they will no doubt hear that you have come’ Ac 21:22.”
Acts 21:23 tn Grk “do this that.”
Acts 21:23 tn Grk “There are four men here.”
Acts 21:23 tn L&N 33.469 has “‘there are four men here who have taken a vow’ or ‘we have four men who…’ Ac 21:23.”
Acts 21:23 tn On the term for “vow,” see BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχή 2.
Acts 21:24 sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).
Acts 21:24 tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”
Acts 21:24 tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”sn Having their heads shaved probably involved ending a voluntary Nazirite vow (Num 6:14-15).
Acts 21:24 tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.
Acts 21:24 tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).
Acts 21:24 tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs—‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”
Acts 21:24 sn The law refers to the law of Moses.
Acts 21:25 tn L&N 13.154 has “‘having decided that they must keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from an animal that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality’ Ac 21:25.”sn Having decided refers here to the decision of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:6-21). Mention of this previous decision reminds the reader that the issue here is somewhat different: It is not whether Gentiles must first become Jews before they can become Christians (as in Acts 15), but whether Jews who become Christians should retain their Jewish practices. Sensitivity to this issue would suggest that Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians might engage in different practices.
Acts 21:25 tn This is a different Greek word than the one used in Acts 15:20, 29. BDAG 1068 s.v. φυλάσσω 3 has “to be on one’s guard against, look out for, avoid…w. acc. of pers. or thing avoided…Ac 21:25.” The Greek word used in Acts 15:20, 29 is ἀπέχω (apechō). The difference in meaning, although slight, has been maintained in the translation.
Acts 21:25 tn There is no specific semantic component in the Greek word εἰδωλόθυτος that means “meat” (see BDAG 280 s.v. εἰδωλόθυτος; L&N 5.15). The stem—θυτος means “sacrifice” (referring to an animal sacrificially killed) and thereby implies meat.
Acts 21:25 sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14) Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the preceding provision in this verse, and blood).
Acts 21:26 tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 11.b.β has “temporal, to be next, immediately following…τῇ ἐχομένῃ…on the next day Lk 13:33…Ac 20:15; w. ἡμέρᾳ added…21:26.”
Acts 21:26 tn That is, after he had undergone ritual cleansing. The aorist passive participle ἁγνισθείς (hagnistheis) has been taken temporally of antecedent action.
Acts 21:26 tn Grk “entered the temple, giving notice.” The participle διαγγέλλων (diangellōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Acts 21:26 sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing.
Acts 21:26 tn Grk “until” (BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.β.א), but since in English it is somewhat awkward to say “the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice would be offered,” the temporal clause was translated “when the sacrifice would be offered.” The point is that the sacrifice would be offered when the days were completed. Paul honored the request of the Jewish Christian leadership completely. As the following verse makes clear, the vow was made for seven days.
Acts 21:26 tn Grk “for each one.”

Mark 10:17-31

The Rich Man

¹⁷Now^[a] as Jesus^[b] was starting out on his way, someone ran up to him, fell on his knees, and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^[c] ¹⁸Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good?^[d] No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’”^[e] ²⁰The man^[f] said to him, “Teacher, I have wholeheartedly obeyed^[g] all these laws^[h] since my youth.”^[i] ²¹As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money^[j] to the poor, and you will have treasure^[k] in heaven. Then come, follow me.” ²²But at this statement, the man^[l] looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.^[m]

²³Then^[n] Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”^[o] ²⁴The disciples were astonished at these words. But again Jesus said to them,^[p] “Children, how hard it is^[q] to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel^[r] to go through the eye of a needle^[s] than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁶They were even more astonished and said^[t] to one another, “Then^[u] who can be saved?”^[v] ²⁷Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans,^[w] but not for God; all things are possible for God.”

²⁸Peter began to speak to him, “Look,^[x] we have left everything to follow you!”^[y] ²⁹Jesus said, “I tell you the truth,^[z] there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel ³⁰who will not receive in this age^[aa] a hundred times as much—homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions^[ab]—and in the age to come, eternal life.^[ac] ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Footnotes

Mark 10:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Mark 10:17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn Mark 10:17-31. The following unit, Mark 10:17-31, can be divided up into three related sections: (1) the rich man’s question (vv. 17-22); (2) Jesus’ teaching on riches and the kingdom of God (vv. 23-27); and (3) Peter’s statement and Jesus’ answer (vv. 28-31). They are all tied together around the larger theme of the relationship of wealth to the kingdom Jesus had been preaching. The point is that it is impossible to attain to the kingdom by means of riches. The passage as a whole is found in the section 8:27-10:52 in which Mark has been focusing on Jesus’ suffering and true discipleship. In vv. 28-31 Jesus does not deny great rewards to those who follow him, both in the present age and in the age to come, but it must be thoroughly understood that suffering will be integral to the mission of the disciples and the church, for in the very next section (10:32-34) Jesus reaffirmed the truth about his coming rejection, suffering, death, and resurrection.
Mark 10:17 sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (10:15).
Mark 10:18 sn Jesus’ response, Why do you call me good?, was designed to cause the young man to stop and think for a moment about who Jesus really was. The following statement No one is good except God alone seems to point the man in the direction of Jesus’ essential nature and the demands which logically follow on the man for having said it.
Mark 10:19 sn A quotation from Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20, except for do not defraud, which is an allusion to Deut 24:14.
Mark 10:20 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man who asked the question in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 10:20 tn Grk “kept.” The implication of this verb is that the man has obeyed the commandments without fail throughout his life, so the adverb “wholeheartedly” has been added to the translation to bring out this nuance.
Mark 10:20 tn Grk “these things.” The referent of the pronoun (the laws mentioned by Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.sn While the rich man was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man’s response to Jesus’ command to give away all he had revealed that internally he loved money more than God.
Mark 10:20 sn Since my youth. Judaism regarded the age of thirteen as the age when a man would have become responsible to live by God’s commands.
Mark 10:21 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Mark 10:21 sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
Mark 10:22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man who asked the question in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 10:22 tn Grk “he had many possessions.” This term (κτῆμα, ktēma) is often used for land as a possession.
Mark 10:23 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 10:23 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself.
Mark 10:24 tn Grk “But answering, Jesus again said to them.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant and has not been translated.
Mark 10:24 tc Most mss (A C D Θ ƒ^1,13 28 565 M lat sy) have here “for those who trust in riches” (τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ [τοῖς] χρήμασιν, tous pepoithotas epi [tois] chrēmasin); W has πλούσιον (plousion) later in the verse, producing the same general modification on the dominical saying (“how hard it is for the rich to enter…”). But such qualifications on the Lord’s otherwise harsh and absolute statements are natural scribal expansions, intended to soften the dictum. Further, the earliest and best witnesses, along with a few others (א B Δ Ψ sa), lack any such qualifications. That W lacks the longer expansion and only has πλούσιον suggests that its archetype agreed with א B here; its voice should be heard with theirs. Thus, both on external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is preferred.
Mark 10:25 tc A few witnesses (ƒ¹³ 28 579) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamēlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.
Mark 10:25 sn The referent of the eye of a needle is a sewing needle. (Although the story of a small gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” has been widely circulated and may go back as far as the middle ages, there is no evidence that such a gate ever existed.) Jesus was speaking rhetorically to point out that apart from God’s intervention, salvation is impossible (v. 27).
Mark 10:26 tn Grk “But they were even more astonished, saying.” The participle λέγονες (legontes) has been translated here as a finite verb to emphasize the sequence of events: The disciples were astonished, then they spoke.
Mark 10:26 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of thought.
Mark 10:26 sn The assumption is that the rich are blessed, so if they risk exclusion, who is left to be saved?
Mark 10:27 tn The plural Greek term ἄνθρωποις (anthrōpois) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NASB 1995 update, “people”). Because of the contrast here between mere mortals and God (“impossible for men…all things are possible for God”) the phrase “mere humans” has been used in the translation.
Mark 10:28 sn Peter wants reassurance that the disciples’ response and sacrifice has been noticed.
Mark 10:28 tn Grk “We have left everything and followed you.” Koine Greek often used paratactic structure when hypotactic was implied.
Mark 10:29 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Mark 10:30 tn Grk “this time” (καιρός, kairos), but for stylistic reasons this has been translated “this age” here.
Mark 10:30 tn Grk “with persecutions.” The “all” has been supplied to clarify that the prepositional phrase belongs not just to the “fields.”
Mark 10:30 sn Note that Mark (see also Matt 19:29; Luke 10:25; 18:30) portrays eternal life as something one receives in the age to come, unlike John, who emphasizes the possibility of receiving eternal life in the present (John 5:24).

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 101[a]

A psalm of David.

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Psalm 109[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

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ע (Ayin)

פ (Pe)

צ (Tsade)

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The Rich Man

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Psalm 101^[a]

Psalm 109^[a]