Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
15 The Lord God [L took and] put ·the man [or Adam; 1:27] in the garden of Eden to ·care for [or till] it and ·work [take care of; look after] it. 16 The Lord God commanded him, “You may eat the fruit from ·any tree [or all the trees] in the garden, 17 but you must not eat the fruit from the tree ·which gives the [T of the] knowledge of good and evil [C eating from this tree would make Adam, not God, the determiner of right and wrong]. If you ever eat fruit from that tree, you will [L certainly] die!”
The Beginning of Sin
3 Now the ·snake [serpent] was the most ·clever [shrewd; cunning; crafty] of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day the snake said to the woman, “Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden?”
2 The woman answered the snake [3:1], “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. 3 But God told us, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden [C the tree of the knowledge of good and evil]. You must not even touch it [C Eve was adding to the divine command], or you will die.’ ”
4 But the snake [3:1] said to the woman, “You will [L most certainly] not die. 5 [L For] God knows that if you eat ·the fruit from that tree [L from it], [L your eyes will be opened and] you will ·learn about [experience; L know about] good and evil and you will be like God!”
6 The woman saw that the tree was ·beautiful [L pleasing to the eyes], that its fruit was good ·to eat [L for food], and that it would make her wise. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of the fruit to her husband who was with her [C apparently he was present but silent while the woman spoke to the snake], and he ate it.
7 Then, ·it was as if their eyes [L the eyes of both of them] were opened. They ·realized [knew] they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made ·something to cover [L loincloths for] themselves [Rom. 5:12–21].
It Is Better to Confess Sin
A ·maskil [skillful psalm; meditation] of David.
32 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
whose ·sins [transgressions] are forgiven,
whose ·wrongs [sins] are ·pardoned [L covered].
2 ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
whom the Lord ·does not consider guilty [imputes no guilt to]
and in ·whom [L whose spirit] there is nothing ·false [deceptive].
3 When I kept ·things to myself [silent],
·I felt weak deep inside me [L my bones wasted away].
I ·moaned [sighed] all day long.
4 Day and night ·you punished me [L your hand was heavy on me].
My strength was ·gone [dried up; sapped] as in the summer heat. ·
5 Then I ·confessed [made known; disclosed] my sins to you
and didn’t ·hide [cover up] my guilt.
I said, “I will confess my ·sins [transgressions] to the Lord,”
and you forgave ·my guilt [L the guilt of my sin]. ·
6 For this reason, all ·who obey you [your saints/holy ones]
should pray to you while ·they still can [or you may be found; L at a time of finding only; Prov. 1:24–27].
When troubles rise like a flood,
they will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place.
You protect me from ·my troubles [distress]
and ·fill [L surround] me with ·songs [loud cries] of ·salvation [rescue; T deliverance]. ·
8 The Lord says, “I will ·make you wise [instruct you] and ·show [teach] you ·where to [L the way you should] go.
I will ·guide [counsel] you and ·watch over [L my eye will be on] you.
9 So don’t be like a horse or donkey,
that doesn’t understand.
·They must be led [L …whose temper/or gallop must be restrained] with bits and reins,
or they will not come near you.”
10 Wicked people have many ·troubles [pains; torments; woes],
but the Lord’s ·love [loyalty; covenant love] surrounds those who ·trust [have confidence in] him.
11 ·Good [Righteous] people, rejoice and be happy in the Lord.
·Sing [Shout joyfully] all you whose hearts are ·right [upright; virtuous].
Adam and Christ Compared
12 [L Therefore, just as] Sin came into the world ·because of what one man did [L through one man], and with sin came death. ·This is why [L …and so; or and in this way] ·everyone must die [death spread/passed to all people]—because everyone sinned. 13 Sin was in the world before ·the law of Moses [L the law], but sin is not ·counted against us as breaking a command [charged to one’s account; recorded as sin] when there is no law [4:15]. 14 But from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, ·everyone had to die [L death reigned/ruled], even those who had not sinned ·by breaking a command, as Adam had [L in the likeness of Adam’s disobedience/transgression].
Adam was ·like [a type/pattern/prefigurement of] the One who was coming in the future. 15 But ·God’s free gift [L the gift] is not like Adam’s ·sin [violation; transgression]. [L For if] Many people died because of the ·sin [violation; transgression] of that one man. ·But the grace from God was much greater, since many people received God’s gift of life [L …how much more did God’s grace and gift abound/multiply to the many] by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ [C the death of the “one” saved the “many”; see v. 19; Is. 53:11]. 16 But the gift of God is different from ·Adam’s [L the one man’s] sin. After Adam sinned once, ·he was judged guilty [L his judgment brought condemnation]. [L But] God’s free gift came after many ·sins [violations; transgressions], and it ·makes people right with God [L brought justification]. 17 [L For if] One man’s ·sin [violation; transgression] caused death to ·rule over all people [L reign; rule] because of that one man. How much more, then, will those people who ·accept [receive] ·God’s full grace [L the abundance of grace] and the great gift of ·being made right with him [righteousness] ·have true life and rule [or rule in the future life; L reign/rule in life] through the one man, Jesus Christ. [C Just as death “ruled” in Adam, so believers “rule” over death through Christ.]
18 So as one ·sin of Adam [L violation; trangression] brought ·the punishment of death [condemnation] to all people, so too one ·good act that Christ did [L righteous act/deed] ·makes all people right with God, bringing them true life [L brings justification of life to all people]. 19 [L For just as…] One man disobeyed God, and many became sinners. ·In the same way, [L …so also] one man obeyed God, and many will be made ·right [righteous].
The Temptation of Jesus(A)
4 Then the Spirit led Jesus [L up; out] into the ·desert [wilderness] to be tempted [or tested] by the devil. 2 Jesus fasted for forty days and nights [C analogous to Israel’s forty years in the desert]. After this, he was ·very hungry [famished]. 3 The ·devil came to Jesus to tempt him [L tempter/tester came to Jesus], saying, “If you are the Son of God, ·tell [command] these rocks to ·become bread [turn into loaves].”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘A person lives not on bread alone, but by ·everything God says [L every word that comes out of God’s mouth; Deut. 8:3].’”
5 Then the devil ·led [took] Jesus to the holy city [C Jerusalem] and put him on ·a high place [the highest point; the pinnacle] of the Temple. 6 The devil said, “If you are the Son of God, ·jump [L throw yourself] down, because it is written in the Scriptures:
‘He ·has put his angels in charge of you [or will order his angels to protect you; L will command his angel concerning you].
They will ·catch you in [lift you up with] their hands
so that you will not hit your foot on a rock [Ps. 91:11–12].’”
7 Jesus answered him, “It also says in the Scriptures, ‘Do not test the Lord your God [Deut. 6:16].’”
8 ·Then [Again] the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their ·splendor [glory]. 9 The devil said, “If you will ·bow [fall] down and worship me, I will give you all these things.”
10 Jesus said to him, “·Go away from me [Get out of here; Be gone], Satan! [L For] It is written in the Scriptures, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him [Deut. 6:13].’”
11 So the devil left Jesus, and angels came and ·took care of [served; ministered to] him.
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