Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Praise God Who Helps His People
147 Praise the Lord!
It is good to ·sing praises [make a psalm] to our God;
it is pleasant and ·good [L fitting] to praise him.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem [51:18; 102:16; Is. 64:8–12];
he ·brings back [gathers; assembles] the ·captured [scattered; dispersed] Israelites [C perhaps a reference to those who returned after the Babylonian exile; Deut. 30:1–4; Is. 11:12].
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and ·bandages [binds up] their wounds.
4 He ·counts [L measures the number of] the stars
and ·names [L assigns names to] each one [Is. 40:26].
5 Our Lord is great and very powerful.
There is no limit to ·what he knows [L his understanding].
6 The Lord ·defends [supports] the ·humble [needy],
but he throws the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing ·praises [thanksgiving] to the Lord;
·praise [make a psalm to] our God with harps.
8 He ·fills [covers] the ·sky [heavens] with clouds
and ·sends [sets; establishes] rain to the earth
and makes grass ·grow [sprout] on the ·hills [mountains].
9 He gives food to cattle
and to the ·little birds [L young ravens] that call.
10 He ·is not impressed with [does not delight in] the strength of a horse,
nor does he take pleasure in ·human might [L the thighs of a person].
11 The Lord ·is pleased with [takes pleasure in] those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
with those who ·trust [wait for; hope in] his ·love [loyalty].
20 He didn’t do this for ·any other [L all the] nation.
They don’t know his ·laws [judgments].
Praise the Lord!
Elihu’s Speech Continues
36 Elihu continued:
2 “·Listen to [or Be patient with] me a little longer, and I will ·show [inform] you
that there is more to be said for God.
3 What I know comes from far away.
I will ·show that my Maker is right [ascribe righteousness to my Maker].
4 You can be sure that my words are not false;
·one who really knows is with you [L perfect knowledge is with me].
5 “God is powerful, but he does not ·hate [disdain; reject] people;
he is strong and ·sure of what he wants to do [L powerful in understanding/heart].
6 He will not keep evil people alive,
but he gives the ·poor [afflicted] their rights.
7 He ·always watches over [L does not withhold his eye from] those who do right;
he sets them on thrones with kings
and they are ·honored [exalted] forever.
8 If people are bound in chains,
or if ·trouble [affliction], like ropes, ties them up,
9 God tells them what they have done,
that they have sinned in their pride.
10 He ·makes them listen [L opens their ear] to his ·warning [instruction; discipline]
and commands them to change from doing evil.
11 If they ·obey [or listen] and serve him,
·the rest of their lives will be successful [L their days will finish happily],
and the rest of their years will be ·happy [pleasant].
12 But if they do not listen,
they will ·die by the sword [or pass through the water channel; C reference to death],
and they will die ·without knowing why [in ignorance].
13 “Those who have ·wicked [L godless] hearts hold on to anger.
Even when ·God punishes [L he imprisons] them, they do not cry for help.
14 They die while they are still young,
and their lives end ·in disgrace [L among male prostitutes].
15 But God saves those who ·suffer [are afflicted] ·through [or by means of] their ·suffering [affliction];
he ·gets them to listen [L opens their ear] ·through [or by means of] their pain.
16 “God ·is gently calling [has wooed/enticed] you from the jaws of ·trouble [distress]
to an ·open place of freedom [L broad place with no constraints]
where he has set your table full of ·the best food [L fatness].
17 But now you are ·being punished like [obsessed/filled with the case of] the wicked;
·you are getting justice [L judgment and justice hold on tight to you].
18 Be careful! ·Don’t be led away from God by riches [L …lest anger seduce you by abundance];
don’t let ·much money [a big ransom/bribe] turn you away.
19 Neither your wealth nor all your great strength
will keep you out of trouble.
20 Don’t ·wish [pant; long] for the night
when people are taken from their homes.
21 Be careful not to turn to evil,
which you ·seem to want more [have chosen rather] than ·suffering [affliction].
22 “God is ·great [exulted] and powerful;
·no other teacher is [L who is a teacher…?] like him.
23 ·No one [L Who…?] has ·planned [prescribed] his ways for him;
·no one can say to God [L who says to him…?], ‘You have done wrong.’
Paul Is like the Other Apostles
9 ·I am a free man [L Am I not free?]. ·I am [L Am I not…?] an apostle. ·I have [Haven’t I…?] seen Jesus our Lord. ·You people are all an example of [L Are you not…?] my work in the Lord. 2 If others do not accept me as an apostle, surely you do, because you are ·proof that I am an apostle [L the seal/verification of my apostleship] in the Lord.
3 This is the answer I give people who want to ·judge me [examine me; question my credentials]: 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink [C receive hospitality and support for their missionary work]? 5 Do we not have the right to ·bring a believing wife with us when we travel [or be married to a believer; L take along a wife who is a sister] as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers [Matt. 13:55; Acts 1:14] and ·Peter [L Cephas; C Peter’s name in Aramaic; see 1:12]? 6 Are Barnabas [Acts 13—14] and I the only ones who ·must work to earn our living [L don’t have the authority/right not to work]? 7 ·No soldier [L Who…?] ever serves in the army and pays his own salary. ·No one [L Who…?] ever plants a vineyard without eating some of the grapes. ·No person [L Who…?] takes care of a flock without drinking some of the milk.
8 I do not say this ·by human authority [from human experience; L according to man]; God’s law also says the same thing. 9 [L For] It is written in the law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox when it is ·working in [treading; threshing] the grain [Deut. 25:4].” When God said this, was he ·thinking only [concerned] about oxen? No. 10 He was ·really [surely] talking ·about us [for our benefit]. Yes, that Scripture was written for us, because it goes on to say: “The one who plows and the one who ·works in the grain [threshes] should hope to get some of the grain for their work.” 11 ·Since [If] we ·planted [sowed] spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we should harvest material things from you [C receive support for ministry]? 12 If others have the right to get something from you, surely we have this right, ·too [or even more so]. But we ·do not use it [have not exercised this right]. No, we put up with everything ourselves so that we will not ·keep anyone from believing [L put up a hindrance to] the ·Good News [Gospel] of Christ. 13 ·Surely [L Don’t…?] you know that those who ·work at the Temple [perform priestly temple service] get their food from the Temple, and those who serve at the altar get part of what is offered at the altar. 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who ·tell the Good News [proclaim/preach the Gospel] should get their living from ·this work [L the Gospel].
15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this now to get anything from you. I would rather die than to have my reason for ·bragging [boasting] taken away. 16 ·Telling the Good News [Preaching the Gospel] does not give me any reason for ·bragging [boasting]. Telling the Good News is my duty—something I must do. And ·how terrible it will be for [L woe to] me if I do not ·tell the Good News [preach the Gospel].
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