Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Childlike Trust in the Lord
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover]. Of David.
131 Lord, my heart is not proud;
·I don’t look down on others [L my eyes are not haughty/lifted up].
I don’t ·do [consider doing] great things,
and I ·can’t do [don’t consider doing] ·miracles [wonderful acts].
2 But I ·am calm and quiet [L have stilled and quieted my soul]
like a ·baby [L weaned child] with its mother,
like a ·baby [L weaned child] with its mother [C a relationship with God is like that of a mother with her weaned child resting comfortably in her arms].
3 People of Israel, put your hope in the Lord
now and forever.
Warnings About Relying on Egypt
31 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those people who go down to Egypt for help.
·They think horses will save them [L …who rely on horses].
·They think [L …who trust in] their many chariots
and strong horsemen will save them [Ps. 20:7].
But they don’t trust God, the Holy One of Israel [1:4],
or ask the Lord for help.
2 But he is wise and can bring them disaster.
He does not ·change his warnings [take back his words].
He will rise up and fight against the ·evil people [L house of evildoers]
and against those who try to help ·evil people [sinners; workers of iniquity].
3 The Egyptians are only people and are not God.
Their horses are ·only animals [L flesh] and are not spirit.
The Lord will stretch out his arm,
and the one who helps will stumble,
and the people who wanted help will fall.
All of them will ·be destroyed [perish] together.
4 The Lord says this to me:
“When a lion or a ·lion’s cub [young lion],
stands over ·the dead animal it has killed [its prey] and roars.
A band of shepherds
may be assembled against it,
but the lion will not be afraid of their yelling
or upset by their noise.
So the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will come down
to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill.
5 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will ·defend [protect] Jerusalem
like birds flying over their nests.
He will ·defend [protect] and save it;
he will ‘pass over’ and save Jerusalem.”
6 You children of Israel, come back to the God you ·fought [rebelled; revolted] against. 7 ·The time is coming when [L For in that day] each of you will ·stop worshiping [throw/cast away] idols of gold and silver, which ·you sinned by making [your sinful hands have made].
8 “Assyria will ·be defeated [fall] by a sword, but not ·the sword of a person [of man];
Assyria will be ·destroyed [devoured], but not by a person’s sword.
Assyria will run away from the ·sword of God [L sword],
but its young men will be caught and made slaves.
9 ·They will panic, and [From terror] their ·protection [or strong ones; rock] will be destroyed.
Their ·commanders [officers; princes] will be terrified when they see ·God’s battle flag [L the standard/flag],”
says the Lord,
whose fire is in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 1:27]
and whose furnace is in Jerusalem.
Jesus’ Power Is from God(A)
14 One time Jesus was ·sending [driving; casting] out a demon ·who could not talk [or who was making a man mute]. When the demon came out, the man who had been unable to speak, then spoke. The ·people were [crowd was] amazed. 15 But some of them said, “Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul [C another name for Satan], the ruler of demons, to ·force [drive; cast] demons out of people.”
16 Other people, wanting to test Jesus, asked him to give them a sign from heaven. 17 But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom that is ·divided against [at war with] itself ·will be destroyed [is doomed/heading for ruin]. And a ·family [L house] that is ·divided against [at war with] itself will ·not continue [L fall]. 18 So if Satan is divided against himself, ·his kingdom will not continue [L how will his kingdom stand?]. [L For] You say that I use the power of Beelzebul [v. 15] to ·force [drive; cast] out demons. 19 But if I use the power of Beelzebul to ·force [drive; cast] out demons, what power do your ·people [own exorcists; followers; L sons] use to ·force [drive; cast] demons out? So they will ·be your judges. 20 But if I use the ·power [L finger] of God to ·force [drive; cast] out demons, then the kingdom of God has ·come to [arrived among] you.
21 “When a strong person ·with many weapons [fully armed] guards his own ·house [villa; or palace; C a large building with a courtyard], his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger comes and ·defeats [overpowers; conquers] him, the stronger one will take away the ·weapons [armor] ·the first man trusted [on which he relied] and will ·give away the possessions [L divide his plunder].
23 “Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not ·work [L gather] with me ·is working against me [scatters; C the metaphor is probably to gathering or scattering a flock; John 10:12].
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