Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Lord, Bring Your People Back
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
126 When the Lord ·brought the prisoners back to [brought back those who returned to; or restored the fortunes of] Jerusalem [L Zion; C probably the return from the exile; 2 Chr. 36:22–23; Ezra 1],
it seemed as if we were dreaming [C so surprised and happy that it did not seem real].
2 Then ·we [L our mouths] were filled with laughter,
and ·we [L our tongues] ·sang happy songs [shouted joyfully].
Then the other nations said,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we ·are very glad [rejoice].
4 Lord, ·return our prisoners [bring back those who return; or restore our fortunes] again,
as you bring streams to the ·desert [L Negev; C an arid area in the south of Israel].
5 Those who cry as they ·plant crops [sow; plant seed]
will ·sing [shout for joy] at harvest time.
6 Those who ·cry [L go out weeping]
as they carry out the ·seeds [L bag with seeds]
will return singing
and carrying ·bundles of grain [sheaves].
2 I will stand like a guard to watch
and ·place [station] myself at the tower.
I will wait to see what he will say to me;
I will wait to learn how ·God will answer [or I will answer concerning] my complaint.
The Lord Answers
2 The Lord answered me:
“Write down the vision;
write it ·clearly [plainly] on clay tablets
so whoever reads it can run to tell others.
3 ·It is not yet time for the message to come true [L For the vision awaits an appointed time],
·but that time is coming soon [it hastens to the end; or it speaks about the end];
the message will ·come true [not lie].
·It may seem like a long time,
but [Though it tarries/lingers] be patient and wait for it,
because it will surely come;
it will not be delayed.
4 [L Look; T Behold] ·The evil nation [L He] is ·very proud of itself [puffed up];
·it [L his soul] is not ·living as it should [upright].
But ·those who are right with God [the righteous] will live ·by faith [or because of their faithfulness; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38].
5 “Just as wine ·can trick [betrays] a person,
those who are too proud will not ·last, [have rest; settle down]
·because their desire is like a grave’s desire for death [L he opens wide his throat like Sheol; C the grave or the underworld],
and like death they always want more.
They gather other nations for themselves
and collect for themselves all the ·countries [peoples].
7 Those things were ·important [valuable; or assets] to me, but now I think they are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; L a loss] because of Christ. 8 Not only those things, but I think that all things are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; L a loss] ·compared with [or because of] the ·greatness [superior/supreme value] of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and now I ·know they are [consider them] ·worthless trash [garbage; refuse; excrement]. ·This allows me to have [L …so that I may gain] Christ 9 and to ·belong to [be united with; L be found in] him. ·Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law [L …not having my own righteousness from the law], but because ·I believed in Christ [of faith in Christ; or of the faithfulness of Christ]. This is the ·right relationship with [or righteousness of/from] God that comes through ·faith [or the faithfulness (of Christ)]. 10 I want to know Christ and the power ·that raised him from the dead [L of his resurrection]. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. 11 ·Then I have hope that [L …if somehow] I myself will ·be raised [reach/attain to the resurrection] from the dead.
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