Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
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].
Elijah Runs Away
19 King Ahab told Jezebel every thing Elijah had done and how Elijah had killed all the prophets with a sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods ·punish me terribly [deal severely with me, and worse; L do to me, and even more] if by this time tomorrow I don’t ·kill you just as you killed those prophets [L make your life like the life of one of them].”
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life, taking his servant with him. When they came to Beersheba in Judah, Elijah left his servant there. 4 Then Elijah ·walked [journeyed] for a whole day into the ·desert [wilderness]. He sat down under a ·bush [juniper/broom tree] and asked to die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he prayed. “·Let me die [L Take my life]. I am no better than my ·ancestors [fathers; C that is, he is as good as dead, as they already are].” 5 Then he lay down under the tree and slept.
Suddenly an ·angel [messenger] came to him and touched him. “Get up and eat,” the angel said. 6 Elijah saw near his head a loaf baked over ·coals [hot stones] and a jar of water, so he ate and drank. Then he ·went back to sleep [L lay down again].
7 The Lord’s ·angel [messenger] came to him a second time. The angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat. If you don’t, the journey will be too ·hard [much] for you.” 8 So Elijah got up and ate and drank. The food made him strong enough to walk for forty days and nights to Mount ·Sinai [L Horeb; Ex. 3:1, 17:6; 19:18], the mountain of God.
10 God is the One ·who made all things, and all things are for his glory [L through whom and for whom all things exist]. He wanted to ·have many children share his [lead/bring many children/sons to] glory, so [L it was fitting/appropriate that] he made the ·One who leads people to [Leader/Pioneer/Source of their] salvation perfect through suffering.
11 [L For indeed] ·Jesus, [L the one] who makes people holy, and those who are made holy ·are from the same family [or have the same Father; or have one origin; L are all from one]. ·So [For this reason] he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 He says,
“Then, I will ·tell my brothers and sisters about you [L proclaim your name to my brothers (and sisters)];
I will ·praise [sing hymns/praise songs to] you in the ·public meeting [midst of the assembly; Ps. 22:22].”
13 He also says,
“I will ·trust [put my confidence] in ·God [L him; Is. 8:17].”
And he also says,
“I am here, and with me are the children God has given me [Is. 8:18].”
14 [L Therefore] Since these children ·are people with physical bodies [have in common their flesh and blood], Jesus himself ·became like them [shared their humanity; L likewise shared the same things]. He did this so that, by dying, he could destroy the one who has the power of death—the devil— 15 and free those who were ·like slaves [held in slavery] all their lives because of their fear of death. 16 [L For] Clearly, it is not angels that Jesus helps, but the ·people who are from [seed/descendants of] Abraham [C the father of the Jewish nation; Gen. 12—25]. 17 For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every way so he could ·be their [L become a] merciful and faithful high priest in ·service [L the things pertaining] to God. Then Jesus could ·die in their place to take away [make atonement for; be the sacrifice that pays for; be the sacrifice that appeases God’s wrath against] ·their sins [L the sins of the people]. 18 And now he can help those who are ·tempted [or tested], because he himself suffered and ·was tempted [or was tested; or passed the test].
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