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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 147:1-11

Psalm 147^[a]

147 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God.
Yes,^[b] praise is pleasant and appropriate.
²The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
³He heals^[c] the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
⁴He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
⁵Our Lord is great and has awesome power;^[d]
there is no limit to his wisdom.^[e]
⁶The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks^[f] the wicked to the ground.
⁷Offer to the Lord a song of thanks.^[g]
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp.
⁸He covers^[h] the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.^[i]
⁹He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp.^[j]
¹⁰He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.^[k]
¹¹The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,^[l]
and in those who wait for his loyal love.

Psalm 147:20

²⁰He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!

Proverbs 12:10-21

¹⁰A righteous person cares for^[a] the life of his animal,
but even the most compassionate acts^[b] of the wicked are cruel.
¹¹The one who works^[c] his field will have plenty^[d] of food,
but whoever chases daydreams^[e] lacks sense.^[f]
¹²The wicked person has desired^[g] the stronghold^[h] of the wicked,
but the root of the righteous will yield fruit.^[i]
¹³The evil person is ensnared^[j] by the transgression of his speech,^[k]
but the righteous person escapes out of trouble.^[l]
¹⁴A person will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words,^[m]
and the work of his hands^[n] will be rendered to^[o] him.
¹⁵The way of a fool^[p] is right^[q] in his own opinion,^[r]
but the one who listens to advice is wise.^[s]
¹⁶A fool’s annoyance^[t] is known at once,^[u]
but the prudent^[v] conceals dishonor.^[w]
¹⁷The faithful witness^[x] tells what is right,^[y]
but a false witness^[z] speaks^[aa] deceit.
¹⁸Speaking recklessly^[ab] is like the thrusts of a sword,
but the words^[ac] of the wise bring^[ad] healing.^[ae]
¹⁹The one who tells the truth^[af] will endure forever,
but the one who lies^[ag] will last only for a moment.^[ah]
²⁰Deceit^[ai] is in the heart of those who plot evil,^[aj]
but those who promote peace^[ak] have joy.
²¹No harm^[al] will be directed at^[am] the righteous,
but the wicked are filled with calamity.^[an]

Footnotes

Proverbs 12:10 tn Heb “knows”; NLT “concerned for the welfare of.” For יָדַע (yadaʿ) meaning “to care for” see HALOT 391 s.v. Qal 4 and 7, NIDOTTE 401 s.v., and compare Job 9:21; Ps 1:6.
Proverbs 12:10 tn Heb “but the mercies.” The additional words appear in the translation for the sake of clarification. The line can be interpreted in two ways: (1) when the wicked exhibit a kind act, they do it in a cruel way, or (2) even the kindest of their acts is cruel by all assessments.
Proverbs 12:11 sn In the biblical period agriculture was the most common occupation for the people; so “working a field” describes a substantial occupation, but also represents working in general. Diligent work, not get-rich-quick schemes, is the key to ensuring income.
Proverbs 12:11 tn Heb “will have his fill of” or “will be satisfied with.”
Proverbs 12:11 tn Heb “empty things” or “vain things.” The term רֵיקִים (reqim) refers to worthless pursuits in an effort to make money. The fact that the participle used is “chase after” shows how elusive these are. Cf. NIV “fantasies”; NCV “empty dreams”; TEV “useless projects.”
Proverbs 12:11 tn Heb “lacking of mind.” The term לֵב (lev, “mind, heart”) refers by metonymy to thinking, and by extension to discernment, wisdom, good sense.
Proverbs 12:12 sn The contrast includes a contrast of verb forms, here the perfect verb “has desired,” next the imperfect verb “will yield [fruit].” The perfect verb leaves the wicked at the point of desire for a goal. He or she has [only] desired, but there is no implication of achievement. In contrast the righteous are described not in terms of their goal or desire, but their root, implying their foundation or character. Their focus is different but their root will yield fruit or be productive.
Proverbs 12:12 tn This line is difficult to interpret. BDB connects the term מְצוֹד (m^etsod) to II מָצוֹד which means (1) “snare; hunting-net” and (2) what is caught: “prey” (BDB 844-45 s.v. II מָצוֹד). This would function as a metonymy of cause for what the net catches: the prey. Or it may be saying that the wicked get caught in their own net, that is, reap the consequences of their own sins. On the other hand, HALOT 622 connects מְצוֹד (m^etsod) to II מְצוּדָה (m^etsudah, “mountain stronghold”; cf. NAB “the stronghold of evil men will be demolished”). The LXX translated it as: “The desires of the wicked are evil.” The Syriac has: “The wicked desire to do evil.” The Latin expands it: “The desire of the wicked is a defense of the worst [things, or persons].” C. H. Toy suggests emending the text to read “wickedness is the net of bad men” (Proverbs [ICC], 250).
Proverbs 12:12 tc The MT reads יִתֵּן (yitten, “will give; gives,” without a direct object: “the root of the righteous gives.” The LXX reads “the root of the righteous endures” (cf. NAB). This suggests a Hebrew Vorlage of אֵיתָן (ʾetan, “constant; continual”; HALOT 44-45 s.v. I אֵיתָן 2) which would involve the omission of א (ʾalef) in the MT.tn Heb “will give/yield.” The verb נָתַן (natan) is used elsewhere in the phrase to “produce fruit” (e.g. Lev 25:19 of the land; Zech 8:12 of the vine). Yielding fruit can be a natural implication of healthy roots (cf. Ps. 1:3; Isa 11:1; Jer 12:2). The sage has probably left out specific mention of the word “fruit” to heighten the contrast between desiring a goal and receiving a result which is the byproduct of good character. However the omission may imply a text critical problem.
Proverbs 12:13 tc MT reads the noun מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “bait; lure”). The LXX, Syriac and Tg. Prov 12:13 took it as a passive participle (“is ensnared”). The MT is the more difficult reading and so is preferred. The versions appear to be trying to clarify a difficult reading. tn Heb “snare of a man.” The word “snare” is the figurative meaning of the noun מוֹקֵשׁ (“bait; lure” from יָקַשׁ [yaqash, “to lay a bait, or lure”]).
Proverbs 12:13 tn Heb “transgression of the lips.” The noun “lips” is a genitive of specification and it functions as a metonymy of cause for speech: sinful talk or sinning by talking. J. H. Greenstone suggests that this refers to litigation; the wicked attempt to involve the innocent (Proverbs, 131).
Proverbs 12:13 sn J. H. Greenstone suggests that when the wicked become involved in contradictions of testimony, the innocent is freed from the trouble. Another meaning would be that the wicked get themselves trapped by what they say, but the righteous avoid that (Proverbs, 131).
Proverbs 12:14 tn Heb “fruit of the lips.” The term “fruit” is the implied comparison, meaning what is produced; and “lips” is the metonymy of cause, referring to speech. Proper speech will result in good things.
Proverbs 12:14 tn Heb “the work of the hands of a man.”
Proverbs 12:14 tc The Kethib has the Qal imperfect, “will return” to him (cf. NASB); the Qere preserves a Hiphil imperfect, “he/one will restore/render” to him (cf. KJV, ASV). The Qere seems to suggest that someone (God or people) will reward him in kind. Since there is no expressed subject, it may be translated as a passive voice.
Proverbs 12:15 sn The way of a fool describes a headlong course of actions (“way” is an idiom for conduct) that is not abandoned even when wise advice is offered.
Proverbs 12:15 sn The fool believes that his own plans and ideas are perfect or “right” (יָשָׁר, yashar); he is satisfied with his own opinion.
Proverbs 12:15 tn Heb “in his own eyes.”
Proverbs 12:15 tn Or “a wise person listens to advice” (cf. NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
Proverbs 12:16 tn Heb “The fool, at once his vexation is known.” This rhetorically emphatic construction uses an independent nominative absolute, which is then followed by the formal subject with a suffix. The construction focuses attention on “the fool,” then states what is to be said about him.
Proverbs 12:16 tn Heb “on the day” or “the same day.”sn The fool is impatient and unwise, and so flares up immediately when anything bothers him. W. McKane says that the fool’s reaction is “like an injured animal and so his opponent knows that he has been wounded” (Proverbs [OTL], 442).
Proverbs 12:16 tn Heb “shrewd.”
Proverbs 12:16 tn The range of meanings for the verb and the object suggest several possible interpretations of the last line. The verb כָּסָה (kasah) means “to cover” and may indicate hiding or ignoring something. The noun קָלוֹן (qalon) means “shame” and may refer to disgrace (something to be ashamed of) or to contempt or an insult given (shaming words). Several English translations view it as ignoring or overlooking an insult (NIV, ESV, NRSV). Others more ambiguously render it as covering or concealing dishonor or shame, where it is less clear whether the person conceals their own shame or someone else’s. And the LXX reads “a clever person conceals his own dishonor.” But these entail the three main possibilities: to ignore an insult given to you, to ignore something that could shame others, or to conceal something of your own that could be shameful. In a similar phrase in 12:23, the verb does not mean to ignore something.sn The contrast in this proverb could be that the prudent person overlooks the insult made by the fool in part one, bypasses the opportunity to expose something that would shame another (in contrast to the fool), or doesn’t give the opportunity for the fool to see what might be embarrassing. In contrast the fool cannot handle criticism well and/or announces dissatisfaction instinctively and quickly, without appropriate thought for others.
Proverbs 12:17 tn The text has “he pours out faithfully”; the word rendered “faithfully” or “reliably” (אֱמוּנָה, ʾemunah) is used frequently for giving testimony in court, and so here the subject matter is the reliable witness.
Proverbs 12:17 tn Heb “righteousness.”
Proverbs 12:17 tn Heb “witness of falsehoods.” The genitive noun functions attributively, and the plural form depicts habitual action or moral characteristic. This describes a person who habitually lies. A false witness cannot be counted on to help the cause of justice.
Proverbs 12:17 tn The term “speaks” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.
Proverbs 12:18 tn The term בּוֹטֶה (boteh) means “to speak rashly [or, thoughtlessly]” (e.g., Lev 5:4; Num 30:7).
Proverbs 12:18 tn Heb “the tongue” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The term לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a metonymy of cause for what is said.
Proverbs 12:18 tn Heb “[is] healing.” The term “brings” is supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity and smoothness.
Proverbs 12:18 sn Healing is a metonymy of effect. Healing words are the opposite of the cutting, irresponsible words. What the wise say is faithful and true, gentle and kind, uplifting and encouraging; so their words bring healing.
Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a lip of truth.” The genitive אֱמֶת (ʾemet, “truth”) functions as an attributive adjective: “truthful lip.” The term שְׂפַת (s^efat, “lip”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= lip) for the whole (= person): “truthful person.” The contrast is between “the lip of truth” and the “tongue of lying.”
Proverbs 12:19 tn Heb “a tongue of deceit.” The genitive שָׁקֶר (shaqer, “deceit”) functions as an attributive genitive. The noun לָשׁוֹן (lashon, “tongue”) functions as a synecdoche of part (= tongue) for the whole (= person): “lying person.”
Proverbs 12:19 tn The verb אַרְגִיעָה (ʾargiʿah) is the Hiphil of the root רָגַע (ragaʿ). The number of homonyms of this root in Hebrew is debated. BDB lists it as a denominative of רֶגַע (regaʿ, “a moment”), with the Hiphil meaning “to make a twinkling” (BDB 920 s.v. I רָגַע). HALOT lists only one verbal root with a base meaning “to look for peace” and this phrase with the Hiphil meaning “as long as I grant rest” (HALOT 1188, s.v. רָגַע). Gesenius considers it to refer to blinking the eyes (GKC 321 § 108h). In any case it is agreed that this expression is an idiom for brevity, “only for a moment.”
Proverbs 12:20 tc Rather than the MT’s מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deceit”), the BHS editors suggest מֹרָה (morah, “bitterness, sorrow”) as a contrast to joy in the second half.
Proverbs 12:20 sn The contrast here is between “evil” (= pain and calamity) and “peace” (= social wholeness and well-being); see, e.g., Pss 34:14; 37:37.
Proverbs 12:20 tn Heb “those who are counselors of peace.” The term שָׁלוֹם (shalom, “peace”) is an objective genitive, so the genitive-construct “counselors of peace” means those who advise, advocate or promote peace (cf. NAB, NIV).
Proverbs 12:21 tn Hebrew places the negative with the verb (“all harm will not be…”), while English prefers to negate the noun (“no harm will…”). The proper nuance of אָוֶן (ʾaven) is debated. The noun can refer to disaster, injustice, or iniquity. It is not clear how neutrally the term may refer to disaster or how tightly it is tied to the consequence or result of wickedness. There is some question as to whether it can have a magical connotation, as in a spell or a curse. In Job, Eliphaz declares that אָוֶן (ʾaven) doesn’t come out of the dust (just happen); on the other hand, humankind is born to trouble (Job 5:6-7). Rashi, a Jewish scholar who lived a.d. 1040-1105, took the term as “wickedness,” and the clause as “the righteous will not be caught up in wickedness.”
Proverbs 12:21 tn The pual imperfect verb ‏יְאֻנֶּה (y^eʾunneh) is from a rare root occurring only 4 times in the Bible. In the only piel case, Exod 21:13, God makes something happen for someone. This implies that the pual is not simply “to happen to” but “made to happen to.” Some propose “be allowed to happen to.”sn Proverbial sayings are often general and not absolute. Clearly Job was a righteous person to whom harm happened (or was permitted to happen). And being righteous does not mean an exemption from all hardships that are not related to punishment. The proper nuance also depends on the understanding of “harm.” Perhaps the correct nuance is that God does not direct harms of punishment at the righteous. In the surrounding polytheistic countries, they believed that a god might make a mistake and punish the wrong person.
Proverbs 12:21 tn The expression מָלְאוּ רָע (mal^eʾu raʿ, “to be full of calamity/evil”) means (1) the wicked do much evil or (2) the wicked experience much calamity (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

Galatians 5:2-15

²Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! ³And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey^[a] the whole law. ⁴You who are trying to be declared righteous^[b] by the law have been alienated^[c] from Christ; you have fallen away from grace! ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight—the only thing that matters is faith working through love.^[d]

⁷You were running well; who prevented you from obeying^[e] the truth? ⁸This persuasion^[f] does not come from the one who calls you! ⁹A little yeast makes the whole batch of dough rise!^[g] ¹⁰I am confident^[h] in the Lord that you will accept no other view.^[i] But the one who is confusing^[j] you will pay the penalty,^[k] whoever he may be. ¹¹Now, brothers and sisters,^[l] if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?^[m] In that case the offense of the cross^[n] has been removed.^[o] ¹²I wish those agitators^[p] would go so far as to^[q] castrate themselves!^[r]

Practice Love

¹³For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;^[s] only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh,^[t] but through love serve one another.^[u] ¹⁴For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment,^[v] namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.”^[w] ¹⁵However, if you continually bite and devour one another,^[x] beware that you are not consumed^[y] by one another.

Footnotes

Galatians 5:3 tn Or “keep”; or “carry out”; Grk “do.”
Galatians 5:4 tn Or “trying to be justified.” The verb δικαιοῦσθε (dikaiousthe) has been translated as a conative present (see ExSyn 534).
Galatians 5:4 tn Or “estranged”; BDAG 526 s.v. καταργέω 4 states, “Of those who aspire to righteousness through the law κ. ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ be estranged from Christ Gal 5:4.”
Galatians 5:6 tn Grk “but faith working through love.”
Galatians 5:7 tn Or “following.” BDAG 792 s.v. πείθω 3.b states, “obey, follow w. dat. of the pers. or thing…Gal 3:1 v.l.; 5:7.”
Galatians 5:8 tn Grk “The persuasion,” referring to their being led away from the truth (v. 7). There is a play on words here that is not easily reproducible in the English translation: The words translated “obey” (πείθεσθαι, peithesthai) in v. 7 and “persuasion” (πεισμονή, peismonē) in v. 8 come from the same root in Greek.
Galatians 5:9 tn Grk “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
Galatians 5:10 tn The verb translated “I am confident” (πέποιθα, pepoitha) comes from the same root in Greek as the words translated “obey” (πείθεσθαι, peithesthai) in v. 7 and “persuasion” (πεισμονή, peismonē) in v. 8.
Galatians 5:10 tn Grk “that you will think nothing otherwise.”
Galatians 5:10 tn Or “is stirring you up”; Grk “is troubling you.” In context Paul is referring to the confusion and turmoil caused by those who insist that Gentile converts to Christianity must observe the Mosaic law.
Galatians 5:10 tn Or “will suffer condemnation” (L&N 90.80); Grk “will bear his judgment.” The translation “must pay the penalty” is given as an explanatory gloss on the phrase by BDAG 171 s.v. βαστάζω 2.b.β.
Galatians 5:11 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
Galatians 5:11 sn That is, if Paul still teaches observance of the Mosaic law (preaches circumcision), why is he still being persecuted by his opponents, who insist that Gentile converts to Christianity must observe the Mosaic law?
Galatians 5:11 sn The offense of the cross refers to the offense to Jews caused by preaching Christ crucified.
Galatians 5:11 tn Or “nullified.”
Galatians 5:12 tn Grk “the ones who are upsetting you.” The same verb is used in Acts 21:38 to refer to a person who incited a revolt. Paul could be alluding indirectly to the fact that his opponents are inciting the Galatians to rebel against his teaching with regard to circumcision and the law.
Galatians 5:12 tn Grk “would even.”
Galatians 5:12 tn Or “make eunuchs of themselves”; Grk “cut themselves off.” This statement is rhetorical hyperbole on Paul’s part. It does strongly suggest, however, that Paul’s adversaries in this case (“those agitators”) were men. Some interpreters (notably Erasmus and the Reformers) have attempted to soften the meaning to a figurative “separate themselves” (meaning the opponents would withdraw from fellowship) but such an understanding dramatically weakens the rhetorical force of Paul’s argument. Although it has been argued that such an act of emasculation would be unthinkable for Paul, it must be noted that Paul’s statement is one of biting sarcasm, obviously not meant to be taken literally. See further G. Stählin, TDNT 3:853-55.
Galatians 5:13 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.
Galatians 5:13 tn Grk “as an opportunity for the flesh”; BDAG 915 s.v. σάρξ 2.c.α states: “In Paul’s thought esp., all parts of the body constitute a totality known as σ. or flesh, which is dominated by sin to such a degree that wherever flesh is, all forms of sin are likew. present, and no good thing can live in the σάρξ…Gal 5:13, 24; …Opp. τὸ πνεῦμα…Gal 3:3; 5:16, 17ab; 6:8ab.”
Galatians 5:13 tn It is possible that the verb δουλεύετε (douleuete) should be translated “serve one another in a humble manner” here, referring to the way in which slaves serve their masters (see L&N 35.27).
Galatians 5:14 tn Or “can be fulfilled in one commandment.”
Galatians 5:14 sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.
Galatians 5:15 tn That is, “if you are harming and exploiting one another.” Paul’s metaphors are retained in most modern translations, but it is possible to see the meanings of δάκνω and κατεσθίω (daknō and katesthiō, L&N 20.26 and 88.145) as figurative extensions of the literal meanings of these terms and to translate them accordingly. The present tenses here are translated as customary presents (“continually…”).
Galatians 5:15 tn Or “destroyed.”

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 147[a]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Practice Love

Footnotes

Psalm 147^[a]