Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Praise to God Who Made the World
104 ·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with ·glory [splendor] and ·majesty [beauty];
2 you ·wear [L wrap yourself in] light like a robe [Hab. 3:4; 1 John 1:5].
You stretch out the ·skies [heavens] like a tent [Is. 40:22].
3 You ·build your room above the clouds [L set the beams of your upper room on the waters].
You make the clouds your chariot [18:10–19; 68:4; Is. 19:1; Dan. 7:13–14; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7],
and you ride on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers,
and flames of fire are your ·servants [ministers; Heb. 1:7].
5 You ·built [founded] the earth on its foundations
so it can never be moved.
6 You covered the earth with ·oceans [L the deeps];
the water ·was above [L stood over] the mountains.
7 But at your ·command [reprimand; rebuke], the water ·rushed away [fled].
·When you thundered your orders [L At the sound of your thunder], it hurried away.
8 The mountains rose; the valleys sank.
The water went to the places you ·made [founded] for it.
9 You set borders for the seas that they cannot ·cross [pass],
so water will never cover the earth again [C as before the third day creation or during the Flood; Gen. 1:9–10; 9:9–17; Job 38:8–11; Prov. 8:29].
10 You make springs pour into the ·ravines [wadis];
they flow between the mountains.
11 They water all the ·wild animals [L creatures of the field];
the wild donkeys ·come there to drink [L quench their thirst].
12 ·Wild birds [Birds of the sky/heavens] ·make nests by the water [L dwell by them];
they ·sing [L give voice] among the tree branches.
13 You water the mountains from ·above [L your high dwelling].
The earth is ·full of [or satisfied by] ·the things you made [L the fruit of your works].
14 You make the grass grow for cattle
and ·vegetables [plants] for the people to ·use [cultivate].
You make ·food [or bread] ·grow [L come out] from the earth.
15 You give us wine that ·makes happy hearts [rejoices the hearts of people; John 2:1–12]
and olive oil that makes our faces shine [C soothing skin in a dry climate; Luke 7:46].
You give us bread that gives us ·strength [sustenance].
16 The Lord’s trees ·have plenty of water [flourish];
they are the cedars of Lebanon [C the most majestic trees known], which he planted.
17 The birds make their nests there;
the stork’s home is in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats.
The rocks are ·hiding places [refuge] for the badgers.
19 You made the moon ·to mark the seasons [for appointed times; Gen. 1:14; Lev. 23:2, 4, 37, 44],
and the sun always knows when to set.
20 You make it dark, and it becomes night.
Then all the ·wild animals [L creatures of the forest] ·creep [swarm] around.
21 The lions roar ·as they attack [L for prey].
They ·look to [seek] God for food.
22 When the sun rises, they leave
and go back to their dens to lie down.
23 Then people go to work
and ·work [labor] until evening.
24 Lord, ·you have made many things;
with your wisdom you made them all [Prov. 8:22–31].
The earth is full of your ·riches [or creatures].
25 Look at the sea, so big and wide,
with creatures large and small, ·creeping [swarming] things that cannot be counted.
26 Ships travel over the ocean,
and there is Leviathan [C a sea monster and symbol of chaos; 74:14; Job 3:8; 41:1; Is. 27:1],
which you made to play there.
27 All these things ·depend [hope; wait] on you
to give them their food at the right time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up.
When you open your hand,
they are ·filled [satisfied] with good food.
29 When you ·turn away [L hide your face] from them,
they ·become frightened [are terrified].
When you take away their breath,
they ·die [expire] and turn to dust [Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7].
30 When you ·breathe [L send your breath/or Spirit] on them,
they are created [Gen. 2:7],
and you make the land new again.
31 May the glory of the Lord [C his manifest presence] be forever.
May the Lord ·enjoy [rejoice in] what he has made.
32 He just looks at the earth, and it ·shakes [trembles].
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will ·sing praises [make a psalm] to my God as long as I live.
34 May my ·thoughts [meditations] please him;
I ·am happy [will rejoice] in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be ·destroyed [obliterated] from the earth,
and let the wicked live no longer.
·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
7 “·A woman does not give birth [L She gives birth; C alluding to Jerusalem/Zion; v. 8] before she ·feels the pain [goes into labor];
she ·does not give birth to a son [delivers a son/child] before the pain starts.
8 ·No one has ever [L Who has…?] heard of that happening;
·no one has ever [L Who has…?] seen that happen.
·In the same way no one ever saw [L Can…?] a country ·begin [be born] in one day;
·no one has ever heard of a new nation beginning [L can a nation be brought forth…?] in one moment.
But ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] will give birth to her children
just as soon as she feels the birth pains [C the rebirth of the nation will be sudden and unexpected].
9 ·In the same way I will not cause pain [L Will I bring one to the moment of birth…?]
without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord.
“If I cause you ·the pain [to deliver],
·I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation [L will I (now) close the womb?],” says your God.
10 “·Jerusalem, rejoice [or Rejoice with Jerusalem].
All you people who love Jerusalem, be ·happy [glad for/with her].
Those of you who ·felt sad [mourned] for Jerusalem
should now ·feel happy [L rejoice with joy] with her.
11 You will ·take comfort from her [L nurse] and be satisfied,
·as a child is nursed by its mother [L at her comforting breasts].
You will ·receive her good things [L drink deeply]
·and enjoy her wealth [from her glorious abundance].”
12 This is what the Lord says:
“I will give her peace that will flow to her like a river.
The ·wealth [glory] of the nations will come to her like a ·river overflowing its banks [flood].
·Like babies you will [L You will] be nursed and held in ·my [L her] arms
and bounced on ·my [L her] knees.
13 I will comfort you
as a mother comforts her child.
You will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
Don’t Worry(A)
22 Jesus said to his ·followers [disciples], “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. 23 [L For] Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. 24 ·Look at [Consider; Think of] the ·birds [L ravens]. They don’t ·plant [sow] or ·harvest [reap], they don’t have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than birds. 25 ·You cannot [L Who of you can…?] add ·any time [or a step; L a cubit; C about eighteen inches] to your ·life [or height; C the Greek is ambiguous, but probably refers to time instead of stature] by worrying about it. 26 If you cannot ·do [change] even the little things [by worrying], then why worry about the ·big things [L the rest]? 27 ·Consider [Look; Think] how the lilies grow; they don’t ·work [toil] or ·make clothes for themselves [L spin thread]. But I tell you that even Solomon ·with his riches [L in all his glory] was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. 28 God clothes [L If God clothes…?] the ·grass [wildflower] in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the ·fire [L furnace; oven]. So how much more will God clothe you? ·Don’t have so little faith [or You people of little faith; or How little faith you have]! 29 Don’t always think about what you will eat or what you will drink, and don’t keep worrying. 30 All the ·people [nations; Gentiles; pagans] in the world are trying to get these things, and your Father knows you need them. 31 But seek God’s kingdom, and ·all your other needs will be met as well [L these things will be given to you].
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.