Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Praise for the Lord’s Kindness
113 Praise the Lord!
Praise him, you servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
2 The Lord’s name ·should [is to] be ·praised [blessed]
now and forever.
3 The Lord’s name ·should [is to] be praised
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
4 The Lord is ·supreme [exalted] over all the nations [99:2];
his glory [C God’s manifest presence] ·reaches to the skies [is over the heavens].
5 ·No one [L Who…?] is like the Lord our God,
who ·rules [L is seated/enthroned] ·from heaven [on high],
6 who ·bends [stoops] down to look
at the ·skies [heavens] and the earth.
7 The Lord ·lifts [raises] the poor from the ·dirt [dust]
and ·takes [exalts] the ·helpless [needy] from the ashes.
8 He ·seats [enthrones] them with princes,
the princes of his people [1 Sam. 2:8; Luke 1:52].
9 He gives ·children to the woman who has none [L the barren woman a home]
and makes her ·a happy mother [L joyful with children].
Praise the Lord!
28 Then Rebekah ran and told her mother’s family about all these things. 29 She had a brother named Laban, who ran out to Abraham’s servant, who was still at the spring. 30 Laban had heard what she had said and had seen the ·ring [L nose-ring; or earring] and the bracelets on his sister’s arms. So he ran out to the well, and there was the man standing by the camels at the spring. 31 Laban said, “·Sir [L O blessed one], ·you are welcome to come in [L come]; ·you don’t have to stand [L why are standing…?] outside. I have ·prepared [L cleared out] the house for you and also a place for your camels.”
32 So Abraham’s servant went into the house. After Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and ·food [fodder], he gave water to Abraham’s servant so he and the men with him could wash their feet. 33 Then ·Laban gave the servant food [L the food was set before him], but the servant said, “I will not eat until I have told you why I came.”
So Laban said, “Then tell us.”
34 He said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master in everything [12:3], and he has become a rich man. The Lord has given him many flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, camels, and horses. 36 Sarah, my master’s wife, gave birth to a son when she was old [21:1–7], and my master has given everything he owns to that son. 37 My master had me ·make a promise to him [swear] and said, ‘Don’t get a wife for my son from the Canaanite ·girls [L daughters] ·who live around here [L in whose land I live]. 38 Instead, you must go to my father’s ·people [house] and to my family. There you must ·get [take] a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’ 40 But he said, ‘I ·serve [L walk before] the Lord, who will send his ·angel [or messenger] with you and will ·help you [L make your way successful]. You will ·get [take] a wife for my son from my family and my father’s ·people [L house]. 41 Then you will be ·free [innocent] from ·the promise [L my oath]. But if they will not give you a wife for my son, you will be ·free [innocent] from ·this promise [L my oath].’
42 “Today I came to this spring. I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, please make my ·trip [way] successful.
16 Jesus traveled to Nazareth, where he had grown up. On the Sabbath day he went to the synagogue, as he always did, and stood up to read. 17 The ·book [or scroll] of Isaiah the prophet was given to him. He ·opened [L unrolled] the ·book [or scroll] and found the place where this is written:
18 “·The Lord has put his Spirit in me [L The Spirit of the Lord is on me],
because he ·appointed [L anointed; C at Jesus’ baptism he was anointed by the Spirit as the Messiah, meaning the Anointed One] me to ·tell [proclaim; preach] the ·Good News [Gospel] to the poor.
He has sent me to ·tell the captives they are free [proclaim liberty/release for the captives/prisoners]
and to tell the blind that they can see again [Is. 61:1].
God sent me to free ·those who have been treated unfairly [the oppressed; Is. 58:6]
19 and to ·announce [proclaim] the ·time [year] when the Lord will show his ·kindness [favor; Is. 61:2; C an allusion to the release of slaves during the Jubilee year; Lev. 25].”
20 Jesus ·closed the book [or rolled up the scroll], gave it back to the ·assistant [synagogue attendant], and sat down. ·Everyone [L All the eyes] in the synagogue was watching Jesus closely. 21 He began to say to them, “·While you heard these words just now, they were coming true [L Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears]!”
22 All the people spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at the ·words of grace [or gracious words] he spoke. They asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
23 Jesus said to them, “·I know that [No doubt; Surely] you will ·tell [quote] me ·the old saying [this proverb]: ‘·Doctor [T Physician], heal yourself.’ You want to say, ‘We heard about the things you did in Capernaum [C a town in Galilee where Jesus lived and ministered]. Do those things here in your own town!’” 24 Then Jesus said, “·I tell you the truth [L Truly/Amen I say to you], a prophet is not ·accepted [welcomed] in his hometown. 25 But I tell you ·the truth [truly], there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah. ·It did not rain [L The sky/heavens were shut] in Israel for three and one-half years, and there was ·no food anywhere [L a great famine] in the whole country [1 Kin. 17]. 26 But Elijah was sent to none of those widows, only to a widow in Zarephath, a town in Sidon [C a Gentile city on the coast north of Israel]. 27 And there were many ·with skin diseases [T lepers] living in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha. But none of them were ·healed [cured; cleansed], only Naaman, ·who was from the country of Syria [L the Syrian; 2 Kin. 5].”
28 When all the people in the synagogue heard these things, they ·became very angry [were furious; L were filled with wrath]. 29 They got up, ·forced [drove] Jesus out of town, and took him to the ·edge [brow] of the ·cliff [hill] on which the town was built. They planned to throw him off the ·edge [cliff], 30 but Jesus ·walked [passed] through the crowd and went on his way.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.