Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
2 Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple];
·shout a warning [sound the alarm; or raise the battle cry] on my holy mountain.
Let all the people who live in the land shake with fear,
because the ·Lord’s day of judging [L day of the Lord; 1:15] is coming;
it is near.
The Coming Day of Judgment
2 It will be a ·dark, gloomy day [day/time of darkness and gloom],
cloudy and black.
Like ·the light at sunrise [spreading dawn; or spreading darkness],
a great and powerful army will spread over the mountains.
There has never been anything like it before,
and there will never be anything like it ·again [L for generations to come].
Change Your Hearts
12 The Lord says, “Even now, come back to me with all your heart.
Fast, ·cry [weep], and ·be sad [mourn].”
13 ·Tearing your clothes is not enough to show you are sad;
let your heart be broken [L Tear/Rend your hearts and not your garments; C true repentance, not just a show of grief].
Come back to the Lord your God,
because he is ·kind [gracious; merciful] and ·shows mercy [compassionate].
·He doesn’t become angry quickly […slow to anger],
and he has great ·love [loyalty; mercy; lovingkindness].
He ·can change his mind about [relents from] doing harm.
14 Who knows? Maybe he will ·turn back to you [grant a reprieve; L turn and relent]
and leave behind a blessing for you.
·Grain [L Gift; Tribute; Lev. 2:1] and drink offerings ·belong to [or for] the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; 2:1];
·call for [declare; appoint; consecrate] a ·day when everyone fasts [fast; 1:14].
·Tell everyone to stop work [L Call a sacred assembly]!
16 ·Bring the people together [Assemble/Gather the people]
and ·make the meeting holy for the Lord [consecrate/sanctify the congregation/assembly].
Bring together the elders,
as well as the children,
and even babies that still feed at their mothers’ breasts.
·The bridegroom should [L Let the bridegroom] come from his room [C indicating urgency; newly married men were exempt from military service; Deut. 20:7; 24:5],
the bride from her ·bedroom [chamber].
17 ·The [L Let the] priests, ·the Lord’s servants [who minister before the Lord], should ·cry [weep]
between the altar and the ·entrance to the Temple [portico; vestibule].
·They should [L Let them] say, “Lord, ·have mercy on [spare] your people.
Don’t let ·them [L your inheritance/possession] be ·put to shame [mocked; a reproach];
don’t let other nations make ·fun of them [them a byword].
·Don’t let [L Why should the] people in other nations ask,
‘Where is their God?’”
How to Honor God
58 The Lord says, “Shout out loud. Don’t hold back.
·Shout out loud [L Raise/lift up your voice] like a trumpet.
Tell my people ·what they have done against their God [their transgression];
tell ·the family of Jacob about [L Jacob] their sins.
2 They ·still come looking for [seek] me ·every day [day to day]
and ·want [delight] to learn my ways.
They act just like a nation that does ·what is right [righteousness],
that ·obeys [L did not forsake/reject] the ·commands [judgments] of its God.
They ask me ·to judge them fairly [for righteous judgment].
They ·want [delight] to ·be near [draw near to] God.
3 They say, ‘·To honor you we had special days when [L Why have…?] we fasted,
but you didn’t see.
·We humbled ourselves to honor you [L Why have we afflicted our souls/selves…?],
but you didn’t notice.’”
But the Lord says, “[L Look; T Behold] You ·do what pleases [satisfy; seek pleasure for] yourselves on these fast days,
and you ·are unfair to [exploit; oppress] your workers.
4 Even when you fast, you argue and fight
and ·hit each other with your [L hit with wicked/sinful] fists.
You cannot do these things as you do now
and ·believe your prayers are [expect to be] heard ·in heaven [on high].
5 ·This kind of special day is not what [Is this the fast that…?] I ·want [have chosen].
·This is not the way I want people to be sorry for what they have done [L Do I want a day when people afflict/mortify themselves?].
I don’t want people just to bow their heads like a ·plant [reed]
·and wear rough cloth and lie in ashes to show their sadness [L stretching out on sackcloth and ashes].
Is this what you call a fast?
·Do you really think this pleases [L …a day acceptable to] the Lord?
6 “I will tell you the kind of fast I ·want [have chosen]:
·Free the people you have put in prison unfairly [L Release the chains/bonds of wickedness]
and ·undo their chains [or untie the ropes from the yoke].
Free ·those to whom you are unfair [the oppressed]
and ·stop their hard labor [L break every yoke].
7 Share your food with the hungry
and bring poor, homeless people into your own homes.
When you see someone who has no clothes, ·give him yours [clothe him],
and don’t ·refuse to help [L conceal yourself from] your ·own relatives [flesh].
8 Then your light will shine like the dawn,
and your wounds will quickly heal.
Your ·God [L righteousness] will walk before you,
and the glory of the Lord [C his manifest presence] will ·protect you from behind [be your rear guard].
9 Then you will call out, and the Lord will answer.
You will cry out, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you ·stop making trouble for others [L take away the yoke from your midst],
if you stop ·using cruel words [speaking wickedness] and pointing your finger at others,
10 if you ·feed [L offer your soul/selves to] those who are hungry
and ·take care of [satisfy] the needs of ·those who are troubled [the afflicted/oppressed],
then your light will ·shine [L rise] in the darkness,
and ·you will be bright like sunshine at [L your darkness/gloom like] noon.
11 The Lord will always lead you.
He will satisfy your ·needs [soul] in dry lands
and give strength to your bones.
You will be like a garden that is well-watered,
like a spring ·that never runs dry [whose waters never fail].
12 Your people will rebuild the ·old cities that are now in [L ancient] ruins;
you will rebuild their ancient foundations.
You will be ·known for repairing [called the repairer of] the broken walls
and ·for rebuilding [the restorer of] the roads and houses.
A Prayer for Forgiveness
For the director of music. A psalm of David when the prophet Nathan came to David after ·David’s sin with Bathsheba [he committed adultery with/L had gone to Bathsheba; 2 Sam. 11:1—12:25].
51 God, be ·merciful [gracious] to me
·because you are loving [according to your love/loyalty].
·Because you are always ready to be merciful [According to your abundant compassion],
·wipe [blot] out all my ·wrongs [transgressions].
2 Wash ·away [L me thoroughly from] all my guilt
and make me clean ·again [L from my sin].
3 I know about my ·wrongs [transgressions],
and ·I can’t forget my sin [L my sin is continually before me].
4 You ·are the only one [alone] I have sinned against;
I have done ·what you say is wrong [L evil in your eyes].
You are ·right [vindicated] when you speak
and ·fair [pure; blameless] when you judge.
5 I was ·brought into this world [born] in ·sin [guilt].
In sin my mother ·gave birth to [conceived] me [Rom. 3:9–20; 7:18].
6 You ·want me to be completely truthful [L desire truth/faithfulness in my inward parts],
·so teach me wisdom [L and secretly you make me know wisdom].
7 ·Take away my sin [L Remove my sin with hyssop; Ex. 12:22; C a plant used in purification rituals; Lev. 14:4, 6, 49–51; Num. 19:18], and I will be clean.
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow [Is. 1:18].
8 Make me hear sounds of joy and gladness;
let the bones you crushed ·be happy [rejoice] again.
9 ·Turn [L Hide] your face from my sins
and ·wipe [blot] out all my guilt.
10 Create in me a ·pure [clean] heart, God,
and ·make my spirit right again [L renew a right/steadfast spirit in me].
11 Do not send me away from you
or take your ·Holy Spirit [or holy spirit] away from me.
12 ·Give me back [Restore to me] the joy of your ·salvation [rescue].
·Keep me strong by giving [Sustain in] me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach your ways to ·those who do wrong [transgressors],
and sinners will turn back to you.
14 God, save me from ·the guilt of murder [bloodshed],
God of my ·salvation [rescue],
and ·I will sing about your goodness [L let my tongue sing for joy of your righteousness].
15 Lord, let ·me speak [L my lips open]
so ·I may praise you [L my mouth may speak your praise].
16 You are not pleased by sacrifices, or I would give them.
You don’t want burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17].
17 The sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit.
God, you will not ·reject [despise] a heart that is broken and ·sorry for sin [contrite; Is. 57:15; 66:2; Mic. 6:6–8].
20 So we ·have been sent to speak [L are ambassadors] for Christ. It is as if God is ·calling to [urging; exhorting; encouraging] you through us. We speak for Christ when we ·beg [implore; urge] you to be ·at peace with [reconciled to] God. 21 God made ·Christ [L the one] who ·had no sin [or never sinned; L did not know sin] to become sin for us, so that in ·Christ [L him] we could become ·right with [L the righteousness of] God.
6 We are working together [C with fellow believers, or with God, or with Christ], so we ·beg [urge; appeal to; encourage] you: Do not ·let the grace that you received from God be for nothing [L receive God’s grace in vain]. 2 [L For] God says,
“At the ·right [favorable; acceptable] time I heard your prayers.
On the day of salvation I helped you [Is. 49:8].”
·I tell you that [T Behold; L Look] the “·right [favorable; acceptable] time” is now, ·and [T behold; L look] the “day of salvation” is now.
3 We try not to ·be a problem [cause offense; place an obstacle/stumbling block] for anyone in any way, so that no one will find fault with our ·work [ministry]. 4 But in every way ·we show we are servants of God [or as God’s servants/ministers, we commend ourselves]: ·in accepting many hard things [in/with great endurance], in ·troubles [trials; tribulation], in ·difficulties [hardships; times of need], ·and in great problems [in distress/calamities/L tight spots]. 5 ·We are beaten [L …in beatings/floggings] ·and thrown into prison [L in imprisonments]. ·We meet those who become upset with us and start riots [L …in riots/rebellions]. ·We work hard [L …in hard labors], ·and sometimes we get no sleep [L …in sleepless nights] ·or food [L …in hunger]. 6 ·We show we are servants of God by our pure lives [L …in/by purity; C Paul continues the same list, but moves to positive character traits], ·our understanding [L …in/by knowledge], patience, and kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by ·true [sincere; unhypocritical] love, 7 by ·speaking the truth [or the message/word of truth; C the Gospel], and by God’s power. ·We use our right living [L …with weapons of righteousness] ·to defend ourselves against everything [or both to attack (with a sword) and defend (with a shield); L in our right hands and in our left]. 8 ·Some people honor us, but others blame us [L …through honor/glory and dishonor/disgrace…]. ·Some people say evil things about us, but others say good things [L …through slander and praise…]. ·Some people say we are liars, but we speak the truth [L …(treated) as deceivers, yet true…]. 9 ·We are not known, but we are well known [L …as unknown, yet known…]. ·We seem to be dying, but we continue to live [L …as dying, yet look/behold we live!]. ·We are punished [L …as punished/scourged], but we are not killed. 10 ·We have much sadness [L …as sorrowful/grieving], but we are always rejoicing. ·We are poor [L …as poor], but we are making many people ·rich in faith [L rich]. ·We have [L …as having] nothing, but really we have everything.
Jesus Teaches About Giving
6 “·Be careful! When you do good things, don’t do them [or Be careful not to do/parade your righteous deeds] in front of people to be ·seen [noticed] by them. If you do that, you will ·have no [lose the] reward from your Father in heaven.
2 “[L So] When you give to the poor, don’t be like the hypocrites. They blow trumpets [C either figuratively (“blow their own horn”) or literally, since trumpets sometimes announced public events] in the synagogues and on the streets so that people will see them and ·honor [admire] them. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [C praise from people, rather than reward from God]. 3 So when you give to the poor, don’t let ·anyone know what you are [L your left hand know what your right hand is] doing. 4 Your giving should be done in ·secret [private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.
Jesus Teaches About Prayer(A)
5 “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will ·see [notice] them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward. 6 When you pray, you should go into your [private; inner] room and close the door and pray to your Father ·who cannot be seen [or who is in that secret place; or secretly; in private]. Your Father can see what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.
Jesus Teaches About Worship
16 “When you fast [C giving up eating for spiritual purposes], don’t put on a ·sad [gloomy; somber] face like the hypocrites. They make their faces ·look sad [disheveled; disfigured; unattractive] to show people they are fasting. I tell you the truth, those hypocrites already have their full reward [v. 2]. 17 So when you fast [v. 16], ·comb your hair [L put oil on/anoint your head; C typical first century grooming] and wash your face. 18 Then people will not know that you are fasting, but your Father, ·whom you cannot see [who is hidden/in secret], will see you. Your Father sees what is done in ·secret [private], and he will reward you.
God Is More Important than Money(A)
19 “Don’t store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. 20 But store ·your [for yourselves] treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will be where your treasure is.
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