◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 55; Ps. 74; Jer. 17:5–10 14–17; Phil. 4:1–13; John 12:27–36 (New English Translation)

Prev Day

March 31, 2021

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

March 2021
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
	1	2	3	4	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Return to today's reading

Book of Common Prayer

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

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 55

Psalm 55^[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song^[b] by David.

55 Listen, O God, to my prayer.
Do not ignore^[c] my appeal for mercy.
²Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am so upset^[d] and distressed,^[e] I am beside myself,^[f]
³because of what the enemy says,^[g]
and because of how the wicked^[h] pressure me,^[i]
for they hurl trouble^[j] down upon me^[k]
and angrily attack me.
⁴My heart beats violently^[l] within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.^[m]
⁵Fear and panic overpower me;^[n]
terror overwhelms^[o] me.
⁶I say,^[p] “I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and settle in a safe place.
⁷Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
⁸I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind^[q] and the gale.”
⁹Confuse them,^[r] O Lord.
Frustrate their plans.^[s]
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
¹⁰Day and night they walk around on its walls,^[t]
while wickedness and destruction^[u] are within it.
¹¹Disaster is within it;
violence^[v] and deceit do not depart from its public square.
¹²Indeed,^[w] it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,^[x]
or else I could hide from him.
¹³But it is you,^[y] a man like me,^[z]
my close friend in whom I confided.^[aa]
¹⁴We would share personal thoughts with each other;^[ab]
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
¹⁵May death destroy them.^[ac]
May they go down alive into Sheol.^[ad]
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
¹⁶As for me, I will call out to God,
and the Lord will deliver me.
¹⁷During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan,^[ae]
and he will hear^[af] me.^[ag]
¹⁸He will rescue^[ah] me and protect me from those who attack me,^[ai]
even though^[aj] they greatly outnumber me.^[ak]
¹⁹God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago,
will hear and humiliate them.^[al] (Selah)
They refuse to change,
and do not fear God.^[am]
²⁰He^[an] attacks^[ao] his friends;^[ap]
he breaks his solemn promises to them.^[aq]
²¹His words are as smooth as butter,^[ar]
but he harbors animosity in his heart.^[as]
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords.^[at]
²²Throw your burden^[au] upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you.^[av]
He will never allow the godly to be shaken.^[aw]
²³But you, O God, will bring them^[ax] down to the deep Pit.^[ay]
Violent and deceitful people^[az] will not live even half a normal lifespan.^[ba]
But as for me, I trust in you.

Footnotes

Psalm 55:1 sn Psalm 55. The suffering and oppressed author laments that one of his friends has betrayed him, but he is confident that God will vindicate him by punishing his deceitful enemies.
Psalm 55:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 52.
Psalm 55:1 tn Heb “hide yourself from.”
Psalm 55:2 tn Or “restless” (see Gen 27:40). The Hiphil is intransitive-exhibitive, indicating the outward display of an inner attitude.
Psalm 55:2 tn Heb “in my complaint.”
Psalm 55:2 tn The verb is a Hiphil cohortative from הוּם (hum), which means “to confuse someone” in the Qal and “to go wild” in the Niphal. An Arabic cognate means “to be out of one’s senses, to wander about.” With the vav (ו) conjunctive prefixed to it, the cohortative probably indicates the result or effect of the preceding main verb. Some prefer to emend the form to וְאֵהוֹמָה (v^eʾehomah), a Niphal of הוּם (hum), or to וְאֶהַמֶה (v^eʾehameh), a Qal imperfect from הָמָה (hamah, “to moan”). Many also prefer to take this verb with what follows (see v. 3).
Psalm 55:3 tn Heb “because of [the] voice of [the] enemy.”
Psalm 55:3 tn The singular forms “enemy” and “wicked” are collective or representative, as the plural verb forms in the second half of the verse indicate.
Psalm 55:3 tn Heb “from before the pressure of the wicked.” Some suggest the meaning “screech” (note the parallel “voice”; cf. NEB “shrill clamour”; NRSV “clamor”) for the rare noun עָקָה (ʿaqah, “pressure”).
Psalm 55:3 tn Heb “wickedness,” but here the term refers to the destructive effects of their wicked acts.
Psalm 55:3 tc The verb form in the MT appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוֹט (mot, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in the Kethib (consonantal text) of Ps 140:10, where the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read. Here in Ps 55:3 it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). It is odd for “rain down” to be used with an abstract object like “wickedness,” but in Job 20:23 God “rains down” anger (unless one emends the text there; see BHS).
Psalm 55:4 tn Heb “shakes, trembles.”
Psalm 55:4 tn Heb “the terrors of death have fallen on me.”
Psalm 55:5 tn Heb “fear and trembling enter into me.”
Psalm 55:5 tn Heb “covers.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the preceding imperfect.
Psalm 55:6 tn The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the descriptive (present progressive) force of the verbs in v. 5.
Psalm 55:8 tn Heb “[the] wind [that] sweeps away.” The verb סָעָה (saʿah, “sweep away”) occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 120).
Psalm 55:9 tn Traditionally בַּלַּע (balaʿ) has been taken to mean “swallow” in the sense of “devour” or “destroy” (cf. KJV), but this may be a homonym meaning “confuse” (see BDB 118 s.v. בַּלַּע; HALOT 135 s.v. III *בֶּלַע). “Their tongue” is the understood object of the verb (see the next line).
Psalm 55:9 tn Heb “split their tongue,” which apparently means “confuse their speech,” or, more paraphrastically, “frustrate the plans they devise with their tongues.”
Psalm 55:10 tn Heb “day and night they surround it, upon its walls.” Personified “violence and conflict” are the likely subjects. They are compared to watchmen on the city’s walls.
Psalm 55:10 sn Wickedness and destruction. These terms are also closely associated in Ps 7:14.
Psalm 55:11 tn Or “injury, harm.”
Psalm 55:12 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 55:12 tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.
Psalm 55:13 sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.
Psalm 55:13 tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”
Psalm 55:13 tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”
Psalm 55:14 tn Heb “who together we would make counsel sweet.” The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the ongoing nature of the actions (the so-called customary use of the imperfect). Their relationship was characterized by such intimacy and friendship. See IBHS 502-3 §31.2b.
Psalm 55:15 tc The meaning of the MT is unclear. The Kethib (consonantal text) reads יַשִּׁימָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashimavet ʿalemo, “May devastation [be] upon them.”). The proposed noun יַשִּׁימָוֶת occurs only here and perhaps in the place name Beth Jeshimoth in Num 33:49. The Qere (marginal text) has יַשִּׁי מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashi mavet ʿalemo). The verbal form יַשִּׁי is apparently an alternate form of יַשִּׁיא (yashiʾ), a Hiphil imperfect from נָשַׁא (nashaʾ, “deceive”). In this case one might read “death will come deceptively upon them.” This reading has the advantage of reading מָוֶת (mavet, “death”) which forms a natural parallel with “Sheol” in the next line. The present translation is based on the following reconstruction of the text: יְשִׁמֵּם מָוֶת (y^eshimmem mavet). The verb assumed in the reconstruction is a Hiphil jussive third masculine singular from שָׁמַם (shamam, “be desolate”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix attached. This reconstruction assumes that (1) haplography has occurred in the traditional text (the original sequence of three mems [מ] was lost with only one mem remaining), resulting in the fusion of originally distinct forms in the Kethib, and (2) that עָלֵימוֹ (ʿalemo, “upon them”) is a later scribal addition attempting to make sense of a garbled text. The preposition עַל (ʿal) does occur with the verb שָׁמַם (shamam), but in such cases the expression means “be appalled at/because of” (see Jer 49:20; 50:45). If one were to retain the prepositional phrase here, one would have to read the text as follows: יַשִּׁים מָוֶת עָלֵימוֹ (yashim mavet ʿalemo, “Death will be appalled at them”). The idea seems odd, to say the least. Death is not collocated with this verb elsewhere.
Psalm 55:15 sn Go down alive. This curse imagines a swift and sudden death for the psalmist’s enemies.
Psalm 55:17 tn The first verb is clearly a cohortative form, expressing the psalmist’s resolve. The second verb, while formally ambiguous, should also be understood as cohortative here.
Psalm 55:17 tn The prefixed verb with vav (ו) consecutive normally appears in narrational contexts to indicate past action, but here it continues the anticipatory (future) perspective of the preceding line. In Ps 77:6 one finds the same sequence of cohortative + prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive. In this case as well, both forms refer to future actions.
Psalm 55:17 tn Heb “my voice.”
Psalm 55:18 tn The perfect verbal form is here used rhetorically to indicate that the action is certain to take place (the so-called perfect of certitude).
Psalm 55:18 tn Heb “he will redeem in peace my life from [those who] draw near to me.”
Psalm 55:18 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 55:18 tn Heb “among many they are against me.” For other examples of the preposition עִמָּד (ʿimmad) used in the sense of “at, against,” see HALOT 842 s.v.; BDB 767 s.v.; IBHS 219 §11.2.14b.
Psalm 55:19 tc Heb “God will hear and answer them, even [the] one who sits [from] ancient times.” The prefixed verbal from with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the anticipatory force of the preceding imperfect. The verb appears to be a Qal form from עָנָה (ʿanah, “to answer”). If this reading is retained, the point would be that God “answered” them in judgment. The translation assumes an emendation to the Piel וַיְעַנֵּם (vay^eʿannem; see 2 Kgs 17:20) and understands the root as עָנָה (ʿanah, “to afflict”; see also 1 Kgs 8:35).
Psalm 55:19 tn Heb “[the ones] for whom there are no changes, and they do not fear God.”
Psalm 55:20 sn He. This must refer to the psalmist’s former friend, who was addressed previously in vv. 12-14.
Psalm 55:20 tn Heb “stretches out his hand against.”
Psalm 55:20 tc The form should probably be emended to an active participle (שֹׁלְמָיו, shol^emayv) from the verbal root שָׁלַם (shalam, “be in a covenant of peace with”). Perhaps the translation “his friends” suggests too intimate a relationship. Another option is to translate, “he attacks those who made agreements with him.”
Psalm 55:20 tn Heb “he violates his covenant.”
Psalm 55:21 tn Heb “the butter-like [words] of his mouth are smooth.” The noun מַחְמָאֹת (makhmaʾot, “butter-like [words]”) occurs only here. Many prefer to emend the form to מֵחֶמְאָה (mekhemʾah, from [i.e., “than”] butter”), cf. NEB, NRSV “smoother than butter.” However, in this case “his mouth” does not agree in number with the plural verb חָלְקוּ (khal^equ, “they are smooth”). Therefore some further propose an emendation of פִּיו (piv, “his mouth”) to פָּנָיו (panayv, “his face”). In any case, the point seems to that the psalmist’s former friend spoke kindly to him and gave the outward indications of friendship.
Psalm 55:21 tn Heb “and war [is in] his heart.”
Psalm 55:21 tn Heb “his words are softer than oil, but they are drawn swords.”
Psalm 55:22 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
Psalm 55:22 tn The pronoun is singular; the psalmist addresses each member of his audience individually.
Psalm 55:22 tn Heb “he will never allow swaying for the righteous.”
Psalm 55:23 tn The pronominal suffix refers to the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 19).
Psalm 55:23 tn Heb “well of the pit.” The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9; 103:4).
Psalm 55:23 tn Heb “men of bloodshed and deceit.”
Psalm 55:23 tn Heb “will not divide in half their days.”

Psalm 74

Psalm 74^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by Asaph.

74 Why, O God, have you permanently rejected us?^[c]
Why does your anger burn^[d] against the sheep of your pasture?
²Remember your people^[e] whom you acquired in ancient times,
whom you rescued^[f] so they could be your very own nation,^[g]
as well as Mount Zion, where you dwell.
³Hurry^[h] to the permanent ruins,
and to all the damage the enemy has done to the temple.^[i]
⁴Your enemies roar^[j] in the middle of your sanctuary;^[k]
they set up their battle flags.^[l]
⁵They invade like lumberjacks
swinging their axes in a thick forest.^[m]
⁶And now^[n] they are tearing down^[o] all its engravings^[p]
with axes^[q] and crowbars.^[r]
⁷They set your sanctuary on fire;
they desecrate your dwelling place by knocking it to the ground.^[s]
⁸They say to themselves,^[t]
“We will oppress all of them.”^[u]
They burn down all the places in the land where people worship God.^[v]
⁹We do not see any signs of God’s presence;^[w]
there are no longer any prophets,^[x]
and we have no one to tell us how long this will last.^[y]
¹⁰How long, O God, will the adversary hurl insults?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
¹¹Why do you remain inactive?
Intervene and destroy him.^[z]
¹²But God has been my^[aa] king from ancient times,
performing acts of deliverance on the earth.^[ab]
¹³You destroyed^[ac] the sea by your strength;
you shattered the heads of the sea monster^[ad] in the water.
¹⁴You crushed the heads of Leviathan;^[ae]
you fed^[af] him to the people who live along the coast.^[ag]
¹⁵You broke open the spring and the stream;^[ah]
you dried up perpetually flowing rivers.^[ai]
¹⁶You established the cycle of day and night;^[aj]
you put the moon^[ak] and sun in place.^[al]
¹⁷You set up all the boundaries^[am] of the earth;
you created the cycle of summer and winter.^[an]
¹⁸Remember how^[ao] the enemy hurls insults, O Lord,^[ap]
and how a foolish nation blasphemes your name.
¹⁹Do not hand the life of your dove^[aq] over to a wild animal.
Do not continue to disregard^[ar] the lives of your oppressed people.
²⁰Remember your covenant promises,^[as]
for the dark regions of the earth are full of places where violence rules.^[at]
²¹Do not let the afflicted be turned back in shame.
Let the oppressed and poor praise your name.^[au]
²²Rise up, O God. Defend your honor.^[av]
Remember how fools insult you all day long.^[aw]
²³Do not disregard^[ax] what your enemies say,^[ay]
or the unceasing shouts of those who defy you.^[az]

Footnotes

Psalm 74:1 sn Psalm 74. The psalmist, who has just experienced the devastation of the Babylonian invasion of Jerusalem in 586 b.c., asks God to consider Israel’s sufferings and intervene on behalf of his people. He describes the ruined temple, recalls God’s mighty deeds in the past, begs for mercy, and calls for judgment upon God’s enemies.
Psalm 74:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
Psalm 74:1 sn The psalmist does not really believe God has permanently rejected his people or he would not pray as he does in this psalm. But this initial question reflects his emotional response to what he sees and is overstated for the sake of emphasis. The severity of divine judgment gives the appearance that God has permanently abandoned his people.
Psalm 74:1 tn Heb “smoke.” The picture is that of a fire that continues to smolder.
Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “your assembly,” which pictures God’s people as an assembled community.
Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “redeemed.” The verb “redeem” casts God in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis (see Ps 19:14).
Psalm 74:2 tn Heb “the tribe of your inheritance” (see Jer 10:16; 51:19).
Psalm 74:3 tn Heb “lift up your steps to,” which may mean “run, hurry.”
Psalm 74:3 tn Heb “everything [the] enemy has damaged in the holy place.”
Psalm 74:4 tn This verb is often used of a lion’s roar, so the psalmist may be comparing the enemy to a raging, devouring lion.
Psalm 74:4 tn Heb “your meeting place.”
Psalm 74:4 tn Heb “they set up their banners [as] banners.” The Hebrew noun אוֹת (ʾot, “sign”) here refers to the enemy army’s battle flags and banners (see Num 2:12).
Psalm 74:5 tn Heb “it is known like one bringing upwards, in a thicket of wood, axes.” The Babylonian invaders destroyed the woodwork in the temple.
Psalm 74:6 tn This is the reading of the Qere (marginal reading). The Kethib (consonantal text) has “and a time.”
Psalm 74:6 tn The imperfect verbal form vividly describes the act as underway.
Psalm 74:6 tn Heb “its engravings together.”
Psalm 74:6 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49-50).
Psalm 74:6 tn This Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. An Akkadian cognate refers to a “pickaxe” (cf. NEB “hatchet and pick”; NIV “axes and hatchets”; NRSV “hatchets and hammers”).
Psalm 74:7 tn Heb “to the ground they desecrate the dwelling place of your name.”
Psalm 74:8 tn Heb “in their heart.”
Psalm 74:8 tc Heb “[?] altogether.” The Hebrew form נִינָם (ninam) is problematic. It could be understood as the noun נִין (nin, “offspring”) but the statement “their offspring altogether” would make no sense here. C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:159) emends יָחַד (yakhad, “altogether”) to יָחִיד (yakhid, “alone”) and translate “let their offspring be solitary” (i.e., exiled). Another option is to understand the form as a Qal imperfect first common plural from יָנָה (yanah, “to oppress”) with a third masculine plural pronominal suffix, “we will oppress them.” However, this verb, when used in the finite form, always appears in the Hiphil. Therefore, it is preferable to emend the form to the Hiphil נוֹנֵם (nonem, “we will oppress them”).
Psalm 74:8 tn Heb “they burn down all the meeting places of God in the land.”
Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “our signs we do not see.” Because of the reference to a prophet in the next line, it is likely that the “signs” in view here include the evidence of God’s presence as typically revealed through the prophets. These could include miraculous acts performed by the prophets (see, for example, Isa 38:7-8) or object lessons which they acted out (see, for example, Isa 20:3).
Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “there is not still a prophet.”
Psalm 74:9 tn Heb “and [there is] not with us one who knows how long.”
Psalm 74:11 tn Heb “Why do you draw back your hand, even your right hand? From the midst of your chest, destroy!” The psalmist pictures God as having placed his right hand (symbolic of activity and strength) inside his robe against his chest. He prays that God would pull his hand out from under his robe and use it to destroy the enemy.
Psalm 74:12 tn The psalmist speaks as Israel’s representative here.
Psalm 74:12 tn Heb “in the midst of the earth.”
Psalm 74:13 tn The derivation and meaning of the Polel verb form פּוֹרַרְתָּ (porarta) are uncertain. The form may be related to an Akkadian cognate meaning “break, shatter,” though the biblical Hebrew cognate of this verb always appears in the Hiphil or Hophal stem. BDB 830 s.v. II פָּרַר suggests a homonym here, meaning “to split; to divide.” A Hitpolel form of a root פָּרַר (parar) appears in Isa 24:19 with the meaning “to shake violently.”
Psalm 74:13 tn The Hebrew text has the plural form, “sea monsters” (cf. NRSV “dragons”), but it is likely that an original enclitic mem has been misunderstood as a plural ending. The imagery of the mythological sea monster is utilized here. See the note on “Leviathan” in v. 14.
Psalm 74:14 sn You crushed the heads of Leviathan. The imagery of vv. 13-14 originates in West Semitic mythology. The description of Leviathan should be compared with the following excerpts from Ugaritic mythological texts: (1) “Was not the dragon [Ugaritic tnn, cognate with Hebrew תַּנִין (tanin), translated “sea monster” in v. 13] vanquished and captured? I did destroy the wriggling [Ugaritic ʿqltn, cognate to Hebrew עֲקַלָּתוֹן (ʿaqallaton), translated “squirming” in Isa 27:1] serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (note the use of the plural “heads” here and in v. 13). (See CTA 3.iii.38-39 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 50.) (2) “For all that you smote Leviathan the slippery [Ugaritic brḥ, cognate to Hebrew בָּרִחַ (bariakh), translated “fast moving” in Isa 27:1] serpent, [and] made an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant with seven heads” (See CTA 5.i.1-3 in G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 68.) In the myths Leviathan is a sea creature that symbolizes the destructive water of the sea and, in turn, the forces of chaos that threaten the established order. In the OT, the battle with the sea motif is applied to Yahweh’s victories over the forces of chaos at creation and in history (see Pss 74:13-14; 77:16-20; 89:9-10; Isa 51:9-10). Yahweh’s subjugation of the waters of chaos is related to his kingship (see Pss 29:3, 10; 93:3-4). Isa 27:1 applies imagery from Canaanite mythology to Yahweh’s eschatological victory over his enemies. Apocalyptic literature employs the imagery as well. The beasts of Dan 7 emerge from the sea, while Rev 13 speaks of a seven-headed beast coming from the sea. Here in Ps 74:13-14 the primary referent is unclear. The psalmist may be describing God’s creation of the world (note vv. 16-17 and see Ps 89:9-12), when he brought order out of a watery mass, or the exodus (see Isa 51:9-10), when he created Israel by destroying the Egyptians in the waters of the sea.
Psalm 74:14 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a preterite in this narrational context.
Psalm 74:14 sn You fed him to the people. This pictures the fragments of Leviathan’s dead corpse washing up on shore and being devoured by those who find them. If the exodus is in view, then it may allude to the bodies of the dead Egyptians which washed up on the shore of the Red Sea (see Exod 14:30).
Psalm 74:15 sn You broke open the spring and the stream. Perhaps this alludes to the way in which God provided water for the Israelites as they traveled in the wilderness following the exodus (see Ps 78:15-16, 20; 105:41).
Psalm 74:15 sn Perpetually flowing rivers are rivers that contain water year round, unlike the seasonal streams that flow only during the rainy season. Perhaps the psalmist here alludes to the drying up of the Jordan River when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan under Joshua (see Josh 3-4).
Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “To you [is] day, also to you [is] night.”
Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “[the] light.” Following the reference to “day and night” and in combination with “sun,” it is likely that the Hebrew term מָאוֹר (maʾor, “light”) refers here to the moon.
Psalm 74:16 tn Heb “you established [the] light and [the] sun.”
Psalm 74:17 tn This would appear to refer to geographical boundaries, such as mountains, rivers, and seacoasts. However, since the day-night cycle has just been mentioned (v. 16) and the next line speaks of the seasons, it is possible that “boundaries” here refers to the divisions of the seasons. See C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:156.
Psalm 74:17 tn Heb “summer and winter, you, you formed them.”
Psalm 74:18 tn Heb “remember this.”
Psalm 74:18 tn Or “[how] the enemy insults the Lord.”
Psalm 74:19 sn Your dove. The psalmist compares weak and vulnerable Israel to a helpless dove.
Psalm 74:19 tn Heb “do not forget forever.”
Psalm 74:20 tc Heb “look at the covenant.” The LXX reads “your covenant,” which seems to assume a second person pronominal suffix, which would be written with ך (kaf). The suffix may have been accidentally omitted by haplography. Note that the following word, כִּי (ki), begins with כ (kaf) .
Psalm 74:20 tn Heb “for the dark places of the earth are full of dwelling places of violence.” The “dark regions” are probably the lands where the people have been exiled (see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms [ICC], 2:157). In some contexts “dark regions” refers to Sheol (Ps 88:6) or to hiding places likened to Sheol (Ps 143:3; Lam 3:6).
Psalm 74:21 sn Let the oppressed and poor praise your name. The statement is metonymic. The point is this: May the oppressed be delivered from their enemies. Then they will have ample reason to praise God’s name.
Psalm 74:22 tn Or “defend your cause.”
Psalm 74:22 tn Heb “remember your reproach from a fool all the day.”
Psalm 74:23 tn Or “forget.”
Psalm 74:23 tn Heb “the voice of your enemies.”
Psalm 74:23 tn Heb “the roar of those who rise up against you, which ascends continually.”

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Individuals Are Challenged to Put Their Trust in the Lord^[a]

⁵The Lord says,

“I will put a curse on people
who trust in mere human beings,
who depend on mere flesh and blood for their strength,^[b]
and whose hearts^[c] have turned away from the Lord.
⁶They will be like a shrub^[d] in the arid rift valley.^[e]
They will not experience good things even when they happen.
It will be as though they were growing in the stony wastes in the wilderness,^[f]
in a salt land where no one can live.
⁷My blessing is on those people who trust in me,
who put their confidence in me.^[g]
⁸They will be like a tree planted near a stream
whose roots spread out toward the water.
It has nothing to fear when the heat comes.
Its leaves are always green.
It has no need to be concerned in a year of drought.
It does not stop bearing fruit.
⁹The human mind is more deceitful than anything else.
It is incurably bad.^[h] Who can understand it?
¹⁰I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.
I examine people’s hearts.^[i]
I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.
I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

Footnotes

Jeremiah 17:5 sn Verses 5-11 are a collection of wisdom-like sayings (cf. Ps 1) that set forth the theme of the two ways and their consequences. It has as its background the blessings and the curses of Deut 28 and the challenge to faith in Deut 29-30, which climaxes in Deut 30:15-20. The nation is sinful, and God is weary of showing them patience. However, there is hope for individuals within the nation if they will trust in him.
Jeremiah 17:5 tn Heb “who make flesh their arm.” The “arm” is the symbol of strength, and the flesh is the symbol of mortal man in relation to the omnipotent God. The translation “mere flesh and blood” reflects this.
Jeremiah 17:5 sn In the psychology of ancient Hebrew thought the heart was the center not only of the emotions but of the thoughts and motivations. It was also the seat of moral conduct (cf. its placement in the middle of the discussion of moral conduct in Prov 4:20-27, i.e., in v. 23).
Jeremiah 17:6 tn This word occurs only here and in Jer 48:6. It has been identified as a kind of juniper, which is a short shrub with minute leaves that look like scales. For a picture and more discussion see Fauna and Flora of the Bible, 131.
Jeremiah 17:6 tn The עֲרָבָה (ʿaravah) refers to the rift valley. As a geographic feature it extends from Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba, but individual passages typically refer to only a portion of it. The areas of the rift valley around the Dead Sea and to the south are known to be arid and inhospitable.
Jeremiah 17:6 tn A מִדְבָּר (midbar, “wilderness”) receives less than twelve inches of rain per year and therefore cannot support trees and has little plant life.
Jeremiah 17:7 tn Heb “Blessed is the person who trusts in the Lord, and whose confidence is in the Lord.” However, because this is a statement of the Lord and the translation chooses to show that the blessing comes from him, the first person is substituted for the divine name.
Jeremiah 17:9 tn Or “incurably deceitful”; Heb “It is incurable.” For the word “deceitful” compare the usage of the verb in Gen 27:36 and a related noun in 2 Kgs 10:19. For the adjective “incurable” compare the usage in Jer 15:18. It is most commonly used with reference to wounds or of pain. In Jer 17:16 it is used metaphorically for a “woeful day” (i.e., day of irreparable devastation).sn The background for this verse is Deut 29:18-19 (29:17-18 HT) and Deut 30:17.
Jeremiah 17:10 tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will, and the “kidneys,” the center of emotions.sn For an earlier reference to this motif see Jer 11:20. For a later reference see Jer 20:12. See also Ps 17:2-3.

Jeremiah 17:14-17

¹⁴Lord, grant me relief from my suffering
so that I may have some relief;
rescue me from those who persecute me
so that I may be rescued,^[a] for you give me reason to praise!^[b]
¹⁵Listen^[c] to what they are saying to me,
‘Where are the things the Lord threatens us with?
May it please happen!’
^[d]
¹⁶But I have not pestered you to bring disaster.^[e]
I have not desired the time of irreparable devastation.^[f]
You know that.
You are fully aware of every word that I have spoken.^[g]
¹⁷Do not cause me dismay!^[h]
You are my source of safety in times of trouble.

Footnotes

Jeremiah 17:14 tn The translation fills in the details of the metaphor from a preceding context (15:18) and from the following context (17:18). The literal translation, “Heal me, and I will be healed; rescue me, and I will be rescued,” does not make much sense if these details are not filled in. The metaphor is filled in for clarity for the average reader.
Jeremiah 17:14 tn Heb “you are my praise.”
Jeremiah 17:15 tn The Hebrew particle הִנֶּה (hinneh) calls particular attention to something.
Jeremiah 17:15 tn Heb “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it come [or “come to pass”], please.” The use of “please” is probably sarcastic.
Jeremiah 17:16 tc Heb “I have not hastened after you for the sake of disaster.” The translation follows the suggestion of some ancient versions. The Hebrew text reads, “I have not hastened from being a shepherd after you.” But two Greek versions (Aquila and Symmachus) and the Syriac read the word “evil” or “disaster” in place of the word “shepherd” in the Hebrew text. The issue is mainly one of vocalization. The versions mentioned are reading a form מֵרָעָה (meraʿah) instead of מֵרֹעֶה (meroʿeh). There does not appear to be any clear case of a prophet being called a shepherd, especially in Jeremiah, where it is invariably used of the wicked leaders/rulers of Judah, the leaders/rulers of the enemy that he brings to punish them, or the righteous ruler that he will bring in the future. Moreover, there are no cases where the preposition “after” is used with the verb “shepherd.” Parallelism also argues for the appropriateness of this reading; “disaster” parallels the “incurable day.” The thought also parallels the argument thus far. Other than 11:20; 12:3; and 15:15, where he prayed for vindication by the Lord punishing his persecutors as they deserve, he has invariably responded to the Lord’s word of disaster with laments and prayers for his people (see 4:19-21; 6:24; 8:18; 10:19-25; 14:7-9, 19-22).
Jeremiah 17:16 tn Heb “the incurable day.” For the use of this word see the note on 17:9.
Jeremiah 17:16 tn Heb “that which goes out of my lip is right in front of your face.”
Jeremiah 17:17 tn Heb “do not be a source of dismay for me.” For this nuance of מְחִתָּה (m^ekhittah) rather than “terror,” as many of the English versions have it, see BDB 370 s.v. מְחִתָּה 1.b and the usage in Prov 21:15. Compare also the usage of the related verb that occurs in the next verse (see also BDB 369 s.v. חָתַת Qal.2).

Philippians 4:1-13

Christian Practices

4 So then, my brothers and sisters,^[a] dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends!

²I appeal to Euodia and to Syntyche to agree in the Lord. ³Yes, I say also to you, true companion,^[b] help them. They have struggled together in the gospel ministry^[c] along with me and Clement and my other coworkers, whose names are in the book of life. ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! ⁵Let everyone see your gentleness.^[d] The Lord is near! ⁶Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds^[e] in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers and sisters,^[f] whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things. ⁹And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.

Appreciation for Support

¹⁰I have great joy in the Lord because now at last you have again expressed your concern for me. (Now I know you were concerned before but had no opportunity to do anything.)^[g] ¹¹I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content in any circumstance. ¹²I have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment,^[h] whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing. ¹³I am able to do all things^[i] through the one^[j] who strengthens me.

John 12:27-36

²⁷“Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me^[a] from this hour’?^[b] No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour.^[c] ²⁸Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven,^[d] “I have glorified it,^[e] and I will glorify it^[f] again.” ²⁹The crowd that stood there and heard the voice^[g] said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him.^[h] ³⁰Jesus said,^[i] “This voice has not come for my benefit^[j] but for yours. ³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world^[k] will be driven out.^[l] ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people^[m] to myself.” ³³(Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.)^[n]

³⁴Then the crowd responded,^[o] “We have heard from the law that the Christ^[p] will remain forever.^[q] How^[r] can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” ³⁵Jesus replied,^[s] “The light is with you for a little while longer.^[t] Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you.^[u] The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.”^[v] When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

Footnotes

John 12:27 tn Or “save me.”
John 12:27 tn Or “this occasion.”sn Father, deliver me from this hour. It is now clear that Jesus’ hour has come—the hour of his return to the Father through crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension (see 12:23). This will be reiterated in 13:1 and 17:1. Jesus states (employing words similar to those of Ps 6:4) that his soul is troubled. What shall his response to his imminent death be? A prayer to the Father to deliver him from that hour? No, because it is on account of this very hour that Jesus has come. His sacrificial death has always remained the primary purpose of his mission into the world. Now, faced with the completion of that mission, shall he ask the Father to spare him from it? The expected answer is no.
John 12:27 tn Or “this occasion.”
John 12:28 tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).
John 12:28 tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 12:28 tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 12:29 tn “The voice” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 12:29 tn Grk “Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” The direct discourse in the second half of v. 29 was converted to indirect discourse in the translation to maintain the parallelism with the first half of the verse, which is better in keeping with English style.
John 12:30 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said.”
John 12:30 tn Or “for my sake.”
John 12:31 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
John 12:31 tn Or “will be thrown out.” This translation regards the future passive ἐκβληθήσεται (ekblēthēsetai) as referring to an event future to the time of speaking.sn The phrase driven out must refer to Satan’s loss of authority over this world. This must be in principle rather than in immediate fact, since 1 John 5:19 states that the whole world (still) lies in the power of the evil one (a reference to Satan). In an absolute sense the reference is proleptic. The coming of Jesus’ hour (his crucifixion, death, resurrection, and exaltation to the Father) marks the end of Satan’s domain and brings about his defeat, even though that defeat has not been ultimately worked out in history yet and awaits the consummation of the age.
John 12:32 tn Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).
John 12:33 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 12:34 tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”
John 12:34 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
John 12:34 tn Probably an allusion to Ps 89:35-37. It is difficult to pinpoint the passage in the Mosaic law to which the crowd refers. The ones most often suggested are Pss 89:36-37; 110:4, Isa 9:7, Ezek 37:25, and Dan 7:14. None of these passages are in the Pentateuch per se, but “law” could in common usage refer to the entire OT (compare Jesus’ use in John 10:34). Of the passages mentioned, Ps 89:36-37 is the most likely candidate. This verse speaks of David’s “seed” remaining forever. Later in the same psalm, v. 51 speaks of the “anointed” (Messiah), and the psalm was interpreted messianically in both the NT (Acts 13:22, Rev 1:5; 3:14) and in the rabbinic literature (Genesis Rabbah 97).
John 12:34 tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
John 12:35 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”
John 12:35 tn Grk “Yet a little while the light is with you.”
John 12:35 sn The warning Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you operates on at least two different levels: (1) To the Jewish people in Jerusalem to whom Jesus spoke, the warning was a reminder that there was only a little time left for them to accept him as their Messiah. (2) To those later individuals to whom the Fourth Gospel was written, and to every person since, the words of Jesus are also a warning: There is a finite, limited time in which each individual has opportunity to respond to the Light of the world (i.e., Jesus); after that comes darkness. One’s response to the Light decisively determines one’s judgment for eternity.
John 12:36 tn The idiom “sons of light” means essentially “people characterized by light,” that is, “people of God.”sn The expression sons of light refers to men and women to whom the truth of God has been revealed and who are therefore living according to that truth, thus, “people of God.”

New English Translation (NET)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 55[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[b] by David.

Footnotes

Psalm 74[a]

A well-written song[b] by Asaph.

Footnotes

Individuals Are Challenged to Put Their Trust in the Lord[a]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Christian Practices

Appreciation for Support

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 55^[a]

For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song^[b] by David.

Psalm 74^[a]

A well-written song^[b] by Asaph.

Individuals Are Challenged to Put Their Trust in the Lord^[a]