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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 37

Psalm 37^[a]

By David.

37 Do not fret^[b] when wicked men seem to succeed.^[c]
Do not envy evildoers.
²For they will quickly dry up like grass,
and wither away like plants.^[d]
³Trust in the Lord and do what is right.
Settle in the land and maintain your integrity.^[e]
⁴Then you will take delight in the Lord,^[f]
and he will answer your prayers.^[g]
⁵Commit your future to the Lord.^[h]
Trust in him, and he will act on your behalf.^[i]
⁶He will vindicate you in broad daylight,
and publicly defend your just cause.^[j]
⁷Wait patiently for the Lord!^[k]
Wait confidently^[l] for him!
Do not fret over the apparent success of a sinner,^[m]
a man who carries out wicked schemes.
⁸Do not be angry and frustrated.^[n]
Do not fret. That only leads to trouble.
⁹Wicked men^[o] will be wiped out,^[p]
but those who rely on the Lord are the ones who will possess the land.^[q]
¹⁰Evil men will soon disappear;^[r]
you will stare at the spot where they once were, but they will be gone.^[s]
¹¹But the oppressed will possess the land
and enjoy great prosperity.^[t]
¹²Evil men plot against the godly^[u]
and viciously attack them.^[v]
¹³The Lord laughs in disgust^[w] at them,
for he knows that their day is coming.^[x]
¹⁴Evil men draw their swords
and prepare their bows,
to bring down^[y] the oppressed and needy,
and to slaughter those who are godly.^[z]
¹⁵Their swords will pierce^[aa] their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.
¹⁶The little bit that a godly man owns is better than
the wealth of many evil men,^[ab]
¹⁷for evil men will lose their power,^[ac]
but the Lord sustains^[ad] the godly.
¹⁸The Lord watches over the innocent day by day,^[ae]
and they possess a permanent inheritance.^[af]
¹⁹They will not be ashamed when hard times come;^[ag]
when famine comes they will have enough to eat.^[ah]
²⁰But^[ai] evil men will die;
the Lord’s enemies will be incinerated^[aj]—
they will go up in smoke.^[ak]
²¹Evil men borrow, but do not repay their debt,
but the godly show compassion and are generous.^[al]
²²Surely^[am] those favored by the Lord^[an] will possess the land,
but those rejected^[ao] by him will be wiped out.^[ap]
²³The Lord grants success to the one
whose behavior he finds commendable.^[aq]
²⁴Even if^[ar] he trips, he will not fall headlong,^[as]
for the Lord holds^[at] his hand.
²⁵I was once young, now I am old.
I have never seen the godly abandoned,
or their children^[au] forced to search for food.^[av]
²⁶All day long they show compassion and lend to others,^[aw]
and their children^[ax] are blessed.
²⁷Turn away from evil. Do what is right.^[ay]
Then you will enjoy lasting security.^[az]
²⁸For the Lord promotes^[ba] justice,
and never abandons^[bb] his faithful followers.
They are permanently secure,^[bc]
but the children^[bd] of the wicked are wiped out.^[be]
²⁹The godly will possess the land
and will dwell in it permanently.
³⁰The godly speak wise words
and promote justice.^[bf]
³¹The law of their God controls their thinking;^[bg]
their^[bh] feet do not slip.
³²The wicked set an ambush for the godly
and try to kill them.^[bi]
³³But the Lord does not surrender the godly,
or allow them to be condemned in a court of law.^[bj]
³⁴Rely^[bk] on the Lord. Obey his commands.^[bl]
Then he will permit you^[bm] to possess the land;
you will see the demise of the wicked.^[bn]
³⁵I have seen ruthless, wicked people^[bo]
growing in influence, like a green tree grows in its native soil.^[bp]
³⁶But then one passes by, and suddenly they have disappeared.^[bq]
I looked for them, but they could not be found.
³⁷Take note of the one who has integrity. Observe the upright.
For the one who promotes peace has a future.^[br]
³⁸Sinful rebels are totally destroyed;^[bs]
the wicked have no future.^[bt]
³⁹But the Lord delivers the godly;^[bu]
he protects them in times of trouble.^[bv]
⁴⁰The Lord helps them and rescues them;
he rescues them from the wicked and delivers them,^[bw]
for they seek his protection.

Footnotes

Psalm 37:1 sn Psalm 37. The psalmist urges his audience not to envy the wicked, but to trust in and obey the Lord, for he will destroy sinners and preserve the godly. When the smoke of judgment clears, the wicked will be gone, but the godly will remain and inherit God’s promised blessings. The psalm is an acrostic; every other verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
Psalm 37:1 tn The verb form is singular (see vv. 3-10 as well, where the second person verbs and pronouns are also singular). The psalmist’s exhortation has a wisdom flavor to it; it is personalized for each member of his audience.
Psalm 37:1 tn Heb “over sinners.” The context indicates that the psalmist has in mind the apparent power and success of sinners. See v. 7b.
Psalm 37:2 tn Heb “like green vegetation.”
Psalm 37:3 tn Heb “tend integrity.” The verb רָעָה (raʿah, “tend, shepherd”) is probably used here in the sense of “watch over, guard.” The noun אֱמוּנָה (ʾemunah, “faithfulness, honesty, integrity”) is understood as the direct object of the verb, though it could be taken as an adverbial accusative, “[feed] securely,” if the audience is likened to a flock of sheep.
Psalm 37:4 tn Following the imperatives of v. 3 the prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) in v. 4 indicate result. Faith and obedience (v. 3) will bring divine blessing (v. 4).
Psalm 37:4 tn Or “and he will give you what you desire most.” Heb “and he will grant to you the requests of your heart.”
Psalm 37:5 tn Heb “roll your way upon the Lord.” The noun “way” may refer here to one’s activities or course of life.
Psalm 37:5 tn Heb “he will act.” Verse 6 explains what is meant; the Lord will vindicate those who trust in him.
Psalm 37:6 tn Heb “and he will bring out like light your vindication, and your just cause like noonday.”
Psalm 37:7 tn Heb “Be quiet before the Lord!”
Psalm 37:7 tc The Hebrew text has וְהִתְחוֹלֵל (v^ehitkholel, Hitpolel of חִיל, khil, “writhe with fear, suffer”) but this idea fits awkwardly here. The text should be changed to וְתוֹחֵל (v^etokhel; Hiphil of יָחַל, yakhal, “wait”). It appears that the Hebrew text is the product of dittography: (1) the initial וה (vav-he) is accidentally repeated from the preceding word (יְהוָה, y^ehvah) and (2) the final ל (lamed) is accidentally repeated (note the preceding lamed and the initial lamed on the following form, לו).
Psalm 37:7 tn Heb “over one who causes his way to be successful.”
Psalm 37:8 tn Heb “Refrain from anger! Abandon rage!”
Psalm 37:9 tn Heb “for evil men.” The conjunction כִּי (ki, “for”) relates to the exhortations in v. 8; there is no reason to be frustrated, for the evildoers will be punished in due time.
Psalm 37:9 tn Or “cut off, removed.”
Psalm 37:9 tn Heb “and those who wait on the Lord, they will possess the land.”
Psalm 37:10 tn Heb “and yet, a little, there will be no wicked [one].”
Psalm 37:10 tn Heb “and you will carefully look upon his place, but he will not be [there].” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer is in view.
Psalm 37:11 tn Heb “and they will take delight in (see v. 4) abundance of peace.”
Psalm 37:12 tn Or “innocent.” The singular is used here in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and the typical godly individual are in view.
Psalm 37:12 tn Heb “and gnashes at him with his teeth” (see Ps 35:16). The language may picture the evil men as wild animals. The active participles in v. 12 are used for purposes of dramatic description.
Psalm 37:13 tn Heb “laughs.” As the next line indicates, this refers to derisive laughter (see 2:4). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form describes the action from the perspective of an eye-witness who is watching the divine response as it unfolds before his eyes.
Psalm 37:13 tn Heb “for he sees that his day is coming.” As the following context makes clear (vv. 15, 17, 19-20), “his day” refers to the time when God will destroy evildoers.
Psalm 37:14 tn Heb “to cause to fall.”
Psalm 37:14 tn Heb “the upright in way,” i.e., those who lead godly lives.
Psalm 37:15 tn Heb “enter into.”
Psalm 37:16 tn Heb “Better [is] a little to the godly one than the wealth of many evil ones.” The following verses explain why this is true. Though a godly individual may seem to have only meager possessions, he always has what he needs and will eventually possess the land. The wicked may prosper for a brief time, but will eventually be destroyed by divine judgment and lose everything.
Psalm 37:17 tn Heb “for the arms of the evil ones will be broken.”
Psalm 37:17 tn The active participle here indicates this is characteristically true.
Psalm 37:18 tn Heb “the Lord knows the days of the innocent ones.” He “knows” their days in the sense that he is intimately aware of and involved in their daily struggles. He meets their needs and sustains them.
Psalm 37:18 tn Heb “and their inheritance is forever.”
Psalm 37:19 tn Heb “in a time of trouble.”
Psalm 37:19 tn Heb “in days of famine they will be satisfied.”
Psalm 37:20 tn Or “for,” but Hebrew כִּי (ki) in this case would have to extend all the way back to v. 17a. Another option is to understand the particle as asseverative, “surely” (see v. 22).
Psalm 37:20 tc The meaning of the MT (כִּיקַר כָּרִים [kiqar karim], “like what is precious among the pastures/rams”) is uncertain. One possibility is to take the noun כָּרִים as “pastures” and interpret “what is precious” as referring to flowers that blossom but then quickly disappear (see v. 2 and BDB 430 s.v. יָקָר 3). If כָּרִים is taken as “rams,” then “what is precious” might refer to the choicest portions of rams. The present translation follows a reading in the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QpPs37), כיקוד כורם (“like the burning of an oven”). The next line, which pictures the Lord’s enemies being consumed in smoke, supports this reading, which assumes confusion of the Hebrew letters ר (resh) and ד (dalet) at the end of the first word in the sequence.
Psalm 37:20 tn Heb “they perish in smoke, they perish.” In addition to repeating the verb for emphasis, the psalmist uses the perfect form of the verb to picture the enemies’ demise as if it had already taken place. In this way he draws attention to the certitude of their judgment.
Psalm 37:21 tn Heb “an evil [man] borrows and does not repay, but a godly [man] is gracious and gives.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The three active participles and one imperfect (“repay”) draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the two types.
Psalm 37:22 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is best understood as asseverative or emphatic here.
Psalm 37:22 tn Heb “those blessed by him.” The pronoun “him” must refer to the Lord (see vv. 20, 23), so the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Psalm 37:22 tn Heb “cursed.”
Psalm 37:22 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed” (see v. 9).
Psalm 37:23 tn Heb “from the Lord the steps of a man are established, and in his way he delights.” The second line qualifies the first. The man whose behavior is commendable in God’s sight is the one whose ways are established by God. Another option is that the second line refers to the godly man delighting in God’s “way,” namely the lifestyle which he prescribes for men. In this case one might translate, “The Lord grants success to the one who desires to obey his commands.”
Psalm 37:24 tn Other translation options for כִּי (ki) in this context are “when” (so NASB) or “though” (so NEB, NIV, NRSV).
Psalm 37:24 tn Heb “be hurled down.”
Psalm 37:24 tn The active participle indicates this is characteristically true. See v. 17.
Psalm 37:25 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
Psalm 37:25 tn Heb “or his offspring searching for food.” The expression “search for food” also appears in Lam 1:11, where Jerusalem’s refugees are forced to search for food and to trade their valuable possessions for something to eat.
Psalm 37:26 tn The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
Psalm 37:26 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
Psalm 37:27 tn Or “Do good!” The imperatives are singular (see v. 1).
Psalm 37:27 tn Heb “and dwell permanently.” The imperative with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause after the preceding imperatives.
Psalm 37:28 tn Heb “loves.” The verb “loves” is here metonymic; the Lord’s commitment to principles of justice causes him to actively promote these principles as he governs the world. The active participle describes characteristic behavior.
Psalm 37:28 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to this generalizing statement.
Psalm 37:28 tn Or “protected forever.”
Psalm 37:28 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
Psalm 37:28 tn Or “cut off”; or “removed.” The perfect verbal forms in v. 28b state general truths.
Psalm 37:30 tn Heb “The mouth of the godly [one] utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.” The singular form is used in a representative sense; the typical godly individual is in view. The imperfect verbal forms draw attention to the characteristic behavior of the godly.
Psalm 37:31 tn Heb “the law of his God [is] in his heart.” The “heart” is here the seat of one’s thoughts and motives.
Psalm 37:31 tn Heb “his.” The pronoun has been translated as plural to agree with the representative or typical “godly” in v. 30.
Psalm 37:32 tn Heb “an evil [one] watches the godly [one] and seeks to kill him.” The singular forms are used in a representative sense; the typical evildoer and godly individual are in view. The active participles describe characteristic behavior.
Psalm 37:33 tn Heb “the Lord does not abandon him into his hand or condemn him when he is judged.” The imperfects draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic behavior in this regard.
Psalm 37:34 tn Or “wait.”
Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “keep his way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.
Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “and he will lift you up.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) is best taken here as a result clause following the imperatives in the preceding lines.
Psalm 37:34 tn Heb “when evil men are cut off you will see.”
Psalm 37:35 tn The Hebrew uses the representative singular again here.
Psalm 37:35 tn Heb “being exposed [?] like a native, luxuriant.” The Hebrew form מִתְעָרֶה (mitʿareh) appears to be a Hitpael participle from עָרָה (ʿarah, “be exposed”), but this makes no sense in this context. Perhaps the form is a dialectal variant of מִתְעָלָה (“giving oneself an air of importance”; see Jer 51:3), from עָלָה (ʿalah, “go up”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 296). The noun אֶזְרָח (ʾezrakh, “native, full citizen”) refers elsewhere to people, but here, where it is collocated with “luxuriant, green,” it probably refers to a tree growing in native soil.
Psalm 37:36 tn Heb “and he passes by and, look, he is not [there].” The subject of the verb “passes by” is probably indefinite, referring to any passerby. Some prefer to change the form to first person, “and I passed by” (cf. NEB; note the first person verbal forms in preceding verse and in the following line).
Psalm 37:37 tn Heb “for [there is] an end for a man of peace.” Some interpret אַחֲרִית (ʾakharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see the next verse and Ps 109:13; cf. NEB, NRSV).
Psalm 37:38 tn Or “destroyed together.” In this case the psalmist pictures judgment sweeping them away as a group.
Psalm 37:38 tn Heb “the end of evil men is cut off.” As in v. 37, some interpret אַחֲרִית (ʾakharit, “end”) as referring to offspring (see Ps 109:13). The perfect verbal forms in v. 38 probably express general truths. Another option is that they are used emphatically to state with certitude that the demise of the wicked is as good as done.
Psalm 37:39 tn Heb “and the deliverance of the godly [ones] [is] from the Lord.”
Psalm 37:39 tn Heb “[he is] their place of refuge in a time of trouble.”
Psalm 37:40 tn The prefixed verbal forms with vav (ו) consecutive carry on the generalizing tone of the preceding verse.

Isaiah 7:1-9

Ahaz Receives a Sign

7 During^[a] the reign of Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Syria and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel marched up to Jerusalem to do battle, but they were unable to prevail against it.^[b]

²It was reported to the family^[c] of David, “Syria has allied with^[d] Ephraim.” They and their people were emotionally shaken, just as the trees of the forest shake before the wind.^[e] ³So the Lord told Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear Jashub^[f] and meet Ahaz at the end of the conduit of the upper pool that is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth.^[g] ⁴Tell him, ‘Make sure you stay calm!^[h] Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated^[i] by these two stubs of smoking logs,^[j] or by the raging anger of Rezin, Syria, and the son of Remaliah. ⁵Syria has plotted with Ephraim and the son of Remaliah to bring about your demise.^[k] ⁶They say, “Let’s attack Judah, terrorize it, and conquer it.^[l] Then we’ll set up the son of Tabeel as its king.”^[m] ⁷For this reason the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘It will not take place;
it will not happen.
⁸For Syria’s leader is Damascus,
and the leader of Damascus is Rezin.
Within sixty-five years Ephraim will no longer exist as a nation.^[n]
⁹Ephraim’s leader is Samaria,
and Samaria’s leader is the son of Remaliah.
If your faith does not remain firm,
then you will not remain secure.’”^[o]

Footnotes

Isaiah 7:1 tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.
Isaiah 7:1 tn Or perhaps, “but they were unable to attack it.” This statement sounds like a summary of the whole campaign. The following context explains why they were unable to defeat the southern kingdom. The parallel passage (2 Kgs 16:5; cf. Num 22:11; 1 Sam 17:9 for a similar construction) affirms that Syria and Israel besieged Ahaz. Consequently, the statement that “they were not able to battle against them” must refer to the inability to conquer Ahaz.
Isaiah 7:2 tn Heb “house.” In this context the “house of David” includes King Ahaz, his family, and the royal court. See also Jer 21:12; Zech 12:7-8, 10, 12, for a similar use of the phrase.
Isaiah 7:2 tn Heb “rests upon.” Most understand the verb as נוּחַ (nuakh, “rest”), but HALOT 685 s.v. II נחה proposes that this is a hapax legomenon which means “stand by.”
Isaiah 7:2 tn Heb “and his heart shook and the heart of his people shook, like the shaking of the trees of the forest before the wind.” The singular pronoun “his” is collective, referring to the Davidic house/family. לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the seat of the emotions.
Isaiah 7:3 tn The name means “a remnant will return.” Perhaps in this context, where the Lord is trying to encourage Ahaz, the name suggests that only a few of the enemy invaders will return home; the rest will be defeated.
Isaiah 7:3 tn Heb “the field of the washer”; traditionally “the fuller’s field” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); NIV “the Washerman’s Field.”
Isaiah 7:4 tn Heb “guard yourself and be quiet,” but the two verbs should be coordinated.
Isaiah 7:4 tn Heb “and let not your heart be weak”; ASV “neither let thy heart be faint.”
Isaiah 7:4 sn The derogatory metaphor indicates that the power of Rezin and Pekah is ready to die out.
Isaiah 7:5 tn This sentence opens with the conjunction יַעַן כִּי (yaʿan ki, “because”). Consequently some take vv. 5-6 with what precedes, as another reason why Ahaz might be tempted to fear (see v. 4). However, it is more likely that vv. 5-6 give the basis for the Lord’s announcement in vv. 7-9. The conjunction יַעַן כִּי here introduces the basis for judgment (as in 3:16; 8:6; 29:13), which is then followed by the formal announcement of judgment.
Isaiah 7:6 tn Heb “and let us break it open for ourselves”; NASB “make for ourselves a breach in its walls”; NLT “fight our way into.”
Isaiah 7:6 tn Heb “and we will make the son of Tabeel king in its midst.”sn The precise identity of this would-be puppet king is unknown. He may have been a Syrian official or the ruler of one of the small neighboring states. See Y. Aharoni, Land of the Bible, 370.
Isaiah 7:8 tn Heb “Ephraim will be too shattered to be a nation”; NIV “to be a people.”sn This statement is problematic for several reasons. It seems to intrude stylistically, interrupting the symmetry of the immediately preceding and following lines. Furthermore, such a long-range prophecy lacks punch in the midst of the immediate crisis. After all, even if Israel were destroyed sometime within the next 65 years, a lot could still happen during that time, including the conquest of Judah and the demise of the Davidic family. Finally, the significance of the time frame is uncertain. Israel became an Assyrian province within the next 15 years and ceased to exist as a nation. For these reasons many regard the statement as a later insertion, but why a later editor would include the reference to “65 years” remains a mystery. Some try to relate the prophecy to the events alluded to in Ezra 4:2, 10, which refers to how the Assyrian kings Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal settled foreigners in former Israelite territory, perhaps around 670 b.c. However, even if the statement is referring to these events, it lacks rhetorical punch in its immediate context and has the earmarks of a later commentary that has been merged with the text in the process of transmission.
Isaiah 7:9 tn Heb “if you do not believe, you will not endure.” The verb forms are second plural; the Lord here addresses the entire Davidic family and court. (Verse 4 was addressed to the king.) There is a wordplay in the Hebrew text, designed to draw attention to the alternatives set before the king (cf. 1:20). “Believe” (תַאֳמִינוּ, taʾaminu) is a Hiphil form of the verb אָמָן (ʾaman); “endure” (תֵאָמֵנוּ, teʾamenu) is a Niphal form of this same verb.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The Day of the Lord

2 Now regarding the arrival^[a] of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to be with him,^[b] we ask you, brothers and sisters,^[c] ²not to be easily^[d] shaken from your composure or disturbed by any kind of spirit or message or letter allegedly from us,^[e] to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. ³Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not arrive until the rebellion comes^[f] and the man of lawlessness^[g] is revealed, the son of destruction.^[h] ⁴He^[i] opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, and as a result he takes his seat^[j] in God’s temple, displaying himself as God.^[k] ⁵Surely you recall^[l] that I used to tell you these things while I was still with you. ⁶And so^[m] you know what holds him back,^[n] so that he will be revealed in his own time. ⁷For the hidden power of lawlessness^[o] is already at work. However, the one who holds him back^[p] will do so until he is taken out of the way, ⁸and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord^[q] will destroy by the breath of his mouth and wipe out by the manifestation of his arrival. ⁹The arrival of the lawless one^[r] will be by Satan’s working with all kinds of miracles^[s] and signs and false wonders, ¹⁰and with every kind of evil deception directed against^[t] those who are perishing, because they found no place in their hearts for the truth^[u] so as to be saved. ¹¹Consequently^[v] God sends on them a deluding influence^[w] so that they will believe what is false. ¹²And so^[x] all of them who have not believed the truth but have delighted in evil will be condemned.^[y]

Footnotes

2 Thessalonians 2:1 tn Or perhaps “return” (cf. CEV).
2 Thessalonians 2:1 tn Grk “our gathering with him.”
2 Thessalonians 2:1 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:3.
2 Thessalonians 2:2 tn Or “quickly, soon.”
2 Thessalonians 2:2 tn Grk “as through us.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3 tn Grk “for unless the rebellion comes first.” The clause about “the day” is understood from v. 2.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 tc Most mss (A D F G Ψ 1175 1241 1505 M al lat sy) read ἁμαρτίας (hamartias, “of sin”) here, but several significant mss (א B 0278 6 81 1739 1881 2464 al co) read ἀνομίας (anomias, “of lawlessness”). Although external support for ἁμαρτίας is broader, the generally earlier and better witnesses are on the side of ἀνομίας. Internally, since ἁμαρτία (hamartia, “sin”) occurs nearly ten times as often as ἀνομία (anomia, “lawlessness”) in the corpus Paulinum, scribes would be expected to change the text to the more familiar term. At the same time, the mention of ἀνομία in v. 7 and ὁ ἄνομος (ho anomos, “the lawless one”) in v. 8, both of which look back to v. 3, may have prompted scribes to change the text toward ἀνομίας. The internal evidence is thus fairly evenly balanced. Although a decision is difficult, ἀνομίας has slightly greater probability of authenticity than ἁμαρτίας.
2 Thessalonians 2:3 tn Or “the one destined for destruction.”
2 Thessalonians 2:4 tn Grk “the one who opposes,” describing the figure in v. 3. A new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the personal pronoun (“he”) and translating the participle ἀντικείμενος (antikeimenos) as a finite verb.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 sn Allusions to Isa 14:13-14; Dan 11:36; Ezek 28:2-9 respectively.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 tn Grk “that he is God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:5 tn Grk “You do remember, don’t you?”
2 Thessalonians 2:6 tn Grk “and now,” but this shows the logical result of his previous teaching.
2 Thessalonians 2:6 tn Grk “the thing that restrains.”
2 Thessalonians 2:7 tn Grk “the mystery of lawlessness.” In Paul “mystery” often means “revealed truth, something formerly hidden but now made widely known,” but that does not make sense with the verb of this clause (“to be at work, to be active”).
2 Thessalonians 2:7 tn Grk “the one who restrains.” This gives a puzzling contrast to the impersonal phrase in v. 6 (“the thing that restrains”). The restraint can be spoken of as a force or as a person. Some have taken this to mean the Roman Empire in particular or human government in general, since these are forces that can also be seen embodied in a person, the emperor or governing head. But apocalyptic texts like Revelation and Daniel portray human government of the end times as under Satanic control, not holding back his influence. Also the power to hold back Satanic forces can only come from God. So others understand this restraint to be some force from God: the preaching of the gospel or the working of the Holy Spirit through God’s people.
2 Thessalonians 2:8 tc ‡ Several significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western traditions, as well as many other witnesses, read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Iēsous, “Jesus”) after κύριος (kurios, “Lord”; so א A D* F G L^c P Ψ 0278 33 81 104 365 1241 2464 latt sy co). But there is sufficient evidence in the Alexandrian tradition for the shorter reading (B 1739 1881), supported by the Byzantine text, Irenaeus, and other witnesses (D^2vid 630 1175 1505). Although it is possible that scribes overlooked ᾿Ιησοῦς if the two nomina sacra occurred together (kMsiMs), since “the Lord Jesus” is a frequent enough appellation, it looks to be a motivated reading. NA²⁸ places ᾿Ιησοῦς in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 tn Grk “whose coming,” referring to the lawless one. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek construction, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
2 Thessalonians 2:9 tn Grk “every miracle.”
2 Thessalonians 2:10 tn Grk “deception for/toward.”
2 Thessalonians 2:10 tn Grk “they did not accept the love of the truth.”
2 Thessalonians 2:11 tn Grk “and for this reason.”
2 Thessalonians 2:11 tn Grk “a working of error.”
2 Thessalonians 2:12 tn Grk “that.” A new sentence was started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 Thessalonians 2:12 tn Grk “be judged,” but in this context the term clearly refers to a judgment of condemnation (BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α; cf. KJV “that they all might be damned”). CEV views the condemnation as punishment (“will be punished”).

Luke 22:1-13

Judas’ Decision to Betray Jesus

22 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread,^[a] which is called the Passover, was approaching. ²The^[b] chief priests and the experts in the law^[c] were trying to find some way^[d] to execute^[e] Jesus,^[f] for they were afraid of the people.^[g]

³Then^[h] Satan^[i] entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve.^[j] ⁴He went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers of the temple guard^[k] how he might^[l] betray Jesus,^[m] handing him over to them.^[n] ⁵They^[o] were delighted^[p] and arranged to give him money.^[q] ⁶So^[r] Judas^[s] agreed and began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus^[t] when no crowd was present.^[u]

The Passover

⁷Then the day for the feast^[v] of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.^[w] ⁸Jesus^[x] sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover^[y] for us to eat.”^[z] ⁹They^[aa] said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare^[ab] it?” ¹⁰He said to them, “Listen,^[ac] when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water^[ad] will meet you.^[ae] Follow him into the house that he enters, ¹¹and tell the owner of the house,^[af] ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ ¹²Then he will show you a large furnished room upstairs. Make preparations there.” ¹³So^[ag] they went and found things^[ah] just as he had told them,^[ai] and they prepared the Passover.

Footnotes

Luke 22:1 sn The Feast of Unleavened Bread was a week long celebration that followed the day of Passover, so one name was used for both feasts (Exod 12:1-20; 23:15; 34:18; Deut 16:1-8).
Luke 22:2 tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 22:2 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.
Luke 22:2 tn Grk “were seeking how.”
Luke 22:2 tn The Greek verb here means “to get rid of by execution” (BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω 2; cf. also L&N 20.71, which states, “to get rid of someone by execution, often with legal or quasi-legal procedures”).
Luke 22:2 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 22:2 sn The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him. The verb were trying is imperfect. It suggests, in this context, that they were always considering the opportunities.
Luke 22:3 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
Luke 22:3 sn The cross is portrayed as part of the cosmic battle between Satan and God; see Luke 4:1-13; 11:14-23.
Luke 22:3 tn Grk “Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.”
Luke 22:4 tn The full title στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ (stratēgos tou hierou; “officer of the temple” or “captain of the temple guard”) is sometimes shortened to στρατηγός as here (L&N 37.91).
Luke 22:4 tn Luke uses this frequent indirect question to make his point (BDF §267.2).
Luke 22:4 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 22:4 tn Grk “how he might hand him over to them,” in the sense of “betray him.”
Luke 22:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
Luke 22:5 sn The leaders were delighted when Judas contacted them about betraying Jesus, because it gave them the opportunity they had been looking for, and they could later claim that Jesus had been betrayed by one of his own disciples.
Luke 22:5 sn Matt 26:15 states the amount of money they gave Judas was thirty pieces of silver (see also Matt 27:3-4; Zech 11:12-13).
Luke 22:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the arrangement worked out in the preceding verse.
Luke 22:6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 22:6 tn Grk “betray him to them”; the referent of the first pronoun (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 22:6 tn Grk “apart from the crowd.”sn The leaders wanted to do this quietly, when no crowd was present, so no public uproar would result (cf. v. 21:38; 22:2).
Luke 22:7 tn The words “for the feast” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.
Luke 22:7 sn Generally the feast of Unleavened Bread would refer to Nisan 15 (Friday), but the following reference to the sacrifice of the Passover lamb indicates that Nisan 14 (Thursday) was what Luke had in mind (Nisan = March 27 to April 25). The celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted eight days, beginning with the Passover meal. The celebrations were so close together that at times the names of both were used interchangeably.
Luke 22:8 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Luke 22:8 sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 22:14). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.
Luke 22:8 tn Grk “for us, so that we may eat.”
Luke 22:9 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
Luke 22:9 tn In the Greek text this a deliberative subjunctive.
Luke 22:10 tn Grk “behold.”
Luke 22:10 sn Since women usually carried these jars, it would have been no problem for Peter and John to recognize the man Jesus was referring to.
Luke 22:10 sn Jesus is portrayed throughout Luke 22-23 as very aware of what will happen, almost directing events. Here this is indicated by his prediction that a man carrying a jar of water will meet you.
Luke 22:11 tn Grk “to the master of the household,” referring to one who owns and manages the household, including family, servants, and slaves (L&N 57.14).
Luke 22:13 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions.
Luke 22:13 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
Luke 22:13 sn The author’s note that the disciples found things just as he had told them shows that Jesus’ word could be trusted.

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 37[a]

By David.

Footnotes

Ahaz Receives a Sign

Footnotes

The Day of the Lord

Footnotes

Judas’ Decision to Betray Jesus

The Passover

Footnotes

Psalm 37^[a]