◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Psalm 85:8-13 (Listen to what God is saying); Amos 3:1-12 (Who can but prophesy?); Colossians 4:2-18 (Declaring the mystery of Christ) (New English Translation)

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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

Psalm 85:8-13

⁸I will listen to what God the Lord says.^[a]
For he will make^[b] peace with his people, his faithful followers.^[c]
Yet they must not^[d] return to their foolish ways.
⁹Certainly his loyal followers will soon experience his deliverance;^[e]
then his splendor will again appear in our land.^[f]
¹⁰Loyal love and faithfulness meet;^[g]
deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss.^[h]
¹¹Faithfulness grows from the ground,
and deliverance looks down from the sky.^[i]
¹²Yes, the Lord will bestow his good blessings,^[j]
and our land will yield^[k] its crops.
¹³Deliverance goes^[l] before him,
and prepares^[m] a pathway for him.^[n]

Footnotes

Psalm 85:8 sn I will listen. Having asked for the Lord’s favor, the psalmist (who here represents the nation) anticipates a divine word of assurance.
Psalm 85:8 tn Heb “speak.” The idiom “speak peace” refers to establishing or maintaining peaceful relations with someone (see Gen 37:4; Zech 9:10; cf. Ps 122:8).
Psalm 85:8 tn Heb “to his people and to his faithful followers.” The translation assumes that “his people” and “his faithful followers” are viewed as identical here.
Psalm 85:8 tn Or “yet let them not.” After the negative particle אֵל (ʾel), the prefixed verbal form is jussive, indicating the speaker’s desire or wish.
Psalm 85:9 tn Heb “certainly his deliverance [is] near to those who fear him.”
Psalm 85:9 tn Heb “to dwell, glory, in our land.” “Glory” is the subject of the infinitive. The infinitive with ל (lamed), “to dwell,” probably indicates result here (“then”). When God delivers his people and renews his relationship with them, he will once more reveal his royal splendor in the land.
Psalm 85:10 tn The psalmist probably uses the perfect verbal forms in v. 10 in a dramatic or rhetorical manner, describing what he anticipates as if it were already occurring or had already occurred.
Psalm 85:10 sn Deliverance and peace greet each other with a kiss. The psalmist personifies these abstract qualities to emphasize that God’s loyal love and faithfulness will yield deliverance and peace for his people.
Psalm 85:11 sn The psalmist already sees undeniable signs of God’s faithfulness and expects deliverance to arrive soon.
Psalm 85:12 tn Heb “what is good.”
Psalm 85:12 tn Both “bestow” and “yield” translate the same Hebrew verb (נָתַן, natan). The repetition of the word emphasizes that agricultural prosperity is the direct result of divine blessing.
Psalm 85:13 tn Or “will go.”
Psalm 85:13 tn Or “will prepare.”
Psalm 85:13 tn Heb “and it prepares for a way his footsteps.” Some suggest emending וְיָשֵׂם (v^eyasem, “and prepares”) to וְשָׁלוֹם (v^eshalom, “and peace”) since “deliverance” and “peace” are closely related earlier in v. 13. This could be translated, “and peace [goes ahead, making] a pathway for his footsteps” (cf. NEB).

Amos 3:1-12

Every Effect has its Cause

3 Listen, you Israelites, to this message that the Lord is proclaiming against^[a] you! This message is for the entire clan I brought up^[b] from the land of Egypt:

²“I have chosen^[c] you alone from all the clans of the earth.
Therefore I will punish you for all your sins.”
³Do two walk together without having met?^[d]
⁴Does a lion roar in the woods if he has not cornered his prey?^[e]
Does a young lion bellow from his den if he has not caught something?
⁵Does a bird swoop down into a trap on the ground if there is no bait?
Does a trap spring up from the ground unless it has surely caught something?
⁶If an alarm sounds^[f] in a city, do people not fear?^[g]
If disaster overtakes a^[h] city, is the Lord not responsible?^[i]
⁷Certainly the Sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
⁸A lion has roared!^[j] Who is not afraid?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken. Who can refuse to prophesy?^[k]

Samaria Will Fall

⁹Make this announcement in^[l] the fortresses of Ashdod
and in the fortresses in the land of Egypt.
Say this:
“Gather on the hills around Samaria!^[m]
Observe the many acts of violence^[n] taking place within the city,^[o]
the oppressive deeds^[p] occurring in it.”^[q]
¹⁰“They do not know how to do what is right,” the Lord says.

“They store up^[r] the spoils of destructive violence^[s] in their fortresses.
¹¹Therefore,” says the Sovereign Lord, “an enemy will encircle the land.^[t]
He will take away your power;^[u]
your fortresses will be looted.”

¹²This is what the Lord says:

“Just as a shepherd salvages from the lion’s mouth a couple of leg bones or a piece of an ear,
so the Israelites who live in Samaria will be salvaged.^[v]
They will be left with just a corner of a bed,^[w]
and a part^[x] of a couch.

Footnotes

Amos 3:1 tn Or “about.”
Amos 3:1 tn One might expect a third person verb form (“he brought up”), since the Lord apparently refers to himself in the third person in the preceding sentence. This first person form, however, serves to connect this message to the earlier indictment (2:10) and anticipates the words of the following verse.
Amos 3:2 tn Heb “You only have I known.” The Hebrew verb יָדַע (yadaʿ) is used here in its covenantal sense of “recognize in a special way.”
Amos 3:3 sn The rhetorical questions in vv. 3-5 expect the answer, “No, of course not!” Those in v. 6 anticipate the answer, “Yes, of course they do/he is.” They all draw attention to the principle of cause and effect and lay the logical foundation for the argument in vv. 7-8. Also note the progression from a general question in v. 3 to the “meetings” of two animals (v. 4), to that of an animal and a human trap (v. 5), to a climax with the confrontation with the Lord (v. 6). Each of these meetings is disastrous.
Amos 3:4 tn Heb “without having prey [or “food”].”
Amos 3:6 tn Heb “If the ram’s horn is blown.”
Amos 3:6 tn Or “tremble” (NASB, NIV, NCV); or “shake.”
Amos 3:6 tn Heb “is in”; cf. NIV, NCV, NLT “comes to.”
Amos 3:6 tn Heb “has the Lord not acted?”
Amos 3:8 sn The roar of the lion is here a metaphor for impending judgment (see 1:2; cf. 3:4, 12). Verses 7-8 justify Amos’ prophetic ministry and message of warning and judgment. The people should expect a prophetic message prior to divine action.
Amos 3:8 sn Who can refuse to prophesy? When a message is revealed, the prophet must speak, and the news of impending judgment should cause people to fear.
Amos 3:9 tn Heb “on” or “over” (also later in this verse).
Amos 3:9 sn Samaria might refer here both to the region and to the capital city (later known as Sebaste). On the other hand, there actually are hills that surround the mound upon which the city was built. The implication is that the nations can come and sit and see from those hills the sin of the capital city and its judgment.
Amos 3:9 tn The Hebrew noun carries the nuance of “panic” or “confusion.” Here it refers metonymically to the violent deeds that terrorize the oppressed.
Amos 3:9 tn Heb “in her midst” (so NAB, NASB); cf. NIV “among her people.”
Amos 3:9 tn The translation assumes the form is an abstract plural (see Job 35:9; Eccl 4:1). Another option is to understand the form as a substantival passive participle and translate, “the oppressed” (so KJV).
Amos 3:9 tn Heb “within her.”
Amos 3:10 tn Heb “those who.”
Amos 3:10 tn Heb “violence and destruction.” The expression “violence and destruction” stand metonymically for the goods the oppressors have accumulated by their unjust actions.
Amos 3:11 tc The MT reads “an enemy and around the land.” It is also possible to take the MT as an exclamation (“an enemy, and all about the land!”; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 118; NJPS; cf. NLT). Most scholars and versions emend the text to יְסוֹבֵב (y^esovev, Polel imperfect), “will encircle.”
Amos 3:11 tn Heb “He will bring down your power from you.” Some emend the text to read, “Your power will be brought down from you.” The shift, however, from an active to a passive sense also appears at 3:14 (“I will destroy Bethel’s altars. The horns of the altar will be cut off.”) The pronouns (“your…you”) are feminine singular, indicating that the personified city of Samaria is addressed here. Samaria’s “power” here is her defenses and/or wealth.
Amos 3:12 sn The verb translated salvaged, though often used in a positive sense of deliverance from harm, is here employed in a sarcastic manner. A shepherd would attempt to salvage part of an animal to prove that a predator had indeed killed it. In this way he could prove that he had not stolen the missing animal and absolve himself from any responsibility to repay the owner (see Exod 22:12-13).
Amos 3:12 tn Heb “with a corner of a bed.”
Amos 3:12 tn The meaning of the Hebrew word דְּמֶשֶׁק (d^emesheq), which occurs only here, is uncertain. If not emended, it is usually related to the term דַּמֶּשֶׂק (dammeseq) and translated as the “Damask linens” of the bed (cf. NASB “the cover”) or as “in Damascus” (so KJV, NJB, NIV). The differences in spelling (Damascus is spelled correctly in 5:27), historical considerations, and the word order make both of these derivations unlikely. Many emendations have been proposed (e.g., “a part from the foot [of a bed],” based on a different division of the Hebrew letters (cf. NEB, NRSV); and “on the edge,” based on a Hebrew term not attested in the Bible (NKJV). Some suggest a resemblance to an Akkadian term that means “sideboard [of a bed],” which is sometimes incorrectly rendered “headboard” (NJPS; see S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 121-22). Most likely another part of a bed or couch is in view, but it is difficult to be more specific.

Colossians 4:2-18

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

²Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. ³At the same time pray^[a] for us too, that^[b] God may open a door for the message^[c] so that we may proclaim^[d] the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.^[e] ⁴Pray that I may make it known as I should.^[f] ⁵Conduct yourselves^[g] with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. ⁶Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.

Personal Greetings and Instructions

⁷Tychicus, a dear brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave^[h] in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.^[i] ⁸I sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing^[j] and that he may encourage your hearts. ⁹I sent him^[k] with Onesimus, the faithful and dear brother, who is one of you.^[l] They will tell^[m] you about everything here.

¹⁰Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him). ¹¹And Jesus who is called Justus also sends greetings. In terms of Jewish converts,^[n] these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. ¹²Epaphras, who is one of you and a slave^[o] of Christ,^[p] greets you. He is always struggling in prayer on your behalf, so that you may stand mature and fully assured^[q] in all the will of God. ¹³For I can testify that he has worked hard^[r] for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. ¹⁴Our dear friend Luke the physician and Demas^[s] greet you. ¹⁵Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters^[t] who are in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her^[u] house.^[v] ¹⁶And after^[w] you have read this letter, have it read^[x] to the church of Laodicea. In turn, read the letter from Laodicea^[y] as well. ¹⁷And tell Archippus, “See to it that you complete the ministry you received in the Lord.”

¹⁸I, Paul, write this greeting by my own hand.^[z] Remember my chains.^[aa] Grace be with you.^[ab]

Footnotes

Colossians 4:3 tn Though προσευχόμενοι (proseuchomenoi) is an adverbial participle related to the previous imperative, προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite), it is here translated as an independent clause due to requirements of contemporary English style.
Colossians 4:3 tn The ἵνα (hina) clause has been rendered as substantival here, indicating the content of the prayer rather than the purpose for it. These two ideas are very similar and difficult to differentiate in this passage, but the conjunction ἵνα following a verb of praying is generally regarded as giving the content of the prayer.
Colossians 4:3 tn Grk “that God may open for us a door of the word to speak the mystery of Christ.” The construction in Greek is somewhat awkward in this clause. The translation attempts to simplify this structure somewhat and yet communicate exactly what Paul is asking for.
Colossians 4:3 tn Or “so that we may speak.”
Colossians 4:3 tn Or “in prison.”
Colossians 4:4 tn The phrase begins with the ἵνα (hina) clause and is subordinate to the imperative προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite) in v. 2. The reference to the idea that Paul must make it known indicates that this clause is probably best viewed as purpose and not content, like the ἵνα of v. 3. It is the second purpose stated in the context; the first is expressed through the infinitive λαλῆσαι (lalēsai) in v. 3. The term “pray” at the beginning of the sentence is intended to pick up the imperative of v. 3.
Colossians 4:5 tn Grk “walk.” The verb περιπατέω (peripateō) is a common NT idiom for one’s lifestyle, behavior, or manner of conduct (L&N 41.11).
Colossians 4:7 tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.
Colossians 4:7 tn Grk “all things according to me.”
Colossians 4:8 tn Grk “the things concerning us.”
Colossians 4:9 tn The Greek sentence continues v. 9 with the phrase “with Onesimus,” but this is awkward in English, so the verb “I sent” was inserted and a new sentence started at the beginning of v. 9 in the translation.
Colossians 4:9 tn Grk “is of you.”
Colossians 4:9 tn Grk “will make known to you.” This has been simplified in the translation to “will tell.”
Colossians 4:11 tn Grk “those of the circumcision.” The verse as a whole is difficult to translate because it is unclear whether Paul is saying (1) that the only people working with him are Jewish converts at the time the letter is being written or previously, or (2) that Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus Justus were the only Jewish Christians who ever worked with him. Verses 12-14 appear to indicate that Luke and Demas, who were Gentiles, were also working currently with Paul. This is the view adopted in the translation. See M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 207-8.
Colossians 4:12 tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.
Colossians 4:12 tc ‡ Strong Alexandrian testimony, along with some other witnesses, suggests that ᾿Ιησοῦ (Iēsou, “Jesus”) follows Χριστοῦ (Christou, “Christ”; so א A B C I L 0278 33 81 365 629 1175 2464 al lat), but the evidence for the shorter reading is diverse (P⁴⁶ D F G Ψ 075 1505 1739 1881 M it sy Ambst Hier), cutting across all major textual groups. There can be little motivation for omitting the name of Jesus; hence, the shorter reading is judged to be that of the initial text. NA²⁸ has ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.
Colossians 4:12 tn Or “filled.”
Colossians 4:13 tn Grk “pain.” This word appears only three times in the NT outside of this verse (Rev 16:10, 11; 21:4) where the translation “pain” makes sense. For the present verse it has been translated “worked hard.” See BDAG 852 s.v. πόνος 1.
Colossians 4:14 sn Demas is most likely the same individual mentioned in Phlm 24 and 2 Tim 4:10. Apparently, he later on abandoned the faith because of his love of the world.
Colossians 4:15 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
Colossians 4:15 tc If the name Nympha is accented with a circumflex on the ultima (Νυμφᾶν, Numphan), then it refers to a man; if it receives an acute accent on the penult (Νύμφαν), the reference is to a woman. Scribes that considered Nympha to be a man’s name had the corresponding masculine pronoun αὐτοῦ here (autou, “his”; so D [F G] Ψ [1505] M), while those who saw Nympha as a woman read the feminine αὐτῆς here (autēs, “her”; B 0278 6 1739^[*^] 1881 sa). Several mss (א A C P 075 33 81 104 326 1175 2464 bo) have αὐτῶν (autōn, “their”), perhaps because of indecisiveness on the gender of Nympha, perhaps because they included ἀδελφούς (adelphous, here translated “brothers and sisters”) as part of the referent. The harder reading is certainly αὐτῆς, and thus Nympha should be considered a woman.
Colossians 4:15 tn Grk “the church in her house.” The meaning is that Paul sends greetings to the church that meets at Nympha’s house.
Colossians 4:16 tn Grk “when.”
Colossians 4:16 tn The construction beginning with the imperative ποιήσατε ἵνα…ἀναγνωσθῇ (poiēsate hina…anagnōsthē) should be translated as “have it read” where the conjunction ἵνα functions to mark off its clause as the direct object of the imperative ποιήσατε. The content of the clause (“reading the letter”) is what Paul commands with the imperative ποιήσατε. Thus the translation “have it read” has been used here.
Colossians 4:16 sn This letter is otherwise unknown, but some have suggested that it is the letter known today as Ephesians.
Colossians 4:18 tn Grk “the greeting by my hand, of Paul.”
Colossians 4:18 tn Or “my imprisonment.”
Colossians 4:18 tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (א² D Ψ 075 0278 M lat sy), conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amēn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the external evidence for the omission is quite compelling (א* A B C F G 048 6 33 81 1739* 1881 sa). The strongly preferred reading is therefore the omission of ἀμήν.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Footnotes

Every Effect has its Cause

Samaria Will Fall

Footnotes

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

Personal Greetings and Instructions

Footnotes