◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Zephaniah 3:14-20 (Rejoice in God); Isaiah 12:2-6 (In your midst is the Holy One of Israel); Philippians 4:4-7 (Rejoice the Lord is near); Luke 3:7-18 (One more powerful is coming) (New English Translation)

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December 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

Zephaniah 3:14-20

¹⁴Shout for joy, Daughter Zion!^[a]
Shout out, Israel!
Be happy and boast with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵The Lord has removed the judgment against you;^[b]
he has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s king, the Lord, is in your midst!
You no longer need to fear disaster.
¹⁶On that day they will say^[c] to Jerusalem,
“Don’t be afraid, Zion!
Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic!^[d]
¹⁷The Lord your God is in your midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in you;^[e]
he renews you by his love;^[f]
he shouts for joy over you.”^[g]
¹⁸“As for those who grieve because they cannot attend the festivals—
I took them away from you;
they became tribute and were a source of shame to you.^[h]
¹⁹Look, at that time I will deal with those who mistreated you.
I will rescue the lame sheep^[i]
and gather together the scattered sheep.
I will take away their humiliation
and make the whole earth admire and respect them.^[j]
²⁰At that time I will lead you—
at the time I gather you together.^[k]
Be sure of this!^[l] I will make all the nations of the earth respect and admire you^[m]
when you see me restore you,”^[n] says the Lord.

Footnotes

Zephaniah 3:14 sn This phrase is used as an epithet for the city and the nation. “Daughter” may seem extraneous in English but consciously joins the various epithets and metaphors of Israel and Jerusalem as a woman, a device used to evoke sympathy from the reader.
Zephaniah 3:15 tn Heb “your judgments,” that is, “the judgments directed against you.” The translation reflects the implications of the parallelism.
Zephaniah 3:16 tn Heb “it will be said.” The passive construction has been translated as active for stylistic reasons.
Zephaniah 3:16 tn Heb “your hands must not go limp.”
Zephaniah 3:17 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with jubilation.” The term שִׂמְכָּה (simkah) can mean joy or the expression of joy. In light of the last line of the verse, this line may imply shouts of joy.
Zephaniah 3:17 tc The MT reads, “he remains silent in his love,” a Hiphil form of the stative verb חָרַשׁ (kharash, “to be silent, deaf”). But this does not make sense in light of the expressions of joy in the preceding and following lines. All other cases of the Hiphil of this verb mean to act silently, maintain silence, or the like. This is normal for stative verbs in the Hiphil, where they often mean to behave with the attribute expressed by the root. Some commentators appeal to Job 11:3 as a possible causative use, “Should your boasting silence men?” But in fact the verse should be understood as “should men remain silent at your boasts?” The LXX reads “he will renew you with his love,” implying יְחַדֵּשׁ (y^ekhaddesh), a Piel from the root חָדַשׁ (khadash, “to make new, restore”). This assumes the confusion of ד (dalet) and ר (resh) in the MT. The direct object “you” should be understood either through ellipsis or by possible haplography, with the כ (kaf) having been dropped before the similar looking ב (bet) beginning the next word. Renewal is a fitting concept after judgment (cf. Lam 5:21).
Zephaniah 3:17 tn Heb “he rejoices over you with a shout of joy.”
Zephaniah 3:18 tn Heb “The ones grieving from an assembly I gathered from you they were, tribute upon her, a reproach.” Any translation of this difficult verse must be provisional at best. The present translation assumes three things: (1) The preposition מִן (min) prefixed to “assembly” is causal (the individuals are sorrowing because of the assemblies or festivals they are no longer able to hold). (2) מַשְׂאֵת (masʾet) means “tribute” and refers to the exiled people being treated as the spoils of warfare (see R. D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah [WEC], 385-86). (3) The third feminine singular suffix refers to personified Jerusalem, which is addressed earlier in the verse (the pronominal suffix in “from you” is second feminine singular). For other interpretive options see Adele Berlin, Zephaniah (AB 25A), 146.
Zephaniah 3:19 tn The word “sheep” is supplied for clarification. As in Mic 4:6-7, the exiles are here pictured as injured and scattered sheep whom the divine shepherd rescues from danger.
Zephaniah 3:19 tn Heb “I will make them into praise and a name, in all the earth, their shame.” The present translation assumes that “their shame” specifies “them” and that “name” stands here for a good reputation.
Zephaniah 3:20 tn In this line the second person pronoun is masculine plural, indicating that the exiles are addressed.
Zephaniah 3:20 tn Or “for.”
Zephaniah 3:20 tn Heb “I will make you into a name and praise among all the peoples of the earth.” Here the word “name” carries the nuance of “good reputation.”
Zephaniah 3:20 tn Heb “when I restore your fortunes to your eyes.” See the note on the phrase “restore them” in 2:7.

Isaiah 12:2-6

²Look, God is my deliverer!^[a]
I will trust in him^[b] and not fear.
For the Lord gives me strength and protects me;^[c]
he has become my deliverer.”^[d]
³Joyfully you will draw water
from the springs of deliverance.^[e]
⁴At that time^[f] you will say:
“Praise the Lord!
Ask him for help!^[g]
Publicize his mighty acts among the nations.
Make it known that he is unique.^[h]
⁵Sing to the Lord, for he has done magnificent things;
let this be known^[i] throughout the earth.
⁶Cry out and shout for joy, O citizens of Zion,
for the Holy One of Israel^[j] acts mightily^[k] among you!”

Philippians 4:4-7

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice! ⁵Let everyone see your gentleness.^[a] The Lord is near! ⁶Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds^[b] in Christ Jesus.

Luke 3:7-18

⁷So John^[a] said to the crowds^[b] that came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers!^[c] Who warned you to flee^[d] from the coming wrath? ⁸Therefore produce^[e] fruit^[f] that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say^[g] to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^[h] For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!^[i] ⁹Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees,^[j] and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be^[k] cut down and thrown into the fire.”

¹⁰So^[l] the crowds were asking^[m] him, “What then should we do?” ¹¹John^[n] answered them,^[o] “The person who has two tunics^[p] must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise.” ¹²Tax collectors^[q] also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³He told them, “Collect no more^[r] than you are required to.”^[s] ¹⁴Then some soldiers^[t] also asked him, “And as for us—what should we do?”^[u] He told them, “Take money from no one by violence^[v] or by false accusation,^[w] and be content with your pay.”

¹⁵While the people were filled with anticipation^[x] and they all wondered^[y] whether perhaps John^[z] could be the Christ,^[aa] ¹⁶John answered them all,^[ab] “I baptize you with water,^[ac] but one more powerful than I am is coming—I am not worthy^[ad] to untie the strap^[ae] of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.^[af] ¹⁷His winnowing fork^[ag] is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse,^[ah] but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.”^[ai]

¹⁸And in this way,^[aj] with many other exhortations, John^[ak] proclaimed good news to the people.

Footnotes

Luke 3:7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 3:7 sn The crowds. It is interesting to trace references to “the crowd” in Luke. It is sometimes noted favorably, other times less so. The singular appears 25 times in Luke while the plural occurs 16 times. Matt 3:7 singles out the Sadducees and Pharisees here.
Luke 3:7 tn Or “snakes.”
Luke 3:7 sn The rebuke “Who warned you to flee…?” compares the crowd to snakes who flee their desert holes when the heat of a fire drives them out.
Luke 3:8 tn The verb here is ποιέω (poieō; see v. 4).
Luke 3:8 tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit” (so NIV; cf. Matt 3:8 where the singular καρπός is found). Some other translations render the plural καρπούς as “fruits” (e.g., NRSV, NASB, NAB, NKJV).
Luke 3:8 tn In other words, “do not even begin to think this.”
Luke 3:8 sn We have Abraham as our father. John’s warning to the crowds really assumes two things: (1) A number of John’s listeners apparently believed that simply by their physical descent from Abraham, they were certain heirs of the promises made to the patriarch, and (2) God would never judge his covenant people lest he inadvertently place the fulfillment of his promises in jeopardy. In light of this, John tells these people two things: (1) they need to repent and produce fruit in keeping with repentance, for only that saves from the coming wrath, and (2) God will raise up “children for Abraham from these stones” if he wants to. Their disobedience will not threaten the realization of God’s sovereign purposes.
Luke 3:8 sn The point of the statement God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham is that ancestry or association with a tradition tied to the great founder of the Jewish nation is not an automatic source of salvation.
Luke 3:9 sn Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees. The imagery of an “ax already laid at the root of the trees” is vivid, connoting sudden and catastrophic judgment for the unrepentant and unfruitful. The image of “fire” serves to further heighten the intensity of the judgment referred to. It is John’s way of summoning all people to return to God with all their heart and avoid his unquenchable wrath soon to be poured out. John’s language and imagery is probably ultimately drawn from the OT where Israel is referred to as a fruitless vine (Hos 10:1-2; Jer 2:21-22) and the image of an “ax” is used to indicate God’s judgment (Ps 74:5-6; Jer 46:22).
Luke 3:9 tn Grk “is”; the present tense (ἐκκόπτεται, ekkoptetai) has futuristic force here.
Luke 3:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the consequential nature of the people’s response.
Luke 3:10 tn Though this verb is imperfect, in this context it does not mean repeated, ongoing questions, but simply a presentation in vivid style as the following verbs in the other examples are aorist.
Luke 3:11 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 3:11 tn Grk “Answering, he said to them.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “answered them.”
Luke 3:11 tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, chitōn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
Luke 3:12 sn The Roman system of taxation was frequently characterized by “tax farming” where an individual would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government throughout an entire district and then add a surcharge or commission (often exorbitant) which they kept for themselves as their profit. The tax collectors referred to in the NT were generally not the holders of these tax contracts themselves, but hired subordinates who were often local residents. Since these tax collectors worked for Rome (even indirectly), they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked. In addition, the system offered many opportunities for dishonesty and greed, both of which were often associated with local tax collectors. Yet even they were moved by John’s call.
Luke 3:13 tn In the Greek text μηδὲν πλέον (mēden pleon, “no more”) is in an emphatic position.sn By telling the tax collectors to collect no more than…required John was calling for honesty and integrity in a business that was known for greed and dishonesty.
Luke 3:13 tn Or “than you are ordered to.”
Luke 3:14 tn Grk “And soldiers.”
Luke 3:14 tn Grk “And what should we ourselves do?”
Luke 3:14 tn Or “Rob no one.” The term διασείσητε (diaseisēte) here refers to “shaking someone.” In this context it refers to taking financial advantage of someone through violence, so it refers essentially to robbery. Soldiers are to perform their tasks faithfully. A changed person is to carry out his tasks in life faithfully and without grumbling.
Luke 3:14 tn The term translated “accusation” (συκοφαντήσητε, sukophantēsēte) refers to a procedure by which someone could bring charges against an individual and be paid a part of the fine imposed by the court. Soldiers could do this to supplement their pay, and would thus be tempted to make false accusations.
Luke 3:15 tn Or “with expectation.” The participle προσδοκῶντος (prosdokōntos) is taken temporally.sn The people were filled with anticipation because they were hoping God would send someone to deliver them.
Luke 3:15 tn Grk “pondered in their hearts.”
Luke 3:15 tn Grk “in their hearts concerning John, (whether) perhaps he might be the Christ.” The translation simplifies the style here.
Luke 3:15 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 2:11.
Luke 3:16 tn Grk “answered them all, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
Luke 3:16 tc A few mss (C D 892 1424 it) add εἰς μετάνοιαν (eis metanoian, “for repentance”). Although two of the mss in support are early and significant, it is an obviously motivated reading to add clarification, probably representing a copyist’s attempt to harmonize Luke’s version with Matt 3:11.
Luke 3:16 tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”sn The humility of John is evident in the statement I am not worthy. This was considered one of the least worthy tasks of a slave, and John did not consider himself worthy to do even that for the one to come, despite the fact he himself was a prophet!
Luke 3:16 tn The term refers to the leather strap or thong used to bind a sandal. This is often viewed as a collective singular and translated as a plural, “the straps of his sandals,” but it may be more emphatic to retain the singular here.
Luke 3:16 sn With the Holy Spirit and fire. There are differing interpretations for this phrase regarding the number of baptisms and their nature. (1) Some see one baptism here, and this can be divided further into two options. (a) The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire could refer to the cleansing, purifying work of the Spirit in the individual believer through salvation and sanctification, or (b) it could refer to two different results of Christ’s ministry: Some accept Christ and are baptized with the Holy Spirit, but some reject him and receive judgment. (2) Other interpreters see two baptisms here: The baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to the salvation Jesus brings at his first advent, in which believers receive the Holy Spirit, and the baptism of fire refers to the judgment Jesus will bring upon the world at his second coming. One must take into account both the image of fire and whether individual or corporate baptism is in view. A decision is not easy on either issue. The image of fire is used to refer to both eternal judgment (e.g., Matt 25:41) and the power of the Lord’s presence to purge and cleanse his people (e.g., Isa 4:4-5). The pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, a fulfillment of this prophecy no matter which interpretation is taken, had both individual and corporate dimensions. It is possible that since Holy Spirit and fire are governed by a single preposition in Greek, the one-baptism view may be more likely, but this is not certain. Simply put, there is no consensus view in scholarship at this time on the best interpretation of this passage.
Luke 3:17 sn A winnowing fork is a pitchfork-like tool used to toss threshed grain in the air so that the wind blows away the chaff, leaving the grain to fall to the ground. The note of purging is highlighted by the use of imagery involving sifting though threshed grain for the useful kernels.
Luke 3:17 tn Or “granary,” “barn” (referring to a building used to store a farm’s produce rather than a building for housing livestock).
Luke 3:17 sn The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.
Luke 3:18 tn On construction μὲν οὖν καί (men oun kai), see BDF §451.1.
Luke 3:18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

New English Translation (NET)

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