◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Psalm 113 (Praise to God who lifts up the lowly); Isaiah 42:14-21 (God is like a woman in labor); Luke 1:5-25 (Elizabeth will bear a child) (New English Translation)

Prev Day

December 22, 2021

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

December 2021
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Return to today's reading

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 113

Psalm 113^[a]

113 Praise the Lord.
Praise, you servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
²May the Lord’s name be praised
now and forevermore.
³From east to west^[b]
the Lord’s name is deserving of praise.
⁴The Lord is exalted over all the nations;
his splendor reaches beyond the sky.^[c]
⁵Who can compare to the Lord our God,
who sits on a high throne?^[d]
⁶He bends down to look^[e]
at the sky and the earth.
⁷He raises the poor from the dirt,
and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile,^[f]
⁸that he might seat him with princes,
with the princes of his people.
⁹He makes the barren woman of the family^[g]
a happy mother of children.^[h]
Praise the Lord.

Isaiah 42:14-21

¹⁴“I have been inactive^[a] for a long time;
I kept quiet and held back.
Like a woman in labor I groan;
I pant and gasp.^[b]
¹⁵I will make the trees on the mountains and hills wither up;^[c]
I will dry up all their vegetation.
I will turn streams into islands,^[d]
and dry up pools of water.^[e]
¹⁶I will lead the blind along an unfamiliar way;^[f]
I will guide them down paths they have never traveled.^[g]
I will turn the darkness in front of them into light,
and level out the rough ground.^[h]
This is what I will do for them.
I will not abandon them.
¹⁷Those who trust in idols
will turn back and be utterly humiliated,^[i]
those who say to metal images, ‘You are our gods.’

The Lord Reasons with His People

¹⁸“Listen, you deaf ones!
Take notice,^[j] you blind ones!
¹⁹My servant is truly blind,
my messenger is truly deaf.
My covenant partner,^[k] the servant of the Lord, is truly blind.^[l]
²⁰You see^[m] many things, but don’t comprehend;^[n]
their ears are open, but do not hear.”
²¹The Lord wanted to exhibit his justice
by magnifying his law and displaying it.^[o]

Footnotes

Isaiah 42:14 tn Heb “silent” (so NASB, NIV, TEV, NLT); CEV “have held my temper.”
Isaiah 42:14 sn The imagery depicts the Lord as a warrior who is eager to fight and can no longer hold himself back from the attack.
Isaiah 42:15 tn Heb “I will dry up the mountains and hills.” The “mountains and hills” stand by synecdoche for the trees that grow on them. Some prefer to derive the verb from a homonymic root and translate, “I will lay waste.”
Isaiah 42:15 tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will turn streams into coastlands [or “islands”].” Scholars who believe that this reading makes little sense have proposed an emendation of אִיִּים (ʾiyyim, “islands”) to צִיּוֹת (tsiyyot, “dry places”; cf. NCV, NLT, TEV). However, since all the versions support the MT reading, there is insufficient grounds for an emendation here. Although the imagery of changing rivers into islands is somewhat strange, J. N. Oswalt describes this imagery against the backdrop of rivers of the Near East. The receding of these rivers at times occasioned the appearance of previously submerged islands (Isaiah [NICOT], 2:126).
Isaiah 42:15 sn The imagery of this verse, which depicts the Lord bringing a curse of infertility to the earth, metaphorically describes how the Lord will destroy his enemies.
Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “a way they do not know” (so NASB); NRSV “a road they do not know.”
Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “in paths they do not know I will make them walk.”
Isaiah 42:16 tn Heb “and the rough ground into a level place.”
Isaiah 42:17 tn Heb “be ashamed with shame”; ASV, NASB “be utterly put to shame.”
Isaiah 42:18 tn Heb “look to see”; NAB, NCV “look and see”; NRSV “look up and see.”
Isaiah 42:19 tc The precise meaning of מְשֻׁלָּם (m^eshullam) in this context is uncertain. In later biblical Hebrew the form (which appears to be a Pual participle from the root שָׁלַם, shalam) occurs as a proper name, Meshullam. The Pual of שָׁלַם (“be complete”) is attested with the meaning “repaid, requited,” but that makes little sense here. BDB 1023 s.v. שָׁלַם relates the form to the denominative verb שָׁלַם (“be at peace”) and paraphrases “one in a covenant of peace” (J. N. Oswalt suggests “the covenanted one”; Isaiah [NICOT], 2:128, n. 59) Some emend the form to מֹשְׁלָם (mosh^elam, “their ruler”) or to מְשֻׁלָּחִי (m^eshullakhi, “my sent [or “commissioned”] one”), which fits nicely in the parallelism (note “my messenger” in the previous line). The translation above assumes an emendation to כְּמוֹ שֹׁלְמִי (k^emo shol^emi, “like my ally”). Isaiah uses כְּמוֹ in 30:22 and perhaps 51:5; for שֹׁלְמי (“my ally”) see Ps 7:5 HT (7:4 ET).
Isaiah 42:19 tn Heb “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like my messenger I send? Who is blind like my commissioned one, blind like the servant of the Lord?” The point of the rhetorical questions is that no one is as blind/deaf as this servant. In this context the Lord’s “servant” is exiled Israel (cf. 41:8-9), which is spiritually blind and deaf and has failed to fulfill God’s purpose for it. This servant stands in contrast to the ideal “Israel” of the servant songs.
Isaiah 42:20 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) has a perfect, second person masculine singular; the marginal reading (Qere) has an infinitive absolute, which functions here as a finite verb.
Isaiah 42:20 tn Heb “but you do not guard [i.e., retain in your memory]”; NIV “but have paid no attention.”
Isaiah 42:21 tn Heb “The Lord was pleased for the sake of his righteousness [or “justice”], he was magnifying [the] law and was making [it] glorious.” The Lord contrasts his good intentions for the people with their present crisis (v. 22). To demonstrate his just character and attract the nations, the Lord wanted to showcase his law among and through Israel (Deut 4:5-8). But Israel disobeyed (v. 24) and failed to carry out their commission.

Luke 1:5-25

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

⁵During the reign^[a] of Herod^[b] king of Judea, there lived a priest named Zechariah who belonged to^[c] the priestly division of Abijah,^[d] and he had a wife named Elizabeth,^[e] who was a descendant of Aaron.^[f] ⁶They^[g] were both righteous in the sight of God, following^[h] all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.^[i] ⁷But they did not have a child, because Elizabeth was barren,^[j] and they were both very old.^[k]

⁸Now^[l] while Zechariah^[m] was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,^[n] ⁹he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood,^[o] to enter^[p] the Holy Place^[q] of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰Now^[r] the whole crowd^[s] of people were praying^[t] outside at the hour of the incense offering.^[u] ¹¹An^[v] angel of the Lord,^[w] standing on the right side of the altar of incense, appeared^[x] to him. ¹²And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel,^[y] was seized with fear.^[z] ¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard,^[aa] and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you^[ab] will name him John.^[ac] ¹⁴Joy and gladness will come^[ad] to you, and many will rejoice at^[ae] his birth,^[af] ¹⁵for he will be great in the sight of^[ag] the Lord. He^[ah] must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.^[ai] ¹⁶He^[aj] will turn^[ak] many of the people^[al] of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go as forerunner before the Lord^[am] in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,^[an] to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

¹⁸Zechariah^[ao] said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this?^[ap] For I am an old man, and my wife is old as well.”^[aq] ¹⁹The^[ar] angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands^[as] in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring^[at] you this good news. ²⁰And now,^[au] because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time,^[av] you will be silent, unable to speak,^[aw] until the day these things take place.”

²¹Now^[ax] the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they began to wonder^[ay] why he was delayed in the Holy Place.^[az] ²²When^[ba] he came out, he was not able to speak to them. They^[bb] realized that he had seen a vision^[bc] in the Holy Place,^[bd] because^[be] he was making signs to them and remained unable to speak.^[bf] ²³When his time of service was over,^[bg] he went to his home.

²⁴After some time^[bh] his wife Elizabeth became pregnant,^[bi] and for five months she kept herself in seclusion.^[bj] She said,^[bk] ²⁵“This is what^[bl] the Lord has done for me at the time^[bm] when he has been gracious to me,^[bn] to take away my disgrace^[bo] among people.”^[bp]

Footnotes

Luke 1:5 tn Grk “It happened that in the days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 1:5 sn Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Palestine from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.
Luke 1:5 tn Grk “of,” but the meaning of the preposition ἐκ (ek) is more accurately expressed in contemporary English by the relative clause “who belonged to.”
Luke 1:5 sn There were twenty-four divisions of priesthood and the priestly division of Abijah was eighth on the list according to 1 Chr 24:10.
Luke 1:5 tn Grk “and her name was Elizabeth.”
Luke 1:5 tn Grk “a wife of the daughters of Aaron.”sn It was not unusual for a priest to have a wife from a priestly family (a descendant of Aaron); this was regarded as a special blessing.
Luke 1:6 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
Luke 1:6 tn Grk “walking in” (an idiom for one’s lifestyle).sn The description of Zechariah and Elizabeth as following…blamelessly was not to say that they were sinless, but that they were faithful and pious. Thus a practical righteousness is meant here (Gen 6:8; Deut 28:9).
Luke 1:6 tn The predicate adjective has the effect of an adverb here (BDF §243).
Luke 1:7 sn Elizabeth was barren. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth are regarded by Luke as righteous in the sight of God, following all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly (v. 6). With this language, reminiscent of various passages in the OT, Luke is probably drawing implicit comparisons to the age and barrenness of such famous OT personalities as Abraham and Sarah (see, e.g., Gen 18:9-15), the mother of Samson (Judg 13:2-5), and Hannah, the mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1:1-20). And, as it was in the case of these OT saints, so it is with Elizabeth: After much anguish and seeking the Lord, she too is going to have a son in her barrenness. In that day it was a great reproach to be childless, for children were a sign of God’s blessing (cf. Gen 1:28; Lev 20:20-21; Pss 127 and 128; Jer 22:30). As the dawn of salvation draws near, however, God will change this elderly couple’s grief into great joy and grant them the one desire time had rendered impossible.
Luke 1:7 tn Grk “were both advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).
Luke 1:8 tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 1:8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 1:8 tn Grk “serving as priest in the order of his division before God.”sn Zechariah’s division would be on duty twice a year for a week at a time.
Luke 1:9 tn Grk “according to the custom of the priesthood it fell to him by lot.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to make it clear that the prepositional phrase κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆς ἱερατείας (kata to ethos tēs hierateias, “according to the custom of the priesthood”) modifies the phrase “it fell to him by lot” rather than the preceding clause.
Luke 1:9 tn This is an aorist participle and is temporally related to the offering of incense, not to when the lot fell.
Luke 1:9 tn Or “temple.” Such sacrifices, which included the burning of incense, would have occurred in the holy place according to the Mishnah (m. Tamid 1.2; 3.1; 5-7). A priest would have given this sacrifice, which was offered for the nation, once in one’s career. It would be offered either at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m., since it was made twice a day.
Luke 1:10 tn Grk “And,” but “now” better represents the somewhat parenthetical nature of this statement in the flow of the narrative.
Luke 1:10 tn Grk “all the multitude.” While “assembly” is sometimes used here to translate πλῆθος (plēthos), that term usually implies in English a specific or particular group of people. However, this was simply a large group gathered outside, which was not unusual, especially for the afternoon offering.
Luke 1:10 tn The plural verb is used here on the probability that the crowd acted as individuals, each person praying on their own but at the same time. English versions are divided on how they handle this; see, e.g., NRSV, HCSB, which have the singular verb “was praying.”
Luke 1:10 tn The “hour of the incense offering” is another way to refer to the time of sacrifice.
Luke 1:11 tn Grk “And an angel.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.
Luke 1:11 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
Luke 1:11 sn This term is often used to describe a supernatural appearance (24:34; Acts 2:3; 7:2, 30, 35; 9:17; 13:31; 16:9; 26:16).
Luke 1:12 tn The words “the angel” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Luke 1:12 tn Or “and he was afraid”; Grk “fear fell upon him.” Fear is common when supernatural agents appear (1:29-30, 65; 2:9; 5:8-10; 9:34; 24:38; Exod 15:16; Judg 6:22-23; 13:6, 22; 2 Sam 6:9).
Luke 1:13 tn The passive means that the prayer was heard by God.sn Your prayer has been heard. Zechariah’s prayer while offering the sacrifice would have been for the nation, but the answer to the prayer also gave them a long hoped-for child, a hope they had abandoned because of their old age.
Luke 1:13 tn Grk “a son, and you”; καί (kai) has not been translated. Instead a semicolon is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Luke 1:13 tn Grk “you will call his name John.” The future tense here functions like a command (see ExSyn 569-70). This same construction occurs in v. 31.sn “Do not be afraid…you must call his name John.” This is a standard birth announcement (see Gen 16:11; Isa 7:14; Matt 1:21; Luke 1:31).
Luke 1:14 tn Grk “This will be joy and gladness.”
Luke 1:14 tn Or “because of.”
Luke 1:14 tn “At his birth” is more precise as the grammatical subject (1:58), though “at his coming” is a possible force, since it is his mission, as the following verses note, that will really bring joy.
Luke 1:15 tn Grk “before.”
Luke 1:15 tn Grk “and he”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.
Luke 1:15 tn Grk “even from his mother’s womb.” While this idiom may be understood to refer to the point of birth (“even from his birth”), Luke 1:41 suggests that here it should be understood to refer to a time before birth.sn He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. This is the language of the birth of a prophet (Judg 13:5, 7; Isa 49:1; Jer 1:5; Sir 49:7); see 1:41 for the first fulfillment.
Luke 1:16 tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 1:16 sn The word translated will turn is a good summary term for repentance and denotes John’s call to a change of direction (Luke 3:1-14).
Luke 1:16 tn Grk “sons,” but clearly this is a generic reference to people of both genders.
Luke 1:17 tn Grk “before him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 1:17 sn These two lines cover all relationships: Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children points to horizontal relationships, while (turn) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just shows what God gives from above in a vertical manner.
Luke 1:18 tn Grk “And Zechariah.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 1:18 tn Grk “How will I know this?”
Luke 1:18 tn Grk “is advanced in days” (an idiom for old age).
Luke 1:19 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 1:19 tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”
Luke 1:19 tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”
Luke 1:20 tn Grk “behold.”
Luke 1:20 sn The predicted fulfillment in the expression my words, which will be fulfilled in their time takes place in Luke 1:63-66.
Luke 1:20 sn Silent, unable to speak. Actually Zechariah was deaf and mute as 1:61-63 indicates, since others had to use gestures to communicate with him.
Luke 1:21 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
Luke 1:21 tn The imperfect verb ἐθαύμαζον (ethaumazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
Luke 1:21 tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.
Luke 1:22 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 1:22 tn Grk “and they.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 1:22 tn That is, “he had had a supernatural encounter in the holy place,” since the angel came to Zechariah by the altar. This was not just a “mental experience.”
Luke 1:22 tn Or “temple.” See the note on the phrase “the holy place” in v. 9.
Luke 1:22 tn Grk “and,” but the force is causal or explanatory in context.
Luke 1:22 tn Grk “dumb,” but this could be understood to mean “stupid” in contemporary English, whereas the point is that he was speechless.
Luke 1:23 tn Grk “And it happened that as the days of his service were ended.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Luke 1:24 tn Grk “After these days.” The phrase refers to a general, unspecified period of time that passes before fulfillment comes.
Luke 1:24 tn Or “Elizabeth conceived.”
Luke 1:24 sn The text does not state why Elizabeth withdrew into seclusion, nor is the reason entirely clear.
Luke 1:24 tn Grk “she kept herself in seclusion, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Luke 1:25 tn Grk “Thus.”
Luke 1:25 tn Grk “in the days.”
Luke 1:25 tn Grk “has looked on me” (an idiom for taking favorable notice of someone).
Luke 1:25 sn Barrenness was often seen as a reproach or disgrace (Lev 20:20-21; Jer 22:30), but now at her late age (the exact age is never given in Luke’s account), God had miraculously removed it (see also Luke 1:7).
Luke 1:25 tn Grk “among men,” but the context clearly indicates a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) here.

New English Translation (NET)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 113[a]

Footnotes

The Lord Reasons with His People

Footnotes

Birth Announcement of John the Baptist

Footnotes

Psalm 113^[a]