Luke 1-5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Dedication to Theophilus
1 Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,(A) 3 I, too, decided, as one having a grasp of everything from the start,[a] to write a well-ordered account for you, most excellent Theophilus,(B) 4 so that you may have a firm grasp of the words in which you have been instructed.
The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.(C) 6 Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.(D) 7 But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.
8 Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty,(E) 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense.(F) 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside.(G) 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.(H) 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,(I) 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.(J) 16 He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.(K) 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(L) 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.”(M) 19 The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.(N) 20 But now, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time, you will become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”(O)
21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering at his delay in the sanctuary. 22 When he did come out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He kept motioning to them and remained unable to speak. 23 When his time of service was ended, he returned to his home.
24 After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, 25 “This is what the Lord has done for me in this time, when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.”(P)
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,(Q) 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.(R) 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[b](S) 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.(T) 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.(U) 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”(V) 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”[c] 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[d] will be holy; he will be called Son of God.(W) 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”(X) 38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.(Y) 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?(Z) 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[e] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”
Mary’s Song of Praise
46 And Mary[f] said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,(AA)
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,(AB)
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant.
Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,(AC)
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;(AD)
50 indeed, his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.(AE)
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.(AF)
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly;(AG)
53 he has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.(AH)
54 He has come to the aid of his child Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,(AI)
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”(AJ)
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.(AK)
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father.(AL) 60 But his mother said, “No; he is to be called John.” 61 They said to her, “None of your relatives has this name.” 62 Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And all of them were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came over all their neighbors, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard them pondered them and said, “What then will this child become?” For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.(AM)
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:(AN)
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has looked favorably on[g] his people and redeemed them.(AO)
69 He has raised up a mighty savior[h] for us
in the house of his child David,(AP)
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,(AQ)
71 that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
72 Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors
and has remembered his holy covenant,(AR)
73 the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,(AS) 75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.(AT)
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,(AU)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.(AV)
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break[i] upon[j] us,
79 to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”(AW)
80 The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.(AX)
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.(AY) 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.[k]
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:(AZ) 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[l] the Lord.(BA) 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”(BB) 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[m] praising God and saying,(BC)
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.(BE) 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.(BF)
Jesus Is Named
21 When the eighth day came, it was time to circumcise the child,[o] and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.(BG)
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord(BH) 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord”),(BI) 24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.(BJ) 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.[p](BK) 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon[q] came into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the law,(BL) 28 Simeon[r] took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
according to your word,(BM)
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,(BN)
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”(BO)
33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed(BP) 35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,(BQ) 37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day.(BR) 38 At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child[s] to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.(BS)
The Return to Nazareth
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.(BT) 40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.(BU)
The Boy Jesus in the Temple
41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover.(BV) 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents were unaware of this. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.(BW) 48 When his parents[t] saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”(BX) 49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”[u](BY) 50 But they did not understand what he said to them.(BZ) 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them, and his mother treasured all these things in her heart.(CA)
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years[v] and in divine and human favor.(CB)
The Proclamation of John the Baptist
3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene,(CC) 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.(CD) 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.(CE)
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall be made straight,
and the rough ways made smooth,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ ”(CF)
7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(CG) 8 Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.(CH) 9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”(CI)
10 And the crowds asked him, “What, then, should we do?”(CJ) 11 In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.”(CK) 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?”(CL) 13 He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.”(CM) 14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”(CN)
15 As the people were filled with expectation and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,[w](CO) 16 John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water, but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with[x] the Holy Spirit and fire.(CP) 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”(CQ)
18 So with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done,(CR) 20 added to them all by shutting up John in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus
21 Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,(CS) 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved;[y] with you I am well pleased.”[z](CT)
The Ancestors of Jesus
23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was the son (as was thought) of Joseph son of Heli,(CU) 24 son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, 25 son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, 26 son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, 27 son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri,(CV) 28 son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, 29 son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, 30 son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, 31 son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David,(CW) 32 son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Sala,[aa] son of Nahshon,(CX) 33 son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni,[ab] son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, 34 son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor,(CY) 35 son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, 36 son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech,(CZ) 37 son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, 38 son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.(DA)
The Testing of Jesus
4 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,(DB) 2 where for forty days he was tested by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over he was famished.(DC) 3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” 4 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’ ”(DD)
5 Then the devil[ac] led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And the devil[ad] said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please.(DE) 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’ ”(DF)
9 Then the devil[ae] led him to Jerusalem and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10 for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to protect you,’(DG)
11 and
‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
12 Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”(DH) 13 When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.(DI)
The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry
14 Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region.(DJ) 15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.(DK)
The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,(DL) 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed,(DM)
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”(DN)
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.(DO) 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”(DP) 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’ ”(DQ) 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown.(DR) 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months and there was a severe famine over all the land,(DS) 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”(DT) 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.(DU) 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.(DV)
The Man with an Unclean Spirit
31 He went down to Capernaum, a city in Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbath.(DW) 32 They were astounded at his teaching because he spoke with authority.(DX) 33 In the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Leave us alone! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”(DY) 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” Then the demon, throwing the man down before them, came out of him without doing him any harm.(DZ) 36 They were all astounded and kept saying to one another, “What kind of word is this, that with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits and they come out?”(EA) 37 And news about him began to reach every place in the region.(EB)
Healings at Simon’s House
38 After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. 39 Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.(EC)
40 As the sun was setting, all those caring for any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them.(ED) 41 Moreover, demons also came out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.[af](EE)
Jesus Preaches in the Synagogues
42 At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds began looking for him, and when they reached him they tried to keep him from leaving them.(EF) 43 But he said to them, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.[ag](EG)
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
5 Once while Jesus[ah] was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2 he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.(EH) 4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”(EI) 5 Simon answered, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.”(EJ) 6 When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to burst. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’s knees, saying, “Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astounded at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people.”(EK) 11 When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.(EL)
Jesus Cleanses a Man with a Skin Disease
12 Once when he was in one of the cities, a man covered with a skin disease was there. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”(EM) 13 Then Jesus[ai] stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I am willing. Be made clean.” Immediately the skin disease left him. 14 And he ordered him to tell no one. “But go, show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”(EN) 15 But now more than ever the word about Jesus[aj] spread abroad; many crowds were gathering to hear him and to be cured of their diseases.(EO) 16 Meanwhile, he would slip away to deserted places and pray.(EP)
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
17 One day while he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem were sitting nearby, and the power of the Lord was with him to heal.[ak](EQ) 18 Just then some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and lay him before Jesus,[al] 19 but, finding no way to bring him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on the stretcher through the tiles into the middle of the crowd[am] in front of Jesus.(ER) 20 When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend,[an] your sins are forgiven you.”(ES) 21 Then the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, “Who is this who is speaking blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”(ET) 22 When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? 24 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the one who was paralyzed—“I say to you, stand up and take your stretcher and go to your home.” 25 Immediately he stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went to his home, glorifying God. 26 Amazement seized all of them, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen incredible things today.”(EU)
Jesus Calls Levi
27 After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And he got up, left everything, and followed him.(EV)
29 Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others reclining at the table with them.(EW) 30 The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”(EX) 31 Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick; 32 I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”(EY)
The Question about Fasting
33 Then they said to him, “John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink.”(EZ) 34 Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding attendants fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? 35 The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.”(FA) 36 He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise, not only will one tear the new garment, but the piece from the new will not match the old garment. 37 Similarly, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and will spill out, and the skins will be ruined. 38 But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.[ao] 39 And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine but says, ‘The old is good.’ ”[ap]
Footnotes
- 1.3 Or for a long time
- 1.28 Other ancient authorities add Blessed are you among women
- 1.34 Gk I do not know a man
- 1.35 Other ancient authorities add of you
- 1.45 Or believed, for there will be
- 1.46 Other ancient authorities read Elizabeth
- 1.68 Or has visited
- 1.69 Gk a horn of salvation
- 1.78 Other ancient authorities read has broken
- 1.78 Gk will visit
- 2.7 Or their room
- 2.11 Or the Christ
- 2.13 Gk army
- 2.14 Other ancient authorities read peace, goodwill among people
- 2.21 Gk him
- 2.26 Or the Lord’s Christ
- 2.27 Gk In the Spirit, he
- 2.28 Gk he
- 2.38 Gk him
- 2.48 Gk they
- 2.49 Or be about my Father’s interests?
- 2.52 Or in stature
- 3.15 Or the Christ
- 3.16 Or in
- 3.22 Or my beloved Son
- 3.22 Other ancient authorities read You are my Son, today I have begotten you
- 3.32 Other ancient authorities read Salmon
- 3.33 Other ancient authorities read Amminadab, son of Aram; others vary widely
- 4.5 Gk he
- 4.6 Gk he
- 4.9 Gk he
- 4.41 Or the Christ
- 4.44 Other ancient authorities read Galilee
- 5.1 Gk he
- 5.13 Gk he
- 5.15 Gk him
- 5.17 Other ancient authorities read was present to heal them
- 5.18 Gk him
- 5.19 Gk into the midst
- 5.20 Gk Man
- 5.38 Other ancient authorities add and both are preserved
- 5.39 Other ancient authorities read better; others lack 5.39
Isaiah 23-29
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
An Oracle concerning Tyre
23 The oracle concerning Tyre.
Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
for your fortress is destroyed.[a]
When they came in from Cyprus
they learned of it.(A)
2 Be still, O inhabitants of the coast,
O merchants of Sidon;
your messengers crossed over the sea[b](B)
3 and were on the mighty waters;
your revenue[c] was the grain of Shihor,
the harvest of the Nile;
you were the merchant of the nations.(C)
4 Be ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken,
the fortress of the sea, saying:
“I have neither labored nor given birth;
I have neither reared young men
nor brought up young women.”(D)
5 When the report comes to Egypt,
they will be in anguish over the report about Tyre.
6 Cross over to Tarshish—
wail, O inhabitants of the coast!
7 Is this your exultant city
whose origin is from days of old,
whose feet carried her
to settle far away?(E)
8 Who has planned this
against Tyre, the bestower of crowns,
whose merchants were princes,
whose traders were the honored of the earth?
9 The Lord of hosts has planned it—
to defile the pride of all glory,
to shame all the honored of the earth.(F)
10 Cross over to your own land,
O ships of[d] Tarshish;
this is a harbor[e] no more.
11 He has stretched out his hand over the sea;
he has shaken the kingdoms;
the Lord has given command concerning Canaan,
to destroy its fortresses.(G)
12 He said:
“You will exult no longer,
O oppressed virgin daughter Sidon;
rise, cross over to Cyprus—
even there you will have no rest.”(H)
13 Look at the land of the Chaldeans! This is the people; it was not Assyria. They destined it for wild animals.[f] They erected their siege towers; they tore down her palaces; they made her a ruin.(I)
14 Wail, O ships of Tarshish,
for your fortress is destroyed.(J)
15 From that day Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the lifetime of one king. At the end of seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song about the prostitute:(K)
16 Take a harp;
go about the city,
you forgotten prostitute!
Make sweet melody;
sing many songs,
that you may be remembered.
17 At the end of seventy years, the Lord will visit Tyre, and she will return to her trade and will prostitute herself with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth.(L) 18 Her merchandise and her wages will be dedicated to the Lord; her profits[g] will not be stored or hoarded, but her merchandise will supply abundant food and fine clothing for those who live in the presence of the Lord.(M)
Impending Judgment on the Earth
24 Now the Lord is about to lay waste the earth and make it desolate,
and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.(N)
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
as with the male slave, so with his master;
as with the female slave, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower;
as with the creditor, so with the debtor.(O)
3 The earth shall be utterly laid waste and utterly despoiled,
for the Lord has spoken this word.(P)
4 The earth dries up and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the heavens languish together with the earth.
5 The earth lies polluted
under its inhabitants,
for they have transgressed laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.(Q)
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth dwindled,
and few people are left.(R)
7 The wine dries up;
the vine languishes;
all the merry-hearted sigh.(S)
8 The mirth of the timbrels is stilled;
the noise of the jubilant has ceased;
the mirth of the lyre is stilled.(T)
9 No longer do they drink wine with singing;
strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The city of chaos is broken down;
every house is shut up so that no one can enter.(U)
11 There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
all joy has reached its eventide;
the gladness of the earth is banished.(V)
12 Desolation is left in the city;
the gates are battered into ruins.
13 For thus it shall be on the earth
and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is ended.(W)
14 They lift up their voices; they sing for joy;
they shout from the west over the majesty of the Lord.(X)
15 Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord;
in the coastlands of the sea glorify the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.(Y)
16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
of glory to the Righteous One.
But I say, “I pine away;
I pine away. Woe is me!
For the treacherous deal treacherously;
the treacherous deal very treacherously.”(Z)
17 Terror, the pit, and the snare
are upon you, O inhabitants of the earth!(AA)
18 Whoever flees at the sound of the terror
shall fall into the pit,
and whoever climbs out of the pit
shall be caught in the snare.
For the windows of heaven are opened,
and the foundations of the earth tremble.(AB)
19 The earth is utterly broken;
the earth is torn apart;
the earth is violently shaken.(AC)
20 The earth staggers like a drunkard;
it sways like a hut;
its transgression lies heavy upon it,
and it falls and will not rise again.(AD)
21 On that day the Lord will punish
the host of heaven in heaven
and on earth the kings of the earth.(AE)
22 They will be gathered together
like prisoners in a pit;
they will be shut up in a prison,
and after many days they will be punished.(AF)
23 Then the moon will be abashed
and the sun ashamed,
for the Lord of hosts will reign
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and before his elders he will be glorified.(AG)
Praise for Deliverance from Oppression
25 O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.(AH)
2 For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of foreigners is a city no more;
it will never be rebuilt.(AI)
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,(AJ)
5 the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.(AK)
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.(AL)
7 And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the covering that is spread over all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.(AM)
9 It will be said on that day,
“See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”(AN)
10 For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.
The Moabites shall be trodden down in their place
as straw is trodden down in the manure.(AO)
11 Though they spread out their hands in the midst of it,
as swimmers spread out their hands to swim,
their pride will be laid low despite the struggle[h] of their hands.
12 The high fortifications of his walls will be brought down,
laid low, cast to the ground, even to the dust.
Judah’s Song of Victory
26 On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city;
he sets up walls and bulwarks as a safeguard.(AP)
2 Open the gates,
so that the righteous nation that maintains faithfulness
may enter in.(AQ)
3 Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace,
in peace because they trust in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for in the Lord God[i]
you have an everlasting rock.(AR)
5 For he has brought low
the inhabitants of the height;
the lofty city he lays low.
He lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.(AS)
6 The foot tramples it,
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.(AT)
7 The way of the righteous is level;
straight is the path of the righteous that you clear.(AU)
8 In the path of your judgments,
O Lord, we have placed hope;
your name and your renown
are the soul’s desire.(AV)
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.(AW)
10 If favor is shown to the wicked,
they do not learn righteousness;
they corrupt what is upright on the earth
and do not see the majesty of the Lord.(AX)
11 O Lord, your hand is lifted up,
but they do not see it.
Let them see your zeal for your people and be ashamed.
Let the fire for your adversaries consume them.(AY)
12 O Lord, may you ordain peace for us,
for indeed, all that we have done, you have done for us.(AZ)
13 O Lord our God,
other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but we acknowledge your name alone.(BA)
14 The dead do not live;
shades do not rise
because you have punished and destroyed them
and wiped out all memory of them.(BB)
15 But you have increased the nation, O Lord;
you have increased the nation; you are glorified;
you have enlarged all the borders of the land.(BC)
16 O Lord, in distress they sought you;
they poured out a prayer[j]
when your chastening was on them.(BD)
17 Like a woman with child
about to give birth
writhes and cries out in her pain,
so were we because of you, O Lord;(BE)
18 we were with child; we writhed,
but we gave birth only to wind.
We have won no victories on earth,
and no one is born to inhabit the world.(BF)
19 Your dead shall live; their corpses[k] shall rise.
Those who dwell in the dust will awake and shout for joy![l]
For your dew is a radiant dew,
and the earth will give birth to those long dead.[m](BG)
20 Come, my people, enter your chambers,
and shut your doors behind you;
hide yourselves for a little while
until the wrath is past.(BH)
21 For the Lord comes out from his place
to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
the earth will disclose the blood shed on it
and will no longer cover its slain.(BI)
Israel’s Redemption
27 On that day the Lord with his cruel and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will kill the dragon that is in the sea.(BJ)
2 On that day:
A pleasant vineyard—sing about it!(BK)
3 I, the Lord, am its keeper;
every moment I water it.
I guard it night and day
so that no one can harm it;(BL)
4 I have no wrath.
If it gives me thorns and briers,
I will march to battle against it.
I will burn it up.(BM)
5 Or else let it cling to me for protection;
let it make peace with me;
let it make peace with me.(BN)
6 In days to come[n] Jacob shall take root;
Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots
and fill the whole world with fruit.(BO)
7 Has he struck them down as he struck down those who struck them?
Or have they been killed as their killers[o] were killed?(BP)
8 By expulsion,[p] by exile you struggled against them;
with his fierce blast he removed them in the day of the east wind.(BQ)
9 Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be expiated,
and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin:
when he makes all the stones of the altars
like chalkstones crushed to pieces;
no sacred poles[q] or incense altars will remain standing.(BR)
10 For the fortified city is solitary,
a habitation deserted and forsaken, like the wilderness;
the calves graze there;
there they lie down and strip its branches.(BS)
11 When its boughs are dry, they are broken;
women come and make a fire of them.
For this is a people without understanding;
therefore he who made them will not have compassion on them;
he who formed them will show them no favor.(BT)
12 On that day the Lord will thresh from the channel of the Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you will be gathered one by one, O people of Israel.(BU) 13 And on that day a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria and those who were driven out to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on the holy mountain at Jerusalem.(BV)
Judgment on Corrupt Rulers, Priests, and Prophets
28 Woe to the proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim
and the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
at the head of the fertile valley,
those overcome with wine!(BW)
2 See, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong,
like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest,
like a storm of mighty, overflowing waters;
with force he will hurl them down to the earth.(BX)
3 Trampled under foot will be
the proud garland of the drunkards of Ephraim.(BY)
4 And the fading flower of its glorious beauty,
at the head of the fertile valley,
will be like a first-ripe fig before the summer;
whoever sees it eats it up
as soon as it comes to hand.(BZ)
5 On that day the Lord of hosts will be a garland of glory
and a diadem of beauty to the remnant of his people(CA)
6 and a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment
and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.(CB)
7 These also reel with wine
and stagger with strong drink;
the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink;
they are confused with wine;
they stagger with strong drink;
they err in vision;
they stumble in giving judgment.(CC)
8 All tables are covered with filthy vomit;
no place is clean.(CD)
9 “Whom will he teach knowledge,
and to whom will he explain the message?
Those who are weaned from milk,
those taken from the breast?(CE)
10 For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little.”[r](CF)
11 Truly, with stammering lip
and with another tongue
he will speak to this people,(CG)
12 to whom he has said,
“This is rest;
give rest to the weary,
and this is repose,”
yet they would not hear.(CH)
13 Therefore the word of the Lord will be to them,
“Precept upon precept, precept upon precept,
line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little,”[s]
in order that they may go and fall backward
and be broken and snared and taken.(CI)
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers
who rule this people in Jerusalem.(CJ)
15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
and with Sheol we have an agreement;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through
it will not come to us,
for we have made lies our refuge,
and in falsehood we have taken shelter”;(CK)
16 therefore thus says the Lord God,
“See, I am laying[t] in Zion a foundation stone,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation:
‘One who trusts will not panic.’(CL)
17 And I will make justice the line
and righteousness the plummet;
hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
and waters will overwhelm the shelter.(CM)
18 Then your covenant with death will be annulled,
and your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
when the overwhelming scourge passes through,
you will be beaten down by it.(CN)
19 As often as it passes through, it will take you,
for morning by morning it will pass through,
by day and by night,
and it will be sheer terror to understand the message.”(CO)
20 For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it,
and the covering is too narrow to wrap oneself in it.
21 For the Lord will rise up as on Mount Perazim;
he will rage as in the valley of Gibeon
to do his deed—strange is his deed!—
and to work his work—alien is his work!(CP)
22 Now therefore do not scoff,
or your bonds will be made stronger,
for I have heard a decree of destruction
from the Lord God of hosts upon the whole land.(CQ)
23 Listen and hear my voice;
Pay attention and hear my speech.
24 Do those who plow for sowing plow continually?
Do they continually open and harrow their ground?
25 When they have leveled its surface,
do they not scatter dill, sow cumin,
and plant wheat in rows
and barley in its proper place[u]
and spelt as the border?
26 For they are well instructed;
their God teaches them.
27 For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
nor is a cart wheel rolled over cumin,
but dill is beaten out with a stick
and cumin with a rod.(CR)
28 Grain is crushed for bread,
but one does not thresh it forever;
one drives the cart wheel and horses over it
but does not pulverize it.
29 This also comes from the Lord of hosts;
he is wonderful in counsel
and excellent in wisdom.(CS)
The Siege of Jerusalem
29 Woe to Ariel, Ariel,
the city where David encamped!
Add year to year;
let the festivals run their round.(CT)
2 Yet I will oppress Ariel,
and there shall be moaning and lamentation,
and you[v] shall be to me like an Ariel.[w](CU)
3 And like David[x] I will encamp against you;
I will besiege you with towers
and raise siegeworks against you.(CV)
4 Then deep from the earth you shall speak;
from low in the dust your words shall come;
your voice shall come from the ground like the voice of a ghost,
and your speech shall whisper out of the dust.(CW)
5 But the multitude of your arrogant ones[y] shall be like fine dust
and the multitude of tyrants like flying chaff.
And in an instant, suddenly,(CX)
6 you will be visited by the Lord of hosts
with thunder and earthquake and great noise,
with whirlwind and tempest and the flame of a devouring fire.(CY)
7 And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel,
all that fight against her and her stronghold and who distress her,
shall be like a dream, a vision of the night.(CZ)
8 Just as when a hungry person dreams of eating
and wakes up still hungry
or a thirsty person dreams of drinking
and wakes up faint, still thirsty,
so shall the multitude of all the nations be
that fight against Mount Zion.(DA)
9 Be astounded and stunned;
blind yourselves and be blind!
Be drunk but not from wine;
stagger but not from strong drink!(DB)
10 For the Lord has poured out upon you
a spirit of deep sleep;
he has closed your eyes (the prophets)
and covered your heads (the seers).(DC)
11 The vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document. If it is given to those who can read with the command, “Read this,” they say, “We cannot, for it is sealed.”(DD) 12 And if it is given to those who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” they say, “We cannot read.”
13 The Lord said:
Because these people draw near with their mouths
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me
and their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote,(DE)
14 so I will again do
amazing things with this people,
shocking and amazing.
The wisdom of their wise shall perish,
and the discernment of the discerning shall be hidden.(DF)
15 Woe to those who hide a plan too deep for the Lord,
whose deeds are in the dark,
and who say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”(DG)
16 You turn things upside down!
Shall the potter be regarded as the clay?
Shall the thing made say of its maker,
“He did not make me,”
or the thing formed say of the one who formed it,
“He has no understanding”?(DH)
Hope for the Future
17 Shall not Lebanon in a very little while
become a fruitful field
and the fruitful field be regarded as a forest?(DI)
18 On that day the deaf shall hear
the words of a scroll,
and freed from gloom and darkness
the eyes of the blind shall see.(DJ)
19 The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
and the neediest people shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.(DK)
20 For the tyrant shall be no more,
and the scoffer shall cease to be;
all those alert to do evil shall be cut off—(DL)
21 those who cause a person to lose a lawsuit,
who set a trap for the arbiter in the gate
and undermine justice for the one in the right.(DM)
22 Therefore thus says the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob:
“No longer shall Jacob be ashamed;
no longer shall his face grow pale.(DN)
23 For when he sees his children,
the work of my hands, in his midst,
they will sanctify my name;
they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob
and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.(DO)
24 And those who err in spirit will come to understanding,
and those who grumble will accept instruction.”(DP)
Footnotes
- 23.1 Cn: Heb for it is destroyed, without houses
- 23.2 Q ms: MT crossing over the sea, they replenished you
- 23.3 Heb its
- 23.10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb like the Nile, daughter
- 23.10 Cn: Heb restraint
- 23.13 Or This is the people that was not. Assyria founded it for its fleet.
- 23.18 Heb it
- 25.11 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 26.4 Heb in Yah, the Lord
- 26.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 26.19 Cn Compare Syr Tg: Heb my corpse
- 26.19 Q ms Compare Gk Syr: MT dust, awake and shout for joy!
- 26.19 Heb to the shades
- 27.6 Heb Those to come
- 27.7 Q ms: MT his slain ones
- 27.8 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 27.9 Heb Asherahs
- 28.10 Meaning of Heb of this verse uncertain
- 28.13 Meaning of Heb of this verse uncertain
- 28.16 Q mss Compare Syr Tg: MT he laid
- 28.25 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 29.2 Cn Compare Q ms: MT she
- 29.2 That is, altar hearth
- 29.3 Heb mss Gk: MT like a circle
- 29.5 Q ms Compare Gk: MT strangers
Psalm 108-109
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 108
Praise and Prayer for Victory
A Song. A Psalm of David.
1 My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;[a]
I will sing and make melody.
Awake, my soul
2 Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.(B)
3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples,
and I will sing praises to you among the nations.
4 For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.(C)
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Give victory with your right hand, and answer me,
so that those whom you love may be rescued.(D)
7 God has promised in his sanctuary:[c]
“With exultation I will divide up Shechem
and portion out the Vale of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet;
Judah is my scepter.(E)
9 Moab is my washbasin;
on Edom I hurl my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Have you not rejected us, O God?
You do not go out, O God, with our armies.(F)
12 O grant us help against the foe,
for human help is worthless.
13 With God we shall do valiantly;
it is he who will tread down our foes.
Psalm 109
Prayer for Vindication and Vengeance
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.
1 Do not be silent, O God of my praise.(G)
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They surround me with words of hate
and attack me without cause.(H)
4 In return for my love they accuse me,
even while I make prayer for them.[d](I)
5 So they reward me evil for good
and hatred for my love.(J)
6 They say,[e] “Appoint a wicked man against him;
let an accuser stand on his right.(K)
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty;
let his prayer be counted as sin.(L)
8 May his days be few;
may another seize his position.(M)
9 May his children be orphans
and his wife a widow.(N)
10 May his children wander about and beg;
may they be driven out of[f] the ruins they inhabit.
11 May the creditor seize all that he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.(O)
12 May there be no one to do him a kindness
nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.(P)
13 May his posterity be cut off;
may his name be blotted out in the second generation.(Q)
14 May the iniquity of his father[g] be remembered before the Lord,
and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.(R)
15 Let them be before the Lord continually,
and may his[h] memory be cut off from the earth.(S)
16 For he did not remember to show kindness
but pursued the poor and needy
and the brokenhearted to their death.(T)
17 He loved to curse; let curses come on him.
He did not like blessing; may it be far from him.(U)
18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it soak into his body like water,
like oil into his bones.(V)
19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around himself,
like a belt that he wears every day.”
20 May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life.(W)
21 But you, O Lord my Lord,
act on my behalf for your name’s sake;
because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.(X)
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is pierced within me.(Y)
23 I am gone like a shadow at evening;
I am shaken off like a locust.(Z)
24 My knees are weak through fasting;
my body has become gaunt.(AA)
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.(AB)
26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love.
27 Let them know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it.(AC)
28 Let them curse, but you will bless.
Let my assailants be put to shame;[i] may your servant be glad.(AD)
29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;
may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle.(AE)
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will praise him in the midst of the throng.(AF)
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save them from those who would condemn them to death.(AG)
Footnotes
- 108.1 Heb mss Gk Syr: MT lacks my heart is steadfast
- 108.1 Cn Compare 57.8: Heb also my soul
- 108.7 Or by his holiness
- 109.4 Syr: Heb I prayer
- 109.6 Heb lacks They say
- 109.10 Gk: Heb may they seek
- 109.14 Cn: Heb fathers
- 109.15 Gk: Heb their
- 109.28 Gk: Heb They have risen up and have been put to shame
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.