Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
9 How can a young person ·live a pure life [L keep his way pure]?
By ·obeying [guarding; keeping] your word.
10 With all my heart I ·try to obey [seek] you.
Don’t let me ·break [stray from] your commands.
11 I have ·taken your words to heart [treasured/stored your words in my heart]
so I would not sin against you.
12 Lord, you ·should be praised [are blessed].
Teach me your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
13 My lips will ·tell about [recount]
all the ·laws you have spoken [L judgments of your mouth].
14 I enjoy ·living by your rules [the way of your decrees/testimonies]
as people enjoy great riches.
15 I ·think about [meditate on] your ·orders [precepts]
and ·study [look at] your ways.
16 I enjoy ·obeying your demands [your statutes/ordinances/requirements],
and I will not forget your word.
The Beauty of the Temple
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month [C Oct. 17, 520 bc; Tishri 21 on the Hebrew calendar; the same date Solomon finished the temple 440 years earlier (960 bc); 1 Kin. 6:38; 8:2], the Lord spoke his word through Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest [1:1], and to the ·rest of the people who are left alive [remnant of the people; 1:12]. Say, 3 ‘Do any of you remember ·how great the Temple was [the former glory of this house] before it was destroyed? What does it look like now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?’ 4 But the Lord says, ‘Zerubbabel, be ·brave [strong]. Also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be ·brave [strong]. And all you people who live in the land, be ·brave [strong],’ says the Lord. ‘Work, because I am with you,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 5 ‘I made a promise to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit ·is still with [remains among] you. So don’t be afraid.’
6 “This is what the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says: ‘In a short time I will once again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and ·they will bring their wealth [L the treasures of the nations shall come]. Then I will fill this ·Temple [L house] with glory [C God’s manifest presence],’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 8 ‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 9 ‘The ·new Temple [L glory of this second/latter house] will be greater than the one before,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].”
The Lord Makes a Promise to Zerubbabel
20 Then the Lord spoke his word a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month [December 18, 520 bc; Kislev 24 on the Hebrew calendar]. He said, 21 “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will ·destroy [overthrow] the ·foreign [L thrones of] kingdoms and ·take away [shatter] the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will destroy the chariots and their riders. The horses will fall with their riders, ·as people kill each other with swords [L each one by the sword of his brother].’ 23 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, ‘On that day I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will make you ·important like [L like] my signet ring, because I have chosen you!’ says the Lord All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].”
34 The crowd ·said [responded to him], “We have heard from the ·law [C the Old Testament] that the ·Christ [Messiah] will ·live [remain] forever [Ps. 89:35–37; Is. 9:7; Ezek. 37:25]. So why do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”
35 Then Jesus said, “The light will be ·with [among] you for a little longer, so walk while you have the light. Then the darkness will not ·catch [overtake] you. ·If you walk [L The one who walks] in the darkness, you will not know where you are going. 36 ·Believe [Put your trust] in the light while you still have it so that you will become children of light.” When Jesus had said this, he left and hid himself from them.
Some People Won’t Believe in Jesus
37 Though Jesus had done many ·miracles [L signs; 2:11] in front of the people, they still did not believe in him. 38 This was to ·bring about [L fulfill] ·what [L the message/word that] Isaiah the prophet had said:
“Lord, who believed ·what we told them [L our message/report]?
Who saw the Lord’s ·power [L arm; C a symbol of his power] in this [Is. 53:1]?”
39 This is why the people could not believe: Isaiah also had said,
40 “He has blinded their eyes,
and he has ·closed their minds [L hardened their heart].
Otherwise they would see with their eyes
and understand in their ·minds [L heart]
and ·come back to me and be healed [L turn/repent, and I would heal them; Is. 6:10].”
41 Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.
42 But many believed in Jesus, even many of the ·leaders [authorities]. But because of the Pharisees, they did not ·say they believed in him [L confess/proclaim him/it] for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 They loved ·praise [glory] from people more than ·praise [glory] from God.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me is really believing in the One who sent me. 45 Whoever sees me sees the One who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world so that whoever believes in me would not ·stay [remain] in darkness.
47 “Anyone who hears my words and does not ·obey [keep] them, I do not judge, because I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 There is a judge for those who ·refuse to believe in [reject] me and do not accept my words. The word I have ·taught [spoken] will ·be their judge [judge them] on the last day. 49 The things I ·taught [spoke] were not from myself. The Father who sent me ·told [commanded] me what to say and what to ·teach [speak]. 50 And I know that eternal life comes from what the Father commands. So whatever I say is what the Father told me to say.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.