Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer for Protection
43 God, defend me.
·Argue my case [L Vindicate me, O God, and contend for/defend me] against ·those who don’t follow you [L a godless nation].
·Save [Rescue; T Deliver] me from ·liars [deceivers] and those who ·do evil [are unjust].
2 God, you are my ·strength [L refuge].
Why have you rejected me?
Why am I ·sad [L going around in mourning]
and ·troubled [oppressed] by my enemies?
3 Send me your light and ·truth [faithfulness]
to ·guide [lead] me.
Let them ·lead [bring] me to your holy mountain [C Zion, the location of the Temple],
to ·where you live [your dwelling].
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God who is my joy and happiness.
I will praise you with a ·harp [lyre],
God, my God.
5 Why ·am I so sad [L are you downcast, my soul]?
Why ·am I so upset [are you groaning/in an uproar]?
I ·should [or will] ·put my hope in [wait for] God
and ·keep praising [or will again praise] him,
my ·Savior [Victor] and my God.
27 A man of God [C a prophet] came to Eli and said, “·This is what the Lord says [T Thus says the Lord]: ‘·I [L Did I not…?] clearly showed myself to the ·family [L house] of your ·ancestor Aaron [father] when in Egypt they were slaves to ·the king of Egypt [L Pharaoh’s house]. 28 ·I chose [L Did I not choose…?] them from all the tribes of Israel to be my priests. I wanted them to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the ·holy vest [L ephod in my presence/before me]. ·I [L Did I not…?] also let the ·family [L house] of your ·ancestor [father] have ·part of all [all] the offerings by fire sacrificed by the Israelites. 29 So why ·don’t you respect [do you scorn/trample/look greedily at; L kick at] the sacrifices and ·gifts [offerings that I have commanded/prescribed]? You honor your sons ·more than [above] me. You ·grow fat [fatten yourselves] on the ·best [choicest] parts of the meat the Israelites bring to me.’
30 “So the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I promised that your ·family [L house] and your ·ancestor’s family [father’s house] would ·serve [minister/walk before] me always.’ But now the Lord says: ‘·This must stop [Far be it from me]! I will honor those who honor me, but I will ·dishonor [despise; have contempt for] those who ·ignore [disdain] me. 31 The ·time [day] is coming when I will ·destroy [L break/cut off the strength of] the ·descendants [L seed] of both you and your ·ancestors [L father’s house]. No ·man [one] will ·grow old [reach old age] in your family. 32 You will ·see trouble in my house. No matter what good things happen to Israel, [or watch with envy/distress/greedy eyes on all the prosperity I pour out on Israel. But] there will never be an old ·man [person] in your family [22:11–23]. 33 I will ·not totally cut off your family from my altar. But […keep one of you alive at my altar so that] your eyes will cry and your heart be sad, because all your descendants will die.
34 “‘·I will give you a [This will be your] sign. Both your sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day [4:1–22]. 35 Then I will ·choose [L raise up] a loyal priest ·for myself [or myself] who will ·listen to me and do what I want [act according to what is in my heart and soul/mind]. I will ·make his family continue [build him an enduring family/house], and he will always ·serve before [walk/go in and out before] my ·appointed king [anointed one; 1 Kin. 2:26–27]. 36 Then everyone left in your ·family [L house] will come and bow down before him. They will beg for a ·little money [piece of silver] or a ·little food [loaf of bread] and say, “Please give me ·a job as priest [some priestly duty/work] so I can ·have food to eat [eat a morsel of bread].”’”
The Jews and the Law
17 What about you? You call yourself a Jew. You ·trust in [rely on] the ·law of Moses [L law] and ·brag that you are close to God [L boast in God]. 18 You know ·what he wants you to do [his will] and ·what is important [can discern/test what is best/superior], because you have ·learned [been instructed in] the law. 19 You ·think [are convinced/confident that] you are a guide for the blind and a light for those who are in darkness. 20 You think you ·can show foolish people what is right [L are an instructor to the foolish] and ·teach [L a teacher for] ·those who know nothing [the immature/ignorant; or children/infants]. You have the law; so you think you ·know everything and have all truth [L have the embodiment/formulation of knowledge and truth]. 21 You teach others, so why don’t you teach yourself? You ·tell [preach to] others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say that others must not commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You ·hate [abhor; detest] idols, but do you steal from temples [C perhaps (1) profiting by selling stolen idols to Gentiles; or (2) withholding what is due to God and so “robbing” his temple]? 23 You ·brag [boast] about ·having God’s law [L the law], but do you ·bring shame to [dishonor] God by breaking his law? 24 It is just as the Scriptures say: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you [Is. 52:5; Ezek. 36:20].”
25 If you follow the law, your circumcision [C a key distinctive of Jewish identity; Gen. 17] has ·meaning [value; benefit]. But if you ·break [transgress; disobey] the law, it is as if you were never circumcised. 26 If those who are not circumcised ·do [keep; obey] ·what the law says [or the law’s righteous requirements], it is as if they were circumcised. 27 Those who are not circumcised in their bodies, but still ·obey [fulfill; carry out] the law, will ·pass judgment on [condemn] you who, though having the written law and circumcision, ·break [transgress; disobey] the law. 28 They can do this because a person is not a true Jew if he is only a Jew ·in his physical body [L by (physical) appearance]; true circumcision is not ·only on the outside of the body [L the appearance of the flesh]. 29 A person is a Jew only if he is a Jew ·inside [inwardly]; true circumcision is done in the heart by the Spirit, not by the written law. Such a person gets praise from God rather than from people.
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