Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
8 And all the people was gathered together as one man, (in)to the street which is before the gate of waters. And they said to Ezra, the scribe, or the writer, that he should bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. (And then all the people gathered together as one person, in the square in front of the Water Gate. And they said to Ezra, the writer/the teacher of the Law, that he should bring The Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel.)
2 Therefore Ezra, the priest, brought the law before the multitude of men and of women, and before all that might understand, in the first day of the seventh month. (And so Ezra, the priest, brought The Book of the Law before the multitude of men and women, yea, to all who might understand it, in the first day of the seventh month.)
3 And he read in it openly in the street that was before the gate of waters, from the morrowtide till to midday, in the sight of men and of women, and of wise men; and the ears of all the people were raised up to the book to hear the law. (And he read from it openly in the square that was in front of the Water Gate, from the morning until noon, before men and women, yea, to all who were wise enough to understand it; and the ears of all the people were attentive to hear the Law from the book.)
5 And Ezra opened the book before all the people; for he appeared over all the people; and when he had opened the book, all the people stood to hear. (And Ezra opened the book before all the people; for he was above all the people; and when he had opened the book, all the people stood up to hear him.)
6 And Ezra blessed the Lord God with great voice; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, raising up their hands. And they were bowed, and they worshipped God, lowly upon the earth. (And Ezra blessed the Lord God, the great God; and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, and raised up their hands. And they bowed their heads, and then worshipped God, low upon the ground.)
8 And they read in the book of God’s law distinctly, and openly, to understand it; and they understood, when it was read. (And they read from The Book of God’s Law openly, and distinctly, and then expounded, or explained, it; and when it was read to the people in this way, they could understand it.)
9 Forsooth Nehemiah said, he is (the) Tirshatha, and Ezra, the priest and writer, and the deacons, expounding to all the people, This is a day hallowed to the Lord our God; do not ye mourn, and do not ye weep. For all the people wept, when it heard the words of the law. (And Nehemiah, he was the governor, and Ezra, the priest and writer/the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites, expounding the Law to all the people, said to them, This day is holy to the Lord our God; do not ye mourn, and do not ye weep. For all the people had wept, when they had heard the words of the Law.)
10 And he said to them, Go ye, and eat ye fat things, and drink ye wine made sweet with honey, and send ye parts to them, that made not ready to themselves, for it is an holy day of the Lord; do not ye be sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (And he said to them, Now go ye, and eat ye rich food, and drink ye mead, and send ye portions to those who cannot provide for themselves, for this day is holy to the Lord; do not ye be sorrowful, or sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.)
19 To victory, the psalm of David. (To victory, the song of David.) (The) Heavens tell out the glory of God; and the firmament telleth (out) the works of his hands.
2 The day telleth out to the day a word; and the night showeth knowing to the night. (The day telleth out a word to the next day; the night showeth knowledge to the next night.)
3 No languages be, neither words; of which the voices of them be not heard. (There be no languages, or words, where their voices be not heard.)
4 The sound of them went out into all (the) earth; and the words of them into the ends of the world. In the sun he hath set his tabernacle (In the sky he hath pitched a tent for the sun);
5 and he as a spouse coming forth of his chamber. He fully joyed, as a giant, to run his way; (and the sun is like a spouse coming forth from his bed-chamber. It rejoiced, like a strong man, who runneth his race;)
6 his going out was from [the] highest heaven. And his going again was to the highest thereof; and none there is that hideth himself from his heat. (it went out from the heights of the heavens, and that is also to where it returned. And there is nothing that can hide from its heat/And nothing is hidden from its heat.)
7 The law of the Lord is without wem, and converteth souls; the witnessing of the Lord is faithful, and giveth wisdom to little, either meek, children. (The Law of the Lord is without blemish, or without fault, and converteth souls; the teaching of the Lord is faithful, and giveth wisdom to the simple.)
8 The rightfulnesses of the Lord be rightful, gladdening hearts (The precepts of the Lord be right, gladdening hearts); the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening eyes.
9 The holy dread of the Lord dwelleth into the world of world; the dooms of the Lord be true, justified into themselves. (The fear of the Lord is holy, or pure/Reverence for the Lord is holy, or pure, and it remaineth forever and ever; the judgements of the Lord be true, and justified unto themselves.)
10 Desirable more than gold, and a stone much precious; and sweeter than honey and honeycomb. (They be more desirable than gold, or very precious stones; and sweeter than honey from a honeycomb.)
11 For why thy servant keepeth those; much yielding is in those to be kept./Forsooth thy servant keepeth those; much yielding, or reward, is in those dooms to be kept. (For they instruct thy servant; and in obeying those judgements, there is much reward.)
12 Who understandeth trespasses? make thou me clean from my privy sins; (Who understandeth his own trespasses? Lord, make thou me clean from my secret sins;)
13 and of alien sins spare thy servant. If those have not lordship of me, then I shall be undefouled of alien sins, or without wem; and I shall be cleansed of the most sin. (and spare thy servant from willful sins. For if they have no rule, or lordship, over me, then I shall be undefiled, or without blemish, or without fault; and I shall be cleansed from all great sin.)
14 And the speeches of my mouth shall be such, that they please; and the thinking of mine heart is ever[more] in thy sight. Lord, mine helper; and mine again-buyer. (May the words out of my mouth be such, that they please thee; and may the thinking of my heart be acceptable before thee forevermore, O Lord; my helper, and my redeemer.)
12 For as there is one body, and hath many members, and all the members of the body when those be many [when they be many], be one body, so also Christ.
13 For in one Spirit all we be baptized into one body, either Jews, either heathen, either servants, either free; and all we be filled with drink in one Spirit. [And soothly in one Spirit all we be baptized into one body, either Jews, or heathen, or servants, or free; and all we have drunk in one Spirit.]
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, For I am not the hand, I am not of the body; not therefore it is not of the body [not therefore is it not of the body(?)].
16 And if the ear saith [And if the ear shall say], For I am not the eye, I am not of the body; not therefore it is not of the body [not therefore is it not of the body(?)].
17 If all the body is the eye [If all the body were the eye], where is [the] hearing? and if all the body is hearing, where is [the] smelling?
18 But now God hath set members, and each of them in the body, as he would.
19 And if all were one member, where were the body?
20 But now there be many members, but one body.
21 And the eye may not say to the hand [Forsooth the eye shall not be able to say to the hand], I have no need to thy works; or again the head to the feet, Ye be not necessary to me.
22 But much more those that be seen to be the lower members of the body [But much more those that be seen to be more sick, or lower, members of the body], be more needful;
23 and those that we guess to be the unworthier members of the body, to them we give more honour; and those members that be unseemly, have more seemliness.[a]
24 For our seemly members have need of none; but God tempered the body, giving more honour to it, to whom it failed, [Forsooth our honest members of none have need; but God tempered the body, giving more worship to it, to whom it failed,]
25 that debate be not in the body, but that the members be busy into the same thing each for other [but that the members be busy into the same thing for each other].
26 And if one member suffereth any thing [And if one member suffer any thing], all members suffer therewith; either if one member joyeth [either if one member glorieth], all members joy together.
27 And ye be the body of Christ, and members of member. [Forsooth ye be the body of Christ, and members of members.]
28 But God set some men in the church, first apostles, the second time prophets [And soothly God put some in the church, first apostles, the second prophets], the third teachers, afterward works of power, afterward graces of healings, helpings, governings, kinds of languages, interpretations of words.
29 Whether all [be] apostles? whether all [be] prophets? Whether all teachers? whether all works of power?
30 whether all have grace of healings? whether all speak with languages? whether all expound [whether all interpret, or expound]?
31 But follow ye the better ghostly gifts. And yet I show to you a more excellent way.
14 And Jesus turned again in the virtue of the Spirit into Galilee, and the fame went forth of him through all the country.
15 And he taught in the synagogues of them, and was magnified of all men.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he was nourished, and he entered after his custom in the sabbath day into a synagogue [into the synagogue], and rose to read.
17 And the book of Esaias, the prophet, was taken to him; and as he turned the book, he found a place, where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, for which thing he anointed me; he sent me to preach to poor men, to heal contrite men in heart, and to preach remission to prisoners, and sight to blind men[a], and to deliver broken men into remission;
19 to preach the year of the Lord pleasant, and the day of yielding again [to preach the year of the Lord accepted, or pleasant, and the day of retribution, or yielding again.]
20 And when he had closed the book, he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat; and the eyes of all men in the synagogue were beholding into him.
21 And he began to say to them, For in this day this scripture is fulfilled in your ears.
2001 by Terence P. Noble