Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Life Is Short
For the director of music. For Jeduthun [C Levitical musician; 1 Chr. 16:41–42; 25:1, 6; 2 Chr. 5:12]. A psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will ·be careful how I act [L guard my way]
and will not sin ·by what I say [L with my tongue].
I will ·be careful what I say [L keep a muzzle on my mouth]
around wicked people.”
2 So I kept ·very quiet [silent and still].
I didn’t even say anything good,
but ·I became even more upset [L my agony/sorrow got worse].
3 ·I became very angry inside [L My heart grew hot within me],
and as I ·thought [meditated] about it, ·my anger [L a fire] burned.
So I ·spoke [L said with my tongue]:
4 “Lord, ·tell [inform; reveal to] me when ·the end [or my end] will come
and how long ·I will live [L will be my days].
Let me know how ·long I have [L fleeting I am; 90:1–12].
5 You have given ·me only a short life [L my days a handbreadth; C about four inches];
my lifetime is like nothing to you.
Everyone’s life is only ·a breath [vapor; Eccl. 1:2]. ·
6 People are like shadows moving about.
All their ·work [or wealth; or turmoil] is ·for nothing [a breath/vapor; Luke 12:13–21; James 4:3–17];
they ·collect things [accumulate riches/wealth] but don’t know who will ·get [gather] them.
7 “So, Lord, what ·hope do I have [do I wait for]?
You are my hope.
8 Save me from all my ·sins [transgressions].
Don’t ·let wicked fools make fun of me [L set the scorn of fools on me].
9 I am quiet; I do not open my mouth,
because you are the one who has done this.
10 ·Quit punishing me [L Turn your blows/scourge away from me];
·your beating is about to kill me [L I am exhausted/finished from the hostility/beatings of your hand].
11 You correct and punish people for their sins;
like a moth, you destroy what they ·love [covet; desire].
Everyone’s life is only a ·breath [vapor; Eccl. 1:2]. ·
12 “Lord, hear my prayer,
and listen to my cry.
Do not ignore my tears.
I am like a ·visitor [sojourner; wanderer; resident alien] with you.
Like my ·ancestors [fathers], I’m only ·here a short time [a temporary resident].
13 Leave me alone so I can be happy
before I leave and am no more.”
The Eagle and the Vine
17 The ·Lord spoke his word [L word of the Lord came] to me, saying: 2 “·Human [T Son of man; 2:1], give a ·riddle [allegory] and tell a ·story [parable] to the ·people [L house] of Israel. 3 Say, ‘This is what the Lord God says: A ·giant [great; mighty] eagle with ·big [great] wings and long ·feathers [L feathers and plumage] of many different colors [16:10] came to Lebanon and took hold of the top of a cedar tree. 4 He pulled off the top ·branch [shoot] and brought it to a land of ·traders [merchants; C Babylon], where he planted it in a city of traders [C the eagle symbolizes King Nebuchadnezzar; v. 12].
5 “‘The eagle took ·some seed [or a seedling] from the land and planted it in ·a good field [fertile soil] near plenty of water. He planted it to grow like a willow tree. 6 It sprouted and became a low vine that spread over the ground. The branches turned toward the eagle, but the roots were under ·the eagle [or itself; L it]. So the seed became a vine, and its ·branches [shoots] grew, sending out ·leaves [or branches; boughs].
7 “‘But there was another ·giant [great; mighty] eagle with ·big [great] wings and ·many feathers [full plumage]. The vine then ·bent [sent] its roots toward this eagle. It ·sent [stretched; shot] out its branches from the ·area [bed; plot] where it was planted toward the eagle ·so he could water it [to get water]. 8 It had been planted in ·a good field [good soil] by plenty of water so it could grow branches and bear fruit. It could have become a ·fine [beautiful; splendid] vine.’
9 “Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: ·The vine will not continue to grow [L Will it thrive/prosper?]. ·The first eagle will [L Will he not…?] pull up the vine’s roots and strip off its fruit. Then the vine and all its new leaves will ·dry up and die [wither]. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull the vine up by its roots. 10 [L Look; T Behold] Even if it is planted again, ·it will not [L will it…?] ·continue to grow [thrive]. ·It will [L Will it not…?] completely ·dry up and die [wither] when the east wind hits it. ·It will [or Will it not…?] ·dry up and die [wither] in the ·area [bed; plot] where it ·grew [sprouted].’”
12 ·People [or For all those] who do not have the law [C Gentiles without the written law of Moses] and who are sinners will ·be lost [perish], although they do not have the law. And, in the same way, those who have the law [C Jews who have the law of Moses] and are sinners will be judged by the law. 13 Hearing the law does not make people ·right with [righteous/justified before] God. It is those who obey the law who will be ·right with [justified/declared righteous before] him. 14 (·Those who are not Jews [Gentiles] do not have the law, but when they ·freely [by nature; instinctively] do what the law commands, they ·are the law for themselves [or reveal their awareness of God’s law]. This is true even though they do not have the law [C the written law of Moses]. 15 They show that ·in their hearts they know what is right and wrong, just as the law commands [L the requirements of the law are written on their hearts]. And they show this by their consciences [L bearing witness]. Sometimes their thoughts ·tell them they did wrong [L accuse them], and sometimes their thoughts ·tell them they did right [defend them].) 16 ·All these things [or This] will happen on the day when, according to ·my Gospel [the Good News I preach], God, through Christ Jesus, will judge people’s secret thoughts.
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