Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
33 Lord, teach me ·your demands [L the way of your demands/statutes/ordinances/requirements],
and I will ·keep [observe] them until the end.
34 Help me understand, so I can ·keep [protect] your ·teachings [instructions; laws],
·obeying [guarding] them with all my heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commands,
because ·that makes me happy [L I take pleasure in them].
36 Make me want to keep your ·rules [decrees; testimonies]
·instead of wishing for riches [L not to gain/profit].
37 ·Keep me [L Turn my eyes] from looking at ·worthless [false; vain] things.
Let me live ·by your word [L in your path].
38 ·Keep your promise [Confirm your word] to me, your servant,
so you will be ·respected [feared; Prov. 1:7].
39 Take away ·the shame [my scorn/humiliation] I fear,
because your ·laws [judgments] are good.
40 How I ·want to follow [long for] your ·orders [precepts].
Give me life because of your ·goodness [righteousness].
The Death of Ezekiel’s Wife
15 Then the ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 16 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], I am going to take ·your wife from you, the woman you look at with love [L the delight of your eyes]. ·She will die suddenly […with a stroke/blow/jolt], but you must not ·be sad [lament] or ·cry loudly [weep] for her or shed any tears. 17 Groan silently; do not ·cry loudly [mourn] for the dead. ·Tie [Wrap; Bind] on your turban [C normally taken off for mourning], and put your sandals on your feet. Do not cover your ·face [lower face; or mustache], and do not eat the ·food people eat when they are sad about a death [or food brought by others; L bread of men].”
18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did as I had been commanded.
19 Then the people asked me, “·Tell [L Won’t you tell…?] us, what do the things you are doing mean for us?”
20 Then I said to them, “The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me. He said, 21 ‘Say to the ·people [L house] of Israel, This is what the Lord God says: I am going to ·dishonor [desecrate; profane; C ritually] my ·Temple [sanctuary]. ·You are proud of the strength it gives you [L …the pride of your power] and ·you look at it with love and tenderness [L …the delight of your eyes and the desire of your soul]. But your sons and daughters that you left behind in Jerusalem will fall dead by the sword. 22 When that happens, you will act as I have: you will not cover your ·face [lower face; or mustache], and you will not eat the ·food people eat when they are sad about a death [or food brought by others; L bread of men]. 23 Your turbans will stay on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not ·cry loudly [mourn or weep], but you will rot away ·in your sins [or because of your sins/iniquities] and groan to each other. 24 So Ezekiel is to be an ·example [sign; object lesson] for you. You will do all the same things he did. When all this happens, you will know that I am the Lord God.’
25 “And as for you, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], this is how it will be. I will take away ·the Temple that gives them strength and joy, that makes them proud [L their stronghold, their joy, and glory]. ·They look at it with love, and it makes them happy [L …the delight of their eyes and the desire of their soul; v. 21]. And I will take away their sons and daughters also. 26 ·At that time [L On that day] a ·person who escapes [fugitive] will come to you with information for you to hear. 27 ·At that time [L On that day] your mouth will be opened. You will speak and be silent no more. So you will be a sign for them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
15 and ·before someone can go and tell them, that person must be sent [L how can they preach unless they are sent?]. [L As] It is written, “How ·beautiful [or welcome; or timely] ·is the person [L are the feet of those] who comes ·to bring [proclaiming; preaching] good news [Is. 52:7].” 16 But not ·all the Jews [L everyone] ·accepted [heeded; obeyed] the good news. [L For] Isaiah said, “Lord, who believed ·what we told them [our message/report; Is. 53:1]?” 17 ·So [Thus; Consequently] faith comes from ·hearing the Good News [L hearing], and ·people hear the Good News [hearing comes; or the message/report arrives] ·when someone tells them [through the word/message] ·about [or proclaimed by; L of] Christ.
18 But I ask: Didn’t ·people [L they; C Israel] ·hear the Good News [L hear]? Yes, they heard—as the Scripture says:
“Their ·message [voice] went out to all the earth;
their words ·go everywhere on [L to the ends of] the world [Ps. 19:4].”
19 Again I ask: Didn’t ·the people of Israel [L Israel] understand? Yes, they did understand [C this sentence is implied, but not stated, in the Greek]. First, Moses says:
“I will use those who are not a nation [C the Gentiles] to make you jealous.
I will use a nation that ·does not understand [is foolish/senseless] to make you angry [Deut. 32:21].”
20 Then Isaiah is bold enough to say:
“I was found by those who were not ·asking me for help [seeking/looking for me].
I ·made myself known [revealed myself] to people who were not ·looking for [asking about/for] me [Is. 65:1].”
21 But about Israel ·God [or Isaiah; L he] says,
“All day long I ·stood ready to accept [L held out my hands to]
people who ·disobey [disbelieve] and are ·stubborn [defiant; rebellious; Is. 65:2].”
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