Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks
Through His Servants the Prophets
Volume I: A Kingdom Divided
Lesson 2 Nathan Delivers Good & Bad News
the Second Book of Samuel 7:1–17
the Second Book of Samuel 11:1—12:25
the First Book of the Kings 1:1–40
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
cross references in Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
next lesson: Ahijah Foretells the End of the United Kingdom
This material coordinates with Lesson 2 on pages 14–21 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I showed myself their Master, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”—the Book of Jeremiah 31:31–34
welcome to Volume I of our in-depth study of the biblical prophets
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from Volume I of this Turning to 
God’s Word 
two-part Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free related lesson videos, a glossary, and cross references in the biblical text, and include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided contains 28 lessons and has been granted an imprimatur. It may be purchased from our website shop. The companion 23-lesson Volume II: Restoration & Redemption also is available for purchase. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.
open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:
Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.
let’s review—the First Book of Samuel 1:1–28, the First Book of Samuel 2:22—3:20, and the First Book of Samuel 28:3–19
Lesson 1 The LORD Announces He Is About To Do a New Thing introduces Samuel, a transitional figure chosen by God to implement a change in the way people relate to the LORD. The biblical text presents strong evidence that the priesthood has been failing in its primary duty to act as an intermediary between God and the people. Although there have been previous prophets, there haven’t been kings. Samuel, who’s been born into the line of Levi and brought up at Shiloh, is able to function as a priest and offer sacrifice. He also is the last of the judges, people raised up by God to combine political power and moral authority to address specific situations. When Samuel anoints Saul as king, he relinquishes his own political power but retains his spiritual ability to speak for God—the very definition of a prophet. As a mouthpiece for the LORD, a prophet is called to appoint and anoint, counsel, and even reject kings when necessary—and to speak for God to the people as well as to the kings.
map notes—where each of the 12 tribes settled in Canaan
Before Saul was anointed by Samuel as king over the descendants of Jacob, the 12 tribes functioned as 
a loose consolidation of groups who occasionally banded together for defensive purposes. They had no king other than the LORD. With the establishment of the united kingdom, ruled first by Saul, then David, and finally Solomon, earthly kings took on the political power that previously had been given by God to judges when special circumstances arose. The regions inhabited by each tribe are shown on the map in red letters. Some inhabitants living in the land of Canaan before the arrival of the descendants of Jacob remain, and the regions where these Canaanites still live are identified in tan letters. Click on the map (right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 20 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
power corrupts (54:16)
As Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps points out on the video 
accompanying this lesson, one of the ways that a prophet is called to speak for God is by making kings aware of sin. Since biblical times, many kings have fostered the idea that they rule by divine right—in some instances some of them actually have claimed to be gods—but the divine hierarchy described in the Old Testament raises questions about the divine right of kings and the place of political authority in the world. David, for instance, was anointed God’s king while Saul still held the throne. In the New 
Testament, Jesus goes out of his way to avoid acting like kings of the time. David for some years was a king without political authority. So was Jesus. Consider what this suggests about the political structures in 
the present-day world. Learn more about Saul, David, and Solomon in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.
The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the ranges for the sets of questions in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. You can follow along as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 2, “Nathan Delivers Good & Bad News,” on pages 14–21 in the study book.
what’s going on with the tribe of Simeon?
Careful readers eventually will notice that the territory settled by the tribe of Simeon disappears at some point, and Scripture doesn’t seem to address this in a direct manner. One possible answer is that the tribe of Simeon, like that of Levi, was destined to be scattered throughout the Promised Land as 
punishment for the massacre at Shechem, which is recorded in the thirty-fourth chapter in the book of Genesis. You can learn more in Lesson 20 The Story of Dinah in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning, the Book of Genesis.
Jacob’s prophecy concerning Simeon & Levi
The forty-ninth chapter in the book of Genesis records Jacob’s final blessing of his sons, and in the book of Genesis 49:5–7, Jacob appears to foretell Simeon and Levi’s punishment: “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. O my soul, come not into their council; O my spirit, be not joined to their company; for in their anger they slay men, and in their wantonness they hamstring oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” You can learn more in Lesson 28 Jacob’s Final Words to His Sons in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning, the Book of Genesis.) Some scholars view Jacob’s prophecy concerning Simeon and Levi as a “post-diction” (as opposed to a prediction), that is, something written after the fact to explain known history.
The Book of Joshua 19:9 records that the original territorial allotment to the tribe of Simeon was in the midst of the land inheritance of the tribe of Judah: “The inheritance of the tribe of Simeon formed part of the territory of Judah; because the portion of the tribe of Judah was too large for them, the tribe of Simeon obtained an inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.”
read the Catechism—Solomon is anointed & so is Jesus
It’s worth noting that the kingship is intended to be hereditary, and David has a say in which of his sons 
will succeed him on the throne. It’s fitting that Jesus Christ inherits the spiritual kingdom ruled over by his Father. Anointing is a key factor in the coronation of a valid king, so it’s essential that the prophet Nathan be involved when Solomon becomes king. The First Book of the Kings 1:38–40 describes David, Nathan, and the priest Zadok acting in accord to anoint Solomon ruler over all of the descendants of Jacob. This foreshadows Jesus’ New Testament fulfillment of all three of these roles, each of which is established through anointing. Paragraphs 783–786 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church describe how Christians are able to join Jesus in fulfillment of these three offices.
783 Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as priest, prophet, and king. The whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them.
784 On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people’s unique, priestly vocation: “Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people ‘a kingdom of priests to God, his Father.’ The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood.”
785 “The holy People of God shares also in Christ’s prophetic office,” above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it “unfailingly adheres to this faith … once for all delivered to the saints,” and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ’s witness in the midst of this world.
786 Finally, the People of God shares in the royal office of Christ. He exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and Resurrection. Christ, King and Lord of the universe, made himself the servant of all, for he came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” For the Christian, “to reign is to serve him,” particularly when serving “the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder.” The People of God fulfills its royal dignity by a life in keeping with its vocation to serve with Christ.
The sign of the cross makes kings of all those reborn in Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit consecrates them as priests, so that, apart from the particular service of our ministry, all spiritual and rational Christians are recognized as members of this royal race and sharers in Christ’s priestly office. What, indeed, is as royal for a soul as to govern the body in obedience to God? And what is as priestly as to dedicate a pure conscience to the Lord and to offer the spotless offerings of devotion on the altar of the heart?
three significant Old Testament passages
1) The book of Deuteronomy 18:15–18—Moses is a self-proclaimed prophet, and he foretells that there will be another great prophet to come. Christianity interprets this prophet to be Jesus.
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren—him shall you heed—just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me, ‘They have rightly said all that they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.'”
2) The First Book of Samuel 2:35—In Lesson 1 The LORD Announces He Is About to Do a New Thing, a man of God expressed the LORD’s displeasure with the state of the priesthood. Although direct criticism falls on Eli and his sons, the biblical text strongly implies that corruption of the priesthood is widespread. It’s at this point that that the unnamed prophet, speaking for the LORD, announces that God intends to raise up a better priest.
“And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed for ever.”
3) The Second Book of Samuel 7:12–13—In this lesson, Nathan announces God’s promise of an eternal kingdom. The concept is new, and it’s important to observe that God doesn’t attach any conditions to his promise to David. This won’t be the case with promises made to future kings.
“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
raise up—you could look it up in our archives
In the above three verses, the LORD promises to raise up a prophet, a priest, and a king, but what exactly does it mean to “raise up”? The Greek verb ἀνίστημι (anistemi) is the root of the concept of resurrection, and means “to make to stand up” or “to raise up.” Resurrection, according to its Greek root, is making someone or something to rise or to stand. To reflect more about the significance of a prophet, a priest, and a king being raised up by God, read Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.
HOW DO YOU act as a priest, prophet & king?
It’s relatively easy to pay lip service to the idea that through Baptism we all have been anointed priests, prophets, and kings. It’s somewhat more difficult to see how that plays out in our lives.
? What’s the Church’s understanding of the priesthood of believers?
? How is the priesthood of believers related to the primary duties of priests, which are to offer sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and to act as intermediaries between God and humanity?
? In what ways do individual Catholics participate in offering a sacrifice?
? How might the kingdom of heaven be described?
? What connection exists between the kingdom of heaven and everyday life?
? The primary role of a prophet is to speak for God. Consider some circumstances surrounding how Christians might be exercising a similar role in the present day.
? In what areas of life might God be calling an individual to speak in his name?
? What are some things standing in the way of a Christian functioning more effectively as God’s prophet?
? What can an individual Christian do to eliminate these obstacles?
long live King Solomon!
The phrase “long live the king” dates to the time of the Old Testament. There are at least two fascinating things about how it’s used in connection with Solomon’s coronation and reign.
Although the people blow trumpets and rejoice as they acclaim: “Long live King Solomon!” in the First Book of the Kings 1:31, after David announces that he intends to seat Solomon on the throne that very day, Bathsheba says: “May my lord King David live for ever!” There’s quite a difference between living a long life and living forever. The second point shows up in the First Book of the Kings 3:14, as part of the LORD’s response when Solomon prays to be given wisdom: “And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
These biblical texts draw readers’ attention to God’s control over matters of life and death. Bathsheba’s exaggeration indicates that she seems to have stumbled onto a glimmer of an understanding that David may somehow be eligible for eternal life. On the other hand, Solomon isn’t necessarily going to be granted a long life just because a crowd of people seem to think that’s a good idea. Throughout this Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study the LORD will continue to place restrictions on who lives, how long they live, and even whether their descendants are going to be allowed to live at all—and kings will be judged according to how closely their behavior resembles David’s.
WHAT DO YOU THINK about mixing religion & politics?
Questions concerning the relationship between the two are by no means new.
? What is the primary role of king?
? Consider whether God has the same idea about a king’s most important duty.
? Who fulfilled the role of king for the descendants of Jacob prior to the reign of Saul?
? Consider who’s the most powerful earthly king in the Old Testament.
? How does Jesus’ role as king differ from the type of king the people of his time were expecting the Messiah to be?
? What does this suggest about the role that God intends for political rulers?
Adonijah’s mistakes
Adonijah’s plan to take control of the kingdom before the death of his father David hits several snags. The most obvious one from a political point of view is that even when David is a sickly old man, he retains his mental faculties and a number of influential supporters. From a spiritual point of view, the first two kings who ruled the united kingdom—Saul and David—were anointed by the prophet Samuel. Samuel is long dead, but the precedent has been set for a prophet to anoint a king. As Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps points out, we don’t know whether Nathan was invited to Adonijah’s festivities and declined to attend, or whether Adonijah assumed that Nathan’s loyalties were so firmly behind David that there would be no point in asking for Nathan’s backing. Either way, Adonijah leaves the door open for Solomon to be anointed king before Adonijah can establish his own claim.
redemption is the prophets’ core message
Although the prophets differ greatly in temperament and style, their fundamental outlook and message always is one of future redemption based on the LORD’s previous intervention in history to deliver the descendants of Jacob out of Egypt. Over time, this message undergoes changes to accommodate the realization that disobedience is incompatible with the LORD’s plan. The disasters that befall God’s people are seen to be the result of sin. Faith in God’s covenantal love underlies a persistent expectation of an ideal future. Despite many political catastrophes, the prophets continue to encourage God’s people to be obedient in order to bring about the redemption for which they long. The second volume of 
this Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study, Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption, looks at the post-exilic prophets.
biblical vocabulary—parable
The Greek word παραβολή (parabole) is made up of two parts—the prefix παρα (para-), which means “next to” or “beside,” and the word βολή (bole), which means “throw.” A parable literally refers to things that are thrown next to one another for the purpose of comparison. In the twelfth chapter in the Second Book of Samuel, Nathan tells David a parable in order to point out David’s sinful behavior in a round-about way. A parable is a short story, usually fictitious, designed to illustrate a moral attitude or spiritual truth. Although parables appear simple on the surface, they can be among the most difficult parts of the Bible to understand. David initially misses the point of Nathan’s parable but understands once Nathan explains that it’s describing David’s own recent behavior.
a look at divine retribution
One of the consequences of David’s sin is that his child born to Bathsheba will die. It’s interesting that not only does the first son born to David and Bathsheba die, but three of David’s sons born to other mothers also face premature deaths—Amon at the hand of his brother Absalom, Absalom during an attempt to usurp the kingdom from his father, and Adonijah in one of his attempts to prevent the kingdom from passing to his brother Solomon.
a study leader shares her thoughts
The following exchange veers from our standard question-and-answer format, but others may find it helpful. It comes from a study leader in a group planning to tackle one of our other studies.
comment: Thank you for your online study pages. They’re such a bonus. In our Bible study more questions come up in our leaders’ group than in my individual group about why you ask a certain question, or what you might be thinking, or where you are leading with your questions. I’ve often been able to point to the online study pages for direction and clues. I need to remind the other group leaders and myself that you’re trying to get us to think and pray about Scripture and its impact in our lives rather than limiting Bible study to an assignment that can be completed with a single academic answer.
response: We appreciate your comments, especially since we know that these online study pages aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. We go to some effort to provide optional information here and in the videos for participants who might be interested.
Matthew, Tami, and I feel that it’s important for people to know that sometimes asking the right questions is more valuable than having all the answers. It took us at Turning to God’s Word some time to get to this idea. The bottom line is that no one is able to hold onto information that they’re spoon-fed the same way that they can remember and live it when they have to dig concepts out for themselves. This is a big departure from the popular scholarly model of Bible study where everyone expects an expert to tell them what Scripture means, what’s important, and why. Sometimes when one of us sits in with a group, someone will ask what we were going for with a particular question. People almost always find it shocking when they’re told that we were thinking we wouldn’t mind hearing a discussion about what others think about the passage in question.
Studying any of the Old Testament writings presents some special stumbling blocks. These books introduce images and ideas that we might or might not recognize as also occurring in the New Testament. There’s a danger that we become so concerned with understanding the Old Testament message as it originally would have been received that we miss noticing that everything that happens in the Old Testament points toward Jesus. Then there’s the other side of that danger, in which we concentrate so much on a Christian interpretation that we miss important historical information that can shed light on Jesus and what he came to do. Finally, there’s a very real danger that we begin to view Jesus as the end point and miss seeing that the work of the Church only begins with Jesus’ death and Resurrection.
It’s easy to get derailed in one area and miss the big picture, which is why group discussion of the questions is so helpful. If one person is focusing on Old Testament history, someone else may be looking at the way the writing points to Jesus. Another person may be concentrating on how these ancient books are relevant in today’s world. Combining these different points of view gives us a clearer picture of what God is saying to us in Scripture.
more about the online study pages & videos
We hope that some people will find Bible study so compelling that they’ll want more information than realistically fits in the study books. We want to provide a vehicle for extra material and an easy way for people to ask questions and make comments, especially with so many contradictory views floating around on the Internet and elsewhere.
It’s also our intent that the books, the online study pages, and the videos each can stand alone if need be. We don’t want financial concerns or the lack of a compatible group to prevent anyone from reading and praying with the Bible. We know that there are people in our groups who never look at the website or watch the videos, just as there are people who do those things and more. The only really necessary part of studying the Bible, however, is reading the Bible. Everything else is secondary.
The caution we would add is that if you’re limiting your Bible study experience to reading the Bible—and you’re aware that you don’t understand what you’re reading—you probably should take a look at the commentaries in the study book and on the online study pages, and also listen to any 
related videos. Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps frequently addresses some of the more obvious difficulties in those places. If you’ve read all of our related commentaries and watched our related videos and still have questions, shoot us an email. We’re always happy to discuss Scripture, and some of our most cherished insights have come about in conversation with others.
what’s happening when & where
Click on the timeline for Lesson 2 to expand it. It also appears on page 19 in the study book.
the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however.
the Second Book of Samuel 7:1–29—paragraph 709
the Second Book of Samuel 7:14—paragraphs 283, 441
the Second Book of Samuel 12:1–4—paragraph 2578
the Second Book of Samuel 12:4—paragraph 2578
the Second Book of Samuel 12:7–15—paragraph 1736
the First Book of the Kings 1:39—paragraph 436
ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out 
persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant 
cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.
don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.
ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. 
This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf
wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following links are to readings from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open one of the links and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV readings provide an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical texts. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
the Second Book of Samuel 7:1–17 (NIV)
the Second Book of Samuel 11:1—12:25 (NIV)
the First Book of the Kings 1:1–40 (NIV)
close with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s biblical texts.
O God, you sent your prophets
to counsel kings and instruct your people.
Help us to understand how their message
can point us toward Jesus Christ.
Show us how we can speak for you in our world today.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,
the ultimate prophet. Amen.
Lesson 3 Ahijah Foretells the End of the United Kingdom—the First Book of the Kings 11:1–43
Lesson 1 The LORD Announces He Is About To Do a New Thing—the First Book of Samuel 1:1–28, the First Book of Samuel 2:22—3:20, and the First Book of Samuel 28:3–19
you also may like Volume II of our prophets study
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption examines the biblical prophets after the Babylonian Exile in 586 B.C. It views the history of God’s people leading to the time of Jesus, and concludes with a look at John the Baptist and John of Patmos in the New Testament. Volume II of this Catholic Bible study builds on Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.
start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets— Volume I: A Kingdom Divided
. 
Information about beginning this or one of our other Turning to God’s Word Bible studies can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I always are available to answer your Bible-study questions or concerns. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer
*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus—but the same books aren’t found in existing Hebrew manuscripts, which aren’t as old as the oldest version of the Septuagint. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?
Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Scripture on the online study pages for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided links to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE). The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.
The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces those with more accessible English. A handful of significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.
Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.
You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.