◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 87 90; Ps. 136; Joel 3:9–17; James 2:1–13; Luke 16:10–17 (18) (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 87

Psalm 87^[a]

Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.

87 The Lord’s city is in the holy hills.^[b]
²The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
³People say wonderful things about you,^[c]
O city of God. (Selah)
⁴I mention Rahab^[d] and Babylon to my followers.^[e]
Here are^[f] Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia.^[g]
It is said of them, “This one was born there.”^[h]
⁵But it is said of Zion’s residents,^[i]
“Each one of these^[j] was born in her,
and the Most High^[k] makes her secure.”
⁶The Lord writes in the census book of the nations,^[l]
“This one was born there.”^[m] (Selah)
⁷As for the singers, as well as the pipers—
all of them sing within your walls.^[n]

Footnotes

Psalm 87:1 sn Psalm 87. The psalmist celebrates the Lord’s presence in Zion and the special status of its citizens.
Psalm 87:1 tn Heb “his foundation [is] in the hills of holiness.” The expression “his foundation” refers here by metonymy to the Lord’s dwelling place in Zion. The “hills” are the ones surrounding Zion (see Pss 125:2; 133:3).
Psalm 87:3 tn Heb “glorious things are spoken about you.” The translation assumes this is a general reference to compliments paid to Zion by those who live within her walls and by those who live in the surrounding areas and lands. Another option is that this refers to a prophetic oracle about the city’s glorious future. In this case one could translate, “wonderful things are announced concerning you.”
Psalm 87:4 sn “Rahab,” which means “proud one,” is used here as a title for Egypt (see Isa 30:7).
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “to those who know me” (see Ps 36:10). Apparently the Lord speaks here. The verbal construction (the Hiphil of זָכַר, zakhar, “remember” followed by the preposition ל [lamed] with a substantive) is rare, but the prepositional phrase is best understood as indicating the recipient of the announcement (see Jer 4:16). Some take the preposition in the sense of “among” and translate, “among those who know me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). In this case these foreigners are viewed as the Lord’s people and the psalm is interpreted as anticipating a time when all nations will worship the Lord (see Ps 86:9) and be considered citizens of Zion.
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “Look.”
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “Cush.”
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “and this one was born there.” The words “It is said of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification and stylistic purposes (see v. 5). Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand “there” as referring to Zion, but it seems more likely that the adverb refers to the nations just mentioned. The foreigners are identified by their native lands.
Psalm 87:5 tn Heb “and of Zion it is said.” Another option is to translate, “and to Zion it is said.” In collocation with the Niphal of אָמַר (ʾamar), the preposition ל (lamed) can introduce the recipient of the statement (see Josh 2:2; Jer 4:11; Hos 1:10; Zeph 3:16), carry the nuance “concerning, of” (see Num 23:23), or mean “be named” (see Isa 4:3; 62:4).
Psalm 87:5 tn Heb “a man and a man.” The idiom also appears in Esth 1:8. The translation assumes that the phrase refers to each of Zion’s residents, in contrast to the foreigners mentioned in v. 4. Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand this as a reference to each of the nations, including those mentioned in v. 4.
Psalm 87:5 sn The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן ʿelyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
Psalm 87:6 tn Heb “the Lord records in the writing of the nations.”
Psalm 87:6 tn As noted in v. 4, the translation assumes a contrast between “there” (the various foreign lands) and “in her” (Zion). In contrast to foreigners, the citizens of Zion have special status because of their birthplace (v. 5). In this case vv. 4 and 6 form a structural frame around v. 5.
Psalm 87:7 tc Heb “and singers, like pipers, all my springs [are] in you.” The participial form חֹלְלִים (khol^elim) appears to be from a denominative verb meaning “play the pipe,” though some derive the form from חוּל (khul, “dance”). In this case the duplicated ל (lamed) requires an emendation to מְחֹלְלִים (m^ekhol^elim, “a Polel form). The words are addressed to Zion. As it stands, the Hebrew text makes little, if any, sense. “Springs” are often taken here as a symbol of divine blessing and life”), but this reading does not relate to the preceding line in any apparent way. The present translation assumes an emendation of כָּל־מַעְיָנַי (kol maʿyanay, “all my springs”) to כֻּלָּם עָנוּ (kullam ʿanu, “all of them sing,” with the form עָנוּ being derived from עָנָה, ʿanah, “sing”).

Psalm 90

Book 4 (Psalms 90-106)

Psalm 90^[a]

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

90 O Lord, you have been our protector^[b] through all generations.
²Even before the mountains came into existence,^[c]
or you brought the world into being,^[d]
you were the eternal God.^[e]
³You make mankind return^[f] to the dust,^[g]
and say, “Return, O people.”
⁴Yes,^[h] in your eyes a thousand years
are like yesterday that quickly passes,
or like one of the divisions of the nighttime.^[i]
⁵You bring their lives to an end and they “fall asleep.”^[j]
In the morning they are like the grass that sprouts up:
⁶In the morning it glistens^[k] and sprouts up;
at evening time it withers^[l] and dries up.
⁷Yes,^[m] we are consumed by your anger;
we are terrified by your wrath.
⁸You are aware of our sins;^[n]
you even know about our hidden sins.^[o]
⁹Yes,^[p] throughout all our days we experience your raging fury;^[q]
the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh.^[r]
¹⁰The days of our lives add up to seventy years,^[s]
or eighty, if one is especially strong.^[t]
But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression.^[u]
Yes,^[v] they pass quickly^[w] and we fly away.^[x]
¹¹Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger?^[y]
Your raging fury causes people to fear you.^[z]
¹²So teach us to consider our mortality,^[aa]
so that we might live wisely.^[ab]
¹³Turn back toward us, O Lord.
How long must this suffering last?^[ac]
Have pity on your servants.^[ad]
¹⁴Satisfy us in the morning^[ae] with your loyal love.
Then we will shout for joy and be happy^[af] all our days.
¹⁵Make us happy in proportion to the days you have afflicted us,
in proportion to the years we have experienced^[ag] trouble.
¹⁶May your servants see your work.^[ah]
May their sons see your majesty.^[ai]
¹⁷May our Sovereign God extend his favor to us.^[aj]
Make our endeavors successful.
Yes, make them successful.^[ak]

Footnotes

Psalm 90:1 sn Psalm 90. In this communal lament the worship leader affirms that the eternal God and creator of the world has always been Israel’s protector. But God also causes men, who are as transient as grass, to die, and in his fierce anger he decimates his covenant community, whose brief lives are filled with suffering and end in weakness. The community asks for wisdom, the restoration of God’s favor, a fresh revelation of his power, and his blessing upon their labors.
Psalm 90:1 tn Or “place of safety.” See Ps 71:3.
Psalm 90:2 tn Heb “were born.”
Psalm 90:2 tn Heb “and you gave birth to the earth and world.” The Polel verbal form in the Hebrew text pictures God giving birth to the world. The LXX and some other ancient textual witnesses assume a Polal (passive) verbal form here. In this case the earth becomes the subject of the verb and the verb is understood as third feminine singular rather than second masculine singular.
Psalm 90:2 tn Heb “and from everlasting to everlasting you [are] God.” Instead of אֵל (ʾel, “God”) the LXX reads אַל (ʾal, “not”) and joins the negative particle to the following verse, making the verb תָּשֵׁב (tashev) a jussive. In this case v. 3a reads as a prayer, “do not turn man back to a low place.” However, taking תָּשֵׁב as a jussive is problematic in light of the following wayyiqtol form וַתֹּאמֶר (vatoʾmer, “and you said/say”), unless one reads the form as a simple vav plus imperfect as indicated by Aquila and Jerome.
Psalm 90:3 tn In this context the shortened prefix form does not function as a preterite, but indicates what is typical of the world.
Psalm 90:3 tn The Hebrew term דַּכָּא (dakaʾ) carries the basic sense of “crushed.” Elsewhere it refers to those who are “crushed” in spirit or contrite of heart (see Ps 34:18; Isa 57:15). If one understands this nuance here, then v. 3 is observing that God leads mankind to repentance (the term שׁוּב, shuv, “return,” which appears twice in this verse, is sometimes used of repentance.) However, the following context laments mankind’s mortality and the brevity of life, so it is doubtful if v. 3 should be understood so positively. It is more likely that דַּכָּא here refers to “crushed matter,” that is, the dust that fills the grave (see HALOT 221 s.v. s.v. I דַּכָּא; BDB 194 s.v. דַּכָּא). In this case one may hear an echo of Gen 3:19.
Psalm 90:4 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 90:4 sn The divisions of the nighttime. The ancient Israelites divided the night into distinct periods, or “watches.”
Psalm 90:5 tn Heb “you bring them to an end [with] sleep.” The Hebrew verb זָרַם (zaram) has traditionally been taken to mean “flood” or “overwhelm” (note the Polel form of a root זרם in Ps 77:17, where the verb is used of the clouds pouring down rain). However, the verb form here is Qal, not Polel, and is better understood as a homonym meaning “to make an end [of life].” The term שֵׁנָה (shenah, “sleep”) can be taken as an adverbial accusative; it is a euphemism here for death (see Ps 76:5-6).
Psalm 90:6 tn Or “flourishes.” The verb is used of a crown shining in Ps 132:18. Perhaps here in Ps 90:6 it refers to the glistening of the grass in the morning dew.
Psalm 90:6 tn The Polel form of this verb occurs only here. Perhaps the form should be emended to a Qal (which necessitates eliminating the final ל [lamed] as dittographic). See Ps 37:2.
Psalm 90:7 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 90:8 tn Heb “you set our sins in front of you.”
Psalm 90:8 tn Heb “what we have hidden to the light of your face.” God’s face is compared to a light or lamp that exposes the darkness around it.
Psalm 90:9 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 90:9 tn Heb “all our days pass by in your anger.”
Psalm 90:9 tn Heb “we finish our years like a sigh.” In Ezek 2:10 the word הֶגֶה (hegeh) elsewhere refers to a grumbling or moaning sound. Here a brief sigh or moan is probably in view. If so, the simile pictures one’s lifetime as transient. Another option is that the simile alludes to the weakness that characteristically overtakes a person at the end of one’s lifetime. In this case the phrase could be translated, “we end our lives with a painful moan.”
Psalm 90:10 tn Heb “the days of our years, in them [are] seventy years.”
Psalm 90:10 tn Heb “or if [there is] strength, eighty years.”
Psalm 90:10 tn Heb “and their pride [is] destruction and wickedness.” The Hebrew noun רֹהַב (rohav) occurs only here. BDB 923 s.v. assigns the meaning “pride,” deriving the noun from the verbal root רָהַב (rahav, “to act stormily [boisterously, arrogantly]”). Here the “pride” of one’s days (see v. 9) probably refers to one’s most productive years in the prime of life. The words translated “destruction and wickedness” are also paired in Ps 10:7. They also appear in proximity in Pss 7:14 and 55:10. The oppressive and abusive actions of evil men are probably in view (see Job 4:8; 5:6; 15:35; Isa 10:1; 59:4).
Psalm 90:10 tn or “for.”
Psalm 90:10 tn Heb “it passes quickly.” The subject of the verb is probably “their pride” (see the preceding line). The verb גּוּז (guz) means “to pass” here; it occurs only here and in Num 11:31.
Psalm 90:10 sn We fly away. The psalmist compares life to a bird that quickly flies off (see Job 20:8).
Psalm 90:11 tn Heb “Who knows the strength of your anger?”
Psalm 90:11 tc Heb “and like your fear [is] your raging fury.” Perhaps one should emend וּכְיִרְאָתְךָ (ukh^eyirʾat^ekha, “and like your fear”) to יִרְאָתְךְ (yirʾat^ekha, “your fear”), removing the כ (kaf) as dittography of the kaf ending the previous word. In this case the psalmist asserts “your fear [is] your raging fury,” that is, your raging fury is what causes others to fear you. The suffix on “fear” is understood as objective.
Psalm 90:12 tn Heb “to number our days,” that is, to be aware of how few they really are.
Psalm 90:12 tn Heb “and we will bring a heart of wisdom.” After the imperative of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with the conjunction indicates purpose/result. The Hebrew term “heart” here refers to the center of one’s thoughts, volition, and moral character.
Psalm 90:13 tn Heb “Return, O Lord. How long?”
Psalm 90:13 tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (ʿal) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.
Psalm 90:14 sn Morning is used metaphorically for a time of renewed joy after affliction (see Pss 30:5; 46:5; 49:14; 59:16; 143:8).
Psalm 90:14 tn After the imperative (see the preceding line) the cohortatives with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose/result.
Psalm 90:15 tn Heb “have seen.”
Psalm 90:16 tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yeraʾeh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).
Psalm 90:16 tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.
Psalm 90:17 tn Heb “and may the delight of the Master, our God, be on us.” The Hebrew term נֹעַם (noʿam, “delight”) is used in Ps 27:4 of the Lord’s “beauty,” but here it seems to refer to his favor (see BDB 653 s.v.) or kindness (HALOT 706 s.v.).
Psalm 90:17 tn Heb “and the work of our hands establish over us, and the work of our hands, establish it.”

Psalm 136

Psalm 136^[a]

136 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his loyal love endures.^[b]
²Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his loyal love endures.
³Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his loyal love endures,
⁴to the one who performs magnificent, amazing deeds all by himself,
for his loyal love endures,
⁵to the one who used wisdom to make the heavens,
for his loyal love endures,
⁶to the one who spread out the earth over the water,
for his loyal love endures,
⁷to the one who made the great lights,
for his loyal love endures,
⁸the sun to rule by day,
for his loyal love endures,
⁹the moon and stars to rule by night,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁰to the one who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his loyal love endures,
¹¹and led Israel out from their midst,
for his loyal love endures,
¹²with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his loyal love endures,
¹³to the one who divided^[c] the Red Sea^[d] in two,^[e]
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁴and led Israel through its midst,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁵and tossed^[f] Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁶to the one who led his people through the wilderness,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁷to the one who struck down great kings,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁸and killed powerful kings,
for his loyal love endures,
¹⁹Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his loyal love endures,
²⁰Og, king of Bashan,
for his loyal love endures,
²¹and gave their land as an inheritance,
for his loyal love endures,
²²as an inheritance to Israel his servant,
for his loyal love endures,
²³to the one who remembered us when we were down,^[g]
for his loyal love endures,
²⁴and snatched us away from our enemies,
for his loyal love endures,
²⁵to the one who gives food to all living things,^[h]
for his loyal love endures.
²⁶Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his loyal love endures!

Joel 3:9-17

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

⁹Proclaim this among the nations:
“Prepare for a holy war!
Call out the warriors!
Let all these fighting men approach and attack!^[a]
¹⁰Beat your plowshares^[b] into swords,
and your pruning hooks^[c] into spears.^[d]
Let the weak say, ‘I too am a warrior!’^[e]
¹¹Lend your aid^[f] and come,
all you surrounding nations,
and gather yourselves^[g] to that place.”
Bring down, O Lord, your warriors!^[h]
¹²“Let the nations be roused and let them go up
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
for there I will sit in judgment on all the surrounding nations.
¹³Rush forth with^[i] the sickle, for the harvest is ripe!
Come, stomp the grapes,^[j] for the winepress is full!
The vats overflow.
Indeed, their evil is great!”^[k]
¹⁴Crowds, great crowds are in the Valley of Decision,

for the day of the Lord is near in the Valley of Decision!^[l]
¹⁵The sun and moon are darkened;
the stars withhold^[m] their brightness.
¹⁶The Lord roars from Zion;
from Jerusalem his voice bellows out.^[n]
The heavens^[o] and the earth shake.
But the Lord is a refuge for his people;
he is a stronghold for the citizens^[p] of Israel.

The Lord’s Presence in Zion

¹⁷“You will be convinced^[q] that I the Lord am your God,
dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain.
Jerusalem will be holy—
conquering armies^[r] will no longer pass through it.

Footnotes

Joel 3:9 tn Heb “draw near and go up.”
Joel 3:10 sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.
Joel 3:10 sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle.
Joel 3:10 sn This conversion of farming instruments to instruments of war is the reverse of Isa 2:4 (cf. Mic 4:3), where military weapons are transformed into tools for farming. Isaiah describes a time of kingdom blessing and prosperity, whereas Joel describes a time of eschatological conflict and judgment.
Joel 3:10 sn The “weak” individual mentioned here is apparently the farmer who has little or no military prowess or prior fighting experience. Under ordinary circumstances such a person would be ill-prepared for assuming the role of a soldier. However, in the scene that Joel is describing here even the most unlikely candidate will become a participant to be reckoned with in this final conflict.
Joel 3:11 tn This Hebrew verb is found only here in the OT; its meaning is uncertain. Some scholars prefer to read here עוּרוּ (ʿuru, “arouse”) or חוּשׁוּ (khushu, “hasten”).
Joel 3:11 tc The present translation follows the reading of the imperative הִקָּבְצוּ (hiqqav^etsu) rather than the perfect with vav (ו) consecutive וְנִקְבָּצוּ (v^eniqbatsu) of the MT.
Joel 3:11 tc Some commentators prefer to delete the line, “Bring down, O Lord, your warriors,” understanding it to be a later addition. But this is unnecessary. Contrary to what some have suggested, a prayer for the Lord’s intervention is not out of place here.
Joel 3:13 tn Heb “send.”
Joel 3:13 tn Heb “go down” or “tread.” The Hebrew term רְדוּ (r^edu) may be from יָרַד (yarad, “to go down”) or from רָדָה (radah, “have dominion,” here in the sense of “to tread”). If it means “go down,” the reference would be to entering the vat to squash the grapes. If it means “tread,” the verb would refer specifically to the action of those who walk over the grapes to press out their juice. The phrase “the grapes” is supplied in the translation for clarity.
Joel 3:13 sn The immediacy of judgment upon wickedness is likened to the urgency required for a harvest that has reached its pinnacle of development. When the harvest is completely ripe, there can be no delay by the reapers in gathering the harvest. In a similar way, Joel envisions a time when human wickedness will reach such a heightened degree that there can be no further stay of divine judgment (cf. the “fullness of time” language in Gal 4:4).
Joel 3:14 sn The decision referred to here is not a response on the part of the crowd but the verdict handed out by the divine judge.
Joel 3:15 tn Heb “gather in.”
Joel 3:16 tn Heb “he sounds forth his voice.”
Joel 3:16 tn Or “the sky.” See the note on “sky” in 2:30.
Joel 3:16 tn Heb “sons.”
Joel 3:17 tn Heb “know.”
Joel 3:17 tn Heb “strangers” or “foreigners.” In context, this refers to invasions by conquering armies.

James 2:1-13

Prejudice and the Law of Love

2 My brothers and sisters,^[a] do not show prejudice^[b] if you possess faith^[c] in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.^[d] ²For if someone^[e] comes into your assembly^[f] wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, ³do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say,^[g] “You sit here in a good place,”^[h] and to the poor person, “You stand over there,” or “Sit on the floor”?^[i] ⁴If so, have you not made distinctions^[j] among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?^[k] ⁵Listen, my dear brothers and sisters!^[l] Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? ⁶But you have dishonored the poor!^[m] Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? ⁷Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to?^[n] ⁸But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture,^[o] “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,”^[p] you are doing well. ⁹But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators.^[q] ¹⁰For the one who obeys the whole law but fails^[r] in one point has become guilty of all of it.^[s] ¹¹For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,”^[t] also said, “Do not murder.”^[u] Now if you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. ¹²Speak and act as those who will be judged by a law that gives freedom.^[v] ¹³For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over^[w] judgment.

Footnotes

James 2:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
James 2:1 tn Or “partiality.”
James 2:1 tn Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.
James 2:1 tn Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης (doxēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
James 2:2 tn The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ (anēr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, “equivalent to τὶς someone.”
James 2:2 tn Grk “synagogue.” Usually συναγωγή refers to Jewish places of worship (e.g., Matt 4:23, Mark 1:21, Luke 4:15, John 6:59). The word can be used generally to refer to a place of assembly, and here it refers specifically to a Christian assembly (BDAG 963 s.v. 2.b.).
James 2:3 tn Grk “and you pay attention…and say,” continuing the “if” clauses from v. 2. In the Greek text, vv. 2-4 form one long sentence.
James 2:3 tn Or “sit here, please.”
James 2:3 tn Grk “sit under my footstool.” The words “on the floor” have been supplied in the translation to clarify for the modern reader the undesirability of this seating arrangement (so also TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). Another option followed by a number of translations is to replace “under my footstool” with “at my feet” (NAB, NIV, NRSV).
James 2:4 tn Grk “have you not made distinctions” (as the conclusion to the series of “if” clauses in vv. 2-3).
James 2:4 tn Grk “judges of evil reasonings.”
James 2:5 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
James 2:6 tn This is singular: “the poor person,” perhaps referring to the hypothetical one described in vv. 2-3.
James 2:7 tn Grk “that was invoked over you,” referring to their baptism in which they confessed their faith in Christ and were pronounced to be his own. To have the Lord’s name “named over them” is OT imagery for the Lord’s ownership of his people (cf. 2 Chr 7:14; Amos 9:12; Isa 63:19; Jer 14:9; 15:16; Dan 9:19; Acts 15:17).
James 2:8 tn Grk “according to the scripture.”
James 2:8 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18 (also quoted in Matt 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31; Luke 10:27; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14).
James 2:9 tn Or “transgressors.”
James 2:10 tn Or “stumbles.”
James 2:10 tn Grk “guilty of all.”
James 2:11 sn A quotation from Exod 20:14 and Deut 5:18.
James 2:11 sn A quotation from Exod 20:13 and Deut 5:17.
James 2:12 tn Grk “a law of freedom.”
James 2:13 tn Grk “boasts against, exults over,” in victory.

Luke 16:10-18

¹⁰“The one who is faithful in a very little^[a] is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. ¹¹If then you haven’t been trustworthy^[b] in handling worldly wealth,^[c] who will entrust you with the true riches?^[d] ¹²And if you haven’t been trustworthy^[e] with someone else’s property,^[f] who will give you your own^[g] ? ¹³No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate^[h] the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise^[i] the other. You cannot serve God and money.”^[j]

More Warnings about the Pharisees

¹⁴The Pharisees^[k] (who loved money) heard all this and ridiculed^[l] him. ¹⁵But^[m] Jesus^[n] said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes,^[o] but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized^[p] among men is utterly detestable^[q] in God’s sight.

¹⁶“The law and the prophets were in force^[r] until John;^[s] since then,^[t] the good news of the kingdom of God^[u] has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it.^[v] ¹⁷But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tiny stroke of a letter^[w] in the law to become void.^[x]

¹⁸“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries^[y] someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Footnotes

Luke 16:10 sn The point of the statement faithful in a very little is that character is shown in how little things are treated.
Luke 16:11 tn Or “faithful.”
Luke 16:11 tn Grk “the unrighteous mammon.” See the note on the phrase “worldly wealth” in v. 9.
Luke 16:11 sn Entrust you with the true riches is a reference to future service for God. The idea is like 1 Cor 9:11, except there the imagery is reversed.
Luke 16:12 tn Or “faithful.”
Luke 16:12 tn Grk “have not been faithful with what is another’s.”
Luke 16:12 tn Grk “what is your own.”
Luke 16:13 sn The contrast between hate and love here is rhetorical. The point is that one will choose the favorite if a choice has to be made.
Luke 16:13 tn Or “and treat [the other] with contempt.”
Luke 16:13 tn Grk “God and mammon.” This is the same word (μαμωνᾶς, mamōnas; often merely transliterated as “mammon”) translated “worldly wealth” in vv. 9, 11.sn The term money is used to translate mammon, the Aramaic term for wealth or possessions. The point is not that money is inherently evil, but that it is often misused so that it is a means of evil; see 1 Tim 6:6-10, 17-19. Here “money” is personified as a potential master and thus competes with God for the loyalty of the disciple. The passage is ultimately not a condemnation of wealth (there is no call here for absolute poverty) but a call for unqualified discipleship. God must be first, not money or possessions.
Luke 16:14 sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.
Luke 16:14 tn A figurative extension of the literal meaning “to turn one’s nose up at someone”; here “ridicule, sneer at, show contempt for” (L&N 33.409).
Luke 16:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Luke 16:15 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 16:15 tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.
Luke 16:15 tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.
Luke 16:15 tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).
Luke 16:16 tn There is no verb in the Greek text; one must be supplied. Some translations (NASB, NIV) supply “proclaimed” based on the parallelism with the proclamation of the kingdom. The transitional nature of this verse, however, seems to call for something more like “in effect” (NRSV) or, as used here, “in force.” Further, Greek generally can omit one of two kinds of verbs—either the equative verb or one that is already mentioned in the preceding context (ExSyn 39).
Luke 16:16 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
Luke 16:16 sn Until John; since then. This verse indicates a shift in era, from law to kingdom.
Luke 16:16 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. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.
Luke 16:16 tn Many translations have “entereth violently into it” (ASV) or “is forcing his way into it” (NASB, NIV). This is not true of everyone. It is better to read the verb βιάζεται here as passive rather than middle, and in a softened sense of “be urged.” See Gen 33:11; Judg 13:15-16; 19:7; 2 Sam 3:25, 27 in the LXX. This fits the context well because it agrees with Jesus’ attempt to persuade his opponents to respond morally. For further discussion and details, see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 2:1352-53. For a summary of the lexical options see BDAG 175 s.v. βιάζω. Differences in the context suggest a different meaning for the same term in Matt 11:12.
Luke 16:17 tn Or “one small part of a letter” (L&N 33.37).
Luke 16:17 tn Grk “to fall”; that is, “to drop out of the text.” Jesus’ point may be that the law is going to reach its goal without fail, in that the era of the promised kingdom comes.
Luke 16:18 sn The examples of marriage and divorce show that the ethical standards of the new era are still faithful to promises made in the presence of God. To contribute to the breakup of a marriage, which involved a vow before God, is to commit adultery. This works whether one gets a divorce or marries a person who is divorced, thus finalizing the breakup of the marriage. Jesus’ point concerns the need for fidelity and ethical integrity in the new era.

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 87[a]

Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.

Footnotes

Book 4 (Psalms 90-106)

Psalm 90[a]

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.

Footnotes

Psalm 136[a]

Footnotes

Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat

The Lord’s Presence in Zion

Footnotes

Prejudice and the Law of Love

Footnotes

More Warnings about the Pharisees

Footnotes

Psalm 87^[a]

Psalm 90^[a]

Psalm 136^[a]