Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
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].”
Naaman Is Healed
5 Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was ·honored [held in great favor] by his master and much respected, because the Lord used him to give victory to Aram. He was a ·mighty and brave man [valiant soldier], but he had ·a skin disease [T leprosy; C refers to a variety of skin diseases; Lev. 13:2].
2 The Arameans had gone out to raid the Israelites and had taken a little girl as a captive. This little girl served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “I wish my ·master [lord] would meet the prophet who lives in Samaria. He would cure him of his ·disease [T leprosy; 5:1].”
4 Naaman went to the king and told him ·what the girl from Israel had said [L according to this and according to that the girl said]. 5 The king of Aram said, “Go ahead, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left and took with him ·about seven hundred fifty pounds [L ten talents] of silver, as well as ·one hundred fifty pounds [L six thousand shekels] of gold and ten ·changes of clothes [sets of festal/formal robes]. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “I am sending my servant Naaman to you so you can heal him of his ·skin disease [T leprosy; 5:1].”
7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress]. He said, “·I’m not God! I can’t kill and make alive again! [L Am I God, to give life or take it away?] Why does this man send someone with ·a skin disease [T leprosy; 5:1] for me to heal? You can see that the king of Aram is trying to ·start trouble [pick a fight/quarrel] with me.”
8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent the king this message: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let Naaman come to me. Then he will ·know [learn] there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha’s house and stood outside the door.
10 Elisha sent Naaman a messenger who said, “Go and wash in the Jordan River seven times. Then your ·skin will be healed [L flesh will be restored], and you will be ·clean [cleansed].”
11 Naaman ·became angry [was provoked/aroused to anger] and left. He said, “I thought Elisha would surely come out and stand before me and call on the name of the Lord his God. I thought he would wave his hand over the place and heal the ·disease [T leprosy; 5:1]. 12 ·The [Are not the…?] Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than all the waters of Israel. Why can’t I wash in them and ·become clean [be cleansed; C both physically healed and ritually clean]?” So Naaman went away ·very angry [in a rage].
13 Naaman’s servants came near and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some ·great [very difficult] thing, wouldn’t you have done it? All the more reason then when he simply says, ‘Wash, and you will be clean [v. 12].’” 14 So Naaman went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times, ·just as Elisha had said [L in accordance with the word of the man of God]. Then his skin ·became new again [was restored], like the skin of a child. And he was clean.
The Meeting in Jerusalem
15 Then some people came to Antioch from Judea and began teaching the Gentile believers [L brothers (and sisters)]: “You cannot be saved if you are not circumcised ·as Moses taught us [L according to the custom of Moses; compare Gen. 17:9–14].” 2 Paul and Barnabas ·were against this teaching and argued [L had no small argument and debate] with them about it. So the church ·decided to send [commissioned; appointed] Paul, Barnabas, and some others to Jerusalem where they could talk more about this disagreement with the apostles and elders.
3 The church ·helped them leave [sent them] on the trip, and they went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling all about ·how the other nations had turned to God [L the conversion of the Gentiles]. This made all the ·believers [L brothers (and sisters)] very ·happy [joyful]. 4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the apostles, the elders, and the church. They told about everything God had done with them. 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisee ·group [sect; party; faction] ·came forward [L stood up] and said, “·The Gentile believers [L They] must be circumcised. They must be ·told to obey [ordered to keep] the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this ·problem [matter]. 7 After a long debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “[L Men,] Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose me from among you to preach the ·Good News [Gospel] to the ·nations [Gentiles]. They heard the ·Good News [Gospel] from ·me [L my mouth], and they believed. 8 God, who knows the ·thoughts of everyone [L heart], ·accepted [showed his approval of; L testified for] them. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 9 To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, he made their hearts ·pure [clean]. 10 So now why are you testing God by putting a ·heavy load around [L yoke on] the necks of the ·Gentile believers [L disciples]? It is a ·load [yoke] that neither we nor our ·ancestors [forefathers; fathers] were ·able [strong enough] to ·carry [bear]. 11 But we believe that we are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
12 Then the whole ·group [assembly] became quiet. They listened to Paul and Barnabas tell about all the [miraculous] signs and ·miracles [wonders] that God did through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James said, “[L Men,] Brothers, listen to me. 14 ·Simon [C Peter; v. 7] has told us how God ·showed his love for [cared for; intervened with; visited] the Gentiles [Acts 10—11]. For the first time he is ·accepting [taking; selecting] from among them a people ·to be his own [L for his name]. 15 The words of the prophets agree with this too [L as it is written]:
16 ‘After these things I will return.
And I will rebuild the tent of David, which has fallen [C either the Davidic dynasty of kings (the “house of David”), or the nation Israel generally].
But I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will ·set it up [restore it].
17 Then ·those people who are left alive [the remnant; L the rest of the people] may ·ask the Lord for help [L seek the Lord],
and the ·other nations [Gentiles] ·that belong to me [L who are called by my name],
says the Lord,
who will make it happen.
18 And these things have been known ·for a long time [from long ago; Amos 9:11–12; C a reference to God’s promise that he would restore the “remnant” of Israel and save the Gentiles].’
19 “So I ·think [conclude; judge] we should not ·bother [trouble; cause trouble for] the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write a letter to them telling them these things: Stay away from food ·that has been offered to idols (which makes it unclean) [L polluted by idols], ·any kind of sexual sin [or prohibited marriages; C the Greek word could mean any sexual sin, or marriages viewed as incestuous by OT law], eating animals that have been strangled [C leaving the blood inside, which the OT law prohibited; Gen. 9:4], and blood [C consuming blood was forbidden in the OT law; Lev. 17:10–12]. 21 They should do these things, because for a long time in every city ·the law of Moses has been taught [L Moses has been preached/proclaimed; C referring to the Torah (the Law)]. And it is still read in the synagogue every Sabbath day.” [C These guidelines were to keep from offending pious Jews in the community and so promote unity in the Church.]
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