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June 19, 1968

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 130

Psalm 130^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

130 From the deep water^[c] I cry out to you, O Lord.
²O Lord, listen to me.^[d]
Pay attention to^[e] my plea for mercy.
³If you, O Lord, were to keep track of^[f] sins,
O Lord, who could stand before you?^[g]
⁴But^[h] you are willing to forgive,^[i]
so that you might^[j] be honored.^[k]
⁵I rely on^[l] the Lord.
I rely on him with my whole being;^[m]
I wait for his assuring word.^[n]
⁶I yearn for the Lord,^[o]
more than watchmen do for the morning,
yes, more than watchmen do for the morning.^[p]
⁷O Israel, hope in the Lord,
for the Lord exhibits loyal love,^[q]
and is more than willing to deliver.^[r]
⁸He will deliver^[s] Israel
from all their sins.^[t]

Footnotes

Psalm 130:1 sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.
Psalm 130:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
Psalm 130:1 tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.
Psalm 130:2 tn Heb “my voice.”
Psalm 130:2 tn Heb “may your ears be attentive to the voice of.”
Psalm 130:3 tn Heb “observe.”
Psalm 130:3 tn The words “before you” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist must be referring to standing before God’s judgment seat. The rhetorical question expects the answer, “No one.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Or “surely.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Heb “for with you [there is] forgiveness.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Or “consequently you are.”
Psalm 130:4 tn Heb “feared.”
Psalm 130:5 tn Or “wait for.”
Psalm 130:5 tn Heb “my soul waits.”
Psalm 130:5 tn Heb “his word.”
Psalm 130:6 tn Heb “my soul for the master.”
Psalm 130:6 tn Heb “more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning.” The words “yes, more” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Psalm 130:7 tn Heb “for with the Lord [is] loyal love.”
Psalm 130:7 tn Heb “and abundantly with him [is] redemption.”
Psalm 130:8 tn Or “redeem.”
Psalm 130:8 tn Or “all the consequences of their sins.” The Hebrew noun עָוֹן (ʿavon) can refer to sin, the guilt sin produces, or the consequences of sin. Only here is the noun collocated with the verb פָּדָה (padah, “to redeem; to deliver”). The psalmist may refer to deliverance from the national consequences of sin or forgiveness per se (v. 4). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 192.

2 Chronicles 30:13-27

¹³A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.^[a] ¹⁴They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.^[b]

¹⁵They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple. ¹⁶They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them.^[c] ¹⁷Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered^[d] the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord.^[e] ¹⁸The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law.^[f] For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive^[g] ¹⁹everyone who has determined to follow God,^[h] the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.”^[i] ²⁰The Lord responded favorably^[j] to Hezekiah and forgave^[k] the people.

²¹The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might.^[l] ²²Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites,^[m] who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord.^[n] They feasted for the seven days of the festival,^[o] and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.

²³The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. ²⁴King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep^[p] for the assembly, while the officials supplied them^[q] with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves. ²⁵The celebration included^[r] the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners^[s] who came from the land of Israel, and those who were residents of Judah. ²⁶There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel.^[t] ²⁷The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them^[u] as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 30:13 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “a very large assembly.” This has not been translated to avoid redundancy with the expression “a huge crowd” at the beginning of the verse.
2 Chronicles 30:14 tn Heb “and they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the incense altars they removed and threw into the Kidron Valley.”
2 Chronicles 30:16 tn Heb “from the hand of the Levites.”
2 Chronicles 30:17 tn Heb “were over the slaughter of.”
2 Chronicles 30:17 tn Heb “of everyone not pure to consecrate to the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 30:18 tn Heb “without what is written.”
2 Chronicles 30:18 tn Heb “make atonement for.”
2 Chronicles 30:19 tn Heb “everyone [who] has prepared his heart to seek God.”
2 Chronicles 30:19 tn Heb “and not according to the purification of the holy place.”
2 Chronicles 30:20 tn Heb “listened.”
2 Chronicles 30:20 tn Heb “healed.”
2 Chronicles 30:21 tn Heb “and they were praising the Lord day by day, the Levites and the priests with instruments of strength to the Lord.” The phrase בִּכְלֵי־עֹז (bikhle ʿoz, “with instruments of strength”) might refer to loud sounding musical instruments (NASB “with loud instruments”; NEB “with unrestrained fervour”). The present translation assumes an emendation to בְּכָל־עֹז (b^ekhol ʿoz, “with all strength”); see 1 Chr 13:8, as well as HALOT 805 s.v. I עֹז and BDB 739 s.v. עֹז).
2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “and Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites.” On the meaning of the idiom “speak to the heart of” here, see HALOT 210 s.v. II דבר 8.d.
2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “who demonstrated skill [with] good skill for the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “and they ate [during] the appointed time [for] seven days.” מוֹעֵד (moʿed, “appointed time”) is probably an adverbial accusative of time referring to the festival. However, some understand it as metonymically referring to the food eaten during the festival. See BDB 417 s.v.
2 Chronicles 30:24 tn The Hebrew term צֹאן (tsoʾn, translated “sheep” twice in this verse) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but there is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other.
2 Chronicles 30:24 tn Heb “the assembly.” The pronoun “them” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
2 Chronicles 30:25 tn Heb “they rejoiced.”
2 Chronicles 30:25 sn The term גֵּר (ger) refers to a foreign resident, but with different social implications in different settings. In Mosaic Law the resident foreigner was essentially a naturalized citizen and convert to worshiping the God of Israel (see Exod 12:19, 48; Deut 29:10-13). Here the term refers to those who had immigrated (or fled as refugees) from the conquered northern kingdom as well as those already residents of the southern kingdom of Judah.
2 Chronicles 30:26 tn Heb “and there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 30:27 tn Heb “and it was heard with their voice.” BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע Niph.4 interprets this to mean “hearing was granted to their voice.” It is possible that the name יְהוָה (y^ehvah, “the Lord”) has been accidentally omitted.

Mark 2:1-12

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

2 Now^[a] after some days, when he returned to Capernaum,^[b] the news spread^[c] that he was at home. ²So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by^[d] the door, and he preached the word to them. ³Some people^[e] came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them.^[f] ⁴When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof^[g] above Jesus.^[h] Then,^[i] after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. ⁵When Jesus saw their^[j] faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”^[k] ⁶Now some of the experts in the law^[l] were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds:^[m] ⁷“Why does this man speak this way? He is blaspheming!^[n] Who can forgive sins but God alone?” ⁸Now^[o] immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts,^[p] he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?^[q] ⁹Which is easier,^[r] to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up, take your stretcher, and walk’? ¹⁰But so that you may know^[s] that the Son of Man^[t] has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic^[u]— ¹¹“I tell you, stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.”^[v] ¹²And immediately the man^[w] stood up, took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Footnotes

Mark 2:1 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Mark 2:1 sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). In modern times the site was discovered in 1838 by the American explorer E. Robinson, and major excavations began in 1905 by German archaeologists H. Kohl and C. Watzinger. Not until 1968, however, were remains from the time of Jesus visible; in that year V. Corbo and S. Loffreda began a series of annual archaeological campaigns that lasted until 1985. This work uncovered what is thought to be the house of Simon Peter as well as ruins of the first century synagogue beneath the later synagogue from the fourth or fifth century A.D. Today gently rolling hills and date palms frame the first century site, a favorite tourist destination of visitors to the Galilee.
Mark 2:1 tn Grk “it was heard.”
Mark 2:2 tn Some translations (e.g., NIV, NLT) take the preposition πρός (pros), which indicates proximity, to mean “outside the door.” Others render it as “in front of the door” (TEV, CEV), and still others, “around the door” (NAB). There is some ambiguity inherent in the description here.
Mark 2:3 tn Grk “they”; the referent (some unnamed people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 2:3 tn The redundancy in this verse is characteristic of the author’s rougher style.
Mark 2:4 sn A house in 1st century Palestine would have had a flat roof with stairs or a ladder going up. This access was often from the outside of the house.
Mark 2:4 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 2:4 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 2:5 sn The plural pronoun their makes it clear that Jesus was responding to the faith of the entire group, not just the paralyzed man.
Mark 2:5 sn The passive voice here is a divine passive (ExSyn 437). It is clear that God does the forgiving.
Mark 2:6 tn Or “some of the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
Mark 2:6 tn Grk “Reasoning within their hearts.”
Mark 2:7 sn Blaspheming in the NT has a somewhat broader meaning than mere utterances. It could mean to say something that dishonored God, but it could also involve claims to divine prerogatives (in this case, to forgive sins on God’s behalf). Such claims were viewed as usurping God’s majesty or honor. The remark here raised directly the issue of the nature of Jesus’ ministry, and even more importantly, the identity of Jesus himself as God’s representative.
Mark 2:8 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the shift from the thoughts of the experts in the law to Jesus’ response.
Mark 2:8 tn Grk “they were thus reasoning within themselves.”
Mark 2:8 tn Grk “Why are you reasoning these things in your hearts?”
Mark 2:9 sn Which is easier is a reflective kind of question. On the one hand to declare sins are forgiven is easier, since one does not need to see it, unlike telling a paralyzed person to walk. On the other hand, it is harder, because for it to be true one must possess the authority to forgive the sin.
Mark 2:10 sn Now Jesus put the two actions together. The walking of the man would be proof (so that you may know) that his sins were forgiven and that God had worked through Jesus (i.e., the Son of Man).
Mark 2:10 sn The term Son of Man, which is a title in Greek, comes from a pictorial description in Dan 7:13 of one “like a son of man” (i.e., a human being). It is Jesus’ favorite way to refer to himself. Jesus did not reveal the background of the term here, which mixes human and divine imagery as the man in Daniel rides a cloud, something only God does. He just used it. It also could be an idiom in Aramaic meaning either “some person” or “me.” So there is a little ambiguity in its use here, since its origin is not clear at this point. However, the action makes it clear that Jesus used it to refer to himself here.
Mark 2:10 sn Jesus did not finish his sentence with words but with action, that is, healing the paralytic with an accompanying pronouncement to him directly.
Mark 2:11 tn Grk “to your house.”
Mark 2:12 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man who was healed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 130[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic

Footnotes

Psalm 130^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]