Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Unbelieving Fool
For the director of music. By mahalath [C perhaps “sickness”]. A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David.
53 Fools say ·to themselves [L in their hearts],
“There is no God [C Psalm 14 largely parallels this psalm].”
·Fools are evil [L They are corrupt] and do ·terrible [detestable] things [Deut. 32:5];
none of them does anything good.
2 God looked down from heaven on all people
to see if anyone was ·wise [insightful],
if anyone was ·looking to God for help [seeking God].
3 But all have ·turned [wandered] away.
Together, everyone has become ·evil [perverse];
none of them does anything good.
Not a single person [Rom. 3:10–12].
4 Don’t ·the wicked [L those who do evil] ·understand [know]?
They ·destroy [consume; L eat] my people as if they were ·eating [consuming] bread.
They do not ·ask God for help [call on God].
5 The wicked are ·filled [terrified] with terror
where there ·had been nothing to [L was no] fear.
God will scatter the bones of ·your enemies [the godless].
You will ·defeat [shame; humiliate] them,
because God has rejected them.
6 I pray that ·victory [salvation] will come to Israel from Mount Zion [C the location of the Temple, the house of God]!
May God ·bring them back [restore the fortunes of his people; C perhaps at the end of the exile].
Then the people of Jacob will rejoice,
and the people of Israel will be glad.
The Day of Cleansing
26 The Lord said to Moses, 27 “The Day of ·Cleansing [Atonement] will be on the tenth day of the seventh month. There will be a holy ·meeting [convocation], and you will deny yourselves and bring an offering made by fire to the Lord. 28 Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of ·Cleansing [Atonement]. On that day the priests will go before the Lord and ·perform the acts to make you clean from sin so you will belong to the Lord [make atonement for you].
29 “Anyone who ·refuses to give up food [or does not deny himself] on this day must be cut off from the people. 30 If anyone works on this day, I will destroy that person from among the people. 31 You must not do any work at all; this ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] will continue ·for people from now on [L throughout your generations] wherever you live. 32 It will be a special day of rest for you, and you must ·deny yourselves [or fast]. You will start this special day of rest on the evening after the ninth day of the month, and it will continue from that evening until the next evening [ch. 16; Num. 9:7–11].”
The Feast of Shelters
33 Again the Lord said to Moses, 34 “Tell the ·people [L sons; children] of Israel: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the ·Feast [Festival] of ·Shelters [Booths]. This ·feast [festival] to the Lord will continue for seven days. 35 There will be a holy ·meeting [convocation] on the first day; do not do any work. 36 You will bring an offering made by fire to the Lord each day for seven days. On the eighth day you will have another holy ·meeting [convocation], and you will bring an offering made by fire to the Lord. This will be a holy ·meeting [convocation]; do not do any work.
37 (“‘These are the Lord’s special ·feasts [festivals], when there will be holy ·meetings [convocations] and when you bring offerings made by fire to the Lord. You will bring whole burnt offerings [1:1–17], ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [2:1], sacrifices, and drink offerings—each at the right time. 38 These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbath days, in addition to offerings you give as payment for ·special promises [vows], and in addition to ·special offerings you want to give to the Lord [freewill offerings].)
39 “‘So on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered in the crops of the land, celebrate the Lord’s ·festival [feast] for seven days. You must rest on the first day and the eighth day. 40 On the first day you will take good fruit from the fruit trees, as well as branches from palm trees, poplars, and other leafy trees. You will celebrate before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 Celebrate this ·festival [feast] to the Lord for seven days each year. This ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] will continue ·from now on [L throughout your generations]; you will celebrate it in the seventh month.
People in Heaven Praise God
19 After ·this vision and announcement [L these things] I heard ·what sounded like a great many people [L the loud voice/sound of a great crowd] in heaven saying:
“·Hallelujah! [C From the Hebrew meaning “Praise the Lord/Yahweh!]
Salvation, ·glory [honor], and power belong to our God,
2 because his judgments are true and ·right [just].
He has ·punished [judged] the [L great] ·prostitute [whore]
who ·made the earth evil [corrupted the earth] with her ·sexual sin [fornication].
He has ·paid her back for [avenged] the ·death [L blood] of his servants [which she shed; L by her hand].”
3 Again they said:
“Hallelujah [see 19:1]!
She is burning [C implied by the context], and her smoke will rise forever and ever.”
4 Then the twenty-four elders [4:4] and the four living creatures ·bowed [fell] down and worshiped God, who sits on the throne. They said:
“Amen [C meaning, “So be it!”], Hallelujah [see 19:1]!”
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
“Praise our God, all ·you who serve him [his servants/slaves]
and all you who ·honor [L fear; Prov. 1:7] him, both small and great!”
6 Then I heard ·what sounded like a great many people [L the voice/sound of a great crowd], like the noise of ·flooding water [many waters], and like the noise of loud thunder. The people were saying:
“Hallelujah [19:1]!
[L For] Our Lord God, the ·Almighty [All-powerful], ·rules [reigns].
7 Let us rejoice and ·be happy [exult]
and give ·God [L him] ·glory [honor],
because the ·wedding [marriage] of the Lamb has come,
and the Lamb’s bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and ·clean [pure], was given to her to wear.”
(The fine linen ·means [is; stands for] the ·good things done by God’s holy people [L righteousness/righteous deeds of the saints/holy ones].)
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