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].
A Song of Praise to the Lord
10 Sing a ·new song [C celebrating victory; Ps. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Rev. 5:9; 14:3] to the Lord;
sing his praise ·everywhere on [L from the end of] the earth.
Praise him, you people who ·sail on [go down to] the seas and ·you animals who live in them [L its fullness].
Praise him, you people living in ·faraway places [or islands; or coastlands].
11 The ·deserts [wilderness] and their ·cities [towns] should ·praise him [shout; raise their voices].
The settlements of Kedar [C desert nomads, descended from Ishmael; Gen. 25:13] should praise him.
The people living in Sela [C an Edomite city; 16:1] should sing for joy;
they should shout from the mountaintops.
12 They should give glory to the Lord.
People in ·faraway lands [or the islands; or the coastlands] should praise him.
13 The Lord will march out like a ·strong soldier [mighty man/hero];
he will ·be excited [arouse/stir up zeal] like a man ready to fight a war.
He ·will shout out the battle cry [L shouts, indeed he cries out]
and ·defeat [prevails/triumphs over] his enemies.
14 The Lord says, “For a long time I have ·said nothing [kept silent/still];
I have been ·quiet [still] and held myself back.
But now I will cry out
and ·strain [pant and gasp] like a woman giving birth to a child.
15 I will ·destroy [level; lay waste] the hills and mountains
and dry up all their plants.
I will make the rivers become ·dry land [L islands; or coastlands]
and dry up the pools of water.
16 Then I will lead the blind along a way they never knew;
I will guide them along paths they have not known.
I will make the darkness become light for them,
and the rough ground smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not ·leave [abandon; forsake] my people.
17 But those who trust in idols,
who say to their ·statues [idols; carved images],
‘You are our gods’
will be ·rejected [turned away/back] in ·disgrace [shame; humiliations].
Israel Refused to Listen to the Lord
18 “You who are deaf, hear me.
You who are blind, look and see.
32 Remember those ·days in the past [or early days of your faith] when you first ·learned the truth [L were enlightened]. You ·remained strong [endured; persevered] through a hard struggle with many sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were ·hurt and attacked before crowds of people [L exposed to public shame/ridicule and persecution/oppression], and sometimes you shared with those who were being treated that way. 34 You ·helped [had sympathy for; or suffered with] the prisoners [C probably Christians imprisoned for their faith]. You even had joy when ·all that you owned [your property] was ·taken from you [seized; confiscated], because you knew you had ·something [L a possession; property] better and more lasting.
35 So do not ·lose [throw away] ·the courage you had in the past [or your confident trust in God; or your boldness], which has a great reward. 36 You must ·hold on [persevere; endure], so you can do ·what God wants [the will of God] and receive what he has promised. 37 For in a very short time [Is. 26:20],
“The One who is coming will come
and will not delay.
38 ·Those who are right with me [L My righteous one]
will live by faith.
But if they ·turn back with fear [shrink back],
·I [L My soul] will not be pleased with them [Hab. 2:3–4].”
39 But we are not those who ·turn back [shrink back] and are ·lost [destroyed]. We are people who have faith ·and are saved [leading to the possession/ preservation of life/the soul].
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.