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6 Jerusalem, I ·have put guards [post watchmen] on your walls.
They ·must not [or will never] be silent day or night.
You people who ·remind the Lord of your needs in prayer [or call on the Lord]
should ·never be quiet [take no rest].
7 You should ·not stop praying to him [L give him no rest] until he builds up Jerusalem
and makes it a city ·all people will praise [of praise/pride in the earth].
8 The Lord ·has made a promise [L swears by his right hand],
and by his ·power he will keep his promise [L mighty arm].
He said, “I will never again give your grain
as food to your enemies.
I will not let ·your enemies [foreigners] drink the new wine
that you have worked to make.
9 Those who ·gather food [gather/harvest it] will eat it,
and they will praise the Lord.
Those who gather the grapes will drink the wine
in the courts of my ·Temple [sanctuary; holy place].”
10 Go through, go through the gates!
Make the way ready for the people.
Build up, build up the ·road [highway]!
Move all the stones off the road.
Raise ·the banner as a sign [a standard/signal flag] for the ·people [nations].
11 The Lord ·is speaking [announces]
to ·all the faraway lands [L the end of the earth]:
“·Tell the people of Jerusalem [L Say to the daughter of Zion; Zech. 9:9],
‘Look, your Savior is coming.
He is bringing ·your reward to you [L his reward with him];
·he is bringing his payment [his recompense/reward is] with him.’”
12 ·His people [L They] will be called the Holy People,
the ·Saved People [Redeemed] of the Lord,
and Jerusalem will be called ·the City God Wants [L Sought After],
the City ·God Has Not Rejected [or Not Abandoned; Deserted].
The Lord Judges His People
63 Who is this coming from Edom [34:5],
from the city of Bozrah, ·dressed in red [or in crimson-stained garments; C Edom means “red”]?
Who is this dressed in ·fine clothes [honorable clothing; or royal garments]
and marching forward with his great power?
He says, “I, the Lord, speak ·what is right [in righteousness].
I ·have the power [am mighty] to save you.”
2 Someone asks, “Why are your clothes bright red
as if you had ·walked [stomped; trodden] on the grapes to make wine?”
3 The Lord answers, “I have ·walked [stomped; trodden] in the winepress alone,
and no one among the nations ·helped [L was with] me.
I was angry and ·walked [stomped; trod] on the nations
and crushed them because of my anger.
Blood splashed on my clothes,
and I stained all my clothing.
4 ·I chose a time to punish people [L …for the day of vengeance was in my heart],
and the ·time [year] has come for me to ·save [redeem].
5 I looked around, but I saw no one to help me.
I was ·surprised [shocked; appalled] that no one supported me [59:16].
So ·I used my own power to save my people [L my own arm accomplished salvation/victory];
my own ·anger [wrath] ·supported [sustained; upheld] me.
6 While I was angry, I ·walked on the [trampled] nations.
In my ·anger [wrath] I ·punished them [made them drunk; 49:26; 51:23]
and poured their ·blood [L juice] on the ·ground [earth].”
The Lord’s Kindness to His People
7 I will tell about the Lord’s ·kindness [lovingkindness; loyalty; covenant love]
and praise him for everything he has done.
I will praise the Lord for the many good things he has given us
and for his goodness to the ·people [L house] of Israel.
·He has shown great mercy to us […according to his compassion]
and ·has been very kind to us [according to his great lovingkindness/loyalty/covenant love].
8 He said, “[L Surely] These are my people;
my children will not ·lie to [deal falsely with; betray] me.”
So he saved them.
9 When they ·suffered [were distressed/afflicted], he ·suffered [was distressed/afflicted] also.
·He sent his own angel to save them [L The angel/messenger of his presence/face saved them; Ex. 14:19].
Because of his love and kindness, he saved them.
·Since long ago [L All the days of old] he has ·picked [lifted] them up and carried them [Deut. 32:10–12].
10 But they ·turned [rebelled] against him [Ex. 15:24; Num. 14:11; Ps. 78:17]
and ·made his Holy Spirit very sad [grieved his Holy Spirit; Ps. 78:40].
So he became their enemy,
and he fought against them.
11 But then his people remembered ·what happened long ago [L the days of old],
in the days of Moses and the Israelites with him.
Where is the Lord who brought the people ·through [up out of] the sea [Ex. 14:19–22],
with the ·leaders of his people [L shepherds of the flock; C probably Moses, Aaron and the tribal leaders]?
Where is the one
who put his ·Holy Spirit [or holy spirit] among them,
12 who led Moses by the right hand
with his ·wonderful power [L glorious arm],
who divided the water before them [Ex. 14:21]
to make ·his name famous [a reputation/name for himself] forever,
13 who led the people through the ·deep waters [depths]?
Like a horse walking ·through a desert [in the wilderness],
the people did not stumble.
14 Like cattle that go down to the valley,
the Spirit of the Lord gave ·the people a place to rest [them rest].
Lord, that is the way you led your people,
and by this you ·won [made] for yourself ·wonderful fame [a glorious reputation/name].
A Prayer for Help
15 Lord, look down from the heavens and see;
look at us from your ·wonderful [glorious] and holy ·home [abode] in heaven.
Where is your ·strong love [zeal] and power?
Why are you ·keeping [holding back] your ·love [tenderness] and ·mercy [compassion] from us?
16 You are our father.
[L …though] Abraham doesn’t know ·we are his children [L us],
and Israel doesn’t recognize us.
Lord, you are our father.
·You are called [or Your name is] “·the one who has always saved us [our redeemer from of old].”
17 Lord, why are you making us wander from your ways?
Why do you make ·us stubborn [L our hearts hard] so that we don’t ·honor [fear] you?
For our sake come back to us,
your servants, ·who belong to you [L the tribes of your inheritance].
18 Your ·people [or holy people] had ·your Temple [possession of your holy place; or possession of a land] for a while,
but now our enemies have ·walked on your holy place and crushed it [trampled down your sanctuary].
19 We have become like people you never ruled over,
like those who have never ·worn [been called by] your name.
64 If only you would tear open the ·skies [heavens] and come down to earth
so that the mountains would ·tremble [shake] before you.
2 Like a fire that ·burns [kindles; ignites] ·twigs [dry wood],
like a fire that makes water boil,
let your ·enemies [adversaries] know ·who you are [L your name].
Then all nations will shake with fear ·when they see you [before you].
3 You have done amazing things ·we did not expect [beyond our expectations].
You came down, and the mountains trembled before you.
4 From ·long ago [ancient times; of old] no ·one [L ear] has ever heard of a God like you.
No ·one [L eye] has ever seen a God besides you,
who ·helps [acts on behalf of] the people who ·trust [wait for] you.
5 You help those who ·enjoy doing good [joyfully act righteously],
who remember ·how you want them to live [L your ways/paths].
·But [L Look; T Behold] you were angry because we sinned.
For a long time we disobeyed,
so how can we be saved?
6 All of us ·are dirty with sin [became like an unclean/defiled thing].
All ·the right things we have done [our righteous deeds] are like ·filthy pieces of cloth [filthy garments/rags; or a menstrual cloth; 30:22].
All of us ·are [fade; shrivel] like dead leaves,
and our ·sins [iniquities], like the wind, have carried us away.
7 No one ·worships you [L calls on your name]
or ·even asks you to help us [L rouses himself to lay hold of you].
That is because you have ·turned away [hidden your face] from us
and have ·let our sins destroy us [given us over to our sins].[a]
8 But Lord, you are our father.
We are like clay, and you are the potter;
your hands made us all.
9 Lord, don’t continue to be angry with us;
don’t remember our sins forever.
Please, look at us,
because we are your people.
10 Your holy cities ·are empty like the desert [have become a wilderness/wasteland].
·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple] is like a ·desert [wilderness; wasteland];
it is ·destroyed [a desolation].
11 Our ancestors worshiped you
in our holy and wonderful Temple,
but now it has been burned with fire,
and all our ·precious [treasured; pleasant] things have ·been destroyed [become ruins].
12 ·When you see these things [After this], will you hold yourself back from helping us, Lord?
Will you be silent and punish us beyond ·what we can stand [measure]?
All People Will Learn About God
65 The Lord says, “I ·made myself known to people [L allowed myself to be sought by those] who were not looking for me.
I was found by those who were not asking me for help.
I said, ‘Here I am. Here I am,’
to a nation that ·was not praying to me [did not call on my name; or called by my name].
2 All day long I ·stood ready to accept [L stretched out my hands to a]
people who ·turned [rebelled] against me,
but the way they continue to ·live [walk] is not good;
·they do anything they want to do [following their own thoughts/schemes].
3 ·Right in front of me [To my face]
they continue to do things that make me angry.
They offer sacrifices to their gods in their gardens [1:29],
and they burn incense on altars of brick.
4 They sit among the graves
and spend their nights ·waiting to get messages from the dead [or keeping vigil; or in secret places].
They eat the ·meat [flesh] of pigs [C unclean animal; Lev. 11:7; Deut. 14:8],
and their pots are full of soup made from ·meat that is wrong to eat [defiled/polluted things].
5 But they tell others, ‘Stay away, and don’t come near me.
I am too holy for you.’
These ·people [or practices] are like smoke in my ·nose [nostrils].
Like a fire that burns all ·the time [day long; C their sin never ceases and God’s anger grows].
6 “Look, it is written here before me.
I will not ·be quiet [keep silent]; instead, I will repay you in full.
I will ·punish you for what you have done [L pay it back into their laps/bosom].
7 I will punish you for your sins and your ·ancestors’ [fathers’] sins,”
says the Lord.
“They burned incense ·to gods on [L on] the mountains
and ·shamed [insulted; defied] me on those hills.
So I will ·punish them as they should be punished
for what they did [L measure into their laps/bosoms payment for their former deeds].”
8 This is what the Lord says:
“When there is ·juice left [new wine; or good grapes] in a bunch of grapes,
people say, “Don’t destroy it,
because there is ·good left [L blessing] in it.”
So I will do the same thing to my servants—
I will not destroy them all.
9 I will ·leave some of the children of [produce/bring forth offspring/seed from] Jacob,
and some of the people of Judah will ·receive [possess; inherit] my mountain.
·I will choose the people who [My chosen ones] will ·live there [possess/inherit it];
my servants will live there.
10 Then ·the Plain of Sharon [L Sharon; C a fertile plain in western Israel; 33:9] will be a field for flocks,
and the Valley of Achor [C located in eastern Israel, near Jericho] will be a place for herds to rest.
They will be for the people who ·want to follow [have sought] me.
11 “But as for you who ·left [abandoned; forsook] the Lord,
who forgot about my holy mountain,
who ·worship the god Luck [L spread a table for Fortune/Luck; C Hebrew Gad, a pagan god],
·who hold religious feasts for the god Fate [L fill bowls of mixed wine for Fate; C Hebrew Meni, a pagan god],
12 I ·decide your fate, and I will punish you with my sword [L destine/number you for the sword].
You will all ·be killed [fall in the slaughter; or bow to the executioner],
because I called you, but you refused to answer.
I spoke to you, but you wouldn’t listen.
You did ·the things I said were evil [L evil before my eyes]
and chose to do things ·that displease me [L I did not delight in].”
13 So this is what the Lord God says:
“My servants will eat,
but ·you evil people [L you] will be hungry.
My servants will drink,
but ·you evil people [L you] will be thirsty.
My servants will ·be happy [rejoice],
but ·you evil people [L you] will be shamed.
14 My servants will shout for joy
because of the ·goodness [joy] of their hearts,
but ·you evil people [L you] will ·cry [shout; cry out],
·because you will be sad [from an anguished heart].
You will ·cry loudly [wail; lament], because your spirits will be broken.
15 Your names will be ·like curses to [or used as a curse by; L left as a curse to] my ·servants [L chosen ones],
and the Lord God will put you to death.
But he will call his servants by another name.
16 People in the land who ask for blessings
will ·ask for them from [or be blessed by] the faithful God.
And people in the land who ·make a promise [swear an oath]
will ·promise [swear] ·in the name of the faithful God [or by the one true God],
because the troubles of the past will be forgotten.
·I will make those troubles go away [L …and are hidden from my eyes].
A New Time Is Coming
17 “·Look [T Behold], I will ·make [create] new heavens and a new earth,
and people will not remember the ·past [former things]
or ·think about those things [bring them to heart/mind].
18 My people will be happy and joyful forever
because of the things I will ·make [create].
I will make a Jerusalem that is full of joy,
and I will make her people a delight.
19 Then I will rejoice over Jerusalem
and be delighted with my people.
There will never again be heard in that city
the sounds of ·crying [weeping] and ·sadness [crying].
20 There will never be a ·baby [infant] from that city
who lives only a few days.
And there will never be an older person
who doesn’t ·have a long life [L live out his days].
A person who ·lives a hundred years will be called young [or dies at a hundred years will still be considered a child],
and a person who dies before he is a hundred will be thought of as a ·sinner [or accursed].
21 In that city those who build houses will live there.
Those who plant vineyards will get to eat their grapes [C as opposed to times of conquest, when homes are confiscated and crops are stolen].
22 No more will one person ·build a house and someone else live there [L build and another inhabit].
One person will not ·plant a garden and someone else eat its fruit [L plant and another eat].
·My people will live a long time,
as trees live long [L For like the days of a tree
shall be the days of my people].
My chosen people will live there
and enjoy the ·things they make [L work of their hands].
23 They will ·never again work for nothing [not labor in vain].
They will never again give birth to children ·who die young [L doomed for misfortune/disaster].
All my people will be blessed by the Lord;
they and their ·children [descendants; seed] will be blessed.
24 I will ·provide for their needs [L answer] before they ·ask [call],
and I will ·help them [L hear] while they are still ·asking for help [L speaking].
25 The wolf and the lamb will ·eat together in peace [feed/graze together].
The lion will eat hay like an ox,
and ·a snake on the ground will not hurt anyone [the serpent’s food will be dust; Gen. 3:14].
They will not hurt or destroy each other
on all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. [L …so that] I will be ·happy [encouraged] to learn how you are. 20 I have no one else like Timothy [1:1], who ·truly [genuinely] cares for you. 21 Other people ·are interested only in their own lives [pursue their own interests/concerns], not ·in the work [the interests/concerns; L the things] of Jesus Christ. 22 You know ·the kind of person Timothy is [his tested and proven character]. You know he has served with me in ·telling the Good News [L the Gospel], as a son serves his father. 23 [L Therefore] I ·plan [hope] to send him to you quickly when I know what will happen to me [C probably referring to the outcome of Paul’s trial in Rome]. 24 I am ·sure [confident] ·that the Lord will help me to [L in the Lord that I will] come to you soon.
25 [L But; or Meanwhile,] I thought ·I should [it necessary to] send back to you Epaphroditus [4:18], my ·brother in Christ [L brother] and coworker, ·who serves with me in Christ’s army [L and fellow soldier]. He was your messenger, sent as a ·servant [minister] to meet my needs. 26 I am sending him because he ·wants very much to see [greatly misses; L longs for] all of you. He is ·worried [distressed] because you heard that he was sick. 27 Yes, he was sick, and nearly died, but God had mercy on him and me too so that I would not have ·more sadness [L sorrow upon sorrow]. 28 I ·want very much [am very eager] to send him to you so that when you see him you can ·be happy [rejoice], and I can stop worrying about you. 29 Welcome him in the Lord with much joy. Give honor to people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to give me the help you could not give in your service to me.
The Importance of Christ
3 [Furthermore, or Finally,] My brothers and sisters, ·be full of joy [rejoice] in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it ·will help you to be more ready [L is a safeguard/protection for you]. 2 ·Watch out for [Beware] those who do evil, ·who are like dogs [L beware the dogs; C a derogatory reference to Paul’s opponents], ·who demand to cut the body [L beware the mutilation; C a mocking reference to those who demand circumcision of Gentile believers]. 3 [L For] We are the ·ones who are truly circumcised [L (true) circumcision]. We ·worship [serve] God ·through [or in] his Spirit, and ·our pride is [we boast/glory] in Christ Jesus. We do not put ·trust [reliance; confidence] in ·ourselves or anything we can do [human ability/effort; T the flesh],
Book 3: Psalms 73–89
Should the Wicked Be Rich?
A psalm of Asaph [C a Levitical musician, a descendant of Gershon, at the time of David; 1 Chr. 6:39; 15:17; 2 Chr. 5:12].
73 ·God is truly [Surely God is] good to ·Israel [or those with integrity/virtue],
to those who have pure hearts.
2 But ·I had almost stopped believing [L as for me, my feet almost stumbled];
·I had almost lost my faith [my steps almost slipped]
3 because I was ·jealous [envious] of ·proud people [braggers; boasters].
I saw wicked people ·doing well [prospering].
4 They are not ·suffering [struggling; in pain];
·they [their bodies] are ·healthy [perfect] and strong.
5 They don’t have ·troubles [toils] like the rest of us;
they ·don’t have problems [are not plagued] like other people [Gen. 3:17–19].
6 They wear pride like a necklace
and ·put on violence as their clothing [L adorn themselves with garments of violence].
7 ·They are looking for profits [L Their eyes bulge with fat]
and ·do not control their selfish desires [cunning overflows from their hearts/minds].
8 They ·make fun of others [scoff] and speak ·evil [harm];
·proudly [from high] they speak of ·hurting [oppressing; exploiting] others.
9 They ·brag to the sky [L set their mouth against heaven].
·They say that they own [L Their tongue wanders] the earth.
10 So their people turn to them
and ·give them whatever they want [L they drink up water in abundance].
11 They say, “How can God know?
What does God Most High know?”
12 These people are wicked,
always ·at ease [carefree], and getting richer.
13 ·So why have I kept my heart pure [L In vain, I kept my heart pure…]?
·Why have I kept my hands from doing wrong [L …and washed my hands in innocence; Matt. 27:24]?
14 I ·have suffered [am plagued] all day long;
I have been ·punished [corrected] every morning.
15 God, if I had ·decided to talk like this [L said, “I will recount this,”],
I would have ·let your people down [L betrayed the generation/race of your children].
16 I ·tried [thought how] to understand all this,
but it was too ·hard [wearisome] ·for me to see [L in my eyes]
17 until I went to the ·Temple [sanctuary; Holy Place] of God.
Then I understood ·what will happen to them [L their fate/end].
18 You have put them in ·danger [L slippery places];
you cause them to ·be destroyed [L fall into disaster].
19 They are destroyed in a moment;
they are swept away by terrors.
20 It will be like waking from a dream.
Lord, when you ·rise up [awake; arouse yourself], ·they will disappear [L you despise their shadows].
21 When my heart was ·sad [bitter]
and ·I was angry [L my innards felt stabbed],
22 I was senseless and stupid.
I acted like an ·animal [brute beast] toward you.
23 But I am always with you [C in covenant relationship];
you have held my ·hand [L right hand; C guiding him].
24 You guide me with your advice,
and later you will receive me in ·honor [glory; C perhaps in the afterlife].
25 ·I have no one [L Whom do I have…?] in heaven but you;
I ·want [desire] nothing on earth besides you.
26 My body and my ·mind [heart] may become weak,
but God is ·my strength [L the rock of my heart].
He is ·mine [L my portion] forever.
27 Those who are far from ·God [L you] will ·die [perish];
you ·destroy [bring to an end] those who ·are unfaithful [prostitute themselves spiritually].
28 But I am close to God, and that is good.
The Lord God ·is [I have made] my ·protection [refuge].
I will ·tell [recount] all that you have done.
13 My ·child [L son], eat honey because it is good.
Honey from the honeycomb ·tastes sweet [L is sweet on your palate].
14 In the same way, wisdom is pleasing to ·you [your soul].
If you find it, you have ·hope for the [L a] future,
and your ·wishes [hope] will ·come true [L not be cut off].
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