Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
105 Your word is like a lamp for my feet
and a light for my path [C it shows how life should be lived].
106 I ·will do what I have promised [L have sworn and confirmed it]
and ·obey [keep; guard] your ·fair [righteous] ·laws [judgments].
107 I have suffered ·for a long time [or greatly].
Lord, ·give me [spare my] life by your word.
108 Lord, accept my ·willing [offering of] praise
and teach me your ·laws [judgments].
109 My life is always in ·danger [L my hand],
but I haven’t forgotten your ·teachings [instructions; laws].
110 Wicked people have set a trap for me,
but I haven’t ·strayed [wandered] from your ·orders [precepts].
111 ·I will follow your rules forever [L Your rules/decrees/precepts are my inheritance forever],
because they make ·me [L my heart] happy.
112 I will ·try [L incline my heart] to do ·what you demand [L your statutes/ordinances]
forever, until the end.
3 In Josiah’s eighteenth year as king, he sent Shaphan to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, was the royal secretary. Josiah said, 4 “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, and have him ·empty [count] out the money the ·gatekeepers [doorkeepers] have ·gathered [collected] from the people. This is the money they have brought into the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 5 Have him ·give [entrust] the money to the supervisors of the work on the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. They must pay the workers who ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord— 6 the carpenters, builders, and ·bricklayers [masons]. Also use the money to buy timber and ·cut [finished; dressed] stone to ·repair [restore] the ·Temple [L house]. 7 They do not need to ·report [account for] how they use the money given to them, because they are working ·honestly [faithfully; conscientiously; 12:15].”
The Book of the Teachings Is Found
8 Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the royal secretary, “I’ve found the Book of the ·Teachings [Law; L torah] in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.
9 Then Shaphan the royal secretary went to the king and reported to Josiah, “Your ·officers [officials] have ·paid [emptied] out the money that was in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. They have ·given [entrusted] it to the workers and supervisors at the ·Temple [L house].” 10 Then Shaphan the royal secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a ·book [scroll].” And Shaphan read from the ·book [scroll] to the king.
11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the ·Teachings [Law; L torah], he tore his clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress]. 12 He gave orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the royal secretary, and Asaiah the king’s servant. These were the orders: 13 “Go and ·ask [inquire of] the Lord about the words in the ·book [scroll] that was found. Ask for me, for all the people, and for all Judah. The Lord’s anger is burning ·greatly [fiercely] against us, because our ·ancestors [fathers] did not ·obey [listen to] the words of this ·book [scroll]; they did not do all the things written ·for us to do [concerning us].”
14 So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to talk to Huldah the prophetess. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, who took care of the king’s ·clothes [wardrobe]. Huldah lived in Jerusalem, in the ·new area [New Quarter] of the city.
15 She said to them, “·This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says [T Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel]: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16 ‘This is what the Lord says: I will bring ·trouble to [disaster/evil on] this place and to the people living here, ·as it is written [L in accordance with the words] in the ·book [scroll] which the king of Judah has read. 17 The people of Judah have ·left [abandoned; forsaken] me and have burned incense to other gods. They have ·made me angry [aroused/provoked me to anger] by all that they have done. My anger burns against this place, and it will not be ·put out [quenched].’ 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ·ask [seek; inquire of] the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the words you heard: 19 When you heard ·my words [what I spoke] against this place and its people, ·you became sorry for what you had done [your heart was touched/responsive/penitent/tender] and humbled yourself before me. I said they would be cursed and ·would be destroyed [desolated]. You tore your clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress], and you ·cried in my presence [wept before me]. This is why I have heard you, says the Lord. 20 So I will ·let you die [L gather you to your fathers/ancestors], and you will be ·buried [L gathered to your grave] in peace. You won’t see all the ·trouble [disaster; evil] I will bring to this place.’”
So they took her message back to the king.
2 God has not ·thrown out [cast away; rejected] his people, whom he ·chose [or knew] ·long ago [from the beginning; L beforehand]. ·Surely you know [L Do you not know…?] what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he ·prayed [appealed; complained] to God against the people of Israel. 3 “Lord,” he said, “they have killed your prophets, and they have ·destroyed [torn/burned down] your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are ·trying to kill me, too [seeking my life; 1 Kin. 19:10, 14].” 4 But what ·answer did God give Elijah [L was the divine response]? He said, “But I have ·left [kept for myself] seven thousand ·people [or men] in Israel who have not bowed ·down [L the knee] before Baal [1 Kin. 19:18].” 5 It is the same now. There ·are a few people [is a remnant] that God has chosen by his grace. 6 And if he chose them by grace, it is not ·for the things they have done [by works]. If they could be made God’s people by ·what they did [works], God’s gift of grace would ·not really [or no longer] be a gift.
7 ·So this is what has happened [What follows from this? L What then?]: ·The people of Israel [L Israel] did not ·succeed in [attain; obtain; find] what they were ·striving [looking; seeking] for, but the ·ones God chose [elect] did ·succeed [attain/obtain/find it]. The ·others [rest] were ·made stubborn and refused to listen to God [L hardened]. 8 As it is written in the Scriptures:
“God gave the people a ·dull mind [L spirit of stupor/insensitivity] so they could not understand [Is. 29:10].”
“He ·closed their eyes so they [or gave them eyes that] could not see
and ·their ears so they [or gave them ears that] could not hear.
This continues until today [Deut. 29:4].”
9 And David says:
“Let their ·own feasts [L table] ·trap them and cause their ruin [L become a snare and a trap],
becoming a ·stumbling block [pitfall] and ·paying them back [their retribution].
10 Let their eyes be ·closed [L darkened] so they cannot see
and their backs be ·forever [or continually] ·weak from troubles [L bent over; Ps. 69:22–23].”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.