This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue. That information is provided beneath the specific reading the words are contained in.
Excerpts collected in yellow at the end of this post tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Excerpts collected in green at the end of this post tell us about something God wants us to do.
Excerpts collected in red at the end of this post tell us about something God does not want us to do.
Reading I
The LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders; and as the spirit came to on them, they prophesied. Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp. So, when a young man quickly told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp,” Joshua, son of Nun, who from his youth had been Moses’ aide, said, “Moses, my lord, stop them.”
But Moses answered him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!”
Bestowed, bestow = נָתַן= nāṯan
to give, bestow, grant; consecrate, devote, dedicate; entrust, give over, deliver up; yield produce; be (healed); pour; print; teach; to apply the heart to; to constitute, to make a thing like or similar to
rest = נוּחַ= nûaḥ
to rest, settle down and remain; cause to alight, set down;to be left, be placed; give comfort; sit, set one’s self down; be at rest, reside, remain; deposit, let down; lay upon
Responsorial Psalm
R. (9a) The precepts of the Lord give joyto the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;
the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
Though your servant is careful of them, very diligent in keeping them,
Yet who can detect failings? Cleanse me from my unknown faults!
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant; let it not rule over me.
Then shall I be blameless and innocent of serious sin.
R. The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
precepts =מִשְׁפָּט= mišpāṭ
judgment, justice, ordinance; process, procedure, litigation; sentence, decision;execution; decision; verdict;sentence or formal decree; determination
give joy = צָדַק= ṣāḏaq
to be just, be righteous;to be put or made right, be justified; to do or bring justice;to justify, vindicate the cause of, save; to make righteous, turn to righteousness;right (in a moral or forensic sense); cleanse, clear; to be right, straight; to have just cause, to speak the truth; to be upright
refreshing = שָׂמַח= śāmaḥ
to rejoice, be glad;gladden, make glad;to brighten up; make) blithe or gleesome;cheer up; make merry;take pleasure in; joyful or cheerful
trustworthy = בַּר= bar
pure, clear, sincere
pure = טָהוֹר= ṭâôr
Pure, fair; clear; unmixed, unalloyed, unpolluted
true = אֱמֶת= 'ĕmeṯ
firmness, faithfulness, truth; sureness, reliability;stability, continuance; certainty, truth, trustworthiness; perpetuity; fidelity
Reading II
Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.
righteous = δίκαιος = dikaios
righteously, in accordance with what is right;without prejudice or partiality; righteous, observing divine laws; virtuous, keeping the commands of God; innocent, faultless, guiltless; used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of God; approved of or acceptable of God; in a narrower sense, rendering to each his due and that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on others, whether expressed in words or shown by the manner of dealing with them
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
observant of custom or rule, well-ordered, civilized,in due form, decently; observant of duty to gods and men, righteous; equal, even, well-balanced, evengoing;fair, impartial; lawful, just; meet and right, fitting; real, genuine; of equity
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth; consecrateus in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
truth = ἀλήθεια = aletheia
the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter; that candour of mind which is free from affection, pretence, simulation, falsehood, deceit; sincerity of mind and integrity of character, or a mode of life in harmony with divine truth; veracity
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
The opposite of lie or mere appearance; reality
consecrate= ἁγιάζω = hagiazō
set apart; "to hallow, sanctify," in the passive voice; to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable; separate from profane things
Gospel
At that time, John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us.” Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.”
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”
causes you to sin = σκανδαλίζω = skandalizō
Offend; stumble; a stumbling block or impediment in the way; to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey;to cause to fall away; to be offended in one, i.e. to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority; to cause one to judge unfavourably or unjustly of another; to cause one displeasure at a thing; to make indignant; to be displeased, indignant;entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure
cut it off = ἀποκόπτω = apokoptō
to cut off, amputate
life = ζωή= zōē
the state of one who is possessed of vitality or is animate;of the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical; life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed
pluck it out = ἐκβάλλω = ekballō
drive out, to send out; to draw out, extract; to bring out of, to draw or bring forth; to lead one forth or away somewhere with a force which he cannot resist
kingdom = βασιλεία = basileia
is primarily an abstract noun, denoting "sovereignty, royal power, dominion;" denoting the ... people over whom a king rules; the right or authority to rule;reign; royal power and dignity; the rule of God; God's rule, the divine administration; the universe subject to God's sway, God's royal domain
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
Dominion; being ruled by a king; reign
What these readings tell us about God/His ways:
Taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, the LORD bestowed it on the seventy elders
Now two men, one named Eldad and the other Medad, were not in the gathering but had been left in the camp. They too had been on the list, but had not gone out to the tent; yet the spirit came to rest on them also, and they prophesied in the camp
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever
the ordinances of the LORD are true, all of them just
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart
who can detect failings
my unknown faults
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart
The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart
Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you
Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts
Your word, O Lord, is truth
There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me
whoever is not against us is for us
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward
It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire
It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna
Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna
What these readings tell us to do:
[be] careful of them, very diligent in keeping them
From wanton sin especially, restrain your servant; let it not rule over me
the righteous one; he offers you no resistance.
consecrate us in the truth
gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off
if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out
What these readings tell us not to do:
stop them
You have stored up treasure for the last days
wages you withheld from the workers
lived on earth in luxury and pleasure
fattened your hearts You have condemned
you have murdered the righteous one
prevent him because he does not follow us
Do not prevent him
causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin
If your hand causes you to sin
if your foot causes you to sin
if your eye causes you to sin
