Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The God Who Always Wins
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A song.
76 ·People in Judah know God [L God is known in Judah];
his ·fame [name] is great in Israel.
2 His Tent is in ·Jerusalem [L Salem; C shortened name of Jerusalem];
his ·home [abode] is on Mount Zion [Ps. 48].
3 There God broke the flaming arrows,
the shields, the swords, and the weapons of war. ·
4 God, how ·wonderful [glorious; awesome; or radiant] you are!
You are more ·splendid [majestic] than the ·hills full of animals [hills full of prey; or everlasting mountains].
5 The ·brave soldiers [L strong of heart] were ·stripped [plundered]
as they ·lay asleep in death [sleep their last sleep].
Not one ·warrior [valiant person]
·had the strength to stop it [L could lift their hand].
6 God of Jacob, ·when you spoke strongly [L at your rebuke/reprimand],
horses and riders ·fell dead [L were in deep sleep; or lay stupefied].
7 You are ·feared [awesome];
·no one [L who…?] can stand against you when you are angry.
8 From heaven you ·gave the decision [made your judgment heard],
and the earth was afraid and silent.
9 God, you ·stood [rose] up to judge
and to ·save [give victory to] the needy people of the earth. ·
10 ·People praise you for your anger against evil [or Human anger praises you].
·Those who live through your anger are stopped from doing more evil [Those who survive your wrath are restrained; L You gird the remains of wrath on you].
11 Make and keep your ·promises [vows] to the Lord your God.
From all around, gifts should come to the God ·we worship [L who is awesome].
12 God ·breaks [cuts off] the spirits of ·great leaders [princes];
the kings on earth fear him.
14 When you see these things, ·you [L your heart] will ·be happy [rejoice],
and ·you [or your bones] will ·grow [flourish] like the grass.
The Lord’s servants will see his ·power [L hand],
but his enemies will see his ·anger [wrath].
15 Look, the Lord is coming with fire
and his ·armies [L chariots] with ·clouds of dust [a whirlwind].
He will ·punish those people with his anger [L satisfy/render his anger with fury/wrath];
he will ·punish them [L satisfy/render his rebuke] with flames of fire.
16 The Lord will judge the people with fire,
and he will ·destroy many people [judge all people] with his sword;
·he will kill many people [L many will be slain by the Lord].
17 “These people ·make themselves holy and pure [sanctify/consecrate and purify themselves] to go ·to worship their gods in their [L into] gardens [C pagan worship sites; 1:29]. Following ·each other [or their leader; L one], they eat the meat of pigs and rats and other ·hateful [detestable; abominable] things. But they will ·all be destroyed [perish] together,” says the Lord.
18 “I know ·they have evil thoughts and do evil things [L their deeds and thoughts], so I am ·coming to punish them [L coming]. I will gather all nations and all ·people [L languages; tongues], and they will come together and see my glory.
19 “I will put a ·mark [sign] ·on some of the people [L among them], and I will send ·some of these saved people [or those who survive] to the nations: to Tarshish [2:16], ·Libya [L Pul], Lud (·the land of archers [L who draw the bow]), Tubal, ·Greece [L Javan], and all the faraway ·lands [or islands; or coastlands]. These people have never heard about ·what I have done [my fame] nor seen my glory. So ·the saved people [L they] will tell the nations about my glory. 20 And they will bring all your ·fellow Israelites [L brothers] from all nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord. ·Your fellow Israelites [L They] will come on horses, donkeys, and camels and in chariots and wagons. They will be like the grain offerings that the people bring in ·clean [pure; undefiled] ·containers [vessels] to the Temple,” says the Lord. 21 “And I will ·choose [take] even some of these people to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.
22 “I will make new heavens and the new earth, which will ·last forever [endure before me],” says the Lord. “In the same way, your name and your ·children [descendants; offspring; seed] will ·always be with me [remain; endure]. 23 All ·people [flesh] will come to worship me every Sabbath and every New Moon,” says the Lord. 24 “They will go out and see the dead bodies of the people who ·sinned [rebelled] against me. The worms that eat them will never die, and the fires that burn them will never ·stop [be quenched], and ·everyone will hate to see those bodies [L they will be a horror/abhorrence to all flesh].”
Jesus Grieves for Jerusalem(A)
37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and stone to death those who are sent to you. ·Many times [How often] I wanted to gather your ·people [L children] as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you ·did not let me [refused]. 38 ·Now [L Look; T Behold] your house ·will be [L is] left ·completely empty [abandoned; deserted; desolate; Jer. 22:5]. 39 [L For] I tell you, you will not see me again until that time when you will say, ‘·God bless [L Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26].’”
The Temple Will Be Destroyed(B)
24 As Jesus left the Temple [courts] and was walking away, his ·followers [disciples] came up to ·show [point out to] him the Temple’s buildings. 2 Jesus asked, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. Every stone will be ·thrown [pulled; torn] down.”
3 Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his ·followers [disciples] came to be alone with him. They said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign ·that it is time for you to come again [of your coming/return] and ·for this age to end [the end/consummation of the age]?”
4 Jesus answered, “·Be careful [Watch out] that no one ·fools [misleads; deceives] you. 5 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the ·Christ [Messiah],’ and they will ·fool [mislead; deceive] many people. 6 You will hear about wars and ·stories of wars that are coming [rumors/reports of wars], but don’t be ·afraid [alarmed]. These things must happen ·before the end comes [or but that is not yet the end]. 7 Nations will ·fight [L rise up] against other nations, and kingdoms against other kingdoms. There will be ·times when there is no food for people to eat [famines], and there will be earthquakes in ·different [various] places. 8 All these things are ·like the first pains when something new is about to be born [L the beginning of the birth pains].
9 “Then people will arrest you, hand you over to be ·hurt [persecuted; tortured], and kill you. ·They [The world; L All nations] will hate you because ·you believe in me [you follow me; L of my name]. 10 At that time, many will ·lose their faith [turn/fall away], and they will ·turn against [betray] each other and hate each other. 11 Many false prophets will ·come [appear; arise] and ·cause many people to believe lies [deceive many]. 12 There will be more and more ·evil [sin; lawlessness] in the world, so ·most people will stop showing their love for each other [L the love of many/most will grow cold]. 13 But those people who ·keep their faith [endure; stand firm; persevere] until the end will be saved. 14 ·The Good News [This Gospel] about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, [L as a testimony] to every nation. Then the end will come.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.