◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 87 (Glorious things are spoken of Zion); Joel 3:1-8 (God will restore Israel and Judah); 1 Peter 4:12-19 (The suffering of the righteous) (New English Translation)

Prev Day

October 24, 2022

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

October 2022
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

Return to today's reading

Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 87

Psalm 87^[a]

Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.

87 The Lord’s city is in the holy hills.^[b]
²The Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
³People say wonderful things about you,^[c]
O city of God. (Selah)
⁴I mention Rahab^[d] and Babylon to my followers.^[e]
Here are^[f] Philistia and Tyre, along with Ethiopia.^[g]
It is said of them, “This one was born there.”^[h]
⁵But it is said of Zion’s residents,^[i]
“Each one of these^[j] was born in her,
and the Most High^[k] makes her secure.”
⁶The Lord writes in the census book of the nations,^[l]
“This one was born there.”^[m] (Selah)
⁷As for the singers, as well as the pipers—
all of them sing within your walls.^[n]

Footnotes

Psalm 87:1 sn Psalm 87. The psalmist celebrates the Lord’s presence in Zion and the special status of its citizens.
Psalm 87:1 tn Heb “his foundation [is] in the hills of holiness.” The expression “his foundation” refers here by metonymy to the Lord’s dwelling place in Zion. The “hills” are the ones surrounding Zion (see Pss 125:2; 133:3).
Psalm 87:3 tn Heb “glorious things are spoken about you.” The translation assumes this is a general reference to compliments paid to Zion by those who live within her walls and by those who live in the surrounding areas and lands. Another option is that this refers to a prophetic oracle about the city’s glorious future. In this case one could translate, “wonderful things are announced concerning you.”
Psalm 87:4 sn “Rahab,” which means “proud one,” is used here as a title for Egypt (see Isa 30:7).
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “to those who know me” (see Ps 36:10). Apparently the Lord speaks here. The verbal construction (the Hiphil of זָכַר, zakhar, “remember” followed by the preposition ל [lamed] with a substantive) is rare, but the prepositional phrase is best understood as indicating the recipient of the announcement (see Jer 4:16). Some take the preposition in the sense of “among” and translate, “among those who know me” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). In this case these foreigners are viewed as the Lord’s people and the psalm is interpreted as anticipating a time when all nations will worship the Lord (see Ps 86:9) and be considered citizens of Zion.
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “Look.”
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “Cush.”
Psalm 87:4 tn Heb “and this one was born there.” The words “It is said of them” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification and stylistic purposes (see v. 5). Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand “there” as referring to Zion, but it seems more likely that the adverb refers to the nations just mentioned. The foreigners are identified by their native lands.
Psalm 87:5 tn Heb “and of Zion it is said.” Another option is to translate, “and to Zion it is said.” In collocation with the Niphal of אָמַר (ʾamar), the preposition ל (lamed) can introduce the recipient of the statement (see Josh 2:2; Jer 4:11; Hos 1:10; Zeph 3:16), carry the nuance “concerning, of” (see Num 23:23), or mean “be named” (see Isa 4:3; 62:4).
Psalm 87:5 tn Heb “a man and a man.” The idiom also appears in Esth 1:8. The translation assumes that the phrase refers to each of Zion’s residents, in contrast to the foreigners mentioned in v. 4. Those advocating the universalistic interpretation understand this as a reference to each of the nations, including those mentioned in v. 4.
Psalm 87:5 sn The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן ʿelyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
Psalm 87:6 tn Heb “the Lord records in the writing of the nations.”
Psalm 87:6 tn As noted in v. 4, the translation assumes a contrast between “there” (the various foreign lands) and “in her” (Zion). In contrast to foreigners, the citizens of Zion have special status because of their birthplace (v. 5). In this case vv. 4 and 6 form a structural frame around v. 5.
Psalm 87:7 tc Heb “and singers, like pipers, all my springs [are] in you.” The participial form חֹלְלִים (khol^elim) appears to be from a denominative verb meaning “play the pipe,” though some derive the form from חוּל (khul, “dance”). In this case the duplicated ל (lamed) requires an emendation to מְחֹלְלִים (m^ekhol^elim, “a Polel form). The words are addressed to Zion. As it stands, the Hebrew text makes little, if any, sense. “Springs” are often taken here as a symbol of divine blessing and life”), but this reading does not relate to the preceding line in any apparent way. The present translation assumes an emendation of כָּל־מַעְיָנַי (kol maʿyanay, “all my springs”) to כֻּלָּם עָנוּ (kullam ʿanu, “all of them sing,” with the form עָנוּ being derived from עָנָה, ʿanah, “sing”).

Joel 3:1-8

The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations

3 (4:1)^[a] For look! In those^[b] days and at that time
I will return the exiles^[c] to Judah and Jerusalem.
²Then I will gather all the nations,
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.^[d]
I will enter into judgment^[e] against them there
concerning my people Israel who are my inheritance,^[f]
whom they scattered among the nations.
They partitioned my land,
³and they cast lots for my people.
They traded^[g] a boy for a prostitute;
they sold a little girl for wine so they could drink.^[h]
⁴Why are you doing these things to me, Tyre and Sidon?^[i]
Are you trying to get even with me, land of Philistia?^[j]
If you are, I will very quickly repay you for what you have done!^[k]
⁵For you took my silver and my gold
and brought my precious valuables to your own palaces.^[l]
⁶You sold Judeans and Jerusalemites to the Greeks,
removing them far from their own country.^[m]
⁷Look! I am rousing them from that place to which you sold them.
I will repay you for what you have done!^[n]
⁸I will sell your sons and daughters to^[o] the people of Judah.^[p]
They will sell them to the Sabeans,^[q] a nation far away.
Indeed, the Lord has spoken.

Footnotes

Joel 3:1 sn Joel 3:1 in the English Bible is 4:1 in the Hebrew text (BHS). See also the note at 2:28.
Joel 3:1 tc The MT and LXX read, “in those days,” while MurXII reads, “in that day.”
Joel 3:1 tc The Kethib has אָשִׁיב (ʾashiv, “I will return the captivity [captives]”), while the Qere is אָשׁוּב (ʾashuv, “I will restore the fortunes”). Many modern English versions follow the Qere reading. Either reading seems to fit the context. Joel refers to an exile of the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem in 3:2-6 and their return from exile in 3:7. On the other hand, 2:25-26 describes the reversal of judgment and restoration of the covenant blessings. However, the former seems to be the concern of the immediate context.
Joel 3:2 sn There is a play on words here. Jehoshaphat in Hebrew means “the Lord has judged,” and the next line in v. 2 further explicates this thought. The location of this valley is uncertain (cf. v. 12). Many interpreters identified the Valley of Jehoshaphat as the Kidron Valley, located between old Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives. They supposed it was the “Valley of Berachah [“blessing”],” where King Jehoshaphat defeated his enemies (2 Chr 20:26). Since this is described as a scene of future messianic activity and judgment, many Jews and Muslims have desired to be buried in the Kidron vicinity, and there are many graves in the area. A variation of this view, mentioned by Eusebius (Onomasticon 1:10), is the Hinnom Valley, on the south side of the old city, perhaps as a “valley of slaughter” (Jer 7:31-32; 19:5-6). Many modern scholars think Joel’s valley is part of an idealized and nonliteral scene of judgment. Another theory is that there is no reference to the ancient king but to the eschatalogical judgment to occur in the Valley of Esdraelon (Armageddon: Ezek 39:11; Rev 16:16-17; cf. Joel 3:12-21).
Joel 3:2 tn Heb “I will execute judgment.”
Joel 3:2 tn Heb “concerning my people and my inheritance Israel.”
Joel 3:3 tn Heb “gave.”
Joel 3:3 sn Heb “and they drank.” Joel vividly refers to a situation where innocent human life has little value; its only worth is its use in somehow satisfying selfish appetites of wicked people who have control over others (cf. Amos 2:6 and 8:6).
Joel 3:4 tn Heb “What [are] you [doing] to me, O Tyre and Sidon?”
Joel 3:4 tn Or “districts.”
Joel 3:4 tn Heb “quickly, speedily, I will return your recompense on your head.” This is an idiom for retributive justice and an equitable reversal of situation.
Joel 3:5 tn Or perhaps, “temples.”
Joel 3:6 tn Heb “border.”
Joel 3:7 tn Heb “I will return your recompense on your head.”
Joel 3:8 tn Heb “into the hand of.”
Joel 3:8 tn Heb “the sons of Judah.”
Joel 3:8 sn The Sabeans were Arabian merchants who were influential along the ancient caravan routes that traveled through Arabia. See also Job 1:15; Isa 43:3; 45:14; Ps 72:10.

1 Peter 4:12-19

¹²Dear friends, do not be astonished^[a] that a trial by fire is occurring among you,^[b] as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed^[c] you may also rejoice and be glad.^[d] ¹⁴If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory,^[e] who is the Spirit of God,^[f] rests^[g] on you. ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or criminal or as a troublemaker.^[h] ¹⁶But if you suffer as a Christian,^[i] do not be ashamed, but glorify^[j] God that you bear such a name.^[k] ¹⁷For it is time for judgment to begin, starting with the house^[l] of God. And if it starts with us, what will be the fate^[m] of those who are disobedient to the gospel of God? ¹⁸And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of^[n] the ungodly and sinners?^[o] ¹⁹So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good.^[p]

Footnotes

1 Peter 4:12 tn Or “do not be surprised, taken aback.” The same verb occurs in 4:4.
1 Peter 4:12 tn Grk “at the burning among you, occurring to you for testing.”
1 Peter 4:13 tn Grk “in the revelation of his glory.”
1 Peter 4:13 tn The verb “be glad” is used also in 1:6 and 1:8. The verbs of v. 13b are used together in Matt 5:12 and Rev 19:7.
1 Peter 4:14 tc Many mss, some of them significant and early ([א] A P 33 81 323 945 1241 1739 pm bo), add καὶ δυνάμεως (kai dunameōs; “and of power”) here. The shorter reading is supported by P⁷² B K L Ψ 049 pm). Although the evidence is evenly divided, the longer reading looks to be an explanatory or liturgical expansion on the text and for this reason should be considered secondary.
1 Peter 4:14 tn Grk “the Spirit of glory and of God.”
1 Peter 4:14 sn A quotation taken from Isa 11:2.
1 Peter 4:15 tn The meaning of the Greek word used here is uncertain. It may mean “spy, informer,” “revolutionary,” or “defrauder, embezzler.” But the most likely meaning is “busybody, one who meddles in the affairs of others, troublesome meddler.” The translation given in the text is intended to suggest this general idea.
1 Peter 4:16 tn The verb is implied by the context but not expressed; Grk “but if as a Christian.”
1 Peter 4:16 tn These are third person imperatives in Greek (“if [one of you suffers] as a Christian, let him not be ashamed…let him glorify”), but have been translated as second person verbs since this is smoother English idiom.
1 Peter 4:16 tn Grk “in this name.”
1 Peter 4:17 tn Grk “to begin from the house.”
1 Peter 4:17 tn Or “the end.”
1 Peter 4:18 tn Grk “where will he appear.”
1 Peter 4:18 tn The personal references in v. 18 are generic singulars, but they have been changed to the plural in English to maintain consistency with the plurals of v. 17.sn A quotation from Prov 11:31 (LXX).
1 Peter 4:19 tn Grk “in doing good.”

New English Translation (NET)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 87[a]

Written by the Korahites; a psalm, a song.

Footnotes

The Lord Plans to Judge the Nations

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 87^[a]