◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Deuteronomy 30:9-14 (God delights in your fruitfulness); Psalm 25:1-10 (Show me your ways); Colossians 1:1-14 (The gospel is bearing fruit); Luke 10:25-37 (The parable of the merciful Samaritan) (New English Translation)

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July 10, 2022

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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

Deuteronomy 30:9-14

⁹The Lord your God will make the labor of your hands^[a] abundantly successful and multiply your children,^[b] the offspring of your cattle, and the produce of your soil. For the Lord will once more^[c] rejoice over you to make you prosperous^[d] just as he rejoiced over your ancestors, ¹⁰if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this scroll of the law. But you must turn to him^[e] with your whole mind and being.

Exhortation to Covenant Obedience

¹¹“This commandment I am giving^[f] you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it too remote. ¹²It is not in heaven, as though one must say, ‘Who will go up to heaven to get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ ¹³And it is not across the sea, as though one must say, ‘Who will cross over to the other side of the sea and get it for us and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ ¹⁴For the thing is very near you—it is in your mouth and in your mind^[g] so that you can do it.

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.”

Colossians 1:1-14

Salutation

1 From Paul,^[a] an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, ²to the saints, the faithful^[b] brothers and sisters^[c] in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you^[d] from God our Father!^[e]

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

³We always^[f] give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴since^[g] we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. ⁵Your faith and love have arisen^[h] from the hope laid up^[i] for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel^[j] ⁶that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel^[k] is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing^[l] among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth. ⁷You learned the gospel^[m] from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave^[n]—a^[o] faithful minister of Christ on our^[p] behalf— ⁸who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

⁹For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you,^[q] have not ceased praying for you and asking God^[r] to fill^[s] you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰so that you may live^[t] worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects^[u]—bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of^[v] all patience and steadfastness, joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share^[w] in the saints’^[x] inheritance in the light. ¹³He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves,^[y] ¹⁴in whom we have redemption,^[z] the forgiveness of sins.

Footnotes

Colossians 1:1 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
Colossians 1:2 tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated (cf. Eph 1:1). See ExSyn 281-82.
Colossians 1:2 tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).
Colossians 1:2 tn Or “Grace to you and peace.”
Colossians 1:2 tc Most witnesses, including some significant ones (א A C F G I [P] 075 2464 M it bo Hier), read “and the Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of this verse, no doubt to conform the wording to the typical Pauline salutation. However, excellent and early witnesses (B D K L Ψ 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 al sa Ambst) lack this phrase. Since the omission is inexplicable as arising from the longer reading (otherwise, these mss would surely have deleted the phrase in the rest of the corpus Paulinum), it is surely authentic.
Colossians 1:3 tn The adverb πάντοτε (pantote) is understood to modify the indicative εὐχαριστοῦμεν (eucharistoumen) because it precedes περὶ ὑμῶν (peri humōn) which probably modifies the indicative and not the participle προσευχόμενοι (proseuchomenoi). But see 1:9 where the same expression occurs and περὶ ὑμῶν modifies the participle “praying” (προσευχόμενοι).
Colossians 1:4 tn The adverbial participle ἀκούσαντες (akousantes) is understood to be temporal and translated with “since.” A causal idea may also be in the apostle’s mind, but the context emphasizes temporal ideas, e.g., “from the day” (v. 6).
Colossians 1:5 tn Col 1:3-8 form one long sentence in the Greek text and have been divided at the end of v. 4 and v. 6 and within v. 6 for clarity, in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English toward shorter sentences. Thus the phrase “Your faith and love have arisen from the hope” is literally “because of the hope.” The perfect tense “have arisen” was chosen in the English to reflect the fact that the recipients of the letter had acquired this hope at conversion in the past, but that it still remains and motivates them to trust in Christ and to love one another.
Colossians 1:5 tn BDAG 113 s.v. ἀπόκειμαι 2 renders ἀποκειμένην (apokeimenēn) with the expression “reserved” in this verse.
Colossians 1:5 tn The term “the gospel” (τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, tou euangeliou) is in apposition to “the word of truth” (τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, tō logō tēs alētheias) as indicated in the translation.
Colossians 1:6 tn Grk “just as in the entire world it is bearing fruit.” The antecedent (“the gospel”) of the implied subject (“it”) of ἐστιν (estin) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Colossians 1:6 tn Though the participles are periphrastic with the present tense verb ἐστίν (estin), the presence of the temporal indicator “from the day” in the next clause indicates that this is a present tense that reaches into the past and should be translated as “has been bearing fruit and growing.” For a discussion of this use of the present tense, see ExSyn 519-20.
Colossians 1:7 tn Or “learned it.” The Greek text simply has “you learned” without the reference to “the gospel,” but “the gospel” is supplied to clarify the sense of the clause. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Colossians 1:7 tn The Greek word translated “fellow slave” is σύνδουλος (sundoulos); the σύν- prefix here denotes association. Though δοῦλος is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households.
Colossians 1:7 tn The Greek text has “who (ὅς, hos) is a faithful minister.” The above translation conveys the antecedent of the relative pronoun quite well and avoids the redundancy with the following substantival participle of v. 8, namely, “who told” (ὁ δηλώσας, ho dēlōsas).
Colossians 1:7 tc ‡ Judging by the superior witnesses for the first person pronoun ἡμῶν (hēmōn, “us”; P⁴⁶ א* A B D* F G 326* 1505) vs. the second person pronoun ὑμῶν (humōn, “you”; found in א² C D¹ Ψ 075 33 1175 1739 1881 2464 M lat sy co), ἡμῶν should be regarded as the initial reading. Although it is possible that ἡμῶν was an early alteration of ὑμῶν (either unintentionally, as dittography, since it comes seventeen letters after the previous ἡμῶν; or intentionally, to conform to the surrounding first person pronouns), this supposition is difficult to maintain in light of the varied and valuable witnesses for this reading. Further, the second person is both embedded in the verb ἐμάθετε (emathete) and is explicit in v. 8 (ὑμῶν). Hence, the motivation to change to the first person pronoun is counterbalanced by such evidence. The second person pronoun may have been introduced unintentionally via homoioarcton with the ὑπέρ (huper) that immediately precedes it. As well, the second person reading is somewhat harder for it seems to address Epaphras’ role only in relation to Paul and his colleagues, rather than in relation to the Colossians. Nevertheless, the decision must be based ultimately on external evidence (since the internal evidence can be variously interpreted), and this strongly supports ἡμῶν.
Colossians 1:9 tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.
Colossians 1:9 tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.
Colossians 1:9 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.
Colossians 1:10 tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripatēsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseuchomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”
Colossians 1:10 tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”
Colossians 1:11 tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.
Colossians 1:12 tn BDAG 473 s.v. ἱκανόω states, “τινὰ εἴς τι someone for someth. Col 1:12.” The point of the text is that God has qualified the saints for a “share” or “portion” in the inheritance of the saints.
Colossians 1:12 tn Grk “the inheritance of the saints.” The genitive noun τῶν ἁγίων (tōn hagiōn) is a possessive genitive: “the saints’ inheritance.”
Colossians 1:13 tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).
Colossians 1:14 tc διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ (dia tou haimatos autou, “through his blood”) is read at this juncture by several minuscule mss (614 630 1505 2464) as well as a few, mostly secondary, versional and patristic witnesses. But the reading was prompted by the parallel in Eph 1:7 where the wording is solid. If these words had been in the original of Colossians, why would scribes omit them here but not in Eph 1:7? Further, the testimony on behalf of the shorter reading is quite overwhelming: א A B C D F G Ψ 075 0150 6 33 1739 1881 M latt co as well as several other versions and fathers. The conviction that “through his blood” is not authentic in Col 1:14 is as strong as the conviction that these words are authentic in Eph 1:7.

Luke 10:25-37

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

²⁵Now^[a] an expert in religious law^[b] stood up to test Jesus,^[c] saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^[d] ²⁶He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?”^[e] ²⁷The expert^[f] answered, “Love^[g] the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,^[h] and love your neighbor as yourself.”^[i] ²⁸Jesus^[j] said to him, “You have answered correctly;^[k] do this, and you will live.”

²⁹But the expert,^[l] wanting to justify^[m] himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” ³⁰Jesus replied,^[n] “A man was going down^[o] from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat^[p] him up, and went off, leaving him half dead.^[q] ³¹Now by chance^[r] a priest was going down that road, but^[s] when he saw the injured man^[t] he passed by^[u] on the other side.^[v] ³²So too a Levite, when he came up to^[w] the place and saw him,^[x] passed by on the other side. ³³But^[y] a Samaritan^[z] who was traveling^[aa] came to where the injured man^[ab] was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him.^[ac] ³⁴He^[ad] went up to him^[ae] and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil^[af] and wine on them. Then^[ag] he put him on^[ah] his own animal,^[ai] brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵The^[aj] next day he took out two silver coins^[ak] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’^[al] ³⁶Which of these three do you think became a neighbor^[am] to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” ³⁷The expert in religious law^[an] said, “The one who showed mercy^[ao] to him.” So^[ap] Jesus said to him, “Go and do^[aq] the same.”

Footnotes

Luke 10:25 tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
Luke 10:25 tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law (see also Luke 7:30, where the same term occurs).
Luke 10:25 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 10:25 sn The combination of inherit with eternal life asks, in effect, “What must I do to be saved?”
Luke 10:26 tn Grk “How do you read?” The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Luke 10:27 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (the expert in religious law, shortened here to “the expert”) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Luke 10:27 tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).
Luke 10:27 sn A quotation from Deut 6:5. The fourfold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.
Luke 10:27 tn This portion of the reply is a quotation from Lev 19:18. The verb is repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
Luke 10:28 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Luke 10:28 sn Jesus commends the reply (you have answered correctly). What is assumed here, given the previous context, is that he will respond to Jesus’ message, as to love God is to respond to his Son; see v. 22.
Luke 10:29 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (the expert in religious law, shortened here to “the expert”) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 10:29 tn Or “vindicate.”sn The expert in religious law picked up on the remark about the neighbor and sought to limit his responsibility for loving. Some believed this obligation would only be required toward the righteous (Sir 12:1-4). The lawyer was trying to see if that was right and thus confidently establish his righteousness (wanting to justify himself).
Luke 10:30 tn Grk “answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “replied.”
Luke 10:30 sn The journey from Jerusalem to Jericho was 17 mi (27 km), descending some 3425 ft (1044 m) in altitude. It was known for its danger because the road ran through areas of desert and caves where the robbers hid.
Luke 10:30 tn Grk “and beat,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
Luke 10:30 sn That is, in a state between life and death; severely wounded.
Luke 10:31 sn The phrase by chance adds an initial note of hope and fortune to the expectation in the story.
Luke 10:31 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context between the priest’s expected action (helping the victim) and what he really did.
Luke 10:31 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the injured man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 10:31 sn It is not said why the priest passed by and refused to help. It is not relevant to the point of the parable that no help was given in the emergency situation.
Luke 10:31 sn The text suggests that the priest went out of his way (on the other side) not to get too close to the scene.
Luke 10:32 tn Here κατά (kata) has been translated “up to”; it could also be translated “upon.”
Luke 10:32 tn The clause containing the aorist active participle ἐλθών (elthōn) suggests that the Levite came up to the place, took a look, and then moved on.
Luke 10:33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context between the previous characters (considered by society to be examples of piety and religious duty) and a hated Samaritan.
Luke 10:33 tn This is at the beginning of the clause, in emphatic position in the Greek text.
Luke 10:33 tn The participle ὁδεύων (hodeuōn) has been translated as an adjectival participle (cf. NAB, NASB, TEV); it could also be taken temporally (“while he was traveling,” cf. NRSV, NIV).
Luke 10:33 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the injured man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 10:33 tn “Him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The verb means “to feel compassion for,” and the object of the compassion is understood.sn Here is what made the Samaritan different: He felt compassion for him. In the story, compassion becomes the concrete expression of love. The next verse details explicitly six acts of compassion.
Luke 10:34 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Instead, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Luke 10:34 tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text but are implied. The participle προσελθών (proselthōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Luke 10:34 sn The ancient practice of pouring olive oil on wounds was designed to ease pain and provide cleansing for the wounds (Isa 1:6).
Luke 10:34 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Because of the length and complexity of this Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
Luke 10:34 tn It is not clear whether the causative nuance of the verb included actual assistance or not (“helped him on” versus “had him get on”; see L&N 15.98), but in light of the severity of the man’s condition as described in the preceding verses, some degree of assistance was almost certainly needed.
Luke 10:34 sn His own animal refers to a riding animal, presumably a donkey, but not specified.
Luke 10:35 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 10:35 tn Grk “two denarii.”sn The two silver coins were denarii. A denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s pay for a laborer; this would be an amount worth about two days’ pay.
Luke 10:35 tn Grk “when I come back”; the words “this way” are part of an English idiom used to translate the phrase.
Luke 10:36 sn Jesus reversed the question the expert in religious law asked in v. 29 to one of becoming a neighbor by loving. “Do not think about who they are, but who you are,” was his reply.
Luke 10:37 tn Grk “And he”; the referent (the expert in religious law) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Luke 10:37 sn The neighbor did not do what was required (that is why his response is called mercy) but had compassion and out of kindness went the extra step that shows love. See Mic 6:8. Note how the expert in religious law could not bring himself to admit that the example was a Samaritan, someone who would have been seen as a racial half-breed and one not worthy of respect. So Jesus makes a second point that neighbors may appear in surprising places.
Luke 10:37 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the concluding summary.
Luke 10:37 tn This recalls the verb of the earlier reply in v. 28.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Exhortation to Covenant Obedience

Footnotes

Psalm 25[a]

By David.

Footnotes

Salutation

Paul’s Thanksgiving and Prayer for the Church

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

Footnotes

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

Footnotes

Psalm 25^[a]