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Book of Common Prayer

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

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Psalm 138:1-139:23

Psalm 138^[a]

By David.

138 I will give you thanks with all my heart;
before the heavenly assembly^[b] I will sing praises to you.
²I will bow down toward your holy temple,
and give thanks to your name,
because of your loyal love and faithfulness,
for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky.^[c]
³When^[d] I cried out for help, you answered me.
You made me bold and energized me.^[e]
⁴Let all the kings of the earth give thanks^[f] to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words you speak.^[g]
⁵Let them sing about the Lord’s deeds,^[h]
for the Lord’s splendor is magnificent.^[i]
⁶Though the Lord is exalted, he looks after the lowly,
and from far away humbles^[j] the proud.
⁷Even when I must walk in the midst of danger,^[k] you revive me.
You oppose my angry enemies,^[l]
and your right hand delivers me.
⁸The Lord avenges me.^[m]
O Lord, your loyal love endures.
Do not abandon those whom you have made.^[n]

Psalm 139^[o]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

139 O Lord, you examine me^[p] and know me.
²You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
³You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;^[q]
you are aware of everything I do.^[r]
⁴Certainly^[s] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.^[t]
⁵You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
⁶Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.^[u]
⁷Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?^[v]
⁸If I were to ascend^[w] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out^[x] in Sheol, there you would be.^[y]
⁹If I were to fly away^[z] on the wings of the dawn,^[aa]
and settle down on the other side^[ab] of the sea,
¹⁰even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
¹¹If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,^[ac]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”^[ad]
¹²even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,^[ae]
and the night is as bright as^[af] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.^[ag]
¹³Certainly^[ah] you made my mind and heart;^[ai]
you wove me together^[aj] in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.^[ak]
You knew me thoroughly;^[al]
¹⁵my bones were not hidden from you,
when^[am] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.^[an]
¹⁶Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.^[ao]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.^[ap]
¹⁷How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God!^[aq]
How vast is their sum total.^[ar]
¹⁸If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.^[as]
¹⁹If only^[at] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men!^[au]
²⁰They^[av] rebel against you^[aw] and act deceitfully;^[ax]
your enemies lie.^[ay]
²¹O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?^[az]
²²I absolutely hate them;^[ba]
they have become my enemies.
²³Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.^[bb]
Test me, and know my concerns.^[bc]

Footnotes

Psalm 138:1 sn Psalm 138. The psalmist vows to thank the Lord for his deliverance and protection.
Psalm 138:1 tn The referent of the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) is unclear. It refers either to the angelic assembly (see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5) or to the pagan gods (see Pss 82:1, 6; 86:8; 97:7), in which case the psalmist’s praise takes on a polemical tone.
Psalm 138:2 tc The MT reads, “for you have made great over all your name your word.” If retained, this must mean that God’s mighty intervention, in fulfillment of his word of promise, surpassed anything he had done prior to this. However, the statement is odd and several emendations have been proposed. Some read, “for you have exalted over everything your name and your word,” while others suggest, “for you have exalted over all the heavens your name and your word.” The translation assumes an emendation of “your name” to “your heavens” (a construction that appears in Pss 8:3 and 144:5). The point is that God has been faithful to his promise and the reliability of that promise is apparent to all. For a fuller discussion of these options, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 244.
Psalm 138:3 tn Heb “in the day.”
Psalm 138:3 tn Heb “you made me bold in my soul [with] strength.”
Psalm 138:4 tn The prefixed verbal forms here and in the following verse are understood as jussives, for the psalmist appears to be calling upon the kings to praise God. Another option is to take them as imperfects and translate, “the kings of the earth will give thanks…and will sing.” In this case the psalmist anticipates a universal response to his thanksgiving song.
Psalm 138:4 tn Heb “the words of your mouth.”
Psalm 138:5 tn Heb “ways.”
Psalm 138:5 tn Heb “great.”
Psalm 138:6 tc The form of the verb is יְיֵדָע (y^eyedaʿ) commonly understood to be Qal of יָדַע I (yadaʿ), although the Qal should not have two yod’s. Most likely one י (yod) should be deleted as dittography, or the second should be read as a ו (vav) and the form be understood as a Hifil.tn The Hifil of יָדַע II (yadaʿ) means “to humiliate,” causative of the Qal “be submissive, humbled, quiet” (cf. Job 21:19; Prov 5:6; Isa 45:4; Jer 14:18; Hos 9:7). DCH supposes that the Qal can mean “to humiliate” in this verse. The more common homophonous root יָדַע means “to know,” sometimes with the nuance “to care for.” Alternatively the adjective גָּבֹהַּ (gavoah) can be understood as the subject, referring to God, “the exalted one cares for [the lowly] from a distance,” but the parallel thought in the next verse favors a contrast in this verse also.
Psalm 138:7 tn Or “distress.”
Psalm 138:7 tn Heb “against the anger of my enemies you extend your hand.”
Psalm 138:8 tn Heb “avenges on my behalf.” For the meaning “to avenge” for the verb גָּמַר (gamar), see HALOT 197-98 s.v. גמר.
Psalm 138:8 tn Heb “the works of your hands.” Many medieval Hebrew mss read the singular, “work of your hands.”
Psalm 139:1 sn Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.
Psalm 139:1 tn The statement is understood as generalizing—the psalmist describes what God typically does.
Psalm 139:3 tn Heb “my traveling and my lying down you measure.” The verb זָרָה (zarah, “to measure”) is probably here a denominative from זֶרֶת (zeret, “a span; a measure”), though some derive it from זָרָה (zarat, “to winnow; to sift”; see BDB 279-80 s.v. זָרָה).
Psalm 139:3 tn Heb “all my ways.”
Psalm 139:4 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 139:4 tn Heb “look, O Lord, you know all of it.”
Psalm 139:6 tn Heb “too amazing [is this] knowledge for me, it is elevated, I cannot attain to it.”
Psalm 139:7 tn Heb “Where can I go from your spirit, and where from your face can I flee?” God’s “spirit” may refer here (1) to his presence (note the parallel term, “your face,” and see Ps 104:29-30, where God’s “face” is his presence and his “spirit” is the life-giving breath he imparts) or (2) to his personal Spirit (see Ps 51:10).
Psalm 139:8 tn The Hebrew verb סָלַק (salaq, “to ascend”) occurs only here in the OT, but the word is well-attested in Aramaic literature from different time periods and displays a wide semantic range (see DNWSI 2:788-90).
Psalm 139:8 tn The verb יָצַע (yatzaʿ) is rare in the Bible (see Isa 58:5 also Hiphil, and Isa 1:14; Est 4:3 for Hophal examples). There are three main options for understanding this phrase. It may mean “to descend to Sheol,” as in the LXX. This takes the motion in the verb as very generic for this context and understands “Sheol” without a preposition as the default “to Sheol.” Many translations take it as spreading out [something] to act as a bed, couch, or area to lie down. It is uncertain that the idea of a bed has to be implied and this does not required to fit the other contexts. Or, as taken here, it may “to spread [oneself] out, to sprawl.” Each view has merits and it is difficult to decide because the are so few examples.
Psalm 139:8 tn Heb “look, you.”
Psalm 139:9 tn Heb “rise up.”
Psalm 139:9 sn On the wings of the dawn. This personification of the “dawn” may find its roots in mythological traditions about the god Shachar, whose birth is described in an Ugaritic myth (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 126) and who is mentioned in Isa 14:12 as the father of Helel.
Psalm 139:9 tn Heb “at the end.”
Psalm 139:11 tn The Hebrew verb שׁוּף (shuf), which means “to crush; to wound,” in Gen 3:15 and Job 9:17, is problematic here. For a discussion of attempts to relate the verb to Arabic roots, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 251. Many emend the form to יְשׂוּכֵּנִי (y^esukkeni), from the root שָׂכַך (sakhakh, “to cover,” an alternate form of סָכַך [sakhakh]), a reading assumed in the present translation.
Psalm 139:11 tn Heb “and night, light, around me.”
Psalm 139:12 tn The words “to see” are supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
Psalm 139:12 tn Heb “shines like.”
Psalm 139:12 tn Heb “like darkness, like light.”
Psalm 139:13 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 139:13 tn Heb “my kidneys.” The kidneys were sometimes viewed as the seat of one’s emotions and moral character (cf. Pss 7:9; 26:2). A number of translations, recognizing that “kidneys” does not communicate this idea to the modern reader, have generalized the concept: “inmost being” (NAB, NIV); “inward parts” (NASB, NRSV); “the delicate, inner parts of my body” (NLT). In the last instance, the focus is almost entirely on the physical body rather than the emotions or moral character. The present translation, by using a hendiadys (one concept expressed through two terms), links the concepts of emotion (heart) and moral character (mind).
Psalm 139:13 tn The Hebrew verb סָכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave together”) is an alternate form of שָׂכַךְ (sakhakh, “to weave”) used in Job 10:11.
Psalm 139:14 tc Heb “because awesome things, I am distinct, amazing [are] your works.” The text as it stands is syntactically problematic and makes little, if any, sense. The Niphal of פָּלָה (palah) occurs elsewhere only in Exod 33:16. Many take the form from פָלָא (palaʾ; see GKC 216 §75.qq), which in the Niphal perfect means “to be amazing” (see 2 Sam 1:26; Ps 118:23; Prov 30:18). Some, following the LXX and some other ancient witnesses, also prefer to emend the verb from first to second person, “you are amazing” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 249, 251). The present translation assumes the text conflates two variants: נִפְלָאִים (niflaʾim), the otherwise unattested masculine plural participle of פָלָא, and נִפְלָאוֹת (niflaʾot), the usual (feminine) plural form of the Niphal participle. The latter has been changed to a verb by later scribes in an attempt to accommodate it syntactically. The original text likely read, נוראות נפלאותים מעשׂיך (“your works [are] awesome [and] amazing”).
Psalm 139:14 tc Heb “and my being knows very much.” Better parallelism is achieved (see v. 15a) if one emends יֹדַעַת (yodaʿat), a Qal active participle, feminine singular form, to יָדַעְתָּ (yadaʿta), a Qal perfect second masculine singular perfect. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252.
Psalm 139:15 tc The Hebrew term אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher, “which”) should probably be emended to כֲּאַשֶׁר (kaʾasher, “when”). The כ (kaf) may have been lost by haplography (note the kaf at the end of the preceding form).
Psalm 139:15 sn The phrase depths of the earth may be metaphorical (euphemistic) or it may reflect a prescientific belief about the origins of the embryo deep beneath the earth’s surface (see H. W. Wolff, Anthropology of the Old Testament, 96-97). Job 1:21 also closely associates the mother’s womb with the earth.
Psalm 139:16 tn Heb “Your eyes saw my shapeless form.” The Hebrew noun גֹּלֶם (golem) occurs only here in the OT. In later Hebrew the word refers to “a lump, a shapeless or lifeless substance,” and to “unfinished matter, a vessel wanting finishing” (Jastrow 222 s.v. גּוֹלֶם). The translation employs the dynamic rendering “when I was inside the womb” to clarify that the speaker was still in his mother’s womb at the time he was “seen” by God.
Psalm 139:16 tn Heb “and on your scroll all of them were written, [the] days [which] were formed, and [there was] not one among them.” This “scroll” may be the “scroll of life” mentioned in Ps 69:28 (see the note on the word “living” there).
Psalm 139:17 tn Heb “and to me how precious are your thoughts, O God.” The Hebrew verb יָקַר (yaqar) probably has the sense of “difficult [to comprehend]” here (see HALOT 432 s.v. יקר qal.1 and note the use of Aramaic יַקִּר in Dan 2:11). Elsewhere in the immediate context the psalmist expresses his amazement at the extent of God’s knowledge about him (see vv. 1-6, 17b-18).
Psalm 139:17 tn Heb “how vast are their heads.” Here the Hebrew word “head” is used of the “sum total” of God’s knowledge of the psalmist.
Psalm 139:18 tc Heb “I awake and I [am] still with you.” A reference to the psalmist awaking from sleep makes little, if any, sense contextually. For this reason some propose an emendation to הֲקִצּוֹתִי (haqitsoti), a Hiphil perfect form from an otherwise unattested verb קָצַץ (qatsats) understood as a denominative of קֵץ (qets, “end”). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 252-53.
Psalm 139:19 tn The Hebrew particle אִם (ʾim, “if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (see Pss 81:8; 95:7, as well as GKC 321 §109.b).
Psalm 139:19 tn Heb “men of bloodshed.”
Psalm 139:20 tn Heb “who.”
Psalm 139:20 tc Heb “they speak [of] you.” The suffixed form of the verb אָמַר (ʾamar, “to speak”) is peculiar. The translation assumes an emendation to יַמְרֻךָ (yamrukha), a Hiphil form from מָרָה (marah, “to rebel”; see Ps 78:40).
Psalm 139:20 tn Heb “by deceit.”
Psalm 139:20 tc Heb “lifted up for emptiness, your cities.” The form נָשֻׂא (nasuʾ; a Qal passive participle) should be emended to נָשְׂאוּ (nas^eʾu; a Qal perfect, third common plural, “[they] lift up”). Many emend עָרֶיךָ (ʿarekha, “your cities”) to עָלֶיךָ (ʿalekha, “against you”), but it is preferable to understand the noun as an Aramaism and translate “your enemies” (see Dan 4:16 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 253).
Psalm 139:21 tc Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqom^emekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uv^emitqom^emekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed מ [mem] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the MT, though a few medieval Hebrew mss have it).
Psalm 139:22 tn Heb “[with] completeness of hatred I hate them.”
Psalm 139:23 tn Heb “and know my heart.”
Psalm 139:23 tn The Hebrew noun שַׂרְעַפַּי (sarʿappay, “concerns”) is used of “worries” in Ps 94:19.

Psalm 147

Psalm 147^[a]

147 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God.
Yes,^[b] praise is pleasant and appropriate.
²The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
³He heals^[c] the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
⁴He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
⁵Our Lord is great and has awesome power;^[d]
there is no limit to his wisdom.^[e]
⁶The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks^[f] the wicked to the ground.
⁷Offer to the Lord a song of thanks.^[g]
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp.
⁸He covers^[h] the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.^[i]
⁹He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp.^[j]
¹⁰He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.^[k]
¹¹The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,^[l]
and in those who wait for his loyal love.
¹²Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem.
Praise your God, O Zion.
¹³For he makes the bars of your gates strong.
He blesses your children^[m] within you.
¹⁴He^[n] brings peace to your territory.^[o]
He abundantly provides for you^[p] the best grain.
¹⁵He^[q] sends his command through the earth;^[r]
swiftly his order reaches its destination.^[s]
¹⁶He sends the snow that is white like wool;
he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.^[t]
¹⁷He throws his hailstones^[u] like crumbs.
Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?^[v]
¹⁸He then orders it all to melt;^[w]
he breathes on it,^[x] and the water flows.
¹⁹He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
²⁰He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!

Jeremiah 23:1-8

New Leaders over a Regathered Remnant

23 The Lord says,^[a] “The leaders of my people are sure to be judged.^[b] They were supposed to watch over my people like shepherds watch over their sheep. But they are causing my people to be destroyed and scattered.”^[c] ²So the Lord God of Israel has this to say about the leaders who are ruling over his people: “You have caused my people^[d] to be dispersed and driven into exile. You have not taken care of them. So I will punish you for the evil that you have done.^[e] I, the Lord, affirm it!^[f] ³Then I myself will regather those of my people^[g] who are still alive from all the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their homeland.^[h] They will greatly increase in number. ⁴I will install rulers^[i] over them who will care for them. Then they will no longer need to fear or be terrified. None of them will turn up missing.^[j] I, the Lord, promise it!^[k]

⁵“I, the Lord, promise^[l] that a new time will certainly come^[m]
when I will raise up for them a righteous branch,^[n] a descendant of David.
He will rule over them with wisdom and understanding^[o]
and will do what is just and right in the land.^[p]
⁶Under his rule^[q] Judah will enjoy safety^[r]
and Israel will live in security.^[s]
This is the name he will go by:
‘The Lord has provided us with justice.’^[t]

⁷“So I, the Lord, say:^[u] ‘A new time will certainly come.^[v] People now affirm their oaths with, “I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt.” ⁸But at that time they will affirm them with, “I swear as surely as the Lord lives who delivered the descendants of the former nation of Israel^[w] from the land of the north and from all the other lands where he had banished^[x] them.”^[y] At that time they will live in their own land.’”

Footnotes

Jeremiah 23:1 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:1 sn Heb This particle once again introduces a judgment speech. The indictment is found in v. 1 and the announcement of judgment in v. 2. This leads into an oracle of deliverance in vv. 3-4. See also the note on the word “judged” in 22:13.
Jeremiah 23:1 tn Heb “Woe to the shepherds who are killing and scattering the sheep of my pasture.” See the study note on 22:13 for the significance of “sure to be judged” (Heb “woe”). See the study note for the significance of the metaphor introduced here.sn Verses 1-4 of ch. 23 are an extended metaphor in which the rulers are compared to shepherds and the people are compared to sheep. This metaphor has already been met with in 10:21 and is found elsewhere in the context of the Lord’s covenant with David (cf. 2 Sam 7:7-8; Ps 78:70-72). The sheep are God’s people, and he is the ultimate shepherd, who is personally concerned about their care (cf. Pss 23:1; 80:2). He has set rulers over them as his undershepherds, and they are responsible to him for the care of his sheep (see 22:3-4). They have been lax shepherds, allowing the sheep to be scattered and destroyed. So he will punish them. As the true shepherd of Israel he will regather his scattered flock and place new shepherds (rulers) over them. These verses lead to a promise of an ideal ruler set over an Israel that has experienced a new and better exodus (vv. 6-8). For a more complete development of this metaphor with similar messianic and eschatological implications, see Ezek 34. The metaphor has been interpreted in the translation, but some of the flavor remains in the simile.
Jeremiah 23:2 tn Heb “about the shepherds who are shepherding my people. ‘You have caused my sheep….’” For the metaphor see the study note on the previous verse.
Jeremiah 23:2 tn Heb “Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who should be shepherding my people: You have scattered my sheep and driven them away and you have not taken care of them. Behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your deeds.” “Therefore” announces the judgment, which does not come until “Behold.” It is interrupted by the messenger formula and a further indictment. The original has been broken up to conform more to contemporary English style, the metaphors have been interpreted for clarity, and the connections between the indictments and the judgments have been carried by “So.”
Jeremiah 23:2 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:3 tn Heb “my sheep.”
Jeremiah 23:3 tn Heb “their fold.”
Jeremiah 23:4 tn Heb “shepherds.”
Jeremiah 23:4 tn There are various nuances of the word פָּקַד (paqad) represented in vv. 2, 4. See Ps 8:4 (8:5 HT) and Zech 10:3 for “care for/take care of” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.A.1.a). See Exod 20:5; Amos 3:2; Jer 9:24; and 11:22 for “punish” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Qal.A.3). See 1 Kgs 20:39 and 2 Kgs 10:19 for “be missing” (cf. BDB 823 s.v. פָּקַד Niph.1).sn There is an extended play on the Hebrew word פָּקַד (paqad), which is a word with rather broad English equivalents. Here the word refers to the fault of the shepherds/rulers who have not “taken care” of the sheep/people (v. 2), the “punishment” for the evil they have done in not taking care of them (v. 2), and the fact that after the Lord assigns new shepherds/rulers over them they will be cared for in such a way that none of them “will turn up missing” (v. 4).
Jeremiah 23:4 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:5 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:5 tn Heb “Behold the days are coming.”
Jeremiah 23:5 tn Heb “a righteous sprig to David” or “a righteous shoot” (NAB).sn This passage and the parallel in Jer 33:15 are part of a growing number of prayers and prophecies regarding an ideal ruler to come forth from the Davidic line who will bring the justice, security, and well-being that the continuing line of Davidic rulers did not. Though there were periodic kings like Josiah who did fulfill the ideals set forth in Jer 22:3 (see Jer 22:15), by and large they were more like Jehoiakim, who did not (see Jer 22:13). Hence the Lord brought to an end the Davidic rule. The potential for the ideal, however, remained because of God’s promise to David (2 Sam 7:16). The Davidic line became like a tree which was cut down, leaving only a stump. But from that stump God would bring forth a “shoot,” a “sprig” which would fulfill the ideals of kingship. See Isa 11:1-6; Zech 3:8; and 6:12 for this metaphor and compare Dan 4:14-15, 23, 26 for a different but related use of the metaphor.
Jeremiah 23:5 tn Heb “he will reign as king and act wisely.” This is another example of the use of two verbs joined by “and” where one becomes the adverbial modifier of the other (hendiadys). For the nuance of the verb “act wisely” rather than “prosper,” see Amos 5:13 and Ps 2:10 (cf. BDB 968 s.v. שָׂכַל Hiph.5).
Jeremiah 23:5 sn This has been the constant emphasis in this section. See 22:3 for the demand, 22:15 for its fulfillment, and 22:13 for its abuse. The ideal king would follow in the footsteps of his illustrious ancestor David (2 Sam 8:15), who set this forth as an ideal for his dynasty (2 Sam 23:3). David's son Solomon prayed for it to be true in his reign (Ps 72:1-2).
Jeremiah 23:6 tn Heb “In his days [= during the time he rules].”
Jeremiah 23:6 tn Parallelism and context (cf. v. 4) suggest this nuance for the word often translated “be saved.” For this nuance elsewhere see Ps 119:117 and Prov 28:18 for the verb (יָשַׁע [yashaʿ] in the Niphal), and Ps 12:6 and Job 5:4, 11 for the related noun (יֶשַׁע, yeshaʿ).
Jeremiah 23:6 sn It should be noted that this brief oracle of deliverance implies the reunification of Israel and Judah under the future Davidic ruler. Jeremiah has already spoken about this reunification earlier in 3:18 and will have more to say about it in 30:3 and 31:27, 31. This same ideal was espoused in the prophecies of Hosea (1:10-11 [2:1-2 HT]), Isaiah (11:1-4, 10-12), and Ezekiel (37:15-28), all of which have messianic and eschatological significance.
Jeremiah 23:6 tn Heb “his name will be called ‘The Lord our righteousness.’”sn The Hebrew word translated “justice” here is very broad in its usage, and it is hard to catch all the relevant nuances for this word in this context. It is used for “vindication” in legal contexts (see, e.g., Job 6:29); for “deliverance” or “salvation” in exilic contexts (see, e.g., Isa 58:8); and in the sense of ruling, judging, with “justice” (see, e.g., Lev 19:15; Isa 32:1). Here it probably sums up the justice that the Lord provides through raising up this ruler, as well as the safety, security, and well-being that result (see vv. 5-6a). In the NT this takes on soteriological connotations (see 1 Cor 1:31 in its context).
Jeremiah 23:7 tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”
Jeremiah 23:7 tn Heb “Behold, the days are coming.”
Jeremiah 23:8 tn Heb “descendants of the house of Israel.”
Jeremiah 23:8 tc It is probably preferable to read the third masculine singular plus suffix (הִדִּיחָם, hiddikham) here, with the Greek version and the parallel passage in 16:15, rather than the first singular plus suffix in the MT (הִדַּחְתִּים, hiddakhtim). If this is not a case of mere graphic confusion, the MT could have arisen under the influence of the first person in v. 3. Though sudden shifts in person have been common in the book of Jeremiah, that is unlikely in a context reporting an oath.
Jeremiah 23:8 tn This passage is the same as 16:14-15 with a few minor variations in Hebrew wording. The notes on that passage should be consulted for the rendering here. This passage has the Niphal of the verb “to say” rather than the impersonal use of the Qal. It adds the idea of “bringing out” to the idea of “bringing up out” (Heb “who brought up and who brought out,” probably a case of hendiadys) before “the people [here “seed” rather than “children”] of Israel [here “house of Israel”] from the land of the north.” These are minor variations and do not affect the sense in any way. So the passage is rendered in much the same way.sn This passage looks forward to a new and greater exodus, so outstripping the earlier one that it will not serve as the model of deliverance any longer. This same ideal was the subject of Isaiah’s earlier prophecies in Isa 11:11-12, 15-16; 43:16-21; 49:8-13; and 51:1-11.

Colossians 2:8-23

⁸Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you^[a] through an empty, deceitful philosophy^[b] that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits^[c] of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹For in him all the fullness of deity lives^[d] in bodily form, ¹⁰and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. ¹¹In him you also were circumcised—not, however,^[e] with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal^[f] of the fleshly body,^[g] that is,^[h] through the circumcision done by Christ. ¹²Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your^[i] faith in the power^[j] of God who raised him from the dead. ¹³And even though you were dead in your^[k] transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless^[l] made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. ¹⁴He has destroyed^[m] what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness^[n] expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵Disarming^[o] the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.^[p]

¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days— ¹⁷these are only^[q] the shadow of the things to come, but the reality^[r] is Christ!^[s] ¹⁸Let no one who delights in false humility^[t] and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths^[u] about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind.^[v] ¹⁹He has not held fast^[w] to the head from whom the whole body, supported^[x] and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God.^[y]

²⁰If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits^[z] of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world? ²¹“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” ²²These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are^[aa] on human commands and teachings.^[ab] ²³Even though they have the appearance of wisdom^[ac] with their self-imposed worship and humility achieved by an^[ad] unsparing treatment of the body—a wisdom with no true value—they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.^[ae]

Footnotes

Colossians 2:8 tn The Greek construction here is somewhat difficult and can be literally rendered “Be careful, lest someone shall be the one who takes you captive.”
Colossians 2:8 tn The Greek reads τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης (tēs philosophias kai kenēs apatēs). The two nouns φιλοσοφίας and ἀπάτης are joined by one article and probably form a hendiadys. Thus the second noun was taken as modifying the first, as the translation shows.
Colossians 2:8 tn The phrase κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (kata ta stoicheia tou kosmou) is difficult to translate because of problems surrounding the precise meaning of στοιχεῖα in this context. Originally it referred to the letters of the alphabet, with the idea at its root of “things in a row”; see C. Vaughn, “Colossians,” EBC 11:198. M. J. Harris (Colossians and Philemon [EGGNT], 93) outlines three probable options: (1) the material elements which comprise the physical world; (2) the elementary teachings of the world (so NEB, NASB, NIV); (3) the elemental spirits of the world (so NEB, RSV). The first option is highly unlikely because Paul is not concerned here with the physical elements, e.g., carbon or nitrogen. The last two options are both possible. Though the Gnostic-like heresy at Colossae would undoubtedly have been regarded by Paul as an “elementary teaching” at best, because the idea of “spirits” played such a role in Gnostic thought, he may very well have had in mind elemental spirits that operated in the world or controlled the world (i.e., under God’s authority and permission).
Colossians 2:9 sn In him all the fullness of deity lives. The present tense in this verse (“lives”) is significant. Again, as was stated in the note on 1:19, this is not a temporary dwelling, but a permanent one. Paul’s point is polemical against the idea that the fullness of God dwells anywhere else, as the Gnostics believed, except in Christ alone. At the incarnation, the second person of the Trinity assumed humanity, and is forever the God-man.
Colossians 2:11 tn The terms “however” and “but” in this sentence were supplied in order to emphasize the contrast.
Colossians 2:11 tn The articular noun τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (tē apekdusei) is a noun which ends in -σις (-sis) and therefore denotes action, i.e., “removal.” Since the head noun is a verbal noun, the following genitive τοῦ σώματος (tou sōmatos) is understood as an objective genitive, receiving the action of the head noun.
Colossians 2:11 tn Grk “in the removal of the body of flesh.” The genitive τῆς σαρκός (tēs sarkos) has been translated as an attributive genitive, “fleshly body.”
Colossians 2:11 tn The second prepositional phrase beginning with ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ (en tē peritomē) is parallel to the prepositional phrase ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (en tē apekdusei) and gives a further explanation of it. The words “that is” were supplied to bring out this force in the translation.
Colossians 2:12 tn The article with the genitive modifier τῆς πίστεως (tēs pisteōs) is functioning as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
Colossians 2:12 tn The genitive τῆς ἐνεργείας (tēs energeias) has been translated as an objective genitive, “faith in the power.”
Colossians 2:13 tn The article τοῖς (tois) with παραπτώμασιν (paraptōmasin) is functioning as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
Colossians 2:13 tn The word “nevertheless,” though not in the Greek text, was supplied in the translation to bring out the force of the concessive participle ὄντας (ontas).
Colossians 2:14 tn The participle ἐξαλείψας (exaleipsas) is a temporal adverbial participle of contemporaneous time related to the previous verb συνεζωοποίησεν (sunezōopoiēsen), but has been translated as a finite verb because of the complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences. For the meaning “destroy” see BDAG 344-45 s.v. ἐξαλείφω 2.
Colossians 2:14 tn On the translation of χειρόγραφον (cheirographon), see BDAG 1083 s.v. which refers to it as “a certificate of indebtedness.”
Colossians 2:15 tn See BDAG 100 s.v. ἀπεκδύομαι 2.
Colossians 2:15 tn The antecedent of the Greek pronoun αὐτῷ (autō) could either be “Christ” or the “cross.” There are several reasons for choosing “the cross” as the antecedent for αὐτῷ in verse 15: (1) The nearest antecedent is τῷ σταυρῷ (tō staurō) in v. 14; (2) the idea of ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησία (edeigmatisen en parrēsia, “made a public disgrace”) seems to be more in keeping with the idea of the cross; (3) a reference to Christ seems to miss the irony involved in the idea of triumph—the whole point is that where one would expect defeat, there came the victory; (4) if Christ is the subject of the participles in v. 15 then almost certainly the cross is the referent for αὐτῷ. Thus the best solution is to see αὐτῷ as a reference to the cross and the preposition ἐν (en) indicating “means” (i.e., by means of the cross) or possibly (though less likely) location (on the cross).
Colossians 2:17 tn The word “only,” though not in the Greek text, is supplied in the English translation to bring out the contrast inherent between the two parts of the verse.
Colossians 2:17 tn Grk “but the body of Christ.” The term body here, when used in contrast to shadow (σκιά, skia) indicates the opposite meaning, i.e., the reality or substance itself.
Colossians 2:17 tn The genitive τοῦ Χριστοῦ (tou Christou) is appositional and translated as such: “the reality is Christ.”
Colossians 2:18 tn Though the apostle uses the term ταπεινοφροσύνῃ (tapeinophrosunē) elsewhere in a positive sense (cf. 3:12), here and in v. 23 the sense is negative and reflects the misguided thinking of Paul’s opponents.
Colossians 2:18 tn For the various views on the translation of ἐμβατεύων (embateuōn), see BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμβατεύω 4. The idea in this context seems to be that the individual in question loves to talk on and on about his spiritual experiences, but in reality they are only coming out of his own sinful flesh.
Colossians 2:18 tn Grk “by the mind of his flesh.” In the translation above, σαρκός (sarkos) is taken as an attributive genitive. The phrase could also be translated “by his sinful thoughts,” since it appears that Paul is using σάρξ (sarx, “flesh”) here in a morally negative way.
Colossians 2:19 tn The Greek participle κρατῶν (kratōn) was translated as a finite verb to avoid an unusually long and pedantic sentence structure in English.
Colossians 2:19 tn See BDAG 387 s.v. ἐπιχορηγέω 3.
Colossians 2:19 tn The genitive τοῦ θεοῦ (tou theou) has been translated as a genitive of source, “from God.”
Colossians 2:20 tn See the note on the phrase “elemental spirits” in 2:8.
Colossians 2:22 tn The expression “founded as they are” brings out the force of the Greek preposition κατά (kata).
Colossians 2:22 tn Grk “The commands and teachings of men.”
Colossians 2:23 tn Grk “having a word of wisdom.”
Colossians 2:23 tc ‡ The vast bulk of witnesses, including some very significant ones (א A C D F G H Ψ 075 0278 33 1175 1881 2464 M lat sy), have καί (kai) here, but the shorter reading is supported by some early and significant witnesses (P⁴⁶ B 1739 b m Hil Ambst Spec). The καί looks to be a motivated reading in that it makes ἀφειδία (apheidia) “the third in a series of datives after ἐν, rather than an instrumental dative qualifying the previous prepositional phrase” (TCGNT 556). At the same time, the omission of καί could possibly have been unintentional. A decision is difficult, but the shorter reading is slightly preferred. NA²⁸ puts καί in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
Colossians 2:23 tn The translation understands this verse to contain a concessive subordinate clause within the main clause. The Greek particle μέν (men) is the second word of the embedded subordinate clause. The phrase οὐκ ἐν τιμῇ τινι (ouk en timē tini) modifies the subordinate clause, and the main clause resumes with the preposition πρός (pros). The translation has placed the subordinate clause first in order for clarity instead of retaining its embedded location. For a detailed discussion of this grammatical construction, see B. Hollenbach, “Col 2:23: Which Things Lead to the Fulfillment of the Flesh,” NTS 25 (1979): 254-61.

John 10:7-17

⁷So Jesus said again, “I tell you the solemn truth,^[a] I am the door for the sheep.^[b] ⁸All who came before me were^[c] thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.^[d] ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out,^[e] and find pasture.^[f] ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill^[g] and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.^[h]

¹¹“I am the good^[i] shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life^[j] for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand,^[k] who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons^[l] the sheep and runs away.^[m] So the wolf attacks^[n] the sheep and scatters them. ¹³Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep,^[o] he runs away.^[p]

¹⁴“I am the good shepherd. I^[q] know my own^[r] and my own know me— ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life^[s] for^[t] the sheep. ¹⁶I have^[u] other sheep that do not come from^[v] this sheepfold.^[w] I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice,^[x] so that^[y] there will be one flock and^[z] one shepherd. ¹⁷This is why the Father loves me^[aa]—because I lay down my life,^[ab] so that I may take it back again.

Footnotes

John 10:7 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 10:7 tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”
John 10:8 tn Grk “are” (present tense).
John 10:8 tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”
John 10:9 tn Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι (eiserchomai kai exerchomai, “come in and go out”) is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community (“to live with, to live among” [cf. Acts 1:21; see also Num 27:17; 2 Chr 1:10]), it may well be that Jesus’ words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4, where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β.
John 10:9 sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.
John 10:10 tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).
John 10:10 tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.
John 10:11 tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).
John 10:11 tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).
John 10:12 sn Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away.
John 10:12 tn Grk “leaves.”
John 10:12 tn Or “flees.”
John 10:12 tn Or “seizes.” The more traditional rendering, “snatches,” has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12, this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so “attacks” is preferable.
John 10:13 tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”
John 10:13 tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several significant mss (P^{44vid,45, 66, 75} א A*^vid B D L [W] Θ 1 33 1241 al co). Most likely it was added by a later scribe to improve the readability of vv. 12-13, which is one long sentence in Greek. It has been included in the translation for the same stylistic reasons.
John 10:14 tn Grk “And I.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
John 10:14 tn The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”
John 10:15 tn Or “I die willingly.”
John 10:15 tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”
John 10:16 tn Grk “And I have.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
John 10:16 tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”
John 10:16 sn The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16-17, which was to save the world—not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.
John 10:16 tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”
John 10:16 tn Grk “voice, and.”
John 10:16 tn The word “and” is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.
John 10:17 tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”
John 10:17 tn Or “die willingly.”

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 138[a]

By David.

Psalm 139[o]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

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Psalm 147[a]

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New Leaders over a Regathered Remnant

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Psalm 138^[a]

Psalm 139^[o]

Psalm 147^[a]