Book of Common Prayer
God Loves Jerusalem
A song. A psalm of the sons of Korah [C descendants of Kohath, son of Levi, who served as temple musicians; 1 Chr. 6:22].
87 ·The Lord built Jerusalem [L Its foundations are] on the holy mountain [C Zion, the location of the Temple].
2 ·He [L The Lord] loves ·its gates [L the gates of Zion] more than any other place in ·Israel [L Jacob].
3 City of God,
·wonderful [glorious] things are said about you [46; 48; Is. 2:2–4; 26:1–2; 60:15–22; 61:1–7]. ·
4 God says, “I will ·put Egypt and Babylonia
on the list of nations that know me [L mention Rahab and Babylonia as those who know me].
People from Philistia, Tyre, and Cush [C Ethiopia]
will be born there.”
5 They will say about ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple],
“This one and that one were born there.
God Most High will ·strengthen [establish] her.”
6 The Lord will keep a list of the nations.
He will note, “This person was born there.” ·
7 They will dance and sing,
“All ·good things come from Jerusalem [L my fountains are in you; 46:4; Jer. 2:13; Ezek. 47; Rev. 22:1–5].”
Book 4: Psalms 90–106
God Is Eternal, and We Are Not
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, you have been our ·home [dwelling place; Deut. 33:27]
·since the beginning [L from all generations].
2 Before the mountains were born
and before you ·created [brought forth] the earth and the world,
you are God [Prov. 8:22–31].
You have always been, and you will always be.
3 You turn people back into ·dust [L what is crushed; Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Eccl. 12:7].
You say, “·Go back into dust [L Return; Turn back], human beings.”
4 ·To you [L In your eyes], a thousand years
is like the passing of a day [2 Pet. 3:8],
or ·like a few hours [L a watch; C the night was divided into four watches of three hours each] in the night.
5 While people sleep, you ·take [put an end to] their lives.
They are like grass that ·grows up [is new] in the morning.
6 In the morning they ·are fresh and new [blossom and are renewed],
but by evening they ·dry up [fade] and ·die [wither].
7 We are ·destroyed [annihilated] by your anger;
we are terrified by your hot anger.
8 You have ·put [set] ·the evil we have done [our guilt/iniquity] right in front of you;
·you clearly see our secret sins [L our hidden/secret sins in the light of your face].
9 All our days pass while you are angry.
Our years end with a ·moan [sigh].
10 ·Our lifetime is [L The days of our years are] seventy years
or, if we are strong, eighty years.
But ·the years are full of [L their pride are] ·hard work [toil] and ·pain [trouble; Eccl. 1:2].
They pass quickly, and then we ·are gone [L fly away].
11 Who knows the ·full power [strength] of your anger?
Your anger is as great as our fear of you should be.
12 ·Teach us [Make us know] ·how short our lives really are [L to count our days]
so that we ·may be wise [L gain a wise heart].
13 Lord, how long before you ·return [turn]
and show ·kindness [compassion] to your servants?
14 ·Fill [Satisfy] us with your ·love [loyalty] every morning.
Then we will sing and rejoice all our ·lives [L days].
15 We have seen years of ·trouble [harm; hurt].
Now give us as ·much [L many days of] joy as you gave us ·sorrow [affliction].
16 Show your servants ·the wonderful things you do [your miracles];
·show your greatness [your splendor/beauty] to their children.
17 Lord our God, ·treat us well [favor us].
·Give us success in what we do [L Establish the work of our hands for us];
·yes, give us success in what we do [L establish the work of our hands].
God’s Love Continues Forever
136 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the Lord because he is good.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
2 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the God of gods.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
3 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the Lord of lords.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
4 Only he can do ·great miracles [great and wonderful acts].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
5 With his ·wisdom [L understanding; 104:24; Prov. 3:19; Jer. 10:12] he made the ·skies [heavens; Gen. 1:6–7].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
6 He spread out the earth on the ·seas [waters; Gen. 1:9–10].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
7 He made the ·sun and the moon [L great lights; Gen. 1:14–15].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
8 He made the sun to rule the day [Gen. 1:16–18].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
9 He made the moon and stars to rule the night [Gen. 1:16–18].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
10 He ·killed [L struck] the firstborn sons of the Egyptians [Ex. 11].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
11 He brought the people of Israel out of ·Egypt [L their midst; Ex. 12:31–51].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
12 He did it with his ·great power [L strong hand] and ·strength [L outstretched arm].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
13 He parted the water of the ·Red [or Reed] Sea [78:13; Ex. 14–15].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
14 He brought the Israelites through the middle of it.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
15 But ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh] and his army ·drowned in [were swept into] the ·Red [Reed] Sea [v. 13].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
16 He led his people through the ·desert [wilderness; Deut. 8:15; Jer. 2:6].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
17 He ·defeated [L struck] great kings.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
18 He killed ·powerful [mighty] kings.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
19 He defeated Sihon king of the Amorites [Num. 21:21–32].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
20 He defeated Og king of Bashan [Num. 21:32–35].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
21 He gave their land as a ·gift [inheritance].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
22 It was a ·gift [inheritance] to his servants, the Israelites.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
23 He remembered us ·when we were in trouble [L in our low condition].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
24 He ·freed us from [pulled us away from] our ·enemies [foes].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
25 He gives ·food [bread] to ·every living creature [L all flesh].
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
26 ·Give thanks to [Praise] the God of heaven.
His ·love [loyalty] continues forever.
1 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord that was] to Hosea son of Beeri ·during the time [L in the days] that Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel [C Hosea prophesied about 760–722 bc].
Hosea’s Wife and Children
2 When the Lord began speaking through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, and ·marry [L take for yourself] an ·unfaithful woman [or prostitute; L woman/wife of prostitution/harlotries] and have ·unfaithful children [L children of prostitution/harlotries], because ·the people in this country [L this land] have ·been completely unfaithful to [practiced prostitution/harlotry against] the Lord [C they have been spiritually unfaithful; C Gomer may have been a prostitute or promiscuous woman before the marriage, or only afterward].” 3 So Hosea ·married [L went and took] Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to Hosea’s son.
4 The Lord said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel [C Hebrew: “God sows”], because soon I will punish the ·family [L house] of Jehu for the ·people they killed at [L blood of] Jezreel [C Jehu slaughtered the family of king Ahab; 2 Kin. 9:7—10:28]. In ·the future [L that day] I will put an end to the kingdom of [L the house of] Israel 5 and break the ·power of Israel’s army [L bow of Israel] in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6 Gomer ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-Ruhamah [C Hebrew: “no pity/mercy” or “not loved”], because I will not ·pity [have mercy on; show love to] Israel anymore, nor will I forgive them. 7 But I will show ·pity [mercy; love] to the people of Judah. I will save them, but not by using bows or swords, horses or horsemen, or ·weapons of war [or battle; war]. I, the Lord their God, will save them.”
8 After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she ·became pregnant [conceived] again and gave birth to another son. 9 The Lord said, “Name him Lo-Ammi [C “not my people”], because you are not my people, and I am not your God.
God’s Promise to Israel
10 “But the number of the Israelites will become like the grains of sand of the sea, which no one can measure or count [Gen. 22:17; 32:12]. ·They were called [or Although it was said to them; or In the place where it was said to them], ‘You are not my people,’ but later ·they will be called [it will be said to them] ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and Israel will ·join [come; be gathered] together again and will ·choose [appoint] one leader for themselves. They will come up from the land, because the day of Jezreel [C “God plants/sows,” alluding here to the rebirth of the once desolate nation; see vv. 4–5; 2:22–23] will be truly great.
2 “You are to call your brothers, ‘my people [L Ammi; 1:9],’ and your sisters, ‘you have been shown pity [L Ruhama; 1:6–8].’
Paul in Macedonia and Greece
20 When the ·trouble stopped [uproar ended], Paul sent for the ·followers [disciples] to come to him. After he encouraged them and then told them good-bye, he left and went to Macedonia [C northern Greece; 16:9]. 2 He ·said many things to strengthen the followers [L encouraged them with many words] in the different places on his way through Macedonia. Then he ·went to [arrived in] Greece [probably Achaia (southern Greece)], 3 where he stayed for three months [C probably in Corinth; at this time he wrote his letter to the Romans]. He was ready to sail for Syria, but some of the Jews were ·planning [plotting] something against him. So Paul decided to go back through Macedonia to Syria. 4 The men who went with him were Sopater [Rom. 16:21] son of Pyrrhus, from the city of Berea [17:10–15]; Aristarchus [19:29; Col. 4:10; Philem. 24] and Secundus, from the city of Thessalonica [17:1–9]; Gaius [19:29], from Derbe [14:20–21]; Timothy [Rom. 16:21]; and Tychicus [Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:12] and Trophimus [21:29; 2 Tim. 4:20], two men from Asia [C all representatives of the Gentile churches delivering a financial gift to the church in Jerusalem]. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas [C here begins the second “we” section in Acts, indicating that the author, Luke, has rejoined Paul (16:10–17; 20:5—21:18; 27:1—28:16)]. 6 We sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread [C another name for Passover; Ex. 12:14–20]. Five days later we met them in Troas [16:8], where we stayed for seven days.
Eutychus Raised from the Dead at Troas
7 On the first day of the week [C Sunday; or perhaps Saturday night since the Jewish day began in the evening (Greeks reckoned from the morning)], we all met together to break bread [C probably a reference to the Lord’s Supper; Luke 22:14–20], and Paul ·spoke to [or was having a discussion with] the group. Because he was planning to leave the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. 8 We were all together in a room upstairs, and there were many lamps in the room [C using up oxygen and causing drowsiness]. 9 A young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. As Paul continued talking, Eutychus was falling into a deep sleep. Finally, he went sound asleep and fell to the ground from the third floor. When they picked him up, he was dead. 10 Paul went down to Eutychus, ·knelt down [or threw himself on him; C like Elisha; 2 Kin. 4:32–35], and ·put his arms around [embraced] him. He said, “Don’t ·worry [fear]. ·He is alive now [L For his life/soul is in him].” 11 Then Paul went upstairs again, broke bread, and ate. He spoke to them a long time, until ·it was early morning [dawn], and then he left. 12 They took the young man home alive and were ·greatly [L not in a small measure] comforted.
The Trip from Troas to Miletus
13 We went on ahead of Paul and sailed for the city of Assos [C on the east coast of the Aegean in the Gulf of Adramyttium], where we ·intended [planned] to take Paul on board. Paul ·planned [arranged] it this way because he wanted to go to Assos by land. 14 When he met us there, we took him aboard and went to Mitylene [C the main city on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean]. 15 We sailed from ·Mitylene [L there] and the next day came to a place ·near [opposite; across from] Kios [C an island five miles off the coast in the Aegean]. The following day we sailed to Samos [C another island off the coast in the Aegean], and the next day we reached Miletus [C a city on the western coast of Asia Minor]. 16 [L For] Paul had already decided ·not to stop at [L to sail past] Ephesus [18:19], because he did not want to stay too long in [C the province of] Asia [C with so many friends in Ephesus (ch. 19), a short stop would be impossible]. He was hurrying to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost [C one of three great Jewish festivals, celebrated 50 days after Passover], if that were possible.
Jesus Heals Many People(A)
38 Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon [C Peter]. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever, and they asked Jesus ·to help her [L concerning her]. 39 He ·came to her side [or stood over her] and ·commanded the fever to leave [L rebuked the fever]. It left her, and immediately she got up and ·began serving them [or waiting on them; C presumably meal preparation].
40 ·When [or As] the sun went down, the people brought those who were sick to Jesus. ·Putting [Laying] his hands on each sick person, he healed every one of them. 41 Demons [L also] came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God.” But Jesus ·commanded [reprimanded; rebuked] the demons and would not allow them to speak, because they knew Jesus was the ·Christ [Messiah].
42 At daybreak, Jesus went to a ·lonely [isolated; deserted] place, but the ·people [crowds] ·looked [were looking] for him. When they ·found [came to] him, they tried to keep him from leaving. 43 But Jesus said to them, “I must preach [L the good news] about God’s kingdom to other towns, too. [L …because] This is why I was sent.”
44 Then he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.[a]
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.