Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
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].
The Ten Commandments
5 Moses called all the people of Israel together and said: Listen, Israel, to the ·commands [statutes; requirements; ordinances] and laws I am ·giving you [L speaking in your ears] today. Learn them and obey them carefully. 2 The Lord our God ·made [L cut] an ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] with us at ·Mount Sinai [L Horeb; 1:6]. 3 He did not ·make [L cut] this ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] with our ·ancestors [fathers], but he made it with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face from the fire on the mountain [Ex. 19]. 5 (At that time I stood between you and the Lord in order to tell you what the Lord said; you were afraid of the fire, so you would not go up on the mountain.) The Lord said:
6 “I am the Lord your God; I brought you out of the land of Egypt ·where you were slaves [L from the house of bondage].
7 “You must not have any other gods ·except [or before] me.
8 “You must not make for yourselves any idols or anything to worship that looks like something in the ·sky [heavens] above or on the earth below or in the water below the ·land [earth]. 9 You must not worship or serve ·any idol [L them], because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God [4:24]. ·If people sin against me and hate me, I will punish their children, even their grandchildren and great-grandchildren [L I will visit/punish the guilt of the fathers on the sons until the third and fourth generations of those who hate me]. 10 But I will be very kind for a thousand lifetimes to those who love me and obey my commands.
11 “You must not ·use the name of the Lord your God thoughtlessly [take/lift up the name of the Lord your God in vain], because the Lord will ·punish [L not hold/treat as innocent; not acquit] anyone who ·uses [takes in vain] his name in this way.
12 “·Keep [Observe] the Sabbath ·as a holy day [L to consecrate/sanctify it], as the Lord your God has commanded you. 13 You may work and get everything done during six days each week, 14 but the seventh day is a ·day of rest to honor [Sabbath to] the Lord your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or daughter, your male or female slaves, your ox, your donkey, or any of your animals, or the ·foreigners [resident aliens] living in your cities. That way your servants may rest as you do. 15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there by his ·great power [L strong hand] and ·strength [L extended arm]. So the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day.
16 “Honor your father and your mother as the Lord your God has commanded you. Then you will live ·a long time [L for many days], and things will go well for you in the land that the Lord your God is going to give you.
17 “You must not murder anyone.
18 “You must not ·be guilty of [commit] adultery.
19 “You must not steal.
20 “You must not ·tell lies about [bear false witness against] your neighbor.
21 “You must not ·want to take [covet] your neighbor’s wife. You must not ·want to take [covet] your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female slaves, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor [C this final commandment indicates that the previous commandments also involve attitudes, not just actions].”
We Must Continue to Follow God
7 So it is as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today ·listen to what he says [L if you hear his voice…].
8 Do not ·be stubborn [L harden your hearts] as in the past
·when you turned against God [L as in the rebellion; Ex. 17:1–7],
when you tested God in the desert.
9 There your ancestors tried me and tested me
and saw the things I did for forty years.
10 I was angry with ·them [L that generation].
I said, ‘·They are not loyal to me [L Their hearts are always wandering]
and have not ·understood my ways [or discerned/obeyed my will].’
11 I was angry and ·made a promise [L swore an oath],
‘They will never enter my rest [Ps. 95:7–11; C referring to the generation of Israel that disobeyed God and so were not allowed to enter the Promised Land (Num. 14:23)].’”
12 So brothers and sisters, ·be careful [see to it] that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that will ·turn you away from [desert; forsake] the living God. 13 But encourage each other every day while it is “today” [C meaning the time of opportunity to be saved; v. 7]. ·Help [Encourage] each other so none of you will become hardened ·because sin has tricked you [by sin’s deception]. 14 [L For] We all ·share in [or have become partners with] Christ if [indeed; in fact] we ·keep [hold firm] till the end the sure ·faith [conviction; confidence] we had in the beginning. 15 This is what the Scripture says:
“Today ·listen to what he says [L if you hear his voice…].
Do not ·be stubborn [L harden your hearts] as in the past
·when you turned against God [L as in the rebellion; Ps. 95:7–8; C referring to Ex. 17:1–7].”
16 Who heard God’s voice and ·was against [rebelled against; provoked] him? ·It was [L Was it not…?] all those people Moses led out of Egypt. 17 And with whom was God angry for forty years? ·He was angry [L Was it not…?] with those who sinned, ·who died [L whose corpses/bodies fell] in the desert [Num. 14:29, 32]. 18 And to whom ·was God talking when he promised [L did he swear] that they would never enter his rest [v. 11]? He was talking to those who did not ·obey [or believe] him. 19 So we see they were not allowed to enter [C the Promised Land and God’s promised rest] because ·they did not believe [of unbelief/faithlessness].
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.