Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Prayer to Bring Israel Back
For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies of the Agreement.” 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].
80 Shepherd of Israel, ·listen to us [give ear].
You ·lead [guide] the people of Joseph [C the northern empire of Israel] like a flock.
You sit on your throne between the ·gold creatures with wings [L cherubim; Ex. 25:18–22; 1 Kin. 8:7].
·Show your greatness [L Shine forth] 2 to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
·Use [Arouse] your strength,
and come to ·save us [give us victory].
3 God, ·take us back [restore us].
·Show us your kindness [L Make your face shine on us; 31:16; 67:1; Num. 6:24–26] so we can ·be saved [have victory].
4 Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
how long will you ·be angry [L smoke/fume at us]
at the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed your people ·with tears [L the bread/food of tears];
you have made them drink ·many tears [tears by measure/L the third].
6 You made ·those around us fight over us [L us the strife of our neighbors],
and our enemies ·make fun of [ridicule] us.
7 God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], ·take us back [restore us].
·Show us your kindness [L Make your face shine on us; 31:16; 67:1; Num. 6:24–26] so we can ·be saved [have victory].
The New Agreement
31 “Look, the ·time is [L days are] coming,” says the Lord,
“when I will ·make [L cut] a new ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel
and the ·people [L house] of Judah.
32 It will not be like the ·agreement [covenant; treaty]
I ·made [L cut] with their ·ancestors [fathers]
when I took them by the hand
to bring them out of Egypt [C the Mosaic Covenant; Ex. 19–24].
I was a ·husband [or master] to them [2:2],
but they broke ·that agreement [my covenant/treaty],” says the Lord.
33 “This is the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] I will ·make [L cut]
with the ·people [L house] of Israel ·at that time [L after those days],” says the Lord:
“I will put my ·teachings [laws; instructions] in their ·minds [L innards]
and write them on their hearts [Joel 2:28–29].
I will be their God,
and they will be my people [Ex. 6:6–8].
34 People will no longer have to teach their neighbors and ·relatives [brothers]
to know the Lord,
because all people will know me,
from the least to the most important,” says the Lord.
“I will forgive them for ·the wicked things they did [L their iniquities],
and I will not remember their sins anymore [32:37–44; 50:4–5; Ezek. 37:15–28; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:5–14; Heb. 8:8–12; 10:16–17].”
10 And ·because of this [L by God’s will/desire/intention], we are ·made holy [sanctified; set apart to God] through the sacrifice Christ made in his body ·once and for all time [L once for all; 7:27; 9:12, 26].
11 ·Every day [Day after day] ·the priests [L every priest] stand and do their ·religious [priestly] service, ·often [again and again] offering the same sacrifices. Those sacrifices can never take away sins. 12 But after ·Christ [L this one; C this priest] offered one sacrifice for sins, forever, he sat down at the right ·side [L hand] of God [1:3, 13; Ps. 110:1a]. 13 And now ·Christ [L he] waits there for his enemies to be ·put under his power [L made a footstool for his feet; 1:13; Ps. 110:1b]. 14 With one ·sacrifice [offering] he made perfect forever those who are being ·made holy [sanctified; set apart to God].
15 The Holy Spirit also ·tells [testifies/bears witness to] us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the ·agreement [covenant; contract] I will make
with them ·at that time [L after those days], says the Lord.
I will put my ·teachings [laws] in their hearts
and write them on their minds [8:10; Jer. 31:33].”
17 Then he says:
“Their sins and ·the evil things they do [their lawless/wicked actions]—
I will not remember anymore [8:12; Jer. 31:34].”
18 Now when these have been forgiven, there is no more need for a ·sacrifice [offering] for sins.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.