◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Isaiah 50:4-9a (The servant is vindicated by God); Psalm 116:1-9 (I will walk in God’s presence); James 3:1-12 (Dangers of the unbridled tongue); Mark 8:27-38 (Peter’s confession of faith) (New English Translation)

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September 12, 2027

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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

Isaiah 50:4-9

The Servant Perseveres

⁴The Sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,^[a]
so that I know how to help the weary.^[b]
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.^[c]
⁵The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly;^[d]
I have not rebelled,
I have not turned back.
⁶I offered my back to those who attacked,^[e]
my jaws to those who tore out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insults and spitting.
⁷But the Sovereign Lord helps me,
so I am not humiliated.
For that reason I am steadfastly resolved;^[f]
I know I will not be put to shame.
⁸The one who vindicates me is close by.
Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other!^[g]
Who is my accuser?^[h] Let him challenge me!^[i]
⁹Look, the Sovereign Lord helps me.
Who dares to condemn me?
Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;
a moth will eat away at them.

Psalm 116:1-9

Psalm 116^[a]

116 I love the Lord
because he heard my plea for mercy,^[b]
²and listened to me.^[c]
As long as I live, I will call to him when I need help.^[d]
³The ropes of death tightened around me,^[e]
the snares^[f] of Sheol confronted me.
I was confronted^[g] with trouble and sorrow.
⁴I called on the name of the Lord,
“Please, Lord, rescue my life!”
⁵The Lord is merciful and fair;
our God is compassionate.
⁶The Lord protects^[h] the untrained;^[i]
I was in serious trouble^[j] and he delivered me.
⁷Rest once more, my soul,^[k]
for the Lord has vindicated you.^[l]
⁸Yes,^[m] Lord,^[n] you rescued my life from death,
kept my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.
⁹I will serve^[o] the Lord
in the land^[p] of the living.

Footnotes

Psalm 116:1 sn Psalm 116. The psalmist thanks the Lord for delivering him from a life threatening crisis and promises to tell the entire covenant community what God has done for him.
Psalm 116:1 tn Heb “I love because the Lord heard my voice, my pleas.” It is possible that “the Lord” originally appeared directly after “I love” and was later accidentally misplaced. The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a preterite. The psalmist recalls that God heard his cry for help (note the perfect in v. 2a and the narrative in vv. 3-4).
Psalm 116:2 tn Heb “because he turned his ear to me.”
Psalm 116:2 tn Heb “and in my days I will cry out.”
Psalm 116:3 tn Heb “surrounded me.”
Psalm 116:3 tn The Hebrew noun מֵצַר (metsar, “straits; distress”) occurs only here, Ps 118:5 and Lam 1:3. If retained, it refers to Sheol as a place where one is confined or severely restricted (cf. BDB 865 s.v. מֵצַר, “the straits of Sheol”; NIV “the anguish of the grave”; NRSV “the pangs of Sheol”). However, HALOT 624 s.v. מֵצַר suggests an emendation to מְצָדֵי (m^etsade, “snares of”), a rare noun attested in Job 19:6 and Eccl 7:26. This proposal, which is reflected in the translation, produces better parallelism with “ropes” in the preceding line.
Psalm 116:3 tn The translation assumes the prefixed verbal form is a preterite. The psalmist recalls the crisis from which the Lord delivered him.
Psalm 116:6 tn Heb “guards.” The active participle indicates this is a characteristic of the Lord.
Psalm 116:6 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly. See Ps 19:7.
Psalm 116:6 tn Heb “I was low.”
Psalm 116:7 tn Heb “return, my soul, to your place of rest.”
Psalm 116:7 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ʿal) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense (cf. Ps 13:5).
Psalm 116:8 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 116:8 tn “Lord” is supplied here in the translation for clarification.
Psalm 116:9 tn Heb “walk before” (see Ps 56:13). On the meaning of the Hebrew idiom, see the notes at 2 Kgs 20:3/Isa 38:3.
Psalm 116:9 tn Heb “lands, regions.”

James 3:1-12

The Power of the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,^[a] because you know that we will be judged more strictly.^[b] ²For we all stumble^[c] in many ways. If someone does not stumble^[d] in what he says,^[e] he is a perfect individual,^[f] able to control the entire body as well. ³And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies.^[g] ⁴Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. ⁵So too the tongue is a small part of the body,^[h] yet it has great pretensions.^[i] Think^[j] how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze. ⁶And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents^[k] the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It^[l] pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence—and is set on fire by hell.^[m]

⁷For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature^[n] is subdued and has been subdued by humankind.^[o] ⁸But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless^[p] evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless the Lord^[q] and Father, and with it we curse people^[r] made in God’s image. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters.^[s] ¹¹A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? ¹²Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters,^[t] or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water.

Footnotes

James 3:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
James 3:1 tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”
James 3:2 tn Or “fail.”
James 3:2 tn Or “fail.”
James 3:2 tn Grk “in speech.”
James 3:2 tn The word for “man” or “individual” is ἀνήρ (anēr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” But it sometimes is used generically to mean “anyone,” “a person,” as here (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. 2).
James 3:3 tn Grk “their entire body.”
James 3:5 tn Grk “a small member.”
James 3:5 tn Grk “boasts of great things.”
James 3:5 tn Grk “Behold.”
James 3:6 tn Grk “makes itself,” “is made.”
James 3:6 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
James 3:6 sn The word translated hell is “Gehenna” (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (“Valley of Hinnom”). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2; 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).
James 3:7 tn Grk (plurals), “every kind of animals and birds, of reptiles and sea creatures.”
James 3:7 tn Grk “the human species.”
James 3:8 tc Most mss (C Ψ 1611 1739^c 1244 M as well as a few versions and fathers) read “uncontrollable” (ἀκατασχετόν, akatascheton), while most of the more significant witnesses (א A B K P 1175 1243 1735 1739* latt co) have “restless” (ἀκατάστατον, akatastaton). Externally, the latter reading should be preferred. Internally, however, things get a bit more complex. The notion of being uncontrollable is well suited to the context, especially as a counterbalance to v. 8a, though for this very reason scribes may have been tempted to replace ἀκατάστατον with ἀκατασχετόν. In a semantically parallel early Christian text, ἀκατάστατος (akatastatos) was considered strong enough of a term to denounce slander as “a restless demon” (Herm. 27:3). On the other hand, ἀκατάστατον may have been substituted for ἀκατασχετόν by way of assimilation to 1:8 (especially since both words were relatively rare, scribes may have replaced the less familiar with one that was already used in this letter). On internal evidence, it is difficult to decide, though ἀκατασχετόν is slightly preferred. However, in light of the strong support for ἀκατάστατον, and the less-than-decisive internal evidence, ἀκατάστατον is deemed more likely to be the initial reading.
James 3:9 tc Most later mss (M), along with several versional witnesses, have θεόν (theon, “God”) here instead of κύριον (kurion, “Lord”). Such is a predictable variant since nowhere else in the NT is God described as “Lord and Father,” but he is called “God and Father” on several occasions. Further, the reading κύριον is well supported by early and diversified witnesses (P²⁰ א A B C P Ψ 33 81 945 1241 1739), rendering it as the overwhelmingly preferred reading.
James 3:9 tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anthrōpous) has generic force, referring to both men and women.
James 3:10 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
James 3:12 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

Mark 8:27-38

Peter’s Confession

²⁷Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples,^[a] “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸They said,^[b] “John the Baptist, others say Elijah,^[c] and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him,^[d] “You are the Christ.”^[e] ³⁰Then^[f] he warned them not to tell anyone about him.^[g]

First Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

³¹Then^[h] Jesus^[i] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer^[j] many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law,^[k] and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²He spoke openly about this. So^[l] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”^[m]

Following Jesus

³⁴Then^[n] Jesus^[o] called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower,^[p] he must deny^[q] himself, take up his cross,^[r] and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life^[s] will lose it,^[t] but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel^[u] will save it. ³⁶For what benefit is it for a person^[v] to gain the whole world, yet^[w] forfeit his life? ³⁷What can a person give in exchange for his life? ³⁸For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him^[x] when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Footnotes

Mark 8:27 tn Grk “he asked his disciples, saying to them.” The phrase λέγων αὐτοῖς (legōn autois) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Mark 8:28 tn Grk “And they said to him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
Mark 8:28 sn The appearance of Elijah would mean that the end time had come. According to 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah.
Mark 8:29 tn Grk “Answering, Peter said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “Peter answered him.”
Mark 8:29 tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn The term χριστός (christos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus’ last name.
Mark 8:30 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the conclusion of the episode.
Mark 8:30 sn Mark 8:27-10:52. The entire section 8:27-10:52 is built around three passion predictions of Jesus (8:31; 9:31; 10:33). These predictions form the structure of the section, the content for the section (Jesus’ suffering, death, and the meaning of genuine discipleship) and the mood of the section (i.e., a somber mood). What is interesting is that after each passion prediction, Mark records both the misunderstanding of the disciples and then Jesus’ teaching on the nature of his death and what genuine discipleship is all about: (1) denying oneself (8:34-38); (2) humility and serving (9:33-37); (3) suffering, humble service, and not lording it over people (10:35-45). For further discussion of the structure of the passage, see W. L. Lane, Mark (NICNT), 292-94.
Mark 8:31 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 8:31 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 8:31 sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis, since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
Mark 8:31 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 1:22.
Mark 8:32 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate Peter’s rebuke is in response to Jesus’ teaching about the suffering of the Son of Man.
Mark 8:33 tn Grk “people’s.”
Mark 8:34 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Mark 8:34 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Mark 8:34 tn Grk “to follow after me.”
Mark 8:34 tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.
Mark 8:34 sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.
Mark 8:35 tn Grk “soul” (throughout vv. 35-37). The Greek ψυχή (psuchē) has many different meanings depending on the context. The two primary meanings here are the earthly life (animate life, sometimes called “physical life”) and the inner life (the life that transcends the earthly life, sometimes called “the soul”). The fact that the Greek term can have both meanings creates in this verse both a paradox and a wordplay. The desire to preserve both aspects of ψυχή (psuchē) for oneself creates the tension here (cf. BDAG 1099 s.v. 1.a; 2.d,e). Translation of the Greek term ψυχή (psuchē) presents a particularly difficult problem in this verse. Most English versions since the KJV have translated the term “life.” This preserves the paradox of finding one’s “life” (in the sense of earthly life) while at the same time really losing it (in the sense of “soul” or transcendent inner life) and vice versa, but at the same time it obscures the wordplay that results from the same Greek word having multiple meanings. To translate as “soul,” however, gives the modern English reader the impression of the immortal soul at the expense of the earthly life. On the whole it is probably best to use the translation “life” and retain the paradox at the expense of the wordplay.
Mark 8:35 sn The Greek word translated life can refer to both earthly, physical life and inner, transcendent life (one’s “soul”). In the context, if a person is not willing to suffer the world’s rejection and persecution in order to follow Jesus but instead seeks to retain his physical life, then that person will lose both physical life and inner, transcendent life (at the judgment). On the other hand, the one who willingly gives up earthly, physical life to follow Jesus (“loses his life because of me and because of the gospel”) will ultimately find one’s “soul” (note that the parallel in John’s Gospel speaks of “guarding one’s ‘soul’ for eternal life” (John 12:25).
Mark 8:35 tn Or “for my sake and for the gospel.” The traditional rendering “for my sake” can be understood in the sense of “for my benefit,” but the Greek term ἕνεκα (heneka) indicates the cause or reason for something (BDAG 334 s.v. 1). Here the phrase “because of” was repeated before “the gospel” for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
Mark 8:36 tn Grk “a man,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used in a generic sense here to refer to both men and women.
Mark 8:36 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
Mark 8:38 sn How one responds now to Jesus and his teaching is a reflection of how Jesus, as the Son of Man who judges, will respond then in the final judgment.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Servant Perseveres

Footnotes

Psalm 116[a]

Footnotes

The Power of the Tongue

Footnotes

Peter’s Confession

First Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Following Jesus

Footnotes

Psalm 116^[a]