◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 140 142; Ps. 141 143:1–11 (12); 2 Samuel 19:24–43; Acts 24:24—25:12; Mark 12:35–44 (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 140

Psalm 140^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

140 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men.^[b]
Protect me from violent men,^[c]
²who plan ways to harm me.^[d]
All day long they stir up conflict.^[e]
³Their tongues wound like a serpent;^[f]
a viper’s^[g] venom is behind^[h] their lips. (Selah)
⁴O Lord, shelter me from the power^[i] of the wicked.
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over.^[j]
⁵Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men^[k] spread a net by the path.
They set traps for me. (Selah)
⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy.
⁷O Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,^[l]
you shield^[m] my head in the day of battle.
⁸O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way.^[n]
Do not allow their^[o] plan to succeed when they attack.^[p] (Selah)
⁹As for the heads of those who surround me—
may the harm done by^[q] their lips overwhelm them.
¹⁰May he rain down^[r] fiery coals upon them.
May he throw them into the fire.
From bottomless pits they will not escape.^[s]
¹¹A slanderer^[t] will not endure on^[u] the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.^[v]
¹²I know^[w] that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor.^[x]
¹³Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.

Footnotes

Psalm 140:1 sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
Psalm 140:1 tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
Psalm 140:1 tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
Psalm 140:2 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
Psalm 140:2 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (y^egaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
Psalm 140:3 tn Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
Psalm 140:3 tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:3 tn Heb “under.”
Psalm 140:4 tn Heb “hands.”
Psalm 140:4 tn Heb “to push down my steps.”
Psalm 140:5 tn Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khov^elim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).
Psalm 140:7 tn Heb “the strength of my deliverance.”
Psalm 140:7 tn Heb “cover.”
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).
Psalm 140:9 tn Heb “harm of their lips.” The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm.
Psalm 140:10 tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.
Psalm 140:10 tn Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition ב (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “be established in.”
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:12 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.
Psalm 140:12 tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”

Psalm 142

Psalm 142^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by David, when he was in the cave;^[c] a prayer.

142 To the Lord I cry out;^[d]
to the Lord I plead for mercy.^[e]
²I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about^[f] my troubles.
³Even when my strength leaves me,^[g]
you watch my footsteps.^[h]
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see.
No one cares about me.^[i]
I have nowhere to run;^[j]
no one is concerned about my life.^[k]
⁵I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security^[l] in the land of the living.”
⁶Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble.^[m]
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
⁷Free me^[n] from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble,^[o]
for you will vindicate me.^[p]

Psalm 141

Psalm 141^[a]

A psalm of David.

141 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me.
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you.
²May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering.^[b]
³O Lord, place a guard on my mouth.
Protect the opening^[c] of my lips.^[d]
⁴Do not let me have evil desires,^[e]
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly.^[f]
I will not eat their delicacies.^[g]
⁵May the godly strike me in love and correct me.
May my head not refuse^[h] choice oil.^[i]
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.^[j]
⁶They will be thrown over the side of a cliff by their judges.^[k]
They^[l] will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷As when one plows and breaks up the soil,^[m]
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
⁸Surely I am looking to you,^[n] O Sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger.^[o]
⁹Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set.^[p]
¹⁰Let the wicked fall^[q] into their^[r] own nets,
while I escape.^[s]

Footnotes

Psalm 141:1 sn Psalm 141. The psalmist asks God to protect him from sin and from sinful men.
Psalm 141:2 tn Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”
Psalm 141:3 tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 141:3 sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
Psalm 141:4 sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
Psalm 141:5 tn The form יָנִי (yani) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nuʾ). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (y^enaʾ), a Piel from נָאָה (naʾah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
Psalm 141:5 sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
Psalm 141:5 tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (ki ʿod u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְּפִלָּתִי (ki ʿed t^efillati, “indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
Psalm 141:6 tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.
Psalm 141:6 tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.
Psalm 141:7 tn Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.
Psalm 141:8 tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
Psalm 141:8 tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
Psalm 141:9 tn Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”
Psalm 141:10 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”
Psalm 141:10 tn Heb “his.”
Psalm 141:10 tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”

Psalm 143

Psalm 143^[a]

A psalm of David.

143 O Lord, hear my prayer.
Pay attention to my plea for help.
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me.
²Do not sit in judgment on^[b] your servant,
for no one alive is innocent before you.^[c]
³Certainly^[d] my enemies^[e] chase me.
They smash me into the ground.^[f]
They force me to live^[g] in dark regions,^[h]
like those who have been dead for ages.
⁴My strength leaves me;^[i]
I am absolutely shocked.^[j]
⁵I recall the old days.^[k]
I meditate on all you have done;
I reflect on your accomplishments.^[l]
⁶I spread my hands out to you in prayer;^[m]
my soul thirsts for you in a parched^[n] land.^[o] (Selah)
⁷Answer me quickly, Lord.
My strength is fading.^[p]
Do not reject me,^[q]
or I will join^[r] those descending into the grave.^[s]
⁸May I hear about your loyal love in the morning,^[t]
for I trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,^[u]
because I long for you.^[v]
⁹Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord.
I run to you for protection.^[w]
¹⁰Teach me to do what pleases you,^[x]
for you are my God.
May your kind presence^[y]
lead me^[z] into a level land.^[aa]
¹¹O Lord, for the sake of your reputation,^[ab] revive me.^[ac]
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble.^[ad]
¹²As a demonstration of your loyal love,^[ae] destroy my enemies.
Annihilate^[af] all who threaten my life,^[ag]
for I am your servant.

Footnotes

Psalm 143:1 sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
Psalm 143:2 tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”
Psalm 143:2 tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).
Psalm 143:3 tn Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”
Psalm 143:3 tn Or “sit.”
Psalm 143:3 sn Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).
Psalm 143:4 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
Psalm 143:4 tn Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.
Psalm 143:5 tn Or “ancient times”; Heb “days from before.”
Psalm 143:5 tn Heb “the work of your hands.”
Psalm 143:6 tn The words “in prayer” are supplied in the translation to clarify that the psalmist is referring to a posture of prayer.
Psalm 143:6 tn Heb “faint” or “weary.” See Ps 63:1.
Psalm 143:6 tc Heb “my soul like a faint land for you.” A verb (perhaps “thirsts”) is implied (see Ps 63:1). The translation assumes an emendation of the preposition כ (kaf, “like”) to ב (bet, “in,” see Ps 63:1; cf. NEB “athirst for thee in a thirsty land”). If the MT is retained, one might translate, “my soul thirsts for you, as a parched land does for water/rain” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “my spirit is failing.”
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “do not hide your face from me.” The idiom “hide the face” (1) can mean “ignore” (see Pss 10:11; 13:1; 51:9) or (2) can carry the stronger idea of “reject” (see Pss 30:7; 88:14).
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
Psalm 143:7 tn Heb “the pit.” The Hebrew noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit; cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead. See Ps 28:1.
Psalm 143:8 tn Heb “cause me to hear in the morning your loyal love.” Here “loyal love” probably stands metonymically for an oracle of assurance promising God’s intervention as an expression of his loyal love.sn The morning is sometimes viewed as the time of divine intervention (see Pss 30:5; 59:16; 90:14).
Psalm 143:8 sn The way probably refers here to God’s moral and ethical standards and requirements (see v. 10).
Psalm 143:8 tn Heb “for to you I lift up my life.” The Hebrew expression נָאָשׂ נֶפֶשׁ (naʾas nefesh, “to lift up [one’s] life”) means “to desire; to long for” (see Deut 24:15; Prov 19:18; Jer 22:27; 44:14; Hos 4:8, as well as H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 16).
Psalm 143:9 tn Heb “to you I cover,” which makes no sense. The translation assumes an emendation to נַסְתִּי (nasti, “I flee,” a Qal perfect, first singular form from נוּס, nos). Confusion of כ (kaf) and נ (nun) is attested elsewhere (see P. K. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 48). The collocation of נוּס (“flee”) with אֶל (ʾel, “to”) is well-attested.
Psalm 143:10 tn Or “your will.” See Ps 40:8.
Psalm 143:10 tn Heb “your good spirit.” God’s “spirit” may refer here to his presence (see the note on the word “presence” in Ps 139:7) or to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
Psalm 143:10 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive. Taking the statement as a prayer fits well with the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
Psalm 143:10 sn A level land (where one can walk free of obstacles) here symbolizes divine blessing and protection. See Pss 26:12 and 27:11 for similar imagery.
Psalm 143:11 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
Psalm 143:11 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
Psalm 143:11 tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
Psalm 143:12 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
Psalm 143:12 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
Psalm 143:12 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”

2 Samuel 19:24-43

²⁴Now Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson,^[a] came down to meet the king. From the day the king had left until the day he safely^[b] returned, Mephibosheth^[c] had not cared for his feet^[d] nor trimmed^[e] his mustache nor washed his clothes.

²⁵When he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, the king asked him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” ²⁶He replied, “My lord the king, my servant deceived me! I^[f] said, ‘Let me get my donkey saddled so that I can ride on it and go with the king,’ for I^[g] am lame. ²⁷But my servant^[h] has slandered me^[i] to my lord the king. But my lord the king is like an angel of God. Do whatever seems appropriate to you. ²⁸After all, there was no one in the entire house of my grandfather^[j] who did not deserve death from my lord the king. But instead you allowed me to eat at your own table!^[k] What further claim do I have to ask^[l] the king for anything?”

²⁹Then the king replied to him, “Why should you continue speaking like this? You and Ziba will inherit the field together.” ³⁰Mephibosheth said to the king, “Let him have^[m] the whole thing! My lord the king has returned safely^[n] to his house!”

³¹Now when Barzillai the Gileadite had come down from Rogelim, he crossed the Jordan with the king so he could send him on his way from there.^[o] ³²But Barzillai was very old—eighty years old, in fact—and he had taken care of the king when he stayed in Mahanaim, for he was a very rich^[p] man. ³³So the king said to Barzillai, “Cross over with me, and I will take care of you while you are with me in Jerusalem.”

³⁴Barzillai replied to the king, “How many days do I have left to my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ³⁵I am now eighty years old. Am I able to discern good and bad? Can I^[q] taste what I eat and drink? Am I still able to hear the voices of male and female singers? Why should I^[r] continue to be a burden to my lord the king? ³⁶I will cross the Jordan with the king and go a short distance.^[s] Why should the king reward me in this way? ³⁷Let me^[t] return so that I may die in my own town near the grave of my father and my mother. But look, here is your servant Kimham. Let him cross over with my lord the king. Do for him whatever seems appropriate to you.”

³⁸The king replied, “Kimham will cross over with me, and I will do for him whatever I deem appropriate. And whatever you choose, I will do for you.”

³⁹So all the people crossed the Jordan, as did the king. After the king had kissed him and blessed him, Barzillai returned to his home.^[u] ⁴⁰When the king crossed over to Gilgal, Kimham^[v] crossed over with him. Now all the soldiers^[w] of Judah along with half the soldiers of Israel had helped the king cross over.^[x]

⁴¹Then all the men of Israel began coming to the king. They asked the king, “Why did our brothers, the men of Judah, sneak the king^[y] away and help the king and his household cross the Jordan—and not only him but all of David’s men as well?” ⁴²All the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “Because the king is our close relative! Why are you so upset about this? Have we eaten at the king’s expense?^[z] Or have we misappropriated anything for our own use?” ⁴³The men of Israel replied to the men of Judah, “We have ten shares in the king, and we have a greater claim on David than you do! Why do you want^[aa] to curse us? Weren’t we the first to suggest bringing back our king?” But the comments of the men of Judah were more severe than those of the men of Israel.

Footnotes

2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “son.”
2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “in peace.” So also in v. 31.
2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Mephibosheth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “done his feet.”
2 Samuel 19:24 tn Heb “done.”
2 Samuel 19:26 tn Heb “your servant.”
2 Samuel 19:26 tn Heb “your servant.”
2 Samuel 19:27 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the servant) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Samuel 19:27 tn Heb “your servant.”
2 Samuel 19:28 tn Heb “father.”
2 Samuel 19:28 tn Heb “and you placed your servant among those who eat at your table.”
2 Samuel 19:28 tn Heb “to cry out to.”
2 Samuel 19:30 tn Heb “take.”
2 Samuel 19:30 tn Heb “in peace.”
2 Samuel 19:31 tc The MT reading אֶת־בַיַּרְדֵּן (ʾet vayyarden, “in the Jordan”) is odd syntactically. The use of the preposition after the object marker אֶת (ʾet) is difficult to explain. Graphic confusion is likely in the MT; the translation assumes the reading מִיַּרְדֵּן (miyyarden, “from the Jordan”). Another possibility is to read the definite article on the front of “Jordan” (הַיַּרְדֵּן, hayyarden; “the Jordan”).
2 Samuel 19:32 tn Heb “great.”
2 Samuel 19:35 tn Heb “your servant.”
2 Samuel 19:35 tn Heb “your servant.”
2 Samuel 19:36 tn Heb “Like a little your servant will cross the Jordan with the king.”
2 Samuel 19:37 tn Heb “your servant.”
2 Samuel 19:39 tn Heb “to his place.”
2 Samuel 19:40 tn The MT in this instance alone spells the name with final ן (nun, “Kimhan”) rather than as elsewhere with final ם (mem, “Kimham”). As in most other translations, the conventional spelling (with ם) has been used here to avoid confusion.
2 Samuel 19:40 tn Heb “people.”
2 Samuel 19:40 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading the Hiphil verb הֶעֱבִירוּ (heʿeviru, “they caused to pass over”) rather than the Qal verb וַיְעֱבִרוּ (vay^eʿeviru, “they crossed over”) of the MT.
2 Samuel 19:41 tn Heb “sneak you.”
2 Samuel 19:42 tn Heb “from the king.”
2 Samuel 19:43 tn The translation understands the verb in a desiderative sense, indicating the desire but not necessarily the completed action of the party in question. It is possible, however, that the verb should be given the more common sense of accomplished action, in which case it means here “Why have you cursed us?”

Acts 24:24-25:12

Paul Speaks Repeatedly to Felix

²⁴Some days later, when Felix^[a] arrived with his wife Drusilla,^[b] who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak^[c] about faith in Christ Jesus.^[d] ²⁵While Paul^[e] was discussing^[f] righteousness, self-control,^[g] and the coming judgment, Felix^[h] became^[i] frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity,^[j] I will send for you.” ²⁶At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money,^[k] and for this reason he sent for Paul^[l] as often as possible^[m] and talked^[n] with him. ²⁷After two years^[o] had passed, Porcius Festus^[p] succeeded Felix,^[q] and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.^[r]

Paul Appeals to Caesar

25 Now^[s] three days after Festus^[t] arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.^[u] ²So the chief priests and the most prominent men^[v] of the Jews brought formal charges^[w] against Paul to him. ³Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul,^[x] they urged Festus^[y] to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush^[z] to kill him along the way. ⁴Then Festus^[aa] replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea,^[ab] and he himself intended to go there^[ac] shortly. ⁵“So,” he said, “let your leaders^[ad] go down there^[ae] with me, and if this man has done anything wrong,^[af] they may bring charges^[ag] against him.”

⁶After Festus^[ah] had stayed^[ai] not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea,^[aj] and the next day he sat^[ak] on the judgment seat^[al] and ordered Paul to be brought. ⁷When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him,^[am] bringing many serious^[an] charges that they were not able to prove.^[ao] ⁸Paul said in his defense,^[ap] “I have committed no offense^[aq] against the Jewish law^[ar] or against the temple or against Caesar.”^[as] ⁹But Festus,^[at] wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried^[au] before me there on these charges?”^[av] ¹⁰Paul replied,^[aw] “I am standing before Caesar’s^[ax] judgment seat,^[ay] where I should be tried.^[az] I have done nothing wrong^[ba] to the Jews, as you also know very well.^[bb] ¹¹If then I am in the wrong^[bc] and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying,^[bd] but if not one of their charges against me is true,^[be] no one can hand me over to them.^[bf] I appeal to Caesar!”^[bg] ¹²Then, after conferring with his council,^[bh] Festus^[bi] replied, “You have appealed to Caesar;^[bj] to Caesar^[bk] you will go!”^[bl]

Footnotes

Acts 24:24 sn See the note on Antonius Felix in 23:24.
Acts 24:24 sn It is possible that Drusilla, being Jewish, was the source of Felix’s knowledge about the new movement called Christianity. The youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I and sister of Agrippa II, she would have been close to 20 years old at the time. She had married the king of a small region in Syria but divorced him at the age of 16 to marry Felix. This was her second marriage and Felix’s third (Josephus, Ant. 19.9.1 [19.354], 20.7.2 [20.141-144]). As a member of Herod’s family, she probably knew about the Way.
Acts 24:24 tn The word “speak” is implied; BDAG 32 s.v. ἀκούω 1.c has “ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς…πίστεως he heard him speak about faith Ac 24:24.”
Acts 24:24 tn Or “Messiah Jesus”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
Acts 24:25 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Acts 24:25 tn Or “speaking about.”
Acts 24:25 tn Grk “and self-control.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.sn The topic of self-control was appropriate in view of the personal history of both Felix and Drusilla (see the note on “Drusilla” in the previous verse), and might well account for Felix’s anxiety.
Acts 24:25 sn See the note on Felix in 23:26.
Acts 24:25 tn Grk “becoming.” The participle γενόμενος (genomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Acts 24:25 tn Or “when I find time.” BDAG 639 s.v. μεταλαμβάνω 2 has “καιρὸν μ. have an opportunity = find time…Ac 24:25.”
Acts 24:26 tn Grk “he was hoping that money would be given to him by Paul.” To simplify the translation, the passive construction has been converted to an active one.sn Would give him money. That is, would offer him a bribe in exchange for his release. Such practices were fairly common among Roman officials of the period (Josephus, Ant. 2.12.3 [2.272-274]).
Acts 24:26 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Acts 24:26 tn “As often as possible” reflects the comparative form of the adjective πυκνός (puknos); see BDAG 897 s.v. πυκνός, which has “Neut. of the comp. πυκνότερον as adv. more often, more frequently and in an elative sense very often, quite frequently…also as often as possible…Ac 24:26.”
Acts 24:26 tn On this term, which could mean “conferred with him,” see BDAG 705 s.v. ὁμιλέω.
Acts 24:27 tn Grk “After a two-year period.”
Acts 24:27 sn Porcius Festus was the procurator of Palestine who succeeded Felix; neither the beginning nor the end of his rule (at his death) can be determined with certainty, although he appears to have died in office after about two years. Nero recalled Felix in a.d. 57 or 58, and Festus was appointed to his vacant office in a.d. 57, 58, or 59. According to Josephus (Ant. 20.8.9-10 [20.182-188]; J. W. 2.14.1 [2.271-272]), his administration was better than that of his predecessor Felix or his successor Albinus, but Luke in Acts portrays him in a less favorable light: He was willing to sacrifice Paul to court Jewish favor by taking him to Jerusalem for trial (see 25:9), regardless of Paul’s guilt or innocence. The one characteristic for which Festus was noted is that he dealt harshly with those who disturbed the peace.
Acts 24:27 tn Grk “Felix received as successor Porcius Festus.”sn See the note on Felix in 23:26.
Acts 24:27 tn Grk “left Paul imprisoned.”sn Felix left Paul in prison. Luke makes the point that politics got in the way of justice here; keeping Paul in prison was a political favor to the Jews.
Acts 25:1 tn BDAG 736-37 s.v. οὖν 2.b states, “οὖν serves to indicate a transition to someth. new…now, then, well…Ac 25:1.”
Acts 25:1 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
Acts 25:1 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. This was a journey of 65 mi (just over 100 km).
Acts 25:2 tn BDAG 893-94 s.v. πρῶτος 2.a.β has “οἱ πρῶτοι the most prominent men, the leading men w. gen. of the place…or of a group…οἱ πρ. τοῦ λαοῦ…Lk 19:47; cp. Ac 25:2; 28:17.”
Acts 25:2 tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “ἐ. τινὶ κατά τινος bring formal charges against someone…Ac 24:1; 25:2.”sn Note how quickly the Jewish leadership went after Paul: They brought formal charges against him within three days of Festus’ arrival in the province.
Acts 25:3 tn Grk “Requesting a favor against him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation, the understood direct object of “requesting” has been supplied, and the phrase “to do them” supplied for clarity.
Acts 25:3 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Festus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The words “they urged him” are in v. 2 in the Greek text.
Acts 25:3 sn Planning an ambush. The Jewish leadership had not forgotten the original plan of several years ago (see 23:16). They did not trust the Roman legal process, but preferred to take matters into their own hands.
Acts 25:4 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
Acts 25:4 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 25:4 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
Acts 25:5 tn Grk “let those who are influential among you” (i.e., the powerful).
Acts 25:5 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
Acts 25:5 tn Grk “and if there is anything wrong with this man,” but this could be misunderstood in English to mean a moral or physical defect, while the issue in context is the commission of some crime, something legally improper (BDAG 149 s.v. ἄτοπος 2).
Acts 25:5 tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context—‘to accuse, to bring charges.”
Acts 25:6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Festus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Acts 25:6 tn Grk “Having stayed.” The participle διατρίψας (diatripsas) has been taken temporally.
Acts 25:6 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 25:6 tn Grk “sitting down…he ordered.” The participle καθίσας (kathisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Acts 25:6 tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), since the bēma was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bēma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.
Acts 25:7 tn BDAG 801 s.v. περιίστημι 1.a has “περιέστησαν αὐτὸν οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι the Judeans stood around him 25:7.”
Acts 25:7 tn Grk “many and serious.” The term βαρύς (barus) refers to weighty or serious charges (BDAG 167 s.v. 1).
Acts 25:7 tn The term ἀποδείκνυμι (apodeiknumi) in a legal context refers to legal proof (4 Macc 1:8; BDAG 108 s.v. 3).
Acts 25:8 tn Grk “Paul saying in his defense”; the participle ἀπολογουμένου (apologoumenou) could be taken temporally (“when Paul said…”), but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle was translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here in the translation. BDAG 116-17 s.v. ἀπολογέομαι has “W. ὅτι foll. τοῦ Παύλου ἀπολογουμένου, ὅτι when Paul said in his defense (direct quot. foll.) Ac 25:8.”
Acts 25:8 tn Grk “I have sinned…in nothing.”
Acts 25:8 tn Grk “against the law of the Jews.” Here τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων has been translated as an attributive genitive.sn The Jewish law refers to the law of Moses.
Acts 25:8 tn Or “against the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).sn Paul’s threefold claim to be innocent with respect to the law…the temple and Caesar argues that he has not disturbed the peace at any level. This was the standard charge made against early Christians (Luke 23:2; Acts 17:6-7). The charges here are emphatically denied, with the Greek conjunction oute repeated before each charge.
Acts 25:9 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
Acts 25:9 tn Or “stand trial.”
Acts 25:9 tn Grk “concerning these things.”
Acts 25:10 tn Grk “said.”
Acts 25:10 tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
Acts 25:10 tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. Here of course Paul’s reference to “Caesar’s judgment seat” is a form of metonymy; since Festus is Caesar’s representative, Festus’ judgment seat represents Caesar’s own.sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bēma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.
Acts 25:10 tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.
Acts 25:10 sn “I have done nothing wrong.” Here is yet another declaration of total innocence on Paul’s part.
Acts 25:10 tn BDAG 506 s.v. καλῶς 7 states, “comp. κάλλιον (for the superl., as Galen, Protr. 8 p. 24, 19J.=p. 10, 31 Kaibel; s. B-D-F §244, 2) ὡς καί σὺ κ. ἐπιγινώσκεις as also you know very well Ac 25:10.”
Acts 25:11 tn BDAG 20 s.v. ἀδικέω 1.b has “intr. be in the wrong (Ex 2:13) εἰ ἀδικῶ Ac 25:11.”
Acts 25:11 tn BDAG 764 s.v. παραιτέομαι 2.b.β, “οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν I am not trying to escape death Ac 25:11 (cf. Jos., Vi. 141).” To avoid redundancy in the translation, the English gerund “dying” is used to translate the Greek infinitive ἀποθανεῖν (apothanein).
Acts 25:11 tn Or “but if there is nothing to their charges against me.” Both “if” clauses in this verse are first class conditions. Paul stated the options without prejudice, assuming in turn the reality of each for the sake of the argument.
Acts 25:11 sn That is, no one can hand me over to them lawfully. Paul was aware of the dangers of a return to Jerusalem.
Acts 25:11 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).sn The appeal to Caesar was known as the provocatio ad Caesarem. It was a Roman citizen’s right to ask for a direct judgment by the emperor (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10.96). It was one of the oldest rights of Roman citizens.
Acts 25:12 tn That is, with his advisers.
Acts 25:12 sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.
Acts 25:12 tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).
Acts 25:12 tn Or “to the emperor.”
Acts 25:12 sn “To Caesar you will go!” In all probability Festus was pleased to send Paul on to Rome and get this political problem out of his court.

Mark 12:35-44

The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord

³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, “How is it that the experts in the law^[a] say that the Christ^[b] is David’s son?^[c] ³⁶David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said,

‘The Lord said to my lord,^[d]
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’^[e]

³⁷If David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”^[f] And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Warnings About Experts in the Law

³⁸In his teaching Jesus^[g] also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law.^[h] They like walking^[i] around in long robes and elaborate greetings^[j] in the marketplaces,^[k] ³⁹and the best seats in the synagogues^[l] and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁰They^[m] devour widows’ property,^[n] and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”

The Widow’s Offering

⁴¹Then^[o] he^[p] sat down opposite the offering box,^[q] and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts. ⁴²And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins,^[r] worth less than a penny. ⁴³He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth,^[s] this poor widow has put more into the offering box^[t] than all the others.^[u] ⁴⁴For they all gave out of their wealth.^[v] But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”^[w]

Footnotes

Mark 12:35 tn Or “that the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
Mark 12:35 tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 8:29.
Mark 12:35 sn It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be David’s son in that he would come from the lineage of David. On this point the Pharisees agreed and were correct. But their understanding was nonetheless incomplete, for Messiah is also David’s Lord. With this statement Jesus was affirming that, as the Messiah, he is both God and man.
Mark 12:36 sn The Lord said to my lord. With David being the speaker, this indicates his respect for his descendant (referred to as my lord). Jesus was arguing, as the ancient exposition assumed, that the passage is about the Lord’s anointed. The passage looks at an enthronement of this figure and a declaration of honor for him as he takes his place at the side of God. In Jerusalem, the king’s palace was located to the right of the temple to indicate this kind of relationship. Jesus was pressing the language here to get his opponents to reflect on how great Messiah is.
Mark 12:36 sn A quotation from Ps 110:1.
Mark 12:37 tn Grk “David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ So how is he his son?” The conditional nuance, implicit in Greek, has been made explicit in the translation (cf. Matt 22:45).
Mark 12:38 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 12:38 tn Or “for the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
Mark 12:38 tn In Greek this is the only infinitive in vv. 38-39. It would be awkward in English to join an infinitive to the following noun clauses, so this has been translated as a gerund.
Mark 12:38 sn There is later Jewish material in the Talmud that spells out such greetings in detail. See H. Windisch, TDNT 1:498.
Mark 12:38 sn See the note on marketplaces in Mark 6:56.
Mark 12:39 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.
Mark 12:40 tn Grk “who,” continuing the sentence begun in v. 38.
Mark 12:40 tn Grk “houses,” “households”; however, the term can have the force of “property” or “possessions” as well (O. Michel, TDNT 5:131; BDAG 695 s.v. οἶκια 1.a).
Mark 12:41 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 12:41 tc Most mss, predominantly of the Western and Byzantine texts (A D W Θ ƒ^1,13 33 2542 M lat), have ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (ho Iēsous, “Jesus”) as the explicit subject here, while א B L Δ Ψ 892 lack the name. A natural scribal tendency is to expand the text, especially to add the Lord’s name as the explicit subject of a verb. Scribes much less frequently omitted the Lord’s name (cf. the readings of W Θ 565 1424 in Mark 12:17). The internal and external evidence support one another here in behalf of the shorter reading.
Mark 12:41 tn On the term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazophulakion), often translated “treasury,” see BDAG 186 s.v., which states, “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200); 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294), and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Luke 21:1; John 8:20).
Mark 12:42 sn These two small copper coins were lepta (sing. “lepton”), the smallest and least valuable coins in circulation in Palestine, worth one-half of a quadrans or 1/128 of a denarius, or about six minutes of an average daily wage. This was next to nothing in value.
Mark 12:43 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
Mark 12:43 tn See the note on the term “offering box” in v. 41.
Mark 12:43 sn Has put more into the offering box than all the others. With God, giving is weighed evaluatively, not counted. The widow was praised because she gave sincerely and at some considerable cost to herself.
Mark 12:44 tn Grk “out of what abounded to them.”
Mark 12:44 sn The contrast between this passage, 12:41-44, and what has come before in 11:27-12:40 is remarkable. The woman is set in stark contrast to the religious leaders. She was a poor widow, they were rich. She was uneducated in the law, they were well educated in the law. She was a woman, they were men. But whereas they evidenced no faith and actually stole money from God and men (cf. 11:17), she evidenced great faith and gave out of her extreme poverty everything she had.

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 140[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 142[a]

A well-written song[b] by David, when he was in the cave;[c] a prayer.

Footnotes

Psalm 141[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Psalm 143[a]

A psalm of David.

Footnotes

Footnotes

Paul Speaks Repeatedly to Felix

Paul Appeals to Caesar

Footnotes

The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord

Warnings About Experts in the Law

The Widow’s Offering

Footnotes

Psalm 140^[a]

Psalm 142^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by David, when he was in the cave;^[c] a prayer.

Psalm 141^[a]

Psalm 143^[a]