Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

126 The song of degrees. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion; we were made as comforted. (When the Lord returned the captives to Zion/When the Lord returned prosperity to Zion; we were made like in a dream.)

² Then our mouth was filled with joy; and our tongue with full out joying. Then they shall say among heathen men; The Lord magnified to do with them. (Then our mouths were filled with joy; and ours tongues with rejoicing. And the heathen said to each other, The Lord hath done great things for them.)

³ The Lord magnified to do with us; we be made glad. (Yea, the Lord did great things for us; and we were glad.)

⁴ Lord, turn thou (again) our captivity; as a strand in the south. (Lord, return thou the captives/return thou our prosperity; like the streams return to the south.)

⁵ They that sow in tears; shall reap in full out joying. (Then they who sowed in tears; shall reap with rejoicing.)

⁶ They going, went, and wept; sending their seeds. But they coming, shall come with full out joying; bearing their handfuls (They going, went, and wept; sending out their seeds. But when they shall return, they shall come back rejoicing; carrying their harvest.)

2 On my keeping I shall stand, and shall pitch a degree on [the] warding; and I shall behold, that I see what thing shall be said to me, and what I shall answer to him that reproveth me. (I shall stand watch at my station, and shall climb the stairs of the watch tower; and I shall see, what shall be said to me, and what I shall answer to him who rebuketh me.)

² And the Lord answered to me, and said, Write thou the sight, either revelation, and make it plain on tables, that he (may) run, that shall read it. (And the Lord said to me, Write thou what thou seest, and make it clear on a tablet, ready for a courier to carry it with haste/so that it can easily be read.)

³ For yet the vision is far, and it shall appear into the end, and shall not lie; if it shall make dwelling, abide thou it, for it coming shall come, and shall not tarry. (For yet the vision is far off, but it shall appear in the end, and it shall not lie; and even if it appeareth to be delayed, wait thou for it, for it is coming, and indeed shall come, and shall not be late.)

⁴ Lo! the soul of him, that is unbelieveful, shall not be rightful in himself; forsooth the just man shall live in his faith. (Lo! the soul of him, who is unbelieving, shall not be right within himself; but the just, or the righteous, shall live by faith.)

⁵ And as wine deceiveth a man drinking, so shall the proud man be, and he shall not be made fair; for as hell he alarged his soul, and he is as death, and he is not [ful]filled; and he shall gather to him all folks, and he shall gather together to him all peoples. (And like wine deceiveth someone who is drinking, so shall be the proud person, and he shall never be content, or at peace; for he enlarged his soul, or his mouth, as wide as Sheol, or the land of the dead, but he, like death itself, shall never be satisfied, or fulfilled; even though he shall gather all the nations unto himself, yea, though he shall gather together all the peoples unto himself.)

⁷ But which things were to me winnings, I have deemed these impairings for Christ.

⁸ Nevertheless I guess all things to be impairment for the clear science of Jesus Christ my Lord. For whom I made all things impairment, and I deem as drit [and I deem as turds], that I win Christ,

⁹ and that I be found in him, not having my rightwiseness that is of the law, but that that is of the faith of Christ Jesus [but that that is of the faith of Christ], that is of God the rightwiseness in faith,

¹⁰ to know him, and the virtue of his rising again, and the fellowship of his passion, and to be made like to his death, [to know him, and the virtue of his rising again, and the fellowship of his passion, I configured, or made like, to his death,]

¹¹ if on any manner I come to the resurrection that is from death. [if on any manner I shall come to the resurrection that is of dead men.]