Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer for Protection
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. Of David.
61 God, hear my cry;
·listen [pay attention] to my prayer.
2 I call to you from the ends of the earth [C far from the Temple]
when ·I am afraid [L my heart grows faint].
·Carry [Lead] me away to ·a high mountain [L the rock that is higher than I am; C a place of refuge, perhaps referring to God as the rock; 18:2, 46; 19:14; 62:2].
3 You have been my ·protection [refuge],
like a strong tower against my enemies.
4 Let me ·live [sojourn] in your ·Holy Tent [L tent; C the sanctuary] forever.
Let me find ·safety [refuge] in the shelter of your wings [C an image of compassion, or perhaps referring to the cherubim whose wings cover the Ark of the Covenant; Ex. 25:20]. ·
5 God, you have heard my ·promises [vows].
You have given me what belongs to those who fear ·you [L your name].
6 ·Give the king a long life [L Add days to the days of the king];
let ·him live many years [L his years be forever and ever].
7 Let him ·rule [reign] in the presence of God forever.
Protect him with your ·love [loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness].
8 Then I will ·praise [sing a psalm to] your name forever,
and every day I will ·keep my promises [fulfill my vows].
David Wins Many Battles(A)
8 Later, David ·defeated [L struck] the Philistines, ·conquered [subdued] them, and took ·the city of Metheg Ammah [or a city of importance; C perhaps a reference to Gath (1 Chr. 18:1)].
2 He also ·defeated [L struck] the people of Moab. He made them lie on the ground, and then he used a rope to measure them. ·Those who were measured within two rope lengths were killed, but those who were within the next rope length were allowed to live [He put to death two measured groups for every one measured group he allowed to live]. So the people of Moab became ·servants [subjects] of David and ·gave him the payment he demanded [paid/brought him tribute].
3 David also ·defeated [L struck] Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to ·take control again at [extend his power/rule/L hand over; or restore his monument at] the Euphrates River. 4 David captured ·one thousand chariots, seven thousand men who rode in chariots [or 1,700 charioteers], and twenty thousand foot soldiers. He ·crippled [hamstrung] all but a hundred of the chariot horses.
5 ·Arameans [Syrians] from Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, but David ·killed [L struck] twenty-two thousand of them. 6 Then David put ·groups [garrisons] of soldiers in Damascus in Aram. The ·Arameans [Syrians] became David’s ·servants [subjects] and ·gave him the payment he demanded [paid/brought him tribute]. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.
7 David took the shields of gold that had belonged to Hadadezer’s ·officers [L servants] and brought them to Jerusalem. 8 David also took many things made of bronze from Tebah and Berothai, which had been cities under Hadadezer’s control.
9 Toi king of Hamath heard that David had ·defeated [L struck] all the army of Hadadezer. 10 So Toi sent his son Joram to greet and ·congratulate [bless] King David for defeating Hadadezer. (Hadadezer had been at war with Toi.) Joram brought ·items [objects; articles] made of silver, gold, and bronze. 11 King David ·gave [dedicated; consecrated] them to the Lord, along with the silver and gold he had taken from the other nations he had ·defeated [subdued; subjugated]. 12 These nations were ·Edom [L Aram; C the Hebrew has Aram (Syria), but the context suggests Edom], Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek. David also gave the Lord ·what he had taken from [the spoil/plunder of] Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 David ·was famous [L made a name for himself] after he returned from ·defeating [or killing; L striking] eighteen thousand ·Arameans [or Edomites; 1 Chr. 18:12; Ps. 60 title] in the Valley of Salt. 14 He put ·groups [garrisons] of soldiers all over Edom, and all the Edomites became his ·servants [subjects]. The Lord gave David victory everywhere he went.
15 David ·was king [reigned] over all Israel, and he did what was ·fair [just] and ·right [equitable] for all his people. 16 Joab son of Zeruiah was commander over the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the ·recorder [royal historian]. 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Abiathar son of Ahimelech were priests. Seraiah was the royal secretary. 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites [C foreign mercenaries who served as the king’s bodyguards]. And David’s sons were ·priests [or important officials; C “priests” is the more likely reading, but uncertain because only Levites were supposed to be priests].
The Elders from Ephesus
17 Now from Miletus [20:15] Paul sent to Ephesus [18:19; 19:1–41] and called for the elders [14:23; 1 Tim. 5:17] of the church. 18 When they came to him, he said, “You know about my life from the first day I came to Asia [18:19]. You know the way I lived all the time I was with you [19:1–41]. 19 ·Some Jewish opponents [L The Jews] ·made plans [plotted] against me, which ·troubled me very much [severely tested/tried me]. But you know I always served the Lord ·unselfishly [L with humility], and ·I often cried [in sorrowful times; L with tears]. 20 You know I preached to you and did not hold back anything that would help you. You know that I taught you in public and ·in your homes [from house to house]. 21 I ·warned [witnessed/testified to] both Jews and Greeks to ·change their lives and turn to God [repent] and believe in our Lord Jesus. 22 But now [L indeed; T behold] ·I must obey the Holy Spirit and [L bound/compelled by the Spirit, I must] go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 I know only that in every city the Holy Spirit ·tells [warns; testifies to] me that ·troubles and even jail [L chains and persecutions/afflictions] wait for me. 24 [L But] I don’t ·care about my own life [consider my life worth anything]. ·The most important thing [or My only goal] is that I ·complete [finish] my ·mission [task; course; L race; 2 Tim. 4:7; Heb. 12:1], the ·work [ministry; service] that ·the Lord Jesus gave me [L I received from the Lord Jesus]—to ·tell people [testify/witness to] the ·Good News [Gospel] about God’s grace.
25 “And now [L look; T behold], I know that none of you among whom I was ·preaching [proclaiming] the ·kingdom of God [L kingdom] will ever see ·me [L my face] again. 26 So today I ·tell [testify/witness to] you that ·if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible [L I am innocent/clean of the blood of everyone; Ezek. 33:9], 27 because I ·have told [L have not held back from telling] you ·everything God wants you to know [or the whole purpose/plan/will of God]. 28 ·Be careful for [Keep watch over] yourselves and for all the ·people [L flock] the Holy Spirit has ·given to you to oversee [L made you overseers/guardians; John 21:16]. You must be like shepherds to the church of God,[a] which he ·bought [or obtained] with the ·death of his own Son [L with the blood of his own (Son); or with his own blood]. 29 I know that after ·I leave [my departure; I am gone], ·some people will come like wild wolves [L wild/savage wolves will come in among you] and ·try to destroy [will not spare] the flock. 30 ·Also, [or Even] some from your own group will rise up and ·twist the truth [L speak perversions/distortions] and will ·lead away [lure; entice] ·followers [disciples] after them. 31 So ·be careful [keep watch]! Always remember that for three years, day and night, I never stopped warning [admonishing; instructing] each of you, ·and I often cried over you [L with tears].
32 “Now I ·am putting you in the care of [commend/commit/entrust you to] God and the ·message [word] about his grace. It is able to ·give you strength [edify you; build you up], and it will give you the ·blessings God has [L inheritance] ·for [or among] all ·his holy people [those who are sanctified; those set apart for himself]. 33 When I was with you, I never ·wanted [coveted] anyone’s ·money [L silver or gold] or fine clothes [Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21; 1 Sam. 12:3]. 34 You [L yourselves] know I always worked [L with my own hands] to take care of my own needs and the needs of those who were with me. 35 I ·showed [provided an example to] you ·in all things [in everything I did] that you should work as I did and help the weak. I taught you to remember the words Jesus said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive [C a saying of Jesus not recorded elsewhere in Scripture].’”
36 ·When [After] Paul had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
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