Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2 When the day of Pentecost [C a harvest festival fifty days after Passover, celebrating the firstfruits of the crops (while on this day the firstfruits of the Spirit); Ex. 34:22; Deut. 16:10, 16] ·came [arrived], they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a ·noise [roar] like a ·strong [violent], ·blowing [rushing] wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something like ·flames [L tongues] of fire ·that were separated [that were divided; or that spread out] and ·stood [came to rest] over each person there. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak ·different [other; or foreign] ·languages [L tongues] by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them [C reversing the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel; Gen. 11:1–9].
5 There were some ·religious [devout; God-fearing] Jews ·staying [living] in Jerusalem who were from every ·country [nation] ·in the world [L under heaven]. 6 When they heard this noise, a crowd came together. They were all ·surprised [or confused; bewildered], because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were ·completely [L astounded and] amazed at this. They said, “Look! Aren’t all these people that we hear speaking ·from Galilee [L Galileans]? 8 Then how is it possible that we each hear them in our own [native] languages? We are: 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia [C a Roman province, in present-day Turkey], 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the areas of Libya near Cyrene, [visitors from] Rome 11 (both Jews and ·those who had become Jews [proselytes]), Crete, and Arabia. But we hear them telling in our own ·languages [tongues] about the ·great things [mighty acts] God has done!” 12 They were all amazed and confused, asking each other, “What does this mean?”
13 But others ·were making fun of them [sneered], saying, “They have had too much [sweet; new] wine [C they accuse them of being intoxicated and speaking nonsense].”
Peter Speaks to the People
14 But Peter stood up with the eleven apostles, and in a loud voice he ·spoke to [addressed] the crowd: “·My fellow Jews [or Judeans], and all of you who ·are [are living/staying] in Jerusalem, ·listen to me [L let this be known to you]. Pay attention to what I have to say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you think; it is only ·nine o’clock in the morning [L the third hour of the day]! 16 But Joel the prophet wrote about what is happening here today:
17 ‘God says: In the last days
I will pour out my Spirit on all ·kinds of people [people; humanity; T flesh].
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
also on my male ·slaves [servants] and female ·slaves [servants],
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show ·miracles [wonders; marvels]
in the ·sky [or heaven] above
and ·signs [miracles] on the earth below:
blood, fire, and ·thick [L a cloud/billow of] smoke.
20 The sun will ·become dark [L be turned to darkness],
the moon ·red as blood [L to blood],
before the ·overwhelming [great] and glorious day of the Lord will come.
21 Then anyone who calls on [L the name of] the Lord will be saved [Joel 2:28–32].’
The Vision of Dry Bones
37 I felt the ·power [L hand] of the Lord on me, and he brought me out by the ·Spirit [or spirit] of the Lord and put me down in the middle of a valley. It was full of bones. 2 He led me around among the bones, and I saw that there were many bones in the valley and [L look; T behold] that they were very dry. 3 Then he asked me, “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], can these bones live?”
I answered, “Lord God, only you know.”
4 He said to me, “Prophesy ·to [over] these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 This is what the Lord God says to the bones: I will cause breath to enter you so you will come to life. 6 I will put ·muscles [tendons; sinews] on you and flesh on you and cover you with skin. Then I will put breath in you so you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. While I prophesied, there was a noise and a rattling. The bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked and saw ·muscles [sinews; tendons] come on the bones, and flesh grew, and skin covered the bones. But there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the ·wind [breath; Spirit]. Prophesy, ·human [T son of man; 2:1], and say to the ·wind [breath; Spirit], ‘This is what the Lord God says: ·Wind [Breath; Spirit], come from the four winds, and breathe on these ·people who were killed [slain] so they can come back to life.’” 10 So I prophesied as the Lord commanded me. And the ·breath [wind; Spirit] came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, a very large army.
11 Then he said to me, “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], these bones are like all the ·people [L house] of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope has ·gone [perished]. We are ·destroyed [cut off].’ 12 So, prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: [L Look; T Behold] My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves. Then I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 My people, you will know that I am the Lord when I open your graves and cause you to come up from them. 14 And I will put my ·Spirit [breath; wind] inside you, and you will come to life. Then I will ·put [settle] you in your own land. And you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and ·done it [or will do it], says the Lord.’”
24 Lord, ·you have made many things;
with your wisdom you made them all [Prov. 8:22–31].
The earth is full of your ·riches [or creatures].
25 Look at the sea, so big and wide,
with creatures large and small, ·creeping [swarming] things that cannot be counted.
26 Ships travel over the ocean,
and there is Leviathan [C a sea monster and symbol of chaos; 74:14; Job 3:8; 41:1; Is. 27:1],
which you made to play there.
27 All these things ·depend [hope; wait] on you
to give them their food at the right time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up.
When you open your hand,
they are ·filled [satisfied] with good food.
29 When you ·turn away [L hide your face] from them,
they ·become frightened [are terrified].
When you take away their breath,
they ·die [expire] and turn to dust [Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7].
30 When you ·breathe [L send your breath/or Spirit] on them,
they are created [Gen. 2:7],
and you make the land new again.
31 May the glory of the Lord [C his manifest presence] be forever.
May the Lord ·enjoy [rejoice in] what he has made.
32 He just looks at the earth, and it ·shakes [trembles].
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will ·sing praises [make a psalm] to my God as long as I live.
34 May my ·thoughts [meditations] please him;
I ·am happy [will rejoice] in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be ·destroyed [obliterated] from the earth,
and let the wicked live no longer.
·My whole being [T O my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
22 We know that ·everything God made [all creation] has been ·waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth [L groaning with labor pains until now]. 23 Not only the world, but we also ·have been waiting with pain inside us [L groan within ourselves]. We have the Spirit as the ·first part of God’s promise [L firstfruits; C as the first crops confirmed the future harvest, so the Spirit’s presence confirms believers’ final salvation]. So we are [eagerly] waiting for ·God to finish making us his own children [L our adoption], which means ·our bodies will be made free [L the redemption of our bodies]. 24 We were saved, ·and we have this hope [or …by this hope; L in hope]. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. ·People do not hope [L For who hopes…?] for something they already have. 25 But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it ·patiently [with perseverance].
26 ·Also [or In the same way], the Spirit helps us ·with [or in] our weakness. We do not know ·how to pray as we should [or what we ought to pray for]. But the Spirit himself ·speaks to God for us [intercedes] with ·deep feelings [L groanings] ·that words cannot explain [or that are inexpressible; or that are unspoken; or too deep for words]. 27 ·God can see what is in people’s hearts and [L The one who searches hearts] knows what is in the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit ·speaks to God [intercedes; appeals] for ·his people [or his holy people; T the saints] ·in the way God wants [or in harmony with God; L according to God].
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
2 When the day of Pentecost [C a harvest festival fifty days after Passover, celebrating the firstfruits of the crops (while on this day the firstfruits of the Spirit); Ex. 34:22; Deut. 16:10, 16] ·came [arrived], they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a ·noise [roar] like a ·strong [violent], ·blowing [rushing] wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something like ·flames [L tongues] of fire ·that were separated [that were divided; or that spread out] and ·stood [came to rest] over each person there. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak ·different [other; or foreign] ·languages [L tongues] by the power the Holy Spirit was giving them [C reversing the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel; Gen. 11:1–9].
5 There were some ·religious [devout; God-fearing] Jews ·staying [living] in Jerusalem who were from every ·country [nation] ·in the world [L under heaven]. 6 When they heard this noise, a crowd came together. They were all ·surprised [or confused; bewildered], because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were ·completely [L astounded and] amazed at this. They said, “Look! Aren’t all these people that we hear speaking ·from Galilee [L Galileans]? 8 Then how is it possible that we each hear them in our own [native] languages? We are: 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia [C a Roman province, in present-day Turkey], 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the areas of Libya near Cyrene, [visitors from] Rome 11 (both Jews and ·those who had become Jews [proselytes]), Crete, and Arabia. But we hear them telling in our own ·languages [tongues] about the ·great things [mighty acts] God has done!” 12 They were all amazed and confused, asking each other, “What does this mean?”
13 But others ·were making fun of them [sneered], saying, “They have had too much [sweet; new] wine [C they accuse them of being intoxicated and speaking nonsense].”
Peter Speaks to the People
14 But Peter stood up with the eleven apostles, and in a loud voice he ·spoke to [addressed] the crowd: “·My fellow Jews [or Judeans], and all of you who ·are [are living/staying] in Jerusalem, ·listen to me [L let this be known to you]. Pay attention to what I have to say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you think; it is only ·nine o’clock in the morning [L the third hour of the day]! 16 But Joel the prophet wrote about what is happening here today:
17 ‘God says: In the last days
I will pour out my Spirit on all ·kinds of people [people; humanity; T flesh].
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18 At that time I will pour out my Spirit
also on my male ·slaves [servants] and female ·slaves [servants],
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show ·miracles [wonders; marvels]
in the ·sky [or heaven] above
and ·signs [miracles] on the earth below:
blood, fire, and ·thick [L a cloud/billow of] smoke.
20 The sun will ·become dark [L be turned to darkness],
the moon ·red as blood [L to blood],
before the ·overwhelming [great] and glorious day of the Lord will come.
21 Then anyone who calls on [L the name of] the Lord will be saved [Joel 2:28–32].’
26 “I will send you the ·Helper [Counselor; Advocate; C the Holy Spirit] from the Father; he is the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father. When he comes, he will ·tell [testify; witness] about me, 27 and you also must ·tell people [testify; witness] about me, because you have been with me from the beginning.
4 I have told you these things now so that when ·the time [L their hour; C the time of persecution] comes you will remember that I ·warned [told] you [about them].
The Work of the Holy Spirit
“I did not tell you ·these things [C that they would experience persecution] ·at [from] the beginning, because I was with you then. 5 Now I am going back to the One who sent me. But none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Your hearts are filled with ·sadness [grief; sorrow] because I have told you these things. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is ·better for you [for your advantage] that I go away. [L For] When I go away, I will send the ·Helper [Counselor; Advocate; C the Holy Spirit] to you. If I do not go away, the Helper will not come [to you]. 8 When the Helper comes, he will ·prove to the people of the world the truth about sin [L convict/expose/convince the world about sin], about ·being right with God [L righteousness], and about judgment [C the meaning of this sentence is uncertain, as are the explanatory phrases in vv. 9–11]. 9 ·He will prove to them that sin is not believing in me [L concerning sin, because they do not believe in me]. 10 ·He will prove to them that being right with God comes from my going to the Father and not being seen anymore [L concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you will no longer see me; C probably means the Spirit will convict the world of its empty righteousness because Jesus is no longer present to model true righteousness]. 11 ·And the Helper will prove to them that judgment happened when the ruler of this world was judged [L concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged; C probably means the Spirit will convict the world that its judgments are false because Satan—the one they follow—has been condemned by Christ’s victory on the cross].
12 “I [L still] have many more things to say to you, but ·they are too much for you [L you cannot bear them] now. 13 But when the Spirit of truth [C the Helper; see 16:7] comes, he will ·lead [guide] you into all truth. He will not speak ·his own words [from his own authority; L from himself], but he will speak only what he hears [C from the Father], and he will ·tell [announce/declare to] you what is to come. 14 The Spirit of truth will ·bring glory to [glorify; honor] me, because he will take what ·I have to say [L is mine] and ·tell [announce; declare] it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will take what ·I have to say [L what is mine] and ·tell [announce; declare] it to you.
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