◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Isaiah 60:1-6 (Nations come to the light); Psalm 72:1-7 10-14 (All shall bow down); Ephesians 3:1-12 (The gospel’s promise for all); Matthew 2:1-12 (Christ revealed to the nations) (New English Translation)

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January 6, 2027

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

Isaiah 60:1-6

Zion’s Future Splendor

60 “Arise! Shine! For your light arrives!
The splendor^[a] of the Lord shines on you!
²For, look, darkness covers the earth
and deep darkness covers^[b] the nations,
but the Lord shines on you;
his splendor^[c] appears over you.
³Nations come to your light,
kings to your bright light.
⁴Look all around you!^[d]
They all gather and come to you—
your sons come from far away,
and your daughters are escorted by guardians.
⁵Then you will look and smile,^[e]
you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride.^[f]
For the riches of distant lands^[g] will belong to you,
and the wealth of nations will come to you.
⁶Camel caravans will cover your roads,^[h]
young camels from Midian and Ephah.
All the merchants of Sheba^[i] will come,
bringing gold and incense
and singing praises to the Lord.^[j]

Psalm 72:1-7

Psalm 72^[a]

For^[b] Solomon.

72 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions.^[c]
Grant the king’s son^[d] the ability to make fair decisions.^[e]
²Then he will judge^[f] your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones^[g] equitably.
³The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice.^[h]
⁴He will defend^[i] the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver^[j] the children^[k] of the poor
and crush the oppressor.
⁵People will fear^[l] you^[m] as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation.^[n]
⁶He^[o] will descend like rain on the mown grass,^[p]
like showers that drench^[q] the earth.^[r]
⁷During his days the godly will flourish;^[s]
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky.^[t]

Footnotes

Psalm 72:1 sn Psalm 72. This royal psalm contains a prayer for the Davidic king (note the imperatival form in v. 1 and the jussive forms in vv. 16-17). It is not entirely clear if vv. 2-15 express a prayer or anticipate a future reign. The translation assumes a blend of petition and vision: (I) opening prayer (v. 1), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 2-7); (II) prayer (v. 8), followed by anticipated results if prayer is answered (vv. 9-14); (III) closing prayer (vv. 15-17). Whether a prayer, vision, or combination of the two, the psalm depicts the king’s universal rule of peace and prosperity. As such it is indirectly messianic, for the ideal it expresses will only be fully realized during the Messiah’s earthly reign. Verses 18-19 are a conclusion for Book 2 of the Psalter (Pss 42-72; cf. Ps 41:13, which contains a similar conclusion for Book 1), while v. 20 appears to be a remnant of an earlier collection of psalms or an earlier edition of the Psalter.
Psalm 72:1 tn The preposition could be understood as indicating authorship (“Of Solomon”), but since the psalm is a prayer for a king, it may be that the superscription reflects a tradition that understood this as a prayer for Solomon.
Psalm 72:1 tn Heb “O God, your judgments to [the] king give.”
Psalm 72:1 sn Grant the king…Grant the king’s son. It is not entirely clear whether v. 1 envisions one individual or two. The phrase “the king’s son” in the second line may simply refer to “the king” of the first line, drawing attention to the fact that he has inherited his dynastic rule. Another option is that v. 1 envisions a co-regency between father and son (a common phenomenon in ancient Israel) or simply expresses a hope for a dynasty that champions justice.
Psalm 72:1 tn Heb “and your justice to [the] son of [the] king.”
Psalm 72:2 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
Psalm 72:2 sn These people are called God’s oppressed ones because he is their defender (see Pss 9:12, 18; 10:12; 12:5).
Psalm 72:3 tn Heb “[the] mountains will bear peace to the people, and [the] hills with justice.” The personified mountains and hills probably represent messengers who will sweep over the land announcing the king’s just decrees and policies. See Isa 52:7 and C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs, Psalms (ICC), 2:133.
Psalm 72:4 tn Heb “judge [for].”
Psalm 72:4 tn The prefixed verbal form appears to be an imperfect, not a jussive.
Psalm 72:4 tn Heb “sons.”
Psalm 72:5 tn In this context “fear” probably means “to demonstrate respect for the Lord’s power and authority by worshiping him and obeying his commandments.” See Ps 33:8. Some interpreters, with the support of the LXX, prefer to read וְיַאֲרִיךְ (v^eyaʾarikh, “and he [the king in this case] will prolong [days]”), that is, “will live a long time” (cf. NIV, NRSV).
Psalm 72:5 tn God is the addressee (see vv. 1-2).
Psalm 72:5 tn Heb “with [the] sun, and before [the] moon [for] a generation, generations.” The rare expression דּוֹר דּוֹרִים (dor dorim, “generation, generations”) occurs only here, in Ps 102:24, and in Isa 51:8.
Psalm 72:6 tn That is, the king (see vv. 2, 4).
Psalm 72:6 tn The rare term גֵּז (gez) refers to a sheep’s fleece in Deut 18:4 and Job 31:20, but to “mown” grass or crops here and in Amos 7:1.
Psalm 72:6 tc The form in the Hebrew text appears to be an otherwise unattested noun. Many prefer to emend the form to a verb from the root זָרַף (zaraf). BHS suggests a Hiphil imperfect, third masculine plural יַזְרִיפוּ (yazrifu), while HALOT 283 s.v. *זרף prefers a Pilpel perfect, third masculine plural זִרְזְפוּ (zirz^efu). The translation assumes the latter.
Psalm 72:6 sn The imagery of this verse compares the blessings produced by the king’s reign to fructifying rains that cause the crops to grow.
Psalm 72:7 tn Heb “sprout up,” like crops. This verse continues the metaphor of rain utilized in v. 6.
Psalm 72:7 tn Heb “and [there will be an] abundance of peace until there is no more moon.”

Psalm 72:10-14

¹⁰The kings of Tarshish^[a] and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba^[b] and Seba^[c] will bring tribute.
¹¹All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
¹²For he will rescue the needy^[d] when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed^[e] who have no defender.
¹³He will take pity^[f] on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
¹⁴From harm and violence he will defend them;^[g]
he will value their lives.^[h]

Ephesians 3:1-12

Paul’s Relationship to the Divine Mystery

3 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus^[a] for the sake of you Gentiles ²if indeed^[b] you have heard of the stewardship^[c] of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³that^[d] by revelation the mystery^[e] was made known to me, as I wrote before briefly.^[f] ⁴When reading this,^[g] you will be able to^[h] understand my insight into the mystery^[i] of Christ ⁵(which^[j] was not disclosed to people^[k] in former^[l] generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by^[m] the Spirit), ⁶namely, that through the gospel^[n] the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members^[o] of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus. ⁷I became a servant of this gospel^[p] according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by^[q] the exercise of his power.^[r] ⁸To me—less than the least of all the saints^[s]—this grace was given,^[t] to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ ⁹and to enlighten^[u] everyone about God’s secret plan^[v]—the mystery that has been hidden for ages^[w] in God^[x] who has created all things. ¹⁰The purpose of this enlightenment is that^[y] through the church the multifaceted wisdom^[z] of God should now be disclosed to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly realms. ¹¹This was according to^[aa] the eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and confident access^[ab] to God^[ac] by way of Christ’s^[ad] faithfulness.^[ae]

Footnotes

Ephesians 3:1 tc Several early and significant witnesses, chiefly of the Western group (א* D* F G 365), lack ᾿Ιησοῦ (Iēsou, “Jesus”) here, while most Alexandrian and Byzantine mss (P⁴⁶ א¹ A B C D¹ Ψ 33 1175 1505 1739 [1881] 2464 M lat sy bo) have the word. However, because of the Western text’s proclivities to add or delete to the text, seemingly at whim, serious doubts should be attached to the shorter reading. It is strengthened, however, by א’s support. Nevertheless, since both א and D were corrected with the addition of ᾿Ιησοῦ, their testimony might be questioned. Further, in majuscule script the nomina sacra here could have led to missing a word by way of homoioteleuton (cMuiMu). At the same time, in light of the rarity of scribal omissions of nomina sacra (see TCGNT 582, n. 1), a decision for inclusion of the word here must be tentative. NA²⁸ rightly places ᾿Ιησοῦ in brackets.
Ephesians 3:2 sn If indeed. The author is not doubting whether his audience has heard, but is rather using provocative language (if indeed) to engage his audience in thinking about the magnificence of God’s grace. However, in English translation, the apodosis (“then”-clause) does not come until v. 13, leaving the protasis (“if”-clause) dangling. Eph 3:2-7 constitute one sentence in Greek.
Ephesians 3:2 tn Or “administration,” “dispensation,” “commission.”
Ephesians 3:3 tn Or “namely, that is.”
Ephesians 3:3 tn Or “divine secret” (see Eph 1:9).
Ephesians 3:3 tn Or “as I wrote above briefly.”sn As I wrote briefly may refer to the author’s brief discussion of the divine secret in 1:9.
Ephesians 3:4 tn Grk “which, when reading.”
Ephesians 3:4 tn Grk “you are able to.”
Ephesians 3:4 tn Or “secret.”
Ephesians 3:5 tn Verse 5 is a relative clause, subordinate to the thought of v. 4, but it is also parenthetical, interrupting the thought of vv. 4-6. This has been indicated by the parentheses in the translation.
Ephesians 3:5 tn Grk “the sons of men” (a Semitic idiom referring to human beings, hence, “people”).
Ephesians 3:5 tn Grk “other.”
Ephesians 3:5 tn Or “in.”
Ephesians 3:6 sn The phrase through the gospel is placed last in the sentence in Greek for emphasis. It has been moved forward for clarity.
Ephesians 3:6 tn Grk “and fellow members.”
Ephesians 3:7 tn Grk “of which I was made a minister,” “of which I became a servant.”
Ephesians 3:7 tn Grk “according to.”
Ephesians 3:7 sn On the exercise of his power see 1:19-20.
Ephesians 3:8 sn In Pauline writings saints means any true believer. Thus for Paul to view himself as less than the least of all the saints is to view himself as the most unworthy object of Christ’s redemption.
Ephesians 3:8 sn The parallel phrases to proclaim and to enlighten which follow indicate why God’s grace was manifested to Paul. Grace was not something just to be received, but to be shared with others (cf. Acts 13:47).
Ephesians 3:9 tn There is a possible causative nuance in the Greek verb, but this is difficult to convey in the translation.
Ephesians 3:9 tn Grk “what is the plan of the mystery.” Earlier the author had used οἰκονομία (oikonomia; here “plan”) to refer to his own “stewardship” (v. 2). But now he is speaking about the content of this mystery, not his own activity in relation to it.
Ephesians 3:9 tn Or “for eternity,” or perhaps “from the Aeons.” Cf. 2:2, 7.
Ephesians 3:9 tn Or perhaps “by God.” It is possible that ἐν (en) plus the dative here indicates agency, that is, that God has performed the action of hiding the mystery. However, this usage of the preposition ἐν is quite rare in the NT, and even though here it does follow a perfect passive verb as in the Classical idiom, it is more likely that a different nuance is intended.
Ephesians 3:10 tn Grk “that.” Verse 10 is a subordinate clause to the verb “enlighten” in v. 9.
Ephesians 3:10 tn Or “manifold wisdom,” “wisdom in its rich variety.”
Ephesians 3:11 tn Grk “according to.” The verse is a prepositional phrase subordinate to v. 10.
Ephesians 3:12 tn Grk “access in confidence.”
Ephesians 3:12 tn The phrase “to God” is not in the text, but is clearly implied by the preceding, “access.”
Ephesians 3:12 tn Grk “his.”
Ephesians 3:12 tn Or “to God through faith in him.” A decision is difficult here. Though traditionally translated “faith in Jesus Christ,” an increasing number of NT scholars are arguing that πίστις Χριστοῦ (pistis Christou) and similar phrases in Paul (here and in Rom 3:22, 26; Gal 2:16, 20; 3:22; Phil 3:9) involve a subjective genitive and mean “Christ’s faith” or “Christ’s faithfulness” (cf., e.g., G. Howard, “The ‘Faith of Christ’,” ExpTim 85 [1974]: 212-15; R. B. Hays, The Faith of Jesus Christ [SBLDS]; Morna D. Hooker, “Πίστις Χριστοῦ,” NTS 35 [1989]: 321-42). Noteworthy among the arguments for the subjective genitive view is that when πίστις takes a personal genitive it is almost never an objective genitive (cf. Matt 9:2, 22, 29; Mark 2:5; 5:34; 10:52; Luke 5:20; 7:50; 8:25, 48; 17:19; 18:42; 22:32; Rom 1:8; 12; 3:3; 4:5, 12, 16; 1 Cor 2:5; 15:14, 17; 2 Cor 10:15; Phil 2:17; Col 1:4; 2:5; 1 Thess 1:8; 3:2, 5, 10; 2 Thess 1:3; Titus 1:1; Phlm 6; 1 Pet 1:9, 21; 2 Pet 1:5). On the other hand, the objective genitive view has its adherents: A. Hultgren, “The Pistis Christou Formulations in Paul,” NovT 22 (1980): 248-63; J. D. G. Dunn, “Once More, ΠΙΣΤΙΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ,” SBL Seminar Papers, 1991, 730-44. Most commentaries on Romans and Galatians usually side with the objective view.sn By way of Christ’s faithfulness. Though Paul elsewhere teaches justification by faith, this presupposes that the object of our faith (Christ) is reliable and worthy of such faith.

Matthew 2:1-12

The Visit of the Wise Men

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time^[a] of King Herod,^[b] wise men^[c] from the East came to Jerusalem ²saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose^[d] and have come to worship him.” ³When King Herod^[e] heard this he was alarmed, and all Jerusalem^[f] with him. ⁴After assembling all the chief priests and experts in the law,^[g] he asked them where the Christ^[h] was to be born. ⁵“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they said, “for it is written this way by the prophet:

⁶‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are in no way least among the rulers of Judah,
for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”^[i]

⁷Then Herod^[j] privately summoned the wise men and determined from them when the star had appeared. ⁸He^[k] sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and look carefully for the child. When you find him, inform me so that I can go and worship him as well.” ⁹After listening to the king they left, and once again^[l] the star they saw when it rose^[m] led them until it stopped above the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star they shouted joyfully.^[n] ¹¹As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down^[o] and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense,^[p] and myrrh.^[q] ¹²After being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,^[r] they went back by another route to their own country.

Footnotes

Matthew 2:1 tn Grk “in the days.”
Matthew 2:1 sn King Herod was Herod the Great, who ruled Judea (with the support of Rome) from 37 b.c. until he died in 4 b.c. He was known for his extensive building projects (including the temple in Jerusalem) and for his cruelty.
Matthew 2:1 sn The Greek term here, sometimes transliterated into English as magi, describes a class of wise men and priests who were astrologers (L&N 32.40).
Matthew 2:2 tn Or “in its rising,” referring to the astrological significance of a star in a particular portion of the sky. The term used for the “East” in v. 1 is ἀνατολαί (anatolai, a plural form that is used typically of the rising of the sun), while in vv. 2 and 9 the singular ἀνατολή (anatolē) is used. The singular is typically used of the rising of a star and as such should not normally be translated “in the east” (cf. BDAG 74 s.v. 1: “because of the sg. and the article in contrast to ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν, vs. 1, [it is] prob. not a geograph. expr. like the latter, but rather astronomical…likew. vs. 9”).
Matthew 2:3 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
Matthew 2:3 tn Here the city (Jerusalem) is put by metonymy for its inhabitants (see E. W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech, 579).
Matthew 2:4 tn Or “and scribes of the people.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateus) as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
Matthew 2:4 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”sn See the note on Christ in 1:16.
Matthew 2:6 sn A quotation from Mic 5:2.
Matthew 2:7 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.
Matthew 2:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
Matthew 2:9 tn Grk “and behold the star.”
Matthew 2:9 tn See the note on the word “rose” in 2:2.
Matthew 2:10 tn Grk “they rejoiced with very great joy.”
Matthew 2:11 tn Grk “they fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”
Matthew 2:11 sn Frankincense refers to the aromatic resin of certain trees, used as a sweet-smelling incense (L&N 6.212).
Matthew 2:11 sn Myrrh consisted of the aromatic resin of certain shrubs (L&N 6.208). It was widely used in the ancient Near East by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans as perfume, as incense, and for medicinal purposes (W. Michaelis, TDNT 7:457). It was also used in preparing a corpse for burial (cf. John 19:39).
Matthew 2:12 sn See the note on King Herod in 2:1.

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Zion’s Future Splendor

Footnotes

Psalm 72[a]

For[b] Solomon.

Footnotes

Footnotes

Paul’s Relationship to the Divine Mystery

Footnotes

The Visit of the Wise Men

Footnotes

Psalm 72^[a]

For^[b] Solomon.