Welcome to the tenth in a series of posts comparing the Jerusalem Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible and the Revised New Jerusalem Bible for one of the readings at each Sunday’s Mass. For today, the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, I’ve chosen the first reading (from Sirach/Ecclesiasticus/Ben Sira). I do not have a copy of the English Standard Version which includes the deuterocanonical books, so I have omitted the ESV from this week’s comparison. If any of you have the ESV-CE or an edition of the ESV with Apocrypha, feel free to comment on the ESV’s rendering of this passage as it relates to the JB/NJB/RNJB and the NABRE.
Sunday, October 27th, 2019 — 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
First Reading: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
Jerusalem Bible
the Lord is a judge
who is no respecter of personages.
He shows no respect of personages to the detriment of a poor man,
he listens to the plea of the injured party.
He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication,
nor the widow’s as she pours out her story.
The man who with his whole heart serves God will be accepted,
his petitions will carry to the clouds.
The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds,
until it arrives he is inconsolable,
nor will he desist until the Most High takes notice of him,
acquits the virtuous and delivers judgement.
And the Lord will not be slow
New Jerusalem Bible
for the Lord is a judge
who is utterly impartial.
He never shows partiality to the detriment of the poor,
he listens to the plea of the injured party.
He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication,
nor the widow’s as she pours out her complaint.
Whoever wholeheartedly serves God will be accepted,
his petitions will carry to the clouds.
The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds:
and until it does, he is not to be consoled,
nor will he desist until the Most High takes notice of him,
acquits the upright and delivers judgement.
And the Lord will not be slow
Revised New Jerusalem Bible
for the Lord is a judge
with whom there is no partiality.
He never shows partiality to the detriment of the poor;
he listens to the plea of the injured party.
He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication
nor the widow’s as she pours out her complaint.
Whoever wholeheartedly serves God will be accepted;
such a person’s petitions will carry to the clouds.
The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds
and until it does, the petitioner will not be consoled
nor desist until the Most High takes notice,
acquits the righteous and delivers judgement.
And the Lord will not be slow
New American Bible Revised Edition
(The NABRE uses a different verse numbering to the current NAB lectionary. The equivalent reading is Ben Sira 35:15b-17, 20-22a
For he is a God of justice,
who shows no partiality.
He shows no partiality to the weak
but hears the grievance of the oppressed.
He does not forsake the cry of the orphan,
nor the widow when she pours out her complaint.
Those who serve God to please him are accepted;
their petition reaches the clouds.
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds;
it does not rest till it reaches its goal;
Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds,
judges justly and affirms the right.
God indeed will not delay