Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Honest People Are Blessed
112 Praise the Lord!
·Happy [Blessed] are those who ·respect [fear] the Lord [Prov. 1:7; 31:30],
who ·want [take great delight in] ·what he [L his] commands.
2 Their ·descendants [L seed] will be ·powerful [strong] in the land;
the ·children [generation] of ·honest [virtuous] people will be blessed.
3 Their houses will be full of wealth and riches,
and their ·goodness [righteousness] will ·continue [endure; L stand] forever.
4 A light shines in the dark for ·honest [virtuous] people,
for those who are ·merciful [gracious] and ·kind [compassionate] and ·good [merciful].
5 It is good to be ·merciful [gracious] and ·generous [to lend].
Those who ·are fair in their business [conduct their affairs justly]
6 will never be ·defeated [moved].
·Good [Righteous] people will always be remembered.
7 They ·won’t be afraid of [do not fear] ·bad news [to hear evil; Prov. 30:25];
their hearts are ·steady [steadfast; established; prepared] because they ·trust [have confidence in] the Lord.
8 They ·are confident [endure; are unshakeable; 111:8] and will not ·be afraid [fear];
they will look down on their ·enemies [foes].
9 They ·give freely [L distribute/scatter, they give] to the ·poor [needy].
·The things they do are right and [Their righteousness] will ·continue [endure] forever [2 Cor. 9:9].
·They will be given great honor [L Their horn is exalted in glory; C an animal’s horn symbolizes strength].
10 The wicked will see this and become angry;
they will ·grind [gnash] their teeth [C in anger] and then ·disappear [melt away].
The ·wishes [cravings; desires] of the wicked will ·come to nothing [perish].
Warnings to Jerusalem
29 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] you, Ariel [C another name for Jerusalem, perhaps meaning either “lion” or “altar hearth”; v. 2],
the city where David ·camped [lived; settled; or besieged; C David first conquered, then lived in the city; 2 Sam. 5:6–9].
Your festivals have continued
year after year.
2 I will ·attack [threaten; bring distress to] ·Jerusalem [L Ariel; v. 1],
and that city will be filled with ·sadness [mourning] and ·crying [lamentation].
It will be like an ·altar [or altar hearth; C the Hebrew word sounds like Ariel, perhaps indicating that Jerusalem will burn like an altar] to me.
3 I will ·put armies all around you [encamp against/besiege you; C same word as in v. 1];
I will surround you with towers
and with ·devices to attack [siege works against] you.
4 You will be pulled down and will speak from the ground;
I will hear your voice rising from the ·ground [or underworld].
It will sound like the voice of a ghost;
your words will come like a whisper from the ·dirt [dust].
5 Your ·many [multitude of] enemies will become like fine dust;
the many ·cruel people [ruthless hordes] will be like chaff that is blown away.
·Everything will happen very quickly [L Suddenly, in an instant…; C this phrase may go with what comes before or after].
6 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will come
with thunder, earthquakes, and great noises,
with ·storms [whirlwind], ·strong winds [tempest], and a fire that ·destroys [devours].
7 Then all the nations that fight against ·Jerusalem [L Ariel; v. 1]
will be like a dream;
all the nations that ·attack [besiege; bring distress to] her
will be like a vision in the night.
8 They will be like a hungry man who dreams he is eating,
but when he awakens, he is still hungry.
They will be like a thirsty man who dreams he is drinking,
but when he awakens, he is still weak and thirsty.
It will be the same way with ·all the [the multitude of] nations
who fight against Mount Zion.
9 ·Be surprised and amazed [Shock yourselves and be shocked].
Blind yourselves ·so that you cannot see [and be blind].
Become drunk, but not from wine.
Trip and fall, but not from ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain].
10 The Lord has ·made you go into [L poured out on you] a deep sleep.
He has closed your eyes. (The prophets are your eyes.)
He has covered your heads. (The seers [C another name for prophets] are your heads.)
11 This vision is like the words of a ·book [scroll] that is closed and sealed. You may give the book to someone who can read and tell that person to read it. But he will say, “I can’t read the book, because it is sealed.” 12 Or you may give the book to someone who cannot read and tell him to read it. But he will say, “I don’t know how to read.”
True Wisdom
13 Are there those among you who are truly wise and ·understanding [insightful; discerning]? Then they should show it by ·living right [their good life/conduct/lifestyle] and ·doing good things [their deeds/works] with a ·gentleness [humility; meekness; Matt. 5:5; 11:29; Gal. 6:1] that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter ·jealousy [or envy] and ·are selfish [have selfish ambition] in your hearts, do not ·brag [boast; Jer. 9:23–24]. Your ·bragging [boasting] is a lie ·that hides [that denies; L against] the truth [or Don’t cover up the truth with bragging or lying]. 15 That kind of “wisdom” does not come ·from God [L down from above; C that is, from heaven] but ·from the world [is earthly]. It is ·not spiritual [natural; “soulish”; C human life apart from God; 1 Cor. 2:14]; it is ·from the devil [demonic]. 16 Where ·jealousy [or envy] and ·selfishness [selfish ambition] are, there will be ·confusion [chaos; disorder] and every ·kind of evil [evil thing/practice]. 17 But the wisdom that comes from ·God [L above; 3:15] is first of all pure, then peaceful [peace-loving], gentle [patient; considerate], and ·easy to please [or willing to yield; or open to reason]. This wisdom is ·always ready to help those who are troubled and to do good for others [L full of mercy and good fruits]. It is ·always fair [impartial] and ·honest [sincere; unhypocritical]. 18 ·People who work for peace in a peaceful way plant a good crop of right living [or Peacemakers who sow with peace will harvest a crop of justice/righteousness; Gal. 5:22–23].
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