Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks
Through His Servants the Prophets

Volume II: Restoration & Redemption

Lesson 12 Ezra Combines Legal & Religious Authority
the Book of Ezra 7:1–26
the Book of Nehemiah 8:1–3
the Book of Nehemiah 8:6
the Book of Nehemiah 8:13–17
the Book of Ezra 9:1–3
the Book of Ezra 9:5–6
the Book of Ezra 9:13–15
the Book of Ezra 10:1–5
the Book of Nehemiah 4:7–9
the Book of Nehemiah 4:15–18a
the Book of Nehemiah 6:15–16

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 II
cross references in Thus Says the LORD—Volume II
next lesson: Jonah: An Old Testament Parable

This online supplemental material coordinates with the lesson on pages 85–91 of Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption.

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“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”
—the Book of Isaiah 55:10–11 (RSVCE)**

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welcome to Volume II of our in-depth study of the biblical prophets
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from Volume II 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 II: Restoration & Redemption contains 23 lessons and has been granted an imprimatur. It may be purchased from our website shop. The companion 28-lesson Volume I: A Kingdom Divided 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.

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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 Book of Zechariah 1:1–17, the Book of Zechariah 2:1—3:4, the Book of Zechariah 3:6–9, the Book of Zechariah 4:1–14, the Book of Zechariah 6:9–13, the Book of Zechariah 7:8–14, the Book of Zechariah 9:9–17, the Book of Zechariah 12:10, the Book of Zechariah 13:1, and the Book of Zechariah 14:8
Lesson 11 Zechariah’s Hopes for a Davidic King looks at the second of the two prophets most known for being active in Jerusalem in the time immediately after the former captives were allowed to return from Babylon. While the prophets Zechariah and Haggai both express interest in seeing the Temple rebuilt, Zechariah’s prophecies show more concern for seeing with his own eyes the Messiah promised in the seventh chapter in the Second Book of Samuel. It’s apparent that Zechariah expected Zerubbabel, a descendant in the line of David, to fulfill this role. Zerubbabel, however, suddenly and mysteriously disappears from history. Zechariah also is seen as one of the Old Testament’s early apocalyptic writers, and evidence of his vision of a new Temple can be found in the New Testament book of Revelation.

parts of the Book of Ezra have been recorded in Aramaic
Scholars debate whether portions of the Book of Ezra originally were written in Aramaic, although many hold that the sections representing official Persian documents related to allowing the descendants of Jacob to return to Jerusalem were copied directly in the Aramaic language and are historically accurate. Academics frequently lump together the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah as one work, referring to it as the Book of Ezra/Nehemiah. Almost all of the Old Testament books show signs of reworking during the Babylonian Exile, a period of intense literary activity in which the descendants of Jacob set about collecting and editing many of their most significant religious works. Unresolved chronology discrepancies make it difficult to precisely date events described in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. You can learn more by reading “One Book or More?” on page 89 of Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption.

map notes—Persia after the death of Cyrus the Great
In 530 B.C., Cyrus the Great was succeeded on the Persian throne by his son Cambyses II. A second wave of exiles—led by Zerubbabel, the designated governor of the province and a grandson of King Jehoiachin—returned to Jerusalem sometime before 522 B.C., when Darius (also called the Great) usurped the throne. In 486 B.C., Darius’ son Xerxes began ruling Persia but failed in his attempt to conquer Greece. Xerxes’ third son, Artaxerxes, succeeded as ruler of Persia in 465 B.C. Most scholars believe that Ezra, identified in the Book of Ezra 7:1–6 as a priest in the line of Zadok and also as a scribe, arrived in Jerusalem with another wave of returnees in 448 B.C., the seventeenth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and that Nehemiah arrived later in 445 B.C. A few scholars, however, place Ezra’s return as late as the reign of Artaxerxes II, who ruled from 404 to 358 B.C. Click on the map (right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 90 of Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption. 

Ezra: a prophet & major Old Testament figure (56:35)
In the video for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps examines the significance of Ezra being both a hereditary priest in the line of Zadok and an accomplished scribe, something that eventually leads to the emergence of two competing religious classes. Although there’s no problem with this when Ezra represents both classes, by the time of Jesus there will be much dramatic conflict between the two camps—represented then by the Pharisees (who place emphasis on following the law) and the Sadducees (who are descendants of Zadok, which means they meet the stringent hereditary requirements for priesthood established in the Book of Ezekiel 44:15 and are primarily concerned with ritual sacrifice). It’s of interest that God apparently doesn’t wish either group to exist without the other, something that can be seen in the present-day Catholic Mass, where we have the Liturgy of the Word (the law) followed by the Liturgy of the Eucharist (commemoration of ritual sacrifice).

Ezra embraces that he’s both a priest and a lawgiver, and he merges the two things back into what God originally intended. Biblical history after the Exile points to the idea that God’s intention was to correct things that hadn’t worked out well. Kings aren’t to place military leadership above their obligation to stand in the place of God and guide the people in following the covenant. The priesthood isn’t to be separated from the law and ignore the obligation to teach the people righteous behavior. Secular kingship has been undone with the fall of both the northern and southern kingdoms, and with it the need for prophets to advise the kings. Ezra represents a massive reconciliation of the priesthood and law. He signifies the means to pull things back together in order to establish a right foundation for moving forward as God’s people. As a lawgiver, Ezra shares the same prophetic function as Moses, who is honored for giving the law to the people at Mount Sinai and who also describes himself as a prophet in the book of Deuteronomy 18:15: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren—him you shall heed ….”

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 II: Restoration & Redemption. You can follow along as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 12, “Ezra Combines Legal & Religious Authority,” on pages 85–91 in the study book.

there’s a power vacuum
The descendants of Jacob who return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian Exile remain subject to the Persian king, with no king of their own to rule over them in the former southern kingdom. Artaxerxes I recognizes the problems that could ensue in such a power vacuum, and he appoints the priest and scribe Ezra to maintain stability. As a direct descendant of Aaron and of Zadok, Ezra’s hereditary priesthood is undeniable. As an educated scribe, Ezra also has extensive knowledge of the law. Judicial power formerly in the hands of the kings of Judah now is given to the scribes instead of the priests, strongly suggesting that the priests haven’t been doing a very good job of upholding the law of Moses.

foreshadowing a big change coming up
Although it may have appeared that failure of the hereditary priests to uphold God’s covenant might lead to a complete demise of the priesthood—much the way that the kings’ failure led to demise of the descendants of Jacob being ruled by one of their own—Ezra’s arrival on the scene, with his legitimate hereditary claim to the priesthood and his skills as a scribe, allows him to restore power to the priesthood. An extreme change in the priesthood is a key element in God’s divine plan, as can be seen in the Letter to the Hebrews 7:12: “For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.” This ultimate change won’t be realized until after Jesus, and it’s based on an understanding that spiritual laws govern all interactions between God and humanity. The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The Letter to the Hebrews: An Explanation of the Mechanism of Our Salvation provides more information about how these spiritual laws operate and how Jesus’  is able to bring about the possibility of salvation for humanity.

Judaism takes hold
In exile in Babylon, studying the Torah (the Hebrew name of the first five books of the Old Testament) was the only way God’s people could connect with their ancestors’ religion. After those captives who wished are allowed to return to Jerusalem, emphasis on strict adherence to the law of Moses begins in earnest. Disobedience to God’s commandments is recognized as the cause of the Exile, and obedience is seen as the only way to ensure the LORD’s protection.

ex libris—all about the city that’s spiritual home to three world religions
The title Jerusalem: The Biography says it all. Simon Sebag Montefiore has written a prize-winning work of non-fiction that looks at the Holy City’s 3,000 years of frequently unholy history through the viewpoint of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. A seriously ambitious work, this book treats the city of David as the primary character in a gripping narrative of the location often referred to as the “center of the world.” Jerusalem: The Biography is of particular relevance to a Bible study of any of the Old Testament. The book opens by recounting the Roman attack on the city in 70 A.D., followed by an intensive look at Jewish control of Jerusalem beginning with David’s conquest of the citadel of Zion. At that time, the well-fortified Jebusite stronghold already was considered ancient. Sections on the Christian and Muslim influences on the Holy City follow. Present-day political leaders see Jerusalem as key to peace in the Middle East. Visit ex libris—main bookshelf, to read an excerpt from this book and others related to in-depth Scripture study.

read the Catechism—obedience involves paying attention
Paragraph 144 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the Latin root of the word obedience—ob-audire—means “to listen to.” An obedient listener is one who demonstrates that he or she not only has heard what has been said but also is willing to act on it. Obedience of faith requires that Christians show our trust in God by listening to his Word and then acting on what we’ve heard. In the tenth chapter in the Book of Ezra, the former captives indicate that they’ve been listening to God when they determine to send away their foreign wives.

144     To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to “hear or listen to”) in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. The Virgin Mary is its most perfect embodiment.

the popes inspire us—God’s word is strength & joy
On December 16, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued his views about a solemn moment described in the eighth chapter in the Book of Nehemiah when the small Jewish community was officially reconstituted after the dispersion: “It was the moment of the public re-proclamation of the law on which this community’s life was based, and all this took place in an atmosphere of simplicity, poverty, and hope. People listened to this proclamation with great spiritual intensity. Some began to weep for joy at once again being able to listen in freedom to the Word of God after the tragedy of the destruction of Jerusalem. Nehemiah cautioned them, saying that it was a feast day and that in order to have strength from the LORD, it was necessary to rejoice, expressing gratitude for God’s gifts. The Word of God is strength and joy. Does not this Old Testament reading also inspire deep emotion in us? How many memories flood our minds!”

Q&A—sending away the wives & children seems excessive & harsh
Many people have difficulty reading the ninth and tenth chapters in the Book of Ezra. It’s not uncommon to sympathize with the plight of the foreign wives and children being sent away—and miss the point of God’s message. Several participants have expressed concern over a God who would require the descendants of Jacob to take such a harsh action.

Q: I recently read a work about Scripture by Isaac Asimov, an immensely prolific author, who made the claim that, “properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived.” In Asimov’s Guide to the Bible, he contrasts the treatment of foreign wives in the Book of Ezra with the inclusion of the Book of Ruth in the Hebrew canon of the Old Testament. How do you view Asimov’s assertion that because the Book of Ruth is treated as divinely inspired this suggests that there were influential Jews who considered Ezra’s policy toward mixed marriages to be “inhumane, narrow, and wrong”?

A: The chapters about mixed marriages in the Book of Ezra are difficult, and I very much like that Asimov brings up the Book of Ruth in this context. Unfortunately, he completely misses the obvious argument, which isn’t that Ezra was wrong about God’s attitude toward mixed marriages. The Book of Ezra doesn’t ever include God weighing in one way or another about the marriages in question—it’s the people themselves who come to Ezra and profess concern about their behavior. (As an aside, although Asimov writes that Ezra “demands” the people send away their foreign wives; what the Book of Ezra 10:2–4 actually describes is the people going to Ezra and not only telling him that’s what they want to do, but encouraging Ezra to fulfill his role in helping them to carry out the task.) What’s interesting about the Book of Ruth isn’t that it’s a “beautiful little work,” as Asimov characterizes it (it is)—it’s that its heroine is one of four Gentile women included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ found in the first chapter in the Gospel According to Matthew. The other three are Tamar, whose story is told in the thirty-eighth chapter of the book of Genesis; Rahab, whose story is told in the second chapter in the Book of Joshua; and Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah who became the wife of David and the mother of Solomon—her story is told in the eleventh and twelfth chapters in the Second Book of Samuel. It would be extremely difficult for anyone to read the genealogy in the Gospel According to Matthew with the understanding that those four women are Gentiles, and then make a serious argument that God didn’t want the descendants of Judah to marry outside of their faith.

related thoughts from a different Bible study group
Another study leader shares her early reflections on this lesson.

Q: Are there any points that I should focus on when my discussion group meets? There are two things I’ve been holding onto:

The focus on the law and written tradition, which seems to carry more weight then oral. Ezra appears to have more legitimate authority in Jerusalem then Zerubbabel or Joshua. Even though the wave of people who left Babylon with Zerubbabel and Joshua intended to do the right thing by God, they didn’t have a foundation of what was true to God’s law—and they didn’t have anyone who knew more than they did to lead them in correct religious behavior.

Personal buy-in of the law. We got a glimpse earlier that God was punishing the people for their own behavior and not what they believed, which was that their fathers were the ones guilty of not upholding the covenant with God. That was after the fact, however. In the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah it seems that God is setting them up for success by making sure they’re taught the law. This self-reflection leads to immediate action (even though such action was extremely difficult).

and a comment: I may change my mind after I’ve finished the entire lesson, but I don’t  think that banishment of the foreign wives was the bad thing. I think taking the foreign wives in the first place was the bad act, and banishment was what the people chose to do to rectify the situation.

A: You have a clear idea about what’s going on in the biblical text for this lesson. You might want to check out the questions in the following section if anyone in your group is having difficulty with the material about the foreign wives being sent away as it relates to Christians today.

how is this relevant?
No matter where you come down on the idea of the foreign wives being sent away, a problem remains about how to interpret the somewhat problematic statements about mixed marriages in the ninth and tenth chapters in the Book of Ezra. Each lesson in the study book Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption contains commentaries designed to make it easier to reflect on ways that God’s Word applies to present-day Christians.

?  Is there any passage in the Book of Ezra that directly points to the idea that God hates foreigners?
?  Where has God discouraged mixed marriages elsewhere in the Old Testament, and what reason has been given for God’s opposition in those instances?
?  Where in the Old Testament is there evidence that God isn’t opposed to all mixed marriages?
?  Consider why Ezra falls down weeping before the LORD in prayer after the people come to him and confess that many of their religious leaders have married Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. You can learn more about these neighboring people in our online online glossary, which lists every proper noun in the biblical text.
?  Is Ezra’s obvious distress over the situation with mixed marriages justified?
?  Consider whether your thinking changes if these mixed marriages are viewed not as specific sins to be avoided by all people at all times, but as examples of the dangers of any type of sin in context and the seriousness of its consequences.
?  According to the biblical text, what do the people identify as the consequences of their mixed marriages?
?  Who likely is most hurt by this situation?
?  What things other than mixed marriages threaten to pull men and women away from God?
?  What consequences are likely if an individual continue in sinful behavior?
?  Is anyone else likely to be harmed by sinful actions?
?  What’s the best way to ensure that we don’t harm other people by our sins?

religious law—you could look it up in our archives
Underlying Jesus’ problems with the Pharisees in the New Testament is a different understanding of religious law. Although the law of Moses became increasingly important during the Babylonian Exile, when the priest Ezra is appointed to oversee all legal concerns in the former southern kingdom, religious law starts to become associated with power. In Lost in Translation, an online column that can help readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps looks at the roots behind “religious law” and how it originally was viewed as the ability to control reality. Consider whether you think religious law continues to have such a strong hold on being and reality. 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.

Q&A—where does the word Hebrew come from?
A participant in this study is having difficulty keeping Jews, Israelites, and Hebrews straight.

Q: Why are God’s people sometimes referred to as Jews, sometimes as Israelites, and sometimes as Hebrews? I get that the Jews are practitioners of Judaism and the Israelites are the 12 tribes of Israel, but where do the Hebrews come in?

A: In Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption we usually refer to the people with whom God entered into covenant as “descendants of Jacob.” This has less potential to confuse readers than Israelites, which sometimes refers to all of the descendants of Jacob and sometimes only to inhabitants of the northern kingdom of Israel. Jews properly refers to people who practice the law-based religion of Judaism, which only developed around the end of the Babylonian Exile.

Israelites or descendants of Jacob are terms that apply to God’s people prior to the Exile and the development of Judaism, but because they relate to Jacob (who was renamed Israel by God in the book of Genesis 32:24–28), these terms aren’t used before the time of Jacob. God’s people prior to that time properly are called Hebrews, a word that identifies them as descendants of Eber, a grandson of Noah and an ancestor of Abraham mentioned in the book of Genesis 10:21–32. The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study In the Beginning; The Book of Genesis looks closely at the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as well as Jacob’s son Joseph.

the Book of Ezra 9:6–15—paragraph 2585

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra 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 that appears in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption.

to learn more, read more Scripture
It can help to check out the cross references listed in Scripture, but looking them up is time-consuming. To make that part 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 accompanying this study, and it includes links to each of the cross references in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption

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 Book of Ezra 7:1–26 (NIV)
the Book of Nehemiah 8:1–3 (NIV)
the Book of Nehemiah 8:6 (NIV)
the Book of Nehemiah 8:13–17 (NIV)
the Book of Ezra 9:1–3 (NIV)
the Book of Ezra 9:5–6 (NIV)
the Book of Ezra 9:13–15 (NIV)
the Book of Ezra 10:1–5 (NIV)
the Book of Nehemiah 4:7–9 (NIV)
the Book of Nehemiah 4:15–18a (NIV)
the Book of Nehemiah 6:15–16 (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, or you can use the following  prayer based on this lesson’s biblical texts.

Lord, God of heaven,
you commanded Cyrus to build you a house in Jerusalem
and you continue to dwell within our midst.
Sustain us with gratitude as we dedicate ourselves to you
and set out to accomplish your will in our daily tasks.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ,
present to us in the Eucharist,
in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lesson 13 Jonah: An Old Testament Parable—the Book of Jonah 1:1—4:11
Lesson 11 Zechariah’s Hopes for a Davidic King—the Book of Zechariah 1:1–17, the Book of Zechariah 2:1—3:4, the Book of Zechariah 3:6–9, the Book of Zechariah 4:1–14, the Book of Zechariah 6:9–13, the  Book of Zechariah 7:8–14, the Book of Zechariah 9:9–17, the Book of Zechariah 12:10, the Book of Zechariah 13:1, and the Book of Zechariah 14:8

you also may like our study of the book of Exodus
You Shall Have No Other Gods: The Book of Exodus, a 28-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, provides an in-depth look at how significant events in biblical history that occurred thousands of years ago to descendants of Jacob remain relevant and even critical for present-day Christians to understand. The deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and the giving of Ten Commandments are examined along with the development of Moses’ relationship to God. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

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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 II: Restoration & Redemption. You can find information on this website about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer your questions and address any of your 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

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*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). All Scripture links for the online study pages of Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. 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 more 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 follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSVCE and RSV2CE). 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.

**The Book of Isaiah 55:10-11 (RSV2CE) reads: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I intend, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”