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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday November 21, 2021 (NIV)

Ezekiel 42-43

Chambers for the Temple

42 Then he led me out to the outer court, toward the north, and brought me to the chamber that was opposite the courtyard and opposite the building on the north. 2 Its length was 175 feet[a] on the north side,[b] and its width 87½ feet.[c] 3 Opposite the 35 feet[d] that belonged to the inner court, and opposite the pavement that belonged to the outer court, gallery faced gallery in the three stories. 4 In front of the chambers was a walkway on the inner side, 17½ feet[e] wide at a distance of 1¾ feet,[f] and their entrances were on the north. 5 Now the upper chambers were narrower, because the galleries took more space[g] from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building. 6 For they were in three stories and had no pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore, the upper chambers[h] were set back from the ground more than the lower and middle ones. 7 As for the outer wall by the side of the chambers, toward the outer court facing the chambers, it was 87½ feet[i] long. 8 For the chambers on the outer court were 87½ feet[j] long, while those facing the temple were 175 feet[k] long. 9 Below these chambers was a passage on the east side as one enters from the outer court.

10 At the beginning[l] of the wall of the court toward the south,[m] facing the courtyard and the building, were chambers 11 like those on the north with a passage in front of them. The chambers that were toward the south were the same length and width as those on the north, and had matching exits and entrances and arrangements. 12 There was an opening at the head of the passage, the passage in front of the corresponding wall toward the east when one enters.

13 Then he said to me, “The north chambers and the south chambers that face the courtyard are holy chambers where the priests[n] who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will place the most holy offerings—the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, because the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter, then they will not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without taking off their garments in which they minister, for these are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will go near the places where the people are.”

15 Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple, he led me out by the gate that faces east and measured all around. 16 He measured the east side with the measuring stick[o] as 875 feet[p] by the measuring stick. 17 He measured the north side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 18 He measured the south side as 875 feet by the measuring stick. 19 He turned to the west side and measured 875 feet by the measuring stick. 20 He measured it on all four sides. It had a wall around it, 875 feet long and 875 feet wide, to separate the holy and common places.

The Glory Returns to the Temple

43 Then he brought me to the gate that faced toward the east. 2 I saw[q] the glory of the God of Israel[r] coming from the east;[s] the sound was like that of rushing water,[t] and the earth radiated[u] his glory. 3 It was like the vision I saw when he[v] came to destroy the city, and the vision I saw by the Kebar River. I threw myself face down. 4 The glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate that faces east. 5 Then a wind[w] lifted me up and brought me to the inner court; I watched[x] the glory of the Lord filling the temple.[y]

6 I heard someone speaking to me from the temple, while the man was standing beside me. 7 He said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne[z] and the place for the soles of my feet,[aa] where I will live among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel will no longer profane my holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their spiritual prostitution or by the pillars of their kings set up when they die.[ab] 8 When they placed their threshold by my threshold and their doorpost by my doorpost, with only the wall between me and them, they profaned my holy name by the abominable deeds they committed. So I consumed them in my anger. 9 Now they must put away their spiritual prostitution and the pillars of their kings far from me, and then I will live among them forever.

10 “As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they will be ashamed of their sins and measure the pattern. 11 When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design—all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire design and all its statutes and do them.

12 “This is the law of the temple: The entire area on top of the mountain all around will be most holy. Indeed, this is the law of the temple.

The Altar

13 “And these are the measurements of the altar:[ac] Its base[ad] is 1¾ feet[ae] high[af] and 1¾ feet[ag] wide, and its border nine inches[ah] on its edge. This is to be the height[ai] of the altar. 14 From the base of the ground to the lower ledge is 3½ feet,[aj] and the width 1¾ feet;[ak] and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, 7 feet,[al] and the width 1¾ feet; 15 and the altar hearth, 7 feet, and from the altar hearth four horns projecting upward. 16 Now the altar hearth[am] is a perfect square, 21 feet[an] long and 21 feet wide. 17 The ledge is 24½ feet[ao] long and 24½ feet wide on four sides; the border around it is 10½ inches,[ap] and its surrounding base 1¾ feet.[aq] Its steps face east.”

18 Then he said to me: “Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These are the statutes of the altar: On the day it is built to offer up burnt offerings on it and to sprinkle blood on it,[ar] 19 you will give a young bull for a sin offering to the Levitical priests who are descended from Zadok, who approach me to minister to me, declares the Sovereign Lord. 20 You will take some of its blood and place it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the border all around; you will purify it and make atonement for it.[as] 21 You will also take the bull for the sin offering, and it will be burned in the appointed place in the temple, outside the sanctuary.

22 “On the second day, you will offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. They will purify the altar just as they purified it with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you will offer an unblemished young bull and an unblemished ram from the flock. 24 You will present them before the Lord, and the priests will scatter salt on them[at] and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.

25 “For seven days you will provide every day a goat for a sin offering; a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish, will be provided. 26 For seven days they will make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, so they will consecrate it.[au] 27 When the prescribed period is over,[av] on the eighth day and thereafter the priests will offer up on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings;[aw] I will accept you, declares the Sovereign Lord.”

Footnotes:

  1. Ezekiel 42:2 tn Heb “100 cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
  2. Ezekiel 42:2 tn Heb “the door of the north.”
  3. Ezekiel 42:2 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  4. Ezekiel 42:3 tn Heb “20 cubits” (i.e., 10.5 meters).
  5. Ezekiel 42:4 tn Heb “10 cubits” (i.e., 5.25 meters).
  6. Ezekiel 42:4 tc Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm). The LXX and the Syriac read: “100 cubits” (= 175 feet or about 53m).
  7. Ezekiel 42:5 tn The verb יוֹכְלוּ (yokhelu) “took space” is listed by BDB 37 as אָכַל (’akhal, “eat, consume”), though it prefers to emend the text. HALOT also lists this verb as אכל (1:46) while also listing it under יכל,“prevail” (2:410-11). If אָכַל is correct, then the א (’alef) has dropped out. See the note at Ezek 21:28. BHS refers to a few medieval manuscripts and a Qumran manuscript including the א, יֹאכְלוּ instead of יוֹכְלוּ; both are pronounced the same.
  8. Ezekiel 42:6 tn The phrase “upper chambers” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied from the context.
  9. Ezekiel 42:7 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  10. Ezekiel 42:8 tn Heb “50 cubits” (i.e., 26.25 meters).
  11. Ezekiel 42:8 tn Heb “100 cubits” (i.e., 52.5 meters).
  12. Ezekiel 42:10 tc The reading is supported by the LXX.
  13. Ezekiel 42:10 tc This reading is supported by the LXX; the MT reads: “east.”
  14. Ezekiel 42:13 sn The priests are from the Zadokite family (Ezek 40:6; 44:15).
  15. Ezekiel 42:16 tn Heb “reed” (also in the following verses).
  16. Ezekiel 42:16 tn Heb “500 cubits” (i.e., 262.5 meters).
  17. Ezekiel 43:2 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  18. Ezekiel 43:2 sn This same title appears in 8:4; 9:3; 10:19; 11:22.
  19. Ezekiel 43:2 sn Earlier Ezekiel had observed God leaving the temple to the east (11:23).
  20. Ezekiel 43:2 sn See Ezek 1:24; Rev 1:15; 14:2; 19:6.
  21. Ezekiel 43:2 tn Heb “shone from.”
  22. Ezekiel 43:3 tc Heb “I.” The reading is due to the confusion of yod (י, indicating a first person pronoun) and vav (ו, indicating a third person pronoun). A few medieval Hebrew mss, Theodotion’s Greek version, and the Latin Vulgate support a third person pronoun here.
  23. Ezekiel 43:5 tn See note on “wind” in 2:2.
  24. Ezekiel 43:5 tn The word הִנֵּה (hinneh, traditionally “behold”) indicates becoming aware of something and has been translated here as a verb.
  25. Ezekiel 43:5 sn In 1 Kgs 8:10-11 we find a similar event with regard to Solomon’s temple. See also Exod 40:34-35 and Isa 6:4.
  26. Ezekiel 43:7 sn God’s throne is mentioned in Isa 6:1 and Jer 3:17.
  27. Ezekiel 43:7 sn See 1 Chr 28:2; Pss 99:5; 132:7; Isa 60:13; Lam 2:1.
  28. Ezekiel 43:7 tn Heb “by their corpses in their death.” But the term normally translated “corpses” is better understood here as a reference to funeral pillars or funerary offerings. See D. I. Block, Ezekiel (NICOT), 2:583-85, and L. C. Allen, Ezekiel (WBC), 2:257.
  29. Ezekiel 43:13 tn Heb “the measurements of the altar by cubits, the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth.” The measuring units here and in the remainder of this section are the Hebrew “long” cubit, consisting of a cubit (about 18 inches or 45 cm) and a handbreadth (about 3 inches or 7.5 cm), for a total of 21 inches (52.5 cm). Because modern readers are not familiar with the cubit as a unit of measurement, and due to the additional complication of the “long” cubit as opposed to the regular cubit, all measurements have been converted to American standard feet and inches, with the Hebrew measurements and the metric equivalents given in the notes. On the altar see Ezek 40:47.
  30. Ezekiel 43:13 tn The Hebrew term normally means “bosom.” Here it refers to a hollow in the ground.
  31. Ezekiel 43:13 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).
  32. Ezekiel 43:13 tn The word “high” is not in the Hebrew text but is supplied in the translation for clarity.
  33. Ezekiel 43:13 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).
  34. Ezekiel 43:13 tn Heb “one span.” A span was three handbreadths, or about nine inches (i.e., 22.5 cm).
  35. Ezekiel 43:13 tc Heb “bulge, protuberance, mound.” The translation follows the LXX.
  36. Ezekiel 43:14 tn Heb “2 cubits” (i.e., 1.05 meters).
  37. Ezekiel 43:14 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm; the phrase occurs again later in this verse).
  38. Ezekiel 43:14 tn Heb “4 cubits” (i.e., 2.1 meters; the phrase also occurs in the next verse).
  39. Ezekiel 43:16 tn The precise Hebrew word used here to refer to an “altar hearth” occurs only here in the OT.
  40. Ezekiel 43:16 tn Heb “12 cubits” (i.e., 6.3 meters; the phrase occurs twice in this verse).
  41. Ezekiel 43:17 tn Heb “fourteen”; the word “cubits” is not in the Hebrew text but is understood from the context; the phrase occurs again later in this verse. Fourteen cubits is about 7.35 meters.
  42. Ezekiel 43:17 tn Heb “half a cubit” (i.e., 26.25 cm).
  43. Ezekiel 43:17 tn Heb “one cubit” (i.e., 52.5 cm).
  44. Ezekiel 43:18 sn For the “sprinkling of blood,” see Lev 1:5, 11; 8:19; 9:12.
  45. Ezekiel 43:20 sn Note the similar language in Lev 16:18.
  46. Ezekiel 43:24 sn It is likely that salt was used with sacrificial meals (Num 18:19; 2 Chr 13:5).
  47. Ezekiel 43:26 tn Heb “fill its hands.”
  48. Ezekiel 43:27 tn Heb “and they will complete the days.”
  49. Ezekiel 43:27 sn The people also could partake of the food of the peace offering (Lev 3).
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

James 5

Warning to the Rich

5 Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud[a] over the miseries that are coming on you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure![b] 4 Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.[c] 5 You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.[d] 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you.[e]

Patience in Suffering

7 So be patient, brothers and sisters,[f] until the Lord’s return.[g] Think of how the farmer waits[h] for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient[i] for it until it receives the early and late rains. 8 You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,[j] so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates![k] 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters,[l] take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name. 11 Think of how we regard[m] as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and you have seen the Lord’s purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.[n] 12 And above all, my brothers and sisters,[o] do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgment.

Prayer for the Sick

13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint[p] him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up—and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.[q] 16 So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.[r] 17 Elijah was a human being[s] like us, and he prayed earnestly[t] that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! 18 Then[u] he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest.

19 My brothers and sisters,[v] if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, 20 he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path[w] will save that person’s[x] soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Footnotes:

  1. James 5:1 tn Or “wail”; Grk “crying aloud.”
  2. James 5:3 tn Or “hoarded up treasure for the last days”; Grk “in the last days.”
  3. James 5:4 tn Traditionally, “Lord of Hosts” or “Lord Sabaoth,” which means “Lord of the [heavenly] armies,” sometimes translated more generally as “Lord Almighty.”
  4. James 5:5 sn James’ point seems to be that instead of seeking deliverance from condemnation, they have defied God’s law (fattened your hearts) and made themselves more likely objects of his judgment (in a day of slaughter).
  5. James 5:6 tn Literally a series of verbs without connectives, “you have condemned, you have murdered…he does not resist.”
  6. James 5:7 tn Grk “brothers”; this phrase occurs again three times in the paragraph. See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  7. James 5:7 tn Or “advent”; or “coming” (also in v. 8).
  8. James 5:7 tn Grk “Behold! The farmer waits.”
  9. James 5:7 tn Grk “being patient.”
  10. James 5:9 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  11. James 5:9 sn The term gates is used metaphorically here. The physical referent would be the entrances to the city, but the author uses the term to emphasize the imminence of the judge’s approach.
  12. James 5:10 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  13. James 5:11 tn Grk “Behold! We regard…”
  14. James 5:11 sn An allusion to Exod 34:6; Neh 9:17; Pss 86:15; 102:13; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2.
  15. James 5:12 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  16. James 5:14 tn Grk “anointing.”
  17. James 5:15 tn Grk “it will be forgiven him.”
  18. James 5:16 tn Or “the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful”; Grk “is very powerful in its working.”
  19. James 5:17 tn Although it is certainly true that Elijah was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) has been translated as “human being” because the emphasis in context is not on Elijah’s masculine gender, but on the common humanity he shared with the author and the readers.
  20. James 5:17 tn Grk “he prayed with prayer” (using a Hebrew idiom to show intensity).
  21. James 5:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events.
  22. James 5:19 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.
  23. James 5:20 tn Grk “from the error of his way” (using the same root as the verb “to wander, to err” in the first part of the verse).
  24. James 5:20 tn Grk “his soul”; the referent (the sinner mentioned at the beginning of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 119:1-16

Psalm 119[a]

א (Alef)

119 How blessed are those whose actions are blameless,[b]
who obey[c] the law of the Lord.
2 How blessed are those who observe his rules,
and seek him with all their heart,
3 who, moreover, do no wrong,
but follow in his footsteps.[d]
4 You demand that your precepts
be carefully kept.[e]
5 If only I were predisposed[f]
to keep your statutes.
6 Then I would not be ashamed,
if[g] I were focused on[h] all your commands.
7 I will give you sincere thanks,[i]
when I learn your just regulations.
8 I will keep your statutes.
Do not completely abandon me.[j]

ב (Bet)

9 How can a young person[k] maintain a pure life?[l]
By guarding it according to your instructions.[m]
10 With all my heart I seek you.
Do not allow me to stray from your commands.
11 In my heart I store up[n] your words,[o]
so I might not sin against you.
12 You deserve praise,[p] O Lord.
Teach me your statutes.
13 With my lips I proclaim
all the regulations you have revealed.[q]
14 I rejoice in the lifestyle prescribed by your rules[r]
as if[s] they were riches of all kinds.[t]
15 I will meditate on[u] your precepts
and focus on[v] your behavior.[w]
16 I find delight[x] in your statutes;
I do not forget your instructions.[y]

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 119:1 tn The psalmist celebrates God’s law and the guidance it provides his people. He expresses his desire to know God’s law thoroughly so that he might experience the blessings that come to those who obey it. This lengthy psalm exhibits an elaborate acrostic pattern. The psalm is divided into twenty-two sections (corresponding to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet), each of which is comprised of eight verses. Each of the verses in the first section (vv. 1-8) begins with the letter alef (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This pattern continues throughout the psalm as each new section highlights a successive letter of the alphabet. Each verse in section two (vv. 9-16) begins with the second letter of the alphabet, each verse in section three (vv. 17-24) with the third letter, etc. This rigid pattern creates a sense of order and completeness and may have facilitated memorization.
  2. Psalm 119:1 tn Heb “[Oh] the happiness of those who are blameless of way.”
  3. Psalm 119:1 tn Heb “walk in.”
  4. Psalm 119:3 tn Heb “walk in his ways.”
  5. Psalm 119:4 tn Heb “you, you commanded your precepts, to keep, very much.”
  6. Psalm 119:5 tn Heb “if only my ways were established.”
  7. Psalm 119:6 tn Or “when.”
  8. Psalm 119:6 tn Heb “I gaze at.”
  9. Psalm 119:7 tn Heb “I will give you thanks with an upright heart.”
  10. Psalm 119:8 tn Heb “do not abandon me to excess.” For other uses of the phrase עַד מְאֹד (ʿad meʾod, “to excess”), see Ps 38:6, 8.
  11. Psalm 119:9 tn Heb “young man.” Hebrew wisdom literature often assumes and reflects the male-oriented perspective of ancient Israelite society. The principle of the psalm is certainly applicable to all people, regardless of their gender or age. To facilitate modern application, the gender specific “young man” has been translated with the more neutral “young person.”
  12. Psalm 119:9 tn Heb “purify his path.”
  13. Psalm 119:9 tn Heb “by keeping according to your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”
  14. Psalm 119:11 tn Or “hide.”
  15. Psalm 119:11 tn Heb “your word.” Some medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural, “your words.”
  16. Psalm 119:12 tn Heb “[are] blessed.”
  17. Psalm 119:13 tn Heb “of your mouth.”
  18. Psalm 119:14 tn Heb “in the way of your rules.”
  19. Psalm 119:14 tn Heb “as upon,” meaning “as if” (see 2 Chr 32:19).
  20. Psalm 119:14 tn Heb “all wealth.” The phrase refers to all kinds of wealth and riches. See Prov 1:13; 6:31; 24:4; Ezek 27:12, 18.
  21. Psalm 119:15 tn The cohortative verbal forms in this verse express the psalmist’s resolve.
  22. Psalm 119:15 tn Heb “gaze [at].”
  23. Psalm 119:15 tn Heb “ways” (referring figuratively to God’s behavior here).
  24. Psalm 119:16 tn The imperfects in this verse emphasize the attitude the psalmist maintains toward God’s law. Another option is to translate with the future tense, “I will find delight…I will not forget.”
  25. Psalm 119:16 tn Heb “your word.” Many medieval Hebrew mss as well as the LXX read the plural here.
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 28:6-7

6 A poor person[a] who walks in his integrity is better
than one who is perverse in his ways[b] even though[c] he is rich.[d]
7 The one who keeps the law[e] is a discerning child,[f]
but a companion of gluttons brings shame to[g] his parents.[h]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 28:6 sn This chapter gives a lot of attention to the contrast between the poor and the rich, assuming an integrity for the poor that is not present with the rich; the subject is addressed in vv. 6, 8, 11, 20, 22, 25, and 27 (G. A. Chutter, “Riches and Poverty in the Book of Proverbs,” Crux 18 [1982]: 23-28).
  2. Proverbs 28:6 tn The Hebrew term translated “ways” is in the dual, suggesting that the person has double ways, i.e., he is hypocritical. C. H. Toy does not like this idea and changes the form to the plural (Proverbs [ICC], 497), but his emendation is gratuitous and should be rejected.
  3. Proverbs 28:6 tn Heb “and he is rich.” Many English versions treat this as a concessive clause (cf. KJV “though he be rich”).
  4. Proverbs 28:6 sn This is another “better” saying, contrasting a poor person who has integrity with a rich person who is perverse. Of course there are rich people with integrity and perverse poor people, but that is not of interest here. If it came to the choices described here, honest poverty is better than corrupt wealth.
  5. Proverbs 28:7 tn The Hebrew word could refer (1) to “instruction” by the father (cf. NCV) or (2) the Mosaic law (so most English versions). The chapter seems to be stressing religious obedience, so the referent is probably the law. Besides, the father’s teaching will be what the law demands, and the one who associates with gluttons is not abiding by the law.
  6. Proverbs 28:7 tn Heb “son,” but the immediate context does not suggest limiting this only to male children.
  7. Proverbs 28:7 sn The companion of gluttons shames his father and his family because such a life style as he now embraces is both unruly and antisocial.
  8. Proverbs 28:7 tn Heb “father,” but the immediate context does not suggest limiting this only to the male parent.
New English Translation (NET)

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