Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Thanksgiving for Victory
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.
9 I will ·praise [or give thanks to] you, Lord, with all my heart.
I will ·tell [recount] all ·the miracles you have done [your wonderful deeds].
2 I will be happy and rejoice because of you;
God Most High, I will sing praises to your name.
3 My enemies turn back;
they ·are overwhelmed [L stumble] and ·die [perish] ·because of [or before] you.
4 You have ·heard [upheld; maintained] my ·complaint [just cause; or right and my cause];
you sat on your throne and judged ·by what was right [righteously].
5 You ·spoke strongly against the [rebuked; reproved] foreign nations and destroyed the wicked;
you ·wiped out [blotted out; erased] their names forever and ever.
6 The enemy is ·gone [done; a ruin] forever.
You ·destroyed [uprooted] their cities;
·no one even remembers them [L their memory perishes].
7 But the Lord ·rules [is enthroned; L sits] forever.
He ·sits on his throne to judge [L has established his throne for justice/judgment],
8 and he will judge the world ·in fairness [with righteousness];
he will decide what is fair for the ·nations [peoples; 96:10; 98:9].
9 The Lord ·defends [L is a refuge for] those who ·suffer [are oppressed/exploited];
·he defends them [L a refuge] in times of ·trouble [distress].
10 Those who know ·the Lord [L your name] trust ·him [L you],
because ·he [L you] will not ·leave [abandon; forsake] those who ·come to him [L seek you; Deut. 31:6, 8; Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5].
11 Sing praises to the Lord who ·is king on Mount [L dwells on] Zion [C the location of the Temple].
Tell ·the nations [L among the peoples] what he has done.
12 ·He remembers who the murderers are [or The one who avenges blood remembers them; C God];
he will not forget the cries of those who suffer.
13 Lord, ·have mercy on [be gracious toward] me.
See how ·my enemies [L those who hate me] ·hurt [afflict; persecute] me.
·Do not let me go through [L Lift me up from] the gates of death.
14 Then, at the gates of ·Jerusalem [the daughter of Zion; C a name of Jerusalem], I will ·praise you [L declare your praises];
I will rejoice ·because you saved me [L in your salvation].
The Vision of the Measuring Line
2 Then I looked up and saw a man holding a line for measuring things. 2 I asked him, “Where are you going?”
He said to me, “I am going to measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.”
3 Then the ·angel [messenger] who was talking with me left, and another ·angel [messenger] came out to meet him. 4 The second ·angel [messenger] said to him, “Run and tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will become a city without walls, because there will be so many people and ·cattle [livestock] in it. 5 I will be a wall of fire around it,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will be the glory within it.’
The Vision of the Flying Scroll
5 I ·looked up again [L turned and lifted my eyes] and saw a flying scroll.
2 ·The angel [L He] asked me, “What do you see?”
I answered, “I see a flying scroll, ·thirty feet [L twenty cubits] long and ·fifteen feet [L ten cubits] wide.”
3 And he said to me, “This is the curse that ·will go [or is going out] all over the land. One side says every thief will be ·taken away [banished; purged]. The other side says everyone who ·makes false promises [swears falsely] will be ·taken away [banished; purged]. 4 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, ‘I will send it to the houses of thieves and to those who ·use my name to make false promises [swear falsely]. The scroll will stay in that person’s house and destroy it with its wood and stones.’”
Final Instructions and Greetings
12 Now, brothers and sisters, we ask you to ·appreciate [acknowledge; respect] those who work hard among you, who ·lead [or care for] you in the Lord and ·teach [instruct; admonish] you. 13 ·Respect [Regard; Esteem] them ·with a very special [or very highly with your] love because of the work they do.
Live in peace with each other. 14 We ·ask [urge; exhort; encourage] you, brothers and sisters, to ·warn [admonish; rebuke] those who ·do not work [are idle; or are undisciplined]. ·Encourage [Comfort] the people who are ·afraid [apprehensive; fainthearted; discouraged]. Help those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 ·Be sure [See to it] that no one pays back ·wrong [evil] for ·wrong [evil], but always ·try to do [strive for; L pursue] what is good for each other and for all people.
16 Always ·be joyful [rejoice]. 17 Pray ·continually [without ceasing], 18 and give thanks ·whatever happens [in all circumstances; in everything]. That is ·what God wants [God’s will] for you in Christ Jesus.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.