◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 19 (The law revives the soul); Nehemiah 2:1-10 (Nehemiah seeks the welfare of Israel); Romans 12:1-8 (One body in Christ) (New English Translation)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 19

Psalm 19^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

19 The heavens declare the glory of God;^[b]
the sky displays his handiwork.^[c]
²Day after day it speaks out;^[d]
night after night it reveals his greatness.^[e]
³There is no actual speech or word,
nor is its^[f] voice literally heard.
⁴Yet its voice^[g] echoes^[h] throughout the earth;
its^[i] words carry^[j] to the distant horizon.^[k]
In the sky^[l] he has pitched a tent for the sun.^[m]
⁵Like a bridegroom it emerges^[n] from its chamber;^[o]
like a strong man it enjoys^[p] running its course.^[q]
⁶It emerges from the distant horizon,^[r]
and goes from one end of the sky to the other;^[s]
nothing can escape^[t] its heat.
⁷The law of the Lord is perfect
and preserves one’s life.^[u]
The rules set down by the Lord^[v] are reliable^[w]
and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.^[x]
⁸The Lord’s precepts are fair^[y]
and make one joyful.^[z]
The Lord’s commands^[aa] are pure^[ab]
and give insight for life.^[ac]
⁹The commands to fear the Lord are right^[ad]
and endure forever.^[ae]
The judgments given by the Lord are trustworthy
and absolutely just.^[af]
¹⁰They are of greater value^[ag] than gold,
than even a great amount of pure gold;
they bring greater delight^[ah] than honey,
than even the sweetest honey from a honeycomb.
¹¹Yes, your servant finds moral guidance there;^[ai]
those who obey them receive a rich reward.^[aj]
¹²Who can know all his errors?^[ak]
Please do not punish me for sins I am unaware of.^[al]
¹³Moreover, keep me from committing flagrant sins;^[am]
do not allow such sins to control me.^[an]
Then I will be blameless,
and innocent of blatant^[ao] rebellion.
¹⁴May my words and my thoughts
be acceptable in your sight,^[ap]
O Lord, my sheltering rock^[aq] and my redeemer.^[ar]

Footnotes

Psalm 19:1 sn Psalm 19. The psalmist praises God for his self-revelation in the heavens and in the Mosaic law. The psalmist concludes with a prayer, asking the Lord to keep him from sinning and to approve of his thoughts and words.
Psalm 19:1 sn God’s glory refers here to his royal majesty and power.
Psalm 19:1 tn Heb “and the work of his hands the sky declares.” The participles emphasize the ongoing testimony of the heavens/sky.
Psalm 19:2 tn Heb “it gushes forth a word.” The “sky” (see v. 1b) is the subject of the verb. Though not literally speaking (see v. 3), it clearly reveals God’s royal majesty. The sun’s splendor and its movement across the sky is in view (see vv. 4-6).
Psalm 19:2 tn Heb “it [i.e., the sky] declares knowledge,” i.e., knowledge about God’s royal majesty and power (see v. 1). This apparently refers to the splendor and movements of the stars. The imperfect verbal forms in v. 2, like the participles in the preceding verse, combine with the temporal phrases (“day after day” and “night after night”) to emphasize the ongoing testimony of the sky.
Psalm 19:3 tn Heb “their.” The antecedent of the plural pronoun is “heavens” (v. 1).
Psalm 19:4 tc The MT reads, “their measuring line” (קוּם, qum). The noun קַו (qav, “measuring line”) makes no sense in this context. The reading קוֹלָם (qolam, “their voice”) which is supported by the LXX, is preferable.
Psalm 19:4 tn Heb “goes out,” or “proceeds forth.”
Psalm 19:4 tn Heb “their” (see the note on the word “its” in v. 3).
Psalm 19:4 tn The verb is supplied in the translation. The Hebrew text has no verb; יָצָא (yatsaʾ, “goes out”) is understood by ellipsis.
Psalm 19:4 tn Heb “to the end of the world.”
Psalm 19:4 tn Heb “in them” (i.e., the heavens).
Psalm 19:4 sn He has pitched a tent for the sun. The personified sun emerges from this “tent” in order to make its daytime journey across the sky. So the “tent” must refer metaphorically to the place where the sun goes to rest during the night.
Psalm 19:5 tn The participle expresses the repeated or regular nature of the action.
Psalm 19:5 tn The Hebrew noun חֻפָּה (khufah, “chamber”) occurs elsewhere only in Isa 4:5 and Joel 2:16 (where it refers to the bedroom of a bride and groom).sn Like a bridegroom. The metaphor likens the sun to a bridegroom who rejoices on his wedding night.
Psalm 19:5 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the regularity of the action.
Psalm 19:5 tn Heb “[on] a path.”sn Like a strong man. The metaphorical language reflects the brilliance of the sunrise, which attests to the sun’s vigor.
Psalm 19:6 tn Heb “from the end of the heavens [is] its going forth.”
Psalm 19:6 tn Heb “and its circuit [is] to their ends.”
Psalm 19:6 tn Heb “is hidden from.”
Psalm 19:7 tn Heb “[it] restores life.” Elsewhere the Hiphil of שׁוּב (shuv, “return”) when used with נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”) as object, means to “rescue or preserve one’s life” (Job 33:30; Ps 35:17) or to “revive one’s strength” (emotionally or physically; cf. Ruth 4:15; Lam 1:11, 16, 19). Here the point seems to be that the law preserves the life of the one who studies it by making known God’s will. Those who know God’s will know how to please him and can avoid offending him. See v. 11a.
Psalm 19:7 tn Traditionally, “the testimony of the Lord.” The noun עֵדוּת (ʿedut) refers here to the demands of God’s covenant law.
Psalm 19:7 tn God’s covenant contains a clear, reliable witness to his moral character and demands.
Psalm 19:7 tn Or “the [morally] naive,” that is, the one who is young and still in the process of learning right from wrong and distinguishing wisdom from folly.
Psalm 19:8 tn Or “just.” Perhaps the idea is that they impart a knowledge of what is just and right.
Psalm 19:8 tn Heb “[they] make happy [the] heart.” Perhaps the point is that they bring a sense of joyful satisfaction to the one who knows and keeps them, for those who obey God’s law are richly rewarded. See v. 11b.
Psalm 19:8 tn Heb “command.” The singular here refers to the law as a whole.
Psalm 19:8 tn Because they reflect God’s character, his commands provide a code of moral and ethical purity.
Psalm 19:8 tn Heb [they] enlighten [the] eyes.
Psalm 19:9 tn Heb “the fear of the Lord is clean.” The phrase “fear of the Lord” probably refers here to the law, which teaches one how to demonstrate proper reverence for the Lord. See Ps 111:10 for another possible use of the phrase in this sense.
Psalm 19:9 tn Heb “[it] stands permanently.”
Psalm 19:9 sn Trustworthy and absolutely just. The Lord’s commands accurately reflect God’s moral will for his people and are an expression of his just character.
Psalm 19:10 tn Heb “more desirable.”
Psalm 19:10 tn Heb “are sweeter.” God’s law is “sweet’ in the sense that, when obeyed, it brings a great reward (see v. 11b).
Psalm 19:11 tn Heb “moreover your servant is warned by them.”
Psalm 19:11 tn Heb “in the keeping of them [there is] a great reward.”
Psalm 19:12 tn Heb “Errors who can discern?” This rhetorical question makes the point that perfect moral discernment is impossible to achieve. Consequently it is inevitable that even those with good intentions will sin on occasion.
Psalm 19:12 tn Heb “declare me innocent from hidden [things],” i.e., sins. In this context (see the preceding line) “hidden” sins are not sins committed in secret, but sins which are not recognized as such by the psalmist.
Psalm 19:13 tn Or “presumptuous sins.”
Psalm 19:13 tn Heb “let them not rule over me.”
Psalm 19:13 tn Heb “great.”
Psalm 19:14 tn Heb “may the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart be acceptable before you.” The prefixed verbal form at the beginning of the verse is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate the form as an imperfect continuing the thought of v. 14b: “[Then] the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart will be acceptable before you.”
Psalm 19:14 tn Heb “my rocky cliff,” which is a metaphor for protection; thus the translation “sheltering rock.”
Psalm 19:14 tn Heb “and the one who redeems me.” The metaphor casts the Lord in the role of a leader who protects members of his extended family in times of need and crisis.

Nehemiah 2:1-10

Nehemiah Is Permitted to Go to Jerusalem

2 Then in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought to me,^[a] I took the wine and gave it to the king. Previously^[b] I had not been depressed^[c] in the king’s presence.^[d] ²So the king said to me, “Why do you appear to be depressed when you aren’t sick? What can this be other than sadness of heart?” This made me very fearful.

³I replied to the king, “O king, live forever! Why would I not appear dejected when the city with the graves of my ancestors^[e] lies desolate and its gates destroyed^[f] by fire?” ⁴The king responded,^[g] “What is it you are seeking?” Then I quickly prayed to the God of heaven ⁵and said to the king, “If the king is so inclined^[h] and if your servant has found favor in your sight, dispatch me to Judah, to the city with the graves of my ancestors, so that I can rebuild it.” ⁶Then the king, with his consort^[i] sitting beside him, replied, “How long would your trip take, and when would you return?” Since the king was pleased to send me,^[j] I gave him a time. ⁷I said to the king, “If the king is so inclined, let him give me letters for the governors of Trans-Euphrates^[k] that will enable me to travel safely until I reach Judah, ⁸and a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king’s nature preserve,^[l] so that he will give me timber for beams for the gates of the fortress adjacent to the temple and for the city wall^[m] and for the house to which I go.” So the king granted me these requests,^[n] for the good hand of my God was on me. ⁹Then I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, and I presented to them the letters from the king. The king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. ¹⁰When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official^[o] heard all this, they were very displeased that someone had come to seek benefit for the Israelites.

Footnotes

Nehemiah 2:1 tc The translation reads with the LXX וְיַיִן לְפָנַי (veyayin lefanay, “and wine before me”) rather than יַיִן לְפָנָיו (yayin lefanayv, “wine before him”) of the MT. The initial vav (ו) of the original וְיַיִן probably dropped out due to haplograpy or orthographic confusion with the two yods (י) which follow. The final vav on לְפָנָיו in the MT was probably added due to dittography with the vav on the immediately following word.
Nehemiah 2:1 tc The translation reads לְפָנִים (lefanim, “formerly”) rather than לְפָנָיו (lefanayv, “to his face”) of the MT. The MT seems to suggest that Nehemiah was not sad before the king, which is contrary to what follows.
Nehemiah 2:1 tn Or “showed him a sullen face.” See HALOT 1251 s.v. רַע, רָע 9.
Nehemiah 2:1 tn This expression is either to be inferred from the context, or perhaps one should read לְפָנָיו (l^efanayv, “before him”; cf. the MT) in addition to לְפָנִים (l^efanim, “formerly”). See preceding note on the word “previously.”
Nehemiah 2:3 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 5).
Nehemiah 2:3 tn Heb “devoured” or “eaten” (so also in Neh 2:13).
Nehemiah 2:4 tn Heb “said to me.”
Nehemiah 2:5 tn Heb “If upon the king it is good.” So also in v. 7.
Nehemiah 2:6 tn Or “queen,” so most English versions (cf. HALOT 1415 s.v. שֵׁגַל); TEV “empress.”
Nehemiah 2:6 tn Heb “It was good before the king and he sent me.”
Nehemiah 2:7 tn Heb “beyond the river,” here and often elsewhere in the Book of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 2:8 tn Or “forest.” So HALOT 963 s.v. פַּרְדֵּס 2.
Nehemiah 2:8 tc One medieval Hebrew ms, the Syriac Peshitta, Vulgate, and the Arabic read here the plural וּלְחוֹמוֹת (ul^ekhomot, “walls”) against the singular וּלְחוֹמַת (ul^ekhomat) in the MT. The plural holem vav (וֹ) might have dropped out due to dittography or the plural form might have been written defectively.
Nehemiah 2:8 tn The Hebrew text does not include the expression “these requests,” but it is implied.
Nehemiah 2:10 tn Heb “servant” (so KJV, ASV; NAB “slave”; NCV “officer.” This phrase also occurs in v. 19.

Romans 12:1-8

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

12 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters,^[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God^[b]—which is your reasonable service. ²Do not be conformed^[c] to this present world,^[d] but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve^[e] what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

Conduct in Humility

³For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you^[f] a measure of faith.^[g] ⁴For just as in one body we have many members, and not all the members serve the same function, ⁵so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually we are members who belong to one another. ⁶And we have different gifts^[h] according to the grace given to us. If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.^[i] ⁷If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; ⁸if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.

Footnotes

Romans 12:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
Romans 12:1 tn The participle and two adjectives “alive, holy, and pleasing to God” are taken as predicates in relation to “sacrifice,” making the exhortation more emphatic. See ExSyn 618-19.sn Taken as predicate adjectives, the terms alive, holy, and pleasing are showing how unusual is the sacrifice that believers can now offer, for OT sacrifices were dead. As has often been quipped about this text, “The problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.”
Romans 12:2 tn Although συσχηματίζεσθε (suschēmatizesthe) could be either a passive or middle, the passive is more likely since it would otherwise have to be a direct middle (“conform yourselves”) and, as such, would be quite rare for NT Greek. It is very telling that being “conformed” to the present world is viewed as a passive notion, for it may suggest that it happens, in part, subconsciously. At the same time, the passive could well be a “permissive passive,” suggesting that there may be some consciousness of the conformity taking place. Most likely, it is a combination of both.
Romans 12:2 tn Grk “to this age.”
Romans 12:2 sn The verb translated test and approve (δοκιμάζω, dokimazō) carries the sense of “test with a positive outcome,” “test so as to approve.”
Romans 12:3 tn The words “of you” have been supplied for clarity.
Romans 12:3 tn Or “to each as God has distributed a measure of faith.”
Romans 12:6 tn This word comes from the same root as “grace” in the following clause; it means “things graciously given,” “grace-gifts.”
Romans 12:6 tn The last part of this verse has no verb; either an indicative or imperative is implied. Most likely an imperative is intended because of the general tenor of this section of the epistle as exhortation and because of the particular flow of this verse, which seems to imply how to use spiritual gifts.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 19[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

Footnotes

Nehemiah Is Permitted to Go to Jerusalem

Footnotes

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

Conduct in Humility

Footnotes

Psalm 19^[a]