◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Genesis 9:8-17 (The rainbow sign of God’s covenant); Psalm 25:1-10 (Your paths are love and faithfulness); 1 Peter 3:18-22 (Saved through water); Mark 1:9-15 (The temptation of Jesus) (New English Translation)

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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

Genesis 9:8-17

⁸God said to Noah and his sons,^[a] ⁹“Look. I now confirm^[b] my covenant with you and your descendants after you^[c] ¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you, including the birds, the domestic animals, and every living creature of the earth with you, all those that came out of the ark with you—every living creature of the earth.^[d] ¹¹I confirm^[e] my covenant with you: Never again will all living things^[f] be wiped out^[g] by the waters of a flood;^[h] never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

¹²And God said, “This is the guarantee^[i] of the covenant I am making^[j] with you^[k] and every living creature with you, a covenant^[l] for all subsequent^[m] generations: ¹³I will place^[n] my rainbow^[o] in the clouds, and it will become^[p] a guarantee of the covenant between me and the earth. ¹⁴Whenever^[q] I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, ¹⁵then I will remember my covenant with you^[r] and with all living creatures of all kinds.^[s] Never again will the waters become a flood and destroy^[t] all living things.^[u] ¹⁶When the rainbow is in the clouds, I will notice it and remember^[v] the perpetual covenant between God and all living creatures of all kinds that are on the earth.”

¹⁷So God said to Noah, “This is the guarantee of the covenant that I am confirming between me and all living things^[w] that are on the earth.”

Footnotes

Genesis 9:8 tn Heb “to Noah and to his sons with him, saying.”
Genesis 9:9 tn Heb “I, look, I confirm.” The particle הִנְנִי (hin^eni) used with the participle מֵקִים (meqim) gives the sense of immediacy or imminence, as if to say, “Look! I am now confirming.”
Genesis 9:9 tn The three pronominal suffixes (translated “you,” “your,” and “you”) are masculine plural. As v. 8 indicates, Noah and his sons are addressed.
Genesis 9:10 tn The verbal repetition is apparently for emphasis.
Genesis 9:11 tn The verb וַהֲקִמֹתִי (vahaqimoti) is a perfect with the vav (ו) consecutive and should be translated with the English present tense, just as the participle at the beginning of the speech was (v. 9). Another option is to translate both forms with the English future tense (“I will confirm”).
Genesis 9:11 tn Heb “all flesh.”
Genesis 9:11 tn Heb “cut off.”
Genesis 9:11 tn Heb “and all flesh will not be cut off again by the waters of the flood.”
Genesis 9:12 tn Heb “sign.”
Genesis 9:12 sn On the making of covenants in Genesis, see W. F. Albright, “The Hebrew Expression for ‘Making a Covenant’ in Pre-Israelite Documents,” BASOR 121 (1951): 21-22.
Genesis 9:12 tn Heb “between me and between you.”
Genesis 9:12 tn The words “a covenant” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
Genesis 9:12 tn The Hebrew term עוֹלָם (ʿolam) means “ever, forever, lasting, perpetual.” The covenant would extend to subsequent generations.
Genesis 9:13 tn The translation assumes that the perfect verbal form is used rhetorically, emphasizing the certainty of the action. Other translation options include “I have placed” (present perfect; cf. NIV, NRSV) and “I place” (instantaneous perfect; cf. NEB).
Genesis 9:13 sn The Hebrew word קֶשֶׁת (qeshet) normally refers to a warrior’s bow. Some understand this to mean that God the warrior hangs up his battle bow at the end of the flood, indicating he is now at peace with humankind, but others question the legitimacy of this proposal. See C. Westermann, Genesis, 1:473, and G. J. Wenham, Genesis (WBC), 1:196.
Genesis 9:13 tn The perfect verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive here has the same aspectual function as the preceding perfect of certitude.
Genesis 9:14 tn The temporal indicator (וְהָיָה, v^ehayah, conjunction + the perfect verb form), often translated “it will be,” anticipates a future development.
Genesis 9:15 tn Heb “which [is] between me and between you.”
Genesis 9:15 tn Heb “all flesh.”
Genesis 9:15 tn Heb “to destroy.”
Genesis 9:15 tn Heb “all flesh.”
Genesis 9:16 tn The translation assumes that the infinitive לִזְכֹּר (lizkor, “to remember”) here expresses the result of seeing the rainbow. Another option is to understand it as indicating purpose, in which case it could be translated, “I will look at it so that I may remember.”
Genesis 9:17 tn Heb “all flesh.”

Psalm 25:1-10

Psalm 25^[a]

By David.

25 O Lord, I come before you in prayer.^[b]
²My God, I trust in you.
Please do not let me be humiliated;
do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me.
³Certainly none who rely on you will be humiliated.
Those who deal in treachery will be thwarted^[c] and humiliated.
⁴Make me understand your ways, O Lord.
Teach me your paths.^[d]
⁵Guide me into your truth^[e] and teach me.
For you are the God who delivers me;
on you I rely all day long.
⁶Remember^[f] your compassionate and faithful deeds, O Lord,
for you have always acted in this manner.^[g]
⁷Do not hold against me^[h] the sins of my youth^[i] or my rebellious acts.
Because you are faithful to me, extend to me your favor, O Lord.^[j]
⁸The Lord is both kind and fair;^[k]
that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live.^[l]
⁹May he show^[m] the humble what is right.^[n]
May he teach^[o] the humble his way.
¹⁰The Lord always proves faithful and reliable^[p]
to those who follow the demands of his covenant.^[q]

Footnotes

Psalm 25:1 sn Psalm 25. The psalmist asks for divine protection, guidance and forgiveness as he affirms his loyalty to and trust in the Lord. This psalm is an acrostic; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet, except for v. 18, which, like v. 19, begins with ר (resh) instead of the expected ק (qof). The final verse, which begins with פ (pe), stands outside the acrostic scheme.
Psalm 25:1 tn Heb “to you, O Lord, my life I lift up.” To “lift up” one’s “life” to the Lord means to express one’s trust in him through prayer. See Pss 86:4; 143:8.
Psalm 25:3 tn Heb “those who deal in treachery in vain.” The adverb רֵיקָם (reqam, “in vain”) probably refers to the failure (or futility) of their efforts. Another option is to understand it as meaning “without cause” (cf. NIV “without excuse”; NRSV “wantonly treacherous”).
Psalm 25:4 sn Teach me your paths. In this context the Lord’s “ways” and “paths” refer to the moral principles which the Lord prescribes for his followers. See vv. 8-10.
Psalm 25:5 sn The Lord’s commandments are referred to as truth here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will.
Psalm 25:6 tn That is, “remember” with the intention of repeating.
Psalm 25:6 tn Heb “for from antiquity [are] they.”
Psalm 25:7 tn Heb “do not remember,” with the intention of punishing.
Psalm 25:7 sn That is, the sins characteristic of youths, who lack moral discretion and wisdom.
Psalm 25:7 tn Heb “according to your faithfulness, remember me, you, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.”
Psalm 25:8 tn Heb “good and just.”
Psalm 25:8 tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”
Psalm 25:9 tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.
Psalm 25:9 tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (ʿanavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.
Psalm 25:9 tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).
Psalm 25:10 tn Heb “all the paths of the Lord are faithful and trustworthy.” The Lord’s “paths” refer here to his characteristic actions.
Psalm 25:10 tn Heb “to the ones who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

1 Peter 3:18-22

¹⁸^[a] Because Christ also suffered^[b] once for sins,
the just for the unjust,^[c]
to bring you to God,
by being put to death in the flesh
but^[d] by being made alive in the spirit.^[e]
¹⁹In it^[f] he went and preached to the spirits in prison,^[g]

²⁰after they were disobedient long ago^[h] when God patiently waited^[i] in the days of Noah as an ark was being constructed. In the ark^[j] a few, that is eight souls, were delivered through water. ²¹And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you^[k]—not the washing off of physical dirt^[l] but the pledge^[m] of a good conscience to God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²²who went into heaven and is at the right hand of God^[n] with angels and authorities and powers subject to him.^[o]

Footnotes

1 Peter 3:18 sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
1 Peter 3:18 tc The variants here are legion (B. M. Metzger produces eight variants in a nice layout of the evidence [TCGNT 622]). Most of these variants involve pronouns, prepositions, or word order changes, but the major problem involves whether Christ “suffered” (ἔπαθεν, epathen) or “died” (ἀπέθανεν, apethanen). The witnesses that read ἀπέθανεν are P⁷² א*^,2 A C^vid Ψ 0285 5 436 442 614 630 945 1175 1241 1243 1505 1611 1735 1739 1852 2344; the witnesses that read ἔπαθεν are B L P 81 2492 M. Although the external evidence slightly favors ἀπέθανεν, such may be a secondary reading. Intrinsically, ἔπαθεν both fits the context better, especially the verbal link between v. 17 and v. 18 (note in particular the introductory causal ὅτι [hoti, “because”] and the emphatic καί [kai, “also”]), and fits the author’s style (1 Peter never uses ἀποθνῄσκω [apothnēskō], but uses πάσχω [paschō] 11 other times, more than any other NT book). However, scribes would most likely realize this, and might conform the verb in v. 18 to the author’s typical usage. It may be argued, however, that scribes tended to alter the text in light of more common NT idioms, and did not have as much sensitivity to the literary features in the immediate context. In this instance, it may not be insignificant that the NT collocates ἀποθνῄσκω with ἁμαρτία (hamartia, “sin”) seven other times, though only once (1 Cor 15:3) with a meaning similar to what would be demanded here, but collocates πάσχω with ἁμαρτία in only one other place, 1 Pet 4:1, where the meaning also detours from what is seen here. All in all, a decision is difficult, but ἔπαθεν is to be preferred slightly.
1 Peter 3:18 sn The reference to the just suffering for the unjust is an allusion to Isa 53:11-12.
1 Peter 3:18 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two phrases more than can be easily expressed in English.
1 Peter 3:18 sn Put to death in the flesh…made alive in the spirit. The contrast of flesh and spirit is not between two parts of Christ’s person (material versus immaterial) but between two broader modes of existence: the realm of unregenerate earthly life versus eternal heavenly life. The reference may not be to the Holy Spirit directly, but indirectly, since the Spirit permeates and characterizes the spiritual mode of existence. However, ExSyn 343 (n. 76) states “It is often objected that the Holy Spirit cannot be in view because the two datives of v 18 (σαρκί, πνεύματι [sarki, pneumati]) would then have a different syntactical force (sphere, means). But if 1 Pet 3:18 is a hymnic or liturgical fragment, this can be no objection because of ‘poetic license’: poetry is replete with examples of grammatical and lexical license, not the least of which is the use of the same morpho-syntactic categories, in parallel lines, with entirely different senses (note, e.g., the dat. expressions in 1 Tim 3:16).”
1 Peter 3:19 tn Grk “in which.” ExSyn 343 notes: “The antecedent of the RP [relative pronoun] is by no means certain. Some take it to refer to πνεύματι immediately preceding, the meaning of which might be either the Holy Spirit or the spiritual state. Others see the phrase as causal (‘for which reason,’ ‘because of this’), referring back to the entire clause, while still other scholars read the phrase as temporal (if so, it could be with or without an antecedent: ‘on which occasion’ or ‘meanwhile’). None of these options is excluded by syntax. It may be significant, however, that every other time ἐν ᾧ is used in 1 Peter it bears an adverbial/conjunctive force (cf. 1:6; 2:12; 3:16 [here, temporal]; 4:4).” Also, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
1 Peter 3:19 sn And preached to the spirits in prison. The meaning of this preaching and the spirits to whom he preached are much debated. It is commonly understood to be: (1) Christ’s announcement of his victory over evil to the fallen angels who await judgment for their role in leading the Noahic generation into sin; this proclamation occurred sometime between Christ’s death and ascension; or (2) Christ’s preaching of repentance through Noah to the unrighteous humans, now dead and confined in hell, who lived in the days of Noah. The latter is preferred because of the temporal indications in v. 20a and the wider argument of the book. These verses encourage Christians to stand for righteousness and try to influence their contemporaries for the gospel in spite of the suffering that may come to them. All who identify with them and their Savior will be saved from the coming judgment, just as in Noah’s day.
1 Peter 3:20 tn This reflects a Greek participle, literally “having been disobedient formerly,” that refers to the “spirits” in v. 19. Many translations take this as adjectival describing the spirits (“who had once been disobedient”; cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NLT, NRSV, TEV), but the grammatical construction strongly favors an adverbial interpretation describing the time of the preaching, as reflected above.
1 Peter 3:20 tn Grk “the patience of God waited.”
1 Peter 3:20 tn Grk “in which,” referring to the ark; the referent (the ark) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
1 Peter 3:21 tn Grk “which also, [as] an antitype, now saves you, [that is] baptism.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
1 Peter 3:21 tn Grk “the removal of the dirt of the flesh,” where flesh refers to the physical make-up of the body with no moral connotations.
1 Peter 3:21 tn Or “response”; “answer.”
1 Peter 3:22 tn Grk “who is at the right hand…having gone into heaven.”
1 Peter 3:22 tn Grk “angels…having been subjected to him.”

Mark 1:9-15

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

⁹Now^[a] in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River.^[b] ¹⁰And just as Jesus^[c] was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens^[d] splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.^[e] ¹¹And a voice came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son;^[f] in you I take great delight.”^[g] ¹²The Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness.^[h] ¹³He was in the wilderness forty days,^[i] enduring temptations from Satan. He^[j] was with wild animals, and angels were ministering to his needs.^[k]

Preaching in Galilee and the Call of the Disciples

¹⁴Now after John was imprisoned,^[l] Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel^[m] of God.^[n] ¹⁵He^[o] said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God^[p] is near. Repent and believe the gospel!”

Footnotes

Mark 1:9 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Mark 1:9 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
Mark 1:10 tn Grk “and immediately coming up out of the water, he saw.” The present participle has been translated temporally, with the subject (Jesus) specified for clarity.
Mark 1:10 tn Or “sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The same word is used in v. 11.
Mark 1:10 sn The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.
Mark 1:11 tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agapētos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).
Mark 1:11 tn Or “with you I am well pleased.”sn The allusions in the remarks of the text recall Ps 2:7a; Isa 42:1 and either Isa 41:8 or, less likely, Gen 22:12, 16. God is marking out Jesus as his chosen one (the meaning of “[in you I take] great delight”), but it may well be that this was a private experience that only Jesus and John saw and heard (cf. John 1:32-33).
Mark 1:12 sn The Judean Wilderness (or Judean Desert) is a geographical feature extending from the mountains of Judea in the west to the Dead Sea in the east. It is a relatively small desert, covering only about 600 square miles (roughly 1,500 square km). The Judean Wilderness is characterized by breathtaking panoramas: mountains, cliffs, chalk hills, and plateaus are interrupted by riverbeds and canyons, some of which are up to 1,500 feet (500 m) deep. Some of the rivers are seasonal streams and some have water all year round. The tall cliffs on the eastern edge of the desert reach a height of 1,000 feet (300 m) above the shore of the Dead Sea. The Judean Wilderness is close to Jerusalem and sparsely populated with few settlements around its edges. It is known for its rugged and desolate landscape, which has provided a refuge and hiding place for rebels and zealots throughout history, as well as solitude for monks and hermits.
Mark 1:13 sn The forty days may allude to the experience of Moses (Exod 34:28), Elijah (1 Kgs 19:8, 15), or David and Goliath (1 Sam 17:16).
Mark 1:13 tn Grk “And he.”
Mark 1:13 tn Grk “were serving him,” “were ministering to him.”
Mark 1:14 tn Or “arrested,” “taken into custody” (see L&N 37.12).
Mark 1:14 tc Most witnesses, including some significant ones (A D W Γ Δ 28^c 700 1241 1424 M lat sy), have τῆς βασιλείας (tēs basileias) between τὸ εὐαγγέλιον (to euangelion) and τοῦ θεοῦ (tou theou): “the gospel of the kingdom of God.” On the one hand, it is perhaps possible that τῆς βασιλείας was omitted to conform the expression to that which is found in the epistles (cf. Rom 1:1; 15:16; 2 Cor 11:7; 1 Thess 2:2, 8, 9; 1 Pet 4:17). On the other hand, this expression, “the gospel of God,” occurs nowhere else in the Gospels, while “the gospel of the kingdom” is a Matthean expression (Matt 4:23; 9:35; 24:14), and “kingdom of God” is pervasive in the synoptic Gospels (occurring over 50 times). Scribes would thus be more prone to add τῆς βασιλείας than to omit it. Further, the external support for the shorter reading (א B L Θ ƒ^1,13 28* 33 565 579 892 sa Or) is significantly stronger than that for the longer reading. There is little doubt, therefore, that the shorter reading is authentic.
Mark 1:14 tn The genitive in the phrase τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ (to euangelion tou theou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself.
Mark 1:15 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Mark 1:15 sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself.

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Footnotes

Psalm 25[a]

By David.

Footnotes

Footnotes

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Preaching in Galilee and the Call of the Disciples

Footnotes

Psalm 25^[a]