◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 87 90; Ps. 136; Gen. 29:1–20; Rom. 14:1–23; John 8:47–59 (New English Translation)

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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 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!

Genesis 29:1-20

The Marriages of Jacob

29 So Jacob moved on^[a] and came to the land of the eastern people.^[b] ²He saw^[c] in the field a well with^[d] three flocks of sheep lying beside it, because the flocks were watered from that well. Now^[e] a large stone covered the mouth of the well. ³When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds^[f] would roll the stone off the mouth of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place over the well’s mouth.

⁴Jacob asked them, “My brothers, where are you from?” They replied, “We’re from Haran.” ⁵So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson^[g] of Nahor?” “We know him,”^[h] they said. ⁶“Is he well?”^[i] Jacob asked. They replied, “He is well.^[j] Now look, here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.” ⁷Then Jacob^[k] said, “Since it is still the middle of the day,^[l] it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. You should water the sheep and then go and let them graze some more.”^[m] ⁸“We can’t,” they said, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled off the mouth of the well. Then we water^[n] the sheep.”

⁹While he was still speaking with them, Rachel arrived with her father’s sheep, for she was tending them.^[o] ¹⁰When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban,^[p] and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he^[q] went over^[r] and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban.^[s] ¹¹Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep loudly.^[t] ¹²When Jacob explained^[u] to Rachel that he was a relative of her father^[v] and the son of Rebekah, she ran and told her father. ¹³When Laban heard this news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he rushed out to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob^[w] told Laban how he was related to him.^[x] ¹⁴Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.”^[y] So Jacob^[z] stayed with him for a month.^[aa]

¹⁵Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work^[ab] for me for nothing because you are my relative?^[ac] Tell me what your wages should be.” ¹⁶(Now Laban had two daughters;^[ad] the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel. ¹⁷Leah’s eyes were tender,^[ae] but Rachel had a lovely figure and beautiful appearance.)^[af] ¹⁸Since Jacob had fallen in love with^[ag] Rachel, he said, “I’ll serve you seven years in exchange for your younger daughter Rachel.” ¹⁹Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man.^[ah] Stay with me.” ²⁰So Jacob worked for seven years to acquire Rachel.^[ai] But they seemed like only a few days to him^[aj] because his love for her was so great.^[ak]

Footnotes

Genesis 29:1 tn Heb “and Jacob lifted up his feet.” This unusual expression suggests that Jacob had a new lease on life now that God had promised him the blessing he had so desperately tried to gain by his own efforts. The text portrays him as having a new step in his walk.
Genesis 29:1 tn Heb “the land of the sons of the east.”
Genesis 29:2 tn Heb “and he saw, and look.” As in Gen 28:12-15, the narrator uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”) here and in the next clause to draw the reader into the story.
Genesis 29:2 tn Heb “and look, there.”
Genesis 29:2 tn The disjunctive clause (introduced by the noun with the prefixed conjunction) provides supplemental information that is important to the story.
Genesis 29:3 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the shepherds) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 29:5 tn Heb “son.”
Genesis 29:5 tn Heb “and they said, ‘We know.’” The word “him” is not in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the translation several introductory clauses throughout this section have been placed after the direct discourse they introduce for stylistic reasons as well.
Genesis 29:6 tn Heb “and he said to them, ‘Is there peace to him?’”
Genesis 29:6 tn Heb “peace.”
Genesis 29:7 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 29:7 tn Heb “the day is great.”
Genesis 29:7 tn Heb “water the sheep and go and pasture [them].” The verbal forms are imperatives, but Jacob would hardly be giving direct orders to someone else’s shepherds. The nuance here is probably one of advice.
Genesis 29:8 tn The perfect verbal forms with the vav (ו) consecutive carry on the sequence begun by the initial imperfect form.
Genesis 29:9 tn Heb “was a shepherdess.”
Genesis 29:10 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother” (twice in this verse).
Genesis 29:10 tn Heb “Jacob.” The proper name has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Genesis 29:10 tn Heb “drew near, approached.”
Genesis 29:10 tn Heb “Laban, the brother of his mother.” The text says nothing initially about the beauty of Rachel. But the reader is struck by the repetition of “Laban the brother of his mother.” G. J. Wenham is no doubt correct when he observes that Jacob’s primary motive at this stage is to ingratiate himself with Laban (Genesis [WBC], 2:231).
Genesis 29:11 tn Heb “and he lifted up his voice and wept.” The idiom calls deliberate attention to the fact that Jacob wept out loud.
Genesis 29:12 tn Heb “declared.”
Genesis 29:12 tn Heb “that he [was] the brother of her father.”
Genesis 29:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 29:13 tn Heb “and he told to Laban all these things.” This might mean Jacob told Laban how he happened to be there, but Laban’s response (see v. 14) suggests “all these things” refers to what Jacob had previously told Rachel (see v. 12).
Genesis 29:14 tn Heb “indeed, my bone and my flesh are you.” The expression sounds warm enough, but the presence of “indeed” may suggest that Laban had to be convinced of Jacob’s identity before permitting him to stay. To be one’s “bone and flesh” is to be someone’s blood relative. For example, the phrase describes the relationship between Abimelech and the Shechemites (Judg 9:2; his mother was a Shechemite); David and the Israelites (2 Sam 5:1); David and the elders of Judah (2 Sam 19:12); and David and his nephew Amasa (2 Sam 19:13; see 2 Sam 17:2; 1 Chr 2:16-17).
Genesis 29:14 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Genesis 29:14 tn Heb “a month of days.”
Genesis 29:15 tn The verb is the perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive; the nuance in the question is deliberative.
Genesis 29:15 tn Heb “my brother.” The term “brother” is used in a loose sense; actually Jacob was Laban’s nephew.
Genesis 29:16 tn Heb “and to Laban [there were] two daughters.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a prepositional phrase) provides supplemental material that is important to the story. Since this material is parenthetical in nature, vv. 16-17 have been set in parentheses in the translation.
Genesis 29:17 tn Heb “and the eyes of Leah were tender.” The disjunctive clause (introduced here by a conjunction and a noun) continues the parenthesis begun in v. 16. It is not clear what is meant by “tender” (or “delicate”) eyes. The expression may mean she had appealing eyes (cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT), though some suggest that they were plain, not having the brightness normally expected. Either way, she did not measure up to her gorgeous sister.
Genesis 29:17 tn Heb “and Rachel was beautiful of form and beautiful of appearance.”
Genesis 29:18 tn Heb “Jacob loved.”
Genesis 29:19 tn Heb “Better my giving her to you than my giving her to another man.”
Genesis 29:20 tn Heb “in exchange for Rachel.”
Genesis 29:20 sn But they seemed like only a few days to him. This need not mean that the time passed quickly. More likely it means that the price seemed insignificant when compared to what he was getting in the bargain.
Genesis 29:20 tn Heb “because of his love for her.” The words “was so great” are supplied for stylistic reasons.

Romans 14

Exhortation to Mutual Forbearance

14 Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions.^[a] ²One person believes in eating everything, but the weak person eats only vegetables. ³The one who eats everything must not despise the one who does not, and the one who abstains must not judge the one who eats everything, for God has accepted him. ⁴Who are you to pass judgment on another’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord^[b] is able to make him stand.

⁵One person regards one day holier than other days, and another regards them all alike.^[c] Each must be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶The one who observes the day does it for the Lord. The^[d] one who eats, eats for the Lord because he gives thanks to God, and the one who abstains from eating abstains for the Lord, and he gives thanks to God. ⁷For none of us lives for himself and none dies for himself. ⁸If we live, we live for the Lord; if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹For this reason Christ died and returned to life, so that he may be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

¹⁰But you who eat vegetables only—why do you judge your brother or sister?^[e] And you who eat everything—why do you despise your brother or sister?^[f] For we will all stand before the judgment seat^[g] of God. ¹¹For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.”^[h] ¹²Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God.^[i]

Exhortation for the Strong not to Destroy the Weak

¹³Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another, but rather determine never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister.^[j] ¹⁴I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean in itself; still, it is unclean to the one who considers it unclean. ¹⁵For if your brother or sister^[k] is distressed because of what you eat,^[l] you are no longer walking in love.^[m] Do not destroy by your food someone for whom Christ died. ¹⁶Therefore do not let what you consider good^[n] be spoken of as evil. ¹⁷For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸For the one who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by people.^[o]

¹⁹So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another. ²⁰Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. For although all things are clean,^[p] it is wrong to cause anyone to stumble by what you eat. ²¹It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything that causes your brother to stumble.^[q] ²²The faith^[r] you have, keep to yourself before God. Blessed is the one who does not judge himself by what he approves. ²³But the man who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not do so from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin.^[s]

Footnotes

Romans 14:1 tn Grk “over opinions.” The qualifier “differing” has been supplied to clarify the meaning.
Romans 14:4 tc Most mss, especially Western and Byzantine (D F G L 048 33 1739 1175 1241 1505 1881 M latt), read θεός (theos, “God”) in place of κύριος (kurios, “Lord”) here. However, κύριος is found in many of the most significant mss (P⁴⁶ א A B C P Ψ co), and θεός looks to be an assimilation to θεός in v. 3.
Romans 14:5 tn Grk “For one judges day from day, and one judges all days.”
Romans 14:6 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Romans 14:10 tn Grk “But why do you judge your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “weak” Christian who eats only vegetables (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Romans 14:10 tn Grk “Or again, why do you despise your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “strong” Christian who eats everything (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Romans 14:10 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.
Romans 14:11 sn A quotation from Isa 45:23.
Romans 14:12 tc ‡ The words “to God” are absent from some mss (B F G 6 630 1739 1881) but are found in א A C D Ψ 0209 33 1175 1241 1505 M lat sy co. External evidence somewhat favors their inclusion since Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine mss are well represented. From an internal standpoint, however, it is easy to see the words as a scribal gloss intended to clarify the referent, especially as a reinforcement to the quotation of Isa 45:23 in v. 11. Not only that, but the abrupt ending of the verse without “to God” is harsh, both in Greek and in English. In this instance, the internal considerations seem overwhelming on the side of the omission. At the same time, English stylistic needs require the words and they have been put into the translation, even though they are most likely not original. NA²⁸ places the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.tn Or “each of us is accountable to God.”
Romans 14:13 tn Grk “brother.”
Romans 14:15 tn Grk “brother.”
Romans 14:15 tn Grk “on account of food.”
Romans 14:15 tn Grk “according to love.”
Romans 14:16 tn Grk “do not let your good.”
Romans 14:18 tn Grk “by men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is generic here (“people”) since the contrast in context is between God and humanity.
Romans 14:20 sn Here clean refers to food being ceremonially clean.
Romans 14:21 tc A large number of mss, some of them quite significant (P^46vid א² B D F G Ψ 0209 33 1881 M lat sa), read “or to be offended or to be made weak” after “to stumble.” The shorter reading “to stumble” is found only in Alexandrian mss (א* A C 048 81 945 1506 1739 bo). Although external evidence favors inclusion, internal evidence points to a scribal expansion, perhaps reminiscent of 1 Cor 8:11-13. The shorter reading is therefore preferred.
Romans 14:22 tc ‡ Several significant Alexandrian witnesses (א A B C 048) have the relative pronoun ἥν (hēn, “the faith that you have”) at this juncture, but D F G Ψ 1175 1241 1505 1739 1881 M lat co lack it. Without the pronoun, the clause is more ambiguous (either “Keep the faith [that] you have between yourself and God” or “Do you have faith? Keep it between yourself and God”). The pronoun thus looks to be a motivated reading, created to clarify the meaning of the text. Even though it is found in the better witnesses, in this instance internal evidence should be given preference. NA²⁸ places the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
Romans 14:23 tc Some mss insert 16:25-27 at this point. See the tc note at 16:25 for more information.

John 8:47-59

⁴⁷The one who belongs to^[a] God listens and responds^[b] to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond,^[c] because you don’t belong to God.”^[d]

⁴⁸The Judeans^[e] replied,^[f] “Aren’t we correct in saying^[g] that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?”^[h] ⁴⁹Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon,^[i] but I honor my Father—and yet^[j] you dishonor me. ⁵⁰I am not trying to get^[k] praise for myself.^[l] There is one who demands^[m] it, and he also judges.^[n] ⁵¹I tell you the solemn truth,^[o] if anyone obeys^[p] my teaching,^[q] he will never see death.”^[r]

⁵²Then^[s] the Judeans^[t] responded,^[u] “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon!^[v] Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet^[w] you say, ‘If anyone obeys^[x] my teaching,^[y] he will never experience^[z] death.’^[aa] ⁵³You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you?^[ab] And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” ⁵⁴Jesus replied,^[ac] “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless.^[ad] The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people^[ae] say, ‘He is our God.’ ⁵⁵Yet^[af] you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him,^[ag] I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey^[ah] his teaching.^[ai] ⁵⁶Your father Abraham was overjoyed^[aj] to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”^[ak]

⁵⁷Then the Judeans^[al] replied,^[am] “You are not yet fifty years old!^[an] Have^[ao] you seen Abraham?” ⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth,^[ap] before Abraham came into existence,^[aq] I am!”^[ar] ⁵⁹Then they picked up^[as] stones to throw at him,^[at] but Jesus was hidden from them^[au] and went out from the temple area.^[av]

Footnotes

John 8:47 tn Grk “who is of.”
John 8:47 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
John 8:47 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
John 8:47 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
John 8:48 tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.
John 8:48 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
John 8:48 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
John 8:48 tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samaritēs ei su kai daimonion echeis). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.
John 8:49 tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”
John 8:49 tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
John 8:50 tn Grk “I am not seeking.”
John 8:50 tn Grk “my glory.”
John 8:50 tn Grk “who seeks.”
John 8:50 tn Or “will be the judge.”
John 8:51 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 8:51 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
John 8:51 tn Grk “my word.”
John 8:51 tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.sn Those who keep Jesus’ words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.
John 8:52 tc ‡ Significant and early witnesses (P⁶⁶ א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; P⁷⁵ D L Ψ 070 ƒ^1,13 33 M lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (P⁷⁵) has the conjunction, the combination of P⁶⁶ א B for the omission is even stronger. Further, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 41). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁸ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.
John 8:52 tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31).
John 8:52 tn Grk “said to him.”
John 8:52 tn Grk “you have a demon.”
John 8:52 tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
John 8:52 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
John 8:52 tn Grk “my word.”
John 8:52 tn Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).
John 8:52 tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
John 8:53 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
John 8:54 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
John 8:54 tn Grk “is nothing.”
John 8:54 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
John 8:55 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
John 8:55 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
John 8:55 tn Grk “I keep.”
John 8:55 tn Grk “his word.”
John 8:56 tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”
John 8:56 tn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement that the patriarch Abraham “saw” his day and rejoiced? The use of past tenses would seem to refer to something that occurred during the patriarch’s lifetime. Genesis Rabbah 44:25ff, (cf. 59:6) states that Rabbi Akiba, in a debate with Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, held that Abraham had been shown not this world only but the world to come (this would include the days of the Messiah). More realistically, it is likely that Gen 22:13-15 lies behind Jesus’ words. This passage, known to rabbis as the Akedah (“Binding”), tells of Abraham finding the ram which will replace his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice—an occasion of certain rejoicing.
John 8:57 tn Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31, 48, and 52, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.
John 8:57 tn Grk “said to him.”
John 8:57 tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).
John 8:57 tn Grk “And have.”
John 8:58 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 8:58 tn Grk “before Abraham was.”
John 8:58 sn I am! is an explicit claim to deity. Although each occurrence of the phrase “I am” in the Fourth Gospel needs to be examined individually in context to see if an association with Exod 3:14 is present, it seems clear that this is the case here (as the response of the Jewish authorities in the following verse shows).
John 8:59 tn Grk “they took up.”
John 8:59 sn Jesus’ Jewish listeners understood his claim to deity, rejected it, and picked up stones to throw at him for what they considered blasphemy.
John 8:59 tn The prepositional phrase “from them” has been supplied to clarify that the passive verb “was hidden” does not mean that Jesus turned invisible, but rather that his opponents were not able to find him at that moment.
John 8:59 tc Most later witnesses (A Θ^c ƒ^1,13 M) have at the end of the verse “passing through their midst, he went away in this manner” (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου καὶ παρῆγεν οὕτως, dielthōn dia mesou kai parēgen houtōs), while many others have similar permutations (so א^1,2 C L N Ψ 070 33 579 892 1241 al). The wording is similar to two other texts: Luke 4:30 (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου; in several mss αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο καί [autōn eporeueto kai] is found between this phrase and παρῆγεν, strengthening the parallel with Luke 4:30) and John 9:1 (παρῆγεν; cf. παράγων [paragōn] there). The effect is to signal Jesus’ departure as a miraculous cloaking. As such, the additional statement has all the earmarks of scribal amplification. Further, the best and earliest witnesses (P^66,75 א* B D W Θ* lat sa) lack these words, rendering the shorter text virtually certain.tn Grk “from the temple.”

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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

The Marriages of Jacob

Footnotes

Exhortation to Mutual Forbearance

Exhortation for the Strong not to Destroy the Weak

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 87^[a]

Psalm 90^[a]

Psalm 136^[a]