Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord the Shepherd
A psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd;
I ·have everything I need [L will lack nothing].
2 He ·lets me rest [makes me lie down] in green pastures.
He leads me to ·calm [quiet] water.
3 He ·gives me new strength [T renews my soul].
He leads me on paths that are ·right [righteous; or straight]
for the ·good [sake] of his ·name [reputation].
4 Even if I walk through ·a very dark valley [or the shadow of death],
I will ·not be afraid [T fear no evil],
because you are with me.
Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.
5 You prepare a ·meal [L table] for me
in ·front [the presence] of my enemies.
You ·pour oil of blessing on my head [anoint my head with oil; C oil was a means of refreshment in a hot, dry environment];
you ·fill my cup to overflowing [L make my cup overflow; C a cup of blessing].
6 Surely your goodness and ·love [loyalty; T mercy] will ·be with [pursue; T follow] me
all my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord ·forever [L for length of days].
17 There are terrors, ·holes [pits], and ·traps [snares]
for the ·people [inhabitants] of the earth.
18 Anyone who tries to ·escape [flee] from the sound of terror
will fall into a ·hole [pit].
Anyone who climbs out of the ·hole [pit]
will be caught in a ·trap [snare].
The ·clouds in the sky will pour out rain [L the floodgates/windows of the heights are opened],
and the foundations of the earth will shake.
19 The earth will be ·broken up [shattered];
the earth will split open;
the earth will shake violently.
20 The earth will ·stumble [stagger; reel] around like someone who is drunk;
it will shake like a ·hut in a storm [L hut].
Its ·sin [transgression; rebellion] is ·like a heavy weight on its back [L heavy upon it];
it will fall and never rise again.
21 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord will punish
the ·powers [armies; hosts] in the ·sky [or heavens; L heights] above
and the ·rulers [kings] on earth below.
22 They will be gathered together
like prisoners ·thrown into a dungeon [in a pit/cistern];
they will be shut up in prison.
After ·much time [many days] they will be punished.
23 The moon will be ·embarrassed [confounded; dismayed; disgraced; or covered up],
and the sun will be ·ashamed [or darkened; C these great lights will pale in comparison to the Lord’s glory],
because the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will rule as king
on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
·Jerusalem’s leaders will see his greatness [L …and gloriously before its elders].
Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting(A)
18 Now the ·followers [disciples] of John [C the Baptist; 1:4–8] and the Pharisees often fasted [C giving up eating for spiritual purposes]. ·Some people [L They] came to Jesus and said, “Why do John’s ·followers [disciples] and the ·followers [disciples] of the Pharisees often fast, but your ·followers [disciples] don’t?”
19 Jesus answered, “The ·friends of the bridegroom [or wedding guests; L children of the wedding hall] do not fast while the bridegroom is still with them [C Jesus is referring to himself; John 3:29; Rev. 19:7]. As long as the bridegroom is with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the ·time [L days] will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and ·then [in that day] they will fast.
21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth over a hole in an old ·coat [garment]. Otherwise, the patch will shrink and pull away—the new patch will pull away from the old ·coat [garment]. Then the ·hole [tear] will be worse. 22 Also, no one ever pours new wine into old ·leather bags [wineskins]. Otherwise, the new wine will break the ·bags [skins; C as the wine ferments and expands], and the wine will be ·ruined [lost] along with the ·bags [skins]. But new wine should be put into new ·leather bags [wineskins].”
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