Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Thanksgiving for the King
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
21 Lord, the king rejoices because of your strength;
he is so happy when you ·save him [give him victory/help]!
2 You gave the king ·what he wanted [L the desire of his heart]
and did not ·refuse [withhold] ·what he asked for [L the request of his lips]. ·
3 You put ·good things [rich blessings] before him
and placed a gold crown on his head.
4 He asked you for life,
and you gave it to him,
·so his years go on and on [L length of days forever and ever].
5 He has great glory because you gave him ·victories [help];
you gave him ·honor [splendor] and ·praise [majesty].
6 You ·always [forever] gave him blessings;
you made him glad because ·you were with him [L of the joy of your presence].
7 The king truly ·trusts [has confidence in] the Lord.
Because God Most High always ·loves [is loyal toward] him,
he will not be ·overwhelmed [moved].
8 Your hand ·is against [L will find out] all your enemies;
·those who hate you will feel your power [L your right hand will find out those who hate you].
9 When ·you [L the Lord] appear,
you will burn them as in a furnace.
In your anger you will swallow them up,
and fire will burn them up.
10 You will destroy their ·families [offspring] from the earth;
their ·children [L seed] will not live.
11 They made evil plans against you,
but ·their traps [L the schemes they devise] won’t ·work [succeed].
12 You will make them turn their backs
when you aim your arrows at ·them [L their faces].
13 Be ·supreme [exalted], Lord, in your power.
We sing and praise your ·greatness [strength].
The Lord Will Punish the World
24 ·Look [T Behold]! The Lord will destroy the earth and ·leave it empty [lay it waste];
he will ·ruin [mar; distort] the surface of the land and scatter its ·people [inhabitants].
2 ·At that time the same thing will happen to everyone [L It will be]:
·to common people and priests [L like people, like priest],
·to slaves and masters [L like servant/slave, like master/lord],
·to women slaves and their women masters [L like maidservant, like mistress/queen],
·to sellers and buyers [L like seller, like buyer],
·to those who lend and those who borrow [L like lender, like borrower],
·to bankers and those who owe the bank [L like creditor, like debtor].
3 The earth will be ·completely empty [devastated; laid waste].
The wealth ·will all be taken [plundered],
because the Lord has ·commanded it [spoken this word].
4 The earth will ·dry up [or mourn] and ·die [wither];
the world will ·grow weak [languish] and ·die [wither];
the ·great leaders [or heavens; heights; L highest ones] ·in this land [or of the earth] will ·become weak [languish].
5 The people of the earth have ·ruined [defiled] it,
because they ·do not follow [have violated/transgressed] ·God’s teachings [the laws/instruction; L Torah]
or obey ·God’s laws [statutes; regulations]
or keep ·their agreement with God that was to last forever [the eternal covenant/treaty].
6 So a curse [Deut. 28] will ·destroy [consume; devour] the earth.
The people of the world ·are guilty [must pay for their guilt],
so ·they [L the earth’s inhabitants] will be burned up;
only a few will be left.
7 The new wine ·will be bad [dries up; or mourns], and the grapevines will ·die [wither; or languish].
·People who were happy [Revelers; Merrymakers] will ·be sad [groan; sigh].
8 The ·happy music [joy; mirth] of the tambourines will end.
The happy sounds of ·wild parties [revelry] will stop.
The joyful music from the harps will ·end [cease].
9 People will no longer sing while they drink their wine.
The ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain] will taste bitter to those who drink it.
10 The ruined city ·will be empty [is desolate/broken],
·and people will hide behind closed doors [L every house is shuttered to prevent entering].
11 People in the streets will ·ask [cry out; howl] for wine,
but joy will have turned to ·sadness [gloom; darkness];
all the ·happiness [gladness; rejoicing] ·will have left [is banished/exiled].
12 The city will be left in ruins,
and its gates will be smashed to pieces.
13 This is what will happen all over the earth
and to all the nations.
The earth will be like an olive tree ·after the harvest [L when it is beaten; 17:6]
or like the ·few grapes left on a vine [L gleanings] after harvest.
14 The people raise their voices and shout for joy.
From the ·west [L sea] they ·praise the greatness [shout/cry out for the majesty] of the Lord.
15 [L Therefore] People in the ·east [or morning light; dawn], ·praise [extol; give glory to] the Lord.
People in the ·islands [or coastlands] of the sea,
·praise [extol; give glory to] the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
16 We hear songs from ·every part [the ends/edge] of the earth
·praising God, [or “Glory to…”] the Righteous One.
But I said, “I am ·dying [wasting away]! I am ·dying [wasting away]!
·How terrible it will be for [Woe to] me!
·Traitors turn against people [L Betrayers betray; 21:2];
·with their dishonesty, they turn against people [L Betrayers betray with betrayal].”
A Life that Pleases God
4 [L Finally; or Now then; Furthermore] Brothers and sisters, we taught you how to ·live [walk] in a way that will please God, and you are living that way. Now we ask and ·encourage [urge; appeal to] you in the Lord Jesus to ·live that way [excel; abound] even more. 2 [L For] You know what ·we told [instructions/commands we gave] you to do ·by the authority of [L through] the Lord Jesus. 3 ·God wants you to be holy and [or For this is God’s will, your sanctification:] to stay away from sexual sins. 4 He wants each of you to ·learn to control your own body [or take a wife for yourself; or live with your own wife; L gain/possess his own vessel] in a way that is holy and honorable. 5 ·Don’t use your body for sexual sin [L …not in lustful passion] like the ·people [L Gentiles] who do not know God. 6 Also, do not ·wrong [exploit; transgress] or ·cheat [take advantage of] another ·Christian [L brother (or sister)] in this way. The Lord ·will punish people who do those [L is the avenger concerning these] things as we have already told you and ·warned [solemnly testified to] you. 7 [L For] God did not call us to ·a life of sin [L impurity], but to holiness. 8 ·So [Therefore] the person who ·refuses to obey [disregards; rejects; despises] this teaching is not simply ·disobeying [disregarding; rejecting; despising] ·a human being [human authority], but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.
9 We do not need to write you about ·having love for your Christian family [L brotherly love], because God has already taught you to love each other. 10 And truly you do love the ·Christians [L brothers (and sisters)] in all of Macedonia [1:7]. Now we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to ·love them [excel; abound; v. 1] even more. 11 ·Do all you can […and to aspire] to live a peaceful life. ·Take care of [Attend to; Mind] your own business, and ·do your own work [L work with your hands] as we have already ·told [instructed; commanded] you. 12 If you do, then you will ·win the respect of [or live a respectable/proper life before] ·unbelievers [L outsiders], and you will not have to depend on others for what you need.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.