◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Isaiah 50:4-9a (The servant is vindicated by God); Psalm 70 (Be pleased O God to deliver me); Hebrews 12:1-3 (Look to Jesus who endured the cross); John 13:21-32 (Jesus foretells his betrayal) (New English Translation)

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April 16, 2025

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Isaiah 50:4-9

The Servant Perseveres

⁴The Sovereign Lord has given me the capacity to be his spokesman,^[a]
so that I know how to help the weary.^[b]
He wakes me up every morning;
he makes me alert so I can listen attentively as disciples do.^[c]
⁵The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me clearly;^[d]
I have not rebelled,
I have not turned back.
⁶I offered my back to those who attacked,^[e]
my jaws to those who tore out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from insults and spitting.
⁷But the Sovereign Lord helps me,
so I am not humiliated.
For that reason I am steadfastly resolved;^[f]
I know I will not be put to shame.
⁸The one who vindicates me is close by.
Who dares to argue with me? Let us confront each other!^[g]
Who is my accuser?^[h] Let him challenge me!^[i]
⁹Look, the Sovereign Lord helps me.
Who dares to condemn me?
Look, all of them will wear out like clothes;
a moth will eat away at them.

Psalm 70

Psalm 70^[a]

For the music director, by David; written to get God’s attention.^[b]

70 O God, please be willing to rescue me.^[c]
O Lord, hurry and help me.^[d]
²May those who are trying to take my life
be embarrassed and ashamed.^[e]
May those who want to harm me
be turned back and ashamed.^[f]
³May those who say, “Aha! Aha!”
be driven back^[g] and disgraced.^[h]
⁴May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you.
May those who love to experience^[i] your deliverance say continually,^[j]
“May God^[k] be praised!”^[l]
⁵I am oppressed and needy.^[m]
O God, hurry to me.^[n]
You are my helper and my deliverer.
O Lord,^[o] do not delay.

Footnotes

Psalm 70:1 sn Psalm 70. This psalm is almost identical to Ps 40:13-17. The psalmist asks for God’s help and for divine retribution against his enemies.
Psalm 70:1 tn Heb “to cause to remember.” The same form, a Hiphil infinitive of זָכַר (zakhar, “remember”), also appears in the superscription of Ps 38. Some understand this in the sense of “for the memorial offering,” but it may carry the idea of bringing one’s plight to God’s attention (see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 303).
Psalm 70:1 tn Heb “O God, to rescue me.” A main verb is obviously missing. The verb רָצָה (ratsah, “be willing”) should be supplied (see Ps 40:13). Ps 40:13 uses the divine name “Lord” rather than “God.”
Psalm 70:1 tn Heb “hurry to my help.” See Pss 22:19; 38:22.
Psalm 70:2 tn Heb “may they be embarrassed and ashamed, the ones seeking my life.” Ps 40:14 has “together” after “ashamed,” and “to snatch it away” after “my life.”
Psalm 70:2 tn The four prefixed verbal forms in this verse are understood as jussives. The psalmist is calling judgment down on his enemies.sn See Ps 35:4 for a similar prayer.
Psalm 70:3 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive in this imprecation.
Psalm 70:3 tn Heb “May they be turned back according to their shame, those who say, ‘Aha! Aha!’” Ps 40:15 has the verb “humiliated” instead of “turned back” and adds “to me” after “say.”
Psalm 70:4 tn Heb “those who love,” which stands metonymically for its cause, the experience of being delivered by God.
Psalm 70:4 tn The three prefixed verbal forms prior to the quotation are understood as jussives. The psalmist balances out his imprecation against his enemies with a prayer of blessing on the godly.
Psalm 70:4 tn Ps 40:16 uses the divine name “Lord” here instead of “God.”
Psalm 70:4 tn The prefixed verbal form is taken as a jussive, “may the Lord be magnified [in praise].” Another option is to take the verb as an imperfect, “the Lord is great.” See Ps 35:27.
Psalm 70:5 sn See Pss 35:10; 37:14.
Psalm 70:5 tn Ps 40:17 has “may the Lord pay attention to me.”
Psalm 70:5 tn Ps 40:17 has “my God” instead of “Lord.”

Hebrews 12:1-3

The Lord’s Discipline

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,^[a] we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, ²keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For^[b] the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.^[c] ³Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.

John 13:21-32

²¹When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed^[a] in spirit, and testified,^[b] “I tell you the solemn truth,^[c] one of you will betray me.”^[d] ²²The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed^[e] to know which of them he was talking about. ²³One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved,^[f] was at the table^[g] to the right of Jesus in a place of honor.^[h] ²⁴So Simon Peter^[i] gestured to this disciple^[j] to ask Jesus^[k] who it was he was referring to.^[l] ²⁵Then the disciple whom Jesus loved^[m] leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶Jesus replied,^[n] “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread^[o] after I have dipped it in the dish.”^[p] Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish^[q] and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. ²⁷And after Judas^[r] took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him.^[s] Jesus said to him,^[t] “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸(Now none of those present at the table^[u] understood^[v] why Jesus^[w] said this to Judas.^[x] ²⁹Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast,^[y] or to give something to the poor.)^[z] ³⁰Judas^[aa] took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.)^[ab]

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

³¹When^[ac] Judas^[ad] had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him,^[ae] God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away.^[af]

Footnotes

John 13:21 tn Or “greatly troubled.”
John 13:21 tn Grk “and testified and said.”
John 13:21 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
John 13:21 tn Or “will hand me over.”
John 13:22 tn Grk “uncertain,” “at a loss.” Here two terms, “worried and perplexed,” were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ἀπορέω (aporeō).
John 13:23 sn Here for the first time the one Jesus loved, the “beloved disciple,” is introduced. This individual also is mentioned in 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, and 21:20. Some have suggested that this disciple is to be identified with Lazarus, since the Fourth Gospel specifically states that Jesus loved him (11:3, 5, 36). From the terminology alone this is a possibility; the author is certainly capable of using language in this way to indicate connections. But there is nothing else to indicate that Lazarus was present at the last supper; Mark 14:17 seems to indicate it was only the twelve who were with Jesus at this time, and there is no indication in the Fourth Gospel to the contrary. Nor does it appear that Lazarus ever stood so close to Jesus as the later references in chaps. 19, 20 and 21 seem to indicate. When this is coupled with the omission of all references to John son of Zebedee from the Fourth Gospel, it seems far more likely that the references to the beloved disciple should be understood as references to him.
John 13:23 tn Grk “was reclining.” This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
John 13:23 tn Grk “was reclining in the bosom (or “lap”) of Jesus” (according to both L&N 17.25 and BDAG 65 s.v. ἀνάκειμαι 2 an idiom for taking the place of honor at a meal, but note the similar expression in John 1:18). Whether this position or the position to the left of Jesus should be regarded as the position of second highest honor (next to the host, in this case Jesus, who was in the position of highest honor) is debated. F. Prat, “Les places d’honneur chez les Juifs contemporains du Christ” (RSR 15 [1925]: 512-22), who argued that the table arrangement was that of the Roman triclinium (a U-shaped table with Jesus and two other disciples at the bottom of the U), considered the position to the left of Jesus to be the one of second highest honor. Thus the present translation renders this “a place of honor” without specifying which one (since both of the two disciples to the right and to the left of Jesus would be in positions of honor). Other translations differ as to how they handle the phrase ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ (en tō kolpō tou Iēsou; “leaning on Jesus’ bosom,” KJV; “lying close to the breast of Jesus,” RSV; “reclining on Jesus’ breast,” NASB; “reclining next to him,” NIV, NRSV) but the symbolic significance of the beloved disciple’s position seems clear. He is close to Jesus and in an honored position. The phrase as an idiom for a place of honor at a feast is attested in the Epistles of Pliny (the Younger) 4.22.4, an approximate contemporary of Paul.sn Note that the same expression translated in a place of honor here (Grk “in the bosom of”) is used to indicate Jesus’ relationship with the Father in 1:18.
John 13:24 sn It is not clear where Simon Peter was seated. If he were on Jesus’ other side, it is difficult to see why he would not have asked the question himself. It would also have been difficult to beckon to the beloved disciple, on Jesus’ right, from such a position. So apparently Peter was seated somewhere else. It is entirely possible that Judas was seated to Jesus’ left. Matt 26:25 seems to indicate that Jesus could speak to him without being overheard by the rest of the group. Judas is evidently in a position where Jesus can hand him the morsel of food (13:26).
John 13:24 tn Grk “to this one”; the referent (the beloved disciple) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:24 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:24 sn That is, who would betray him (v. 21).
John 13:25 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the disciple Jesus loved) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:26 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
John 13:26 sn The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).
John 13:26 tn Grk “after I have dipped it.” The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
John 13:26 tn The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
John 13:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:27 tn Grk “into that one”; the pronoun “he” is more natural English style here.sn This is the only time in the Fourth Gospel that Satan is mentioned by name. Luke 22:3 uses the same terminology of Satan “entering into” Judas but indicates it happened before the last supper at the time Judas made his deal with the authorities. This is not necessarily irreconcilable with John’s account, however, because John 13:2 makes it clear that Judas had already come under satanic influence prior to the meal itself. The statement here is probably meant to indicate that Judas at this point came under the influence of Satan even more completely and finally. It marks the end of a process which, as Luke indicates, had begun earlier.
John 13:27 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to him.”
John 13:28 tn Grk “reclining at the table.” The phrase reclining at the table reflects the normal practice in 1st century Near Eastern culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
John 13:28 tn Or “knew.”
John 13:28 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:28 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:29 tn Grk “telling him, ‘Buy whatever we need for the feast.’” The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).
John 13:29 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 13:30 tn Grk “That one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:30 sn Now it was night is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment is more than just a time indicator, however. With the departure of Judas to set in motion the betrayal, arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, daytime is over and night has come (see John 9:5; 11:9-10; 12:35-36). Judas had become one of those who walked by night and stumbled, because the light was not in him (11:10).
John 13:31 tn Grk “Then when.”
John 13:31 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 13:32 tc A number of early mss (P⁶⁶ א* B C* D L W al as well as several versional witnesses) do not have the words “If God is glorified in him,” while the majority of mss have the clause (so א² A C² Θ Ψ ƒ¹³ 33 M lat). Although the mss that omit the words are significantly better witnesses, the omission may have occurred because of an error of sight due to homoioteleuton (v. 31 ends in ἐν αὐτῷ [en autō, “in him”], as does this clause). Further, the typical step-parallelism found in John is retained if the clause is kept intact (TCGNT 205-6). At the same time, it is difficult to explain how such a wide variety of witnesses would have accidentally deleted this clause, and arguments for intentional deletion are not particularly convincing. NA²⁸ rightly places the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.
John 13:32 tn Or “immediately.”

New English Translation (NET)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Servant Perseveres

Footnotes

Psalm 70[a]

For the music director, by David; written to get God’s attention.[b]

Footnotes

The Lord’s Discipline

Footnotes

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

Footnotes

Psalm 70^[a]

For the music director, by David; written to get God’s attention.^[b]