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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday May 8, 2024 (NIV)

1 Samuel 2:22-4

22 Eli was very old. And he would hear about everything that his sons used to do to all the people of Israel[a] and[b] how they used to go to bed with[c] the women who were stationed at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do these things, these evil things that I hear about from all these people?[d] 24 No, my sons! For the report that I hear circulating[e] among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If a man sins against a man, one may appeal to God on his behalf.[f] But if a man sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But Eli’s sons[g] would not listen to their father.[h] Indeed[i] the Lord had decided[j] to kill them. 26 However, the boy[k] Samuel was growing up and finding favor both with the Lord and with people.[l]

The Lord Judges the House of Eli

27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘I plainly[m] revealed[n] myself to your ancestor’s house when they were slaves to the house of Pharaoh in Egypt.[o] 28 I chose[p] your ancestor[q] from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifice on my altar, to burn incense, and to bear[r] the ephod before me. I gave to your ancestor’s house all the fire offerings made by the Israelites. 29 Why are you[s] scorning my sacrifice and my offering that I commanded for my dwelling place?[t] You have honored your sons more than you have me by having made yourselves fat from the best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel.’

30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘I really did say[u] that your house and your ancestor’s house would serve[v] me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May it never be![w] For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed! 31 In fact, days are coming when I will remove your strength[x] and the strength[y] of your father’s house. There will not be an old man in your house! 32 You will see trouble in my dwelling place![z] Israel will experience blessings,[aa] but there will not be an old man in your[ab] house for all time.[ac] 33 Any man of yours that I do not cut off from my altar, I will cause his[ad] eyes to fail[ae] and will cause him grief.[af] All those born to your family[ag] will die by the sword of man.[ah] 34 This will be a confirming sign for you that will be fulfilled through your two sons,[ai] Hophni and Phinehas: in a single day they both will die! 35 Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a lasting dynasty,[aj] and he will serve my chosen one for all time.[ak] 36 Everyone who remains in your house will come to bow before him for a little money[al] and for a scrap of bread. Each will say, “Assign me to a priestly task so I can eat a scrap of bread.”’”

The Call of Samuel

3 Now the boy Samuel continued serving the Lord under Eli’s supervision.[am] Receiving a message from the Lord was rare in those days; revelatory visions were infrequent.

2 Eli’s eyes had begun to fail, so that he was unable to see well. At that time he was lying down in his place, 3 and the lamp of God had not yet been extinguished. Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord as well; the ark of God was also there. 4 The Lord called to Samuel, and he replied, “Here I am!” 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli[an] said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down. 6 The Lord again called, “Samuel!” So Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli[ao] said, “I didn’t call you, my son. Go back and lie down.”

7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord; the Lord’s messages had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Then the Lord called Samuel a third time. So he got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me!” Eli then realized that it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back and lie down. When he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went back and lay down in his place.

10 Then the Lord came and stood nearby, calling as he had previously done, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel replied, “Speak, for your servant is listening!” 11 The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I am about to do something in Israel;[ap] when anyone hears about it, both of his ears will tingle. 12 On that day I will carry out[aq] against Eli everything that I spoke about his house—from start to finish! 13 You[ar] should tell him that I am about to judge his house forever because of[as] the sin that he knew about. For his sons were cursing God,[at] and he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I swore an oath to the house of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven by sacrifice or by grain offering.’”

15 So Samuel lay down until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 16 However, Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son!” He replied, “Here I am.” 17 Eli[au] said, “What message did he speak to you? Don’t conceal it from me. God will judge you severely[av] if you conceal from me anything that he said to you!”

18 So Samuel told him everything. He did not hold back anything from him. Eli[aw] said, “The Lord will do what he pleases.”[ax] 19 Samuel continued to grow, and the Lord was with him. None of his prophecies fell to the ground unfulfilled.[ay] 20 All Israel from Dan to Beer Sheba realized that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the Lord. 21 Then the Lord again appeared in Shiloh, for it was in Shiloh that the Lord had revealed himself to Samuel[az] through a message from the Lord.[ba] 4 1 Samuel revealed the word of the Lord[bb] to all Israel.

The Ark of the Covenant is Lost to the Philistines

Then the Israelites went out to fight the Philistines.[bc] They camped at Ebenezer,[bd] and the Philistines camped at Aphek. 2 The Philistines arranged their forces to fight[be] Israel. As the battle spread out,[bf] Israel was defeated by[bg] the Philistines, who[bh] killed about 4,000 men in the battle line in the field.

3 When the army[bi] came back to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why did the Lord let us be defeated today by[bj] the Philistines? Let’s take with us the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. When it is with us, it will save us[bk] from the hand of our enemies.”

4 So the army[bl] sent to Shiloh, and they took from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, who sits between the cherubim. Now the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. 5 When the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived at the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly[bm] that the ground shook.

6 When the Philistines heard the sound of the shout, they said, “What is this loud shout in the camp of the Hebrews?” Then they realized that the ark of the Lord had arrived at the camp. 7 The Philistines were scared because they thought that gods had come to the camp.[bn] They said, “Woe to us! We’ve never seen anything like this! 8 Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the desert! 9 Be strong and act like men, you Philistines, or else you will wind up serving the Hebrews the way they have served you! Act like men and fight!”

10 So the Philistines fought. Israel was defeated; they all ran home.[bo] The slaughter was very great; 30,000 foot soldiers from Israel fell in battle. 11 The ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were killed.

Eli Dies

12 On that day[bp] a Benjaminite ran from the battle lines and came to Shiloh. His clothes were torn, and dirt was on his head. 13 When he arrived in Shiloh, Eli was sitting in his chair on the lookout[bq] by the side of[br] the road, for he was very worried[bs] about the ark of God. As the man entered the city to give his report,[bt] the whole city cried out.

14 When Eli heard the outcry,[bu] he said, “What’s this commotion?”[bv] The man quickly came and told Eli. 15 Now Eli was ninety-eight years old and his eyes looked straight ahead;[bw] he was unable to see.

16 The man said to Eli, “I am the one who came from the battle lines! Just today I fled from the battle lines!” Eli[bx] asked, “How did things go, my son?” 17 The messenger replied, “Israel has fled from[by] the Philistines! The army has suffered a great defeat! Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead! The ark of God has been captured!”

18 When he mentioned the ark of God, Eli[bz] fell backward from his chair beside the gate. He broke his neck and died, for he[ca] was old and heavy. He had judged Israel for forty years.

19 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and close to giving birth. When she heard that the ark of God was captured and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she doubled over and gave birth. But her labor pains were too much for her. 20 As she was dying, the women who were there with her said, “Don’t be afraid! You have given birth to a son!” But she did not reply or pay any attention.[cb]

21 She named the boy Ichabod,[cc] saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. 22 She said, “The glory has departed from Israel, because the ark of God has been captured.”

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Samuel 2:22 tn Heb “to all Israel.”
  2. 1 Samuel 2:22 tc The latter half of the verse is absent in the LXX. It also appears to be absent from 4QSama, as judged by the lack of adequate space between the remaining text.
  3. 1 Samuel 2:22 tn Heb “lie down with,” a euphemism for sexual relations.
  4. 1 Samuel 2:23 tn The MT reads, “Why do you act according to these things which I am hearing—evil things—from all these people?”tc The LXX ends “from all the people of the Lord” (κυρίου, kuriou). Perhaps the final phrase of v. 24 (“the people of the Lord”) influenced the LXX. Somewhat less likely is the view that the MT reading is due to a distorted dittography of the first word of v. 24. The Vulgate lacks the word.
  5. 1 Samuel 2:24 tn The verb is a Hiphil participle from עָבַר (ʿabar). The Concise Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (p. 309) understands it to mean “spread[ing] about” in this context. The term can also mean “causing to transgress.”tc The LXX reads “the report…is not good, so that the people do not serve God.”
  6. 1 Samuel 2:25 tc MT “God may arbitrate [for] him.” LXX “they shall pray for him to the Lord.” Auld suggests that אֶל יהוה (ʾel YHWH; “to the Lord”), attested in 4QSama, may have been corrupted into אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim; “God”) (Graeme Auld, I & II Samuel [Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011] 46).
  7. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Heb “they”; the referent (Eli’s sons) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Heb “the voice of their father.”
  9. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Or “Indeed.”
  10. 1 Samuel 2:25 tn Heb “desired” or “had become willing to.”
  11. 1 Samuel 2:26 tn The term נַעַר (naʿar), here translated “boy,” often refers to a servant or apprentice in line for a position of authority. A decade or more has probably passed since Hannah brought him to Eli.
  12. 1 Samuel 2:26 sn This is a parenthetic remark in which Samuel is again contrasted with Hophni and Phinehas (cf. 2:11b-12; 2:17-18).
  13. 1 Samuel 2:27 tn Or “certainly.” The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb to emphasize its modality, here the indicative mode.
  14. 1 Samuel 2:27 tc The MT poses as a question “Did I actually reveal myself…?” The LXX records as a statement “I revealed myself…” The syntax of the Hebrew can either ask for information that is not known or be used as a rhetorical question which expects the answer “no.” In this context the expected answer would be “yes.” One approach is to leave the question as in the Hebrew, probably expecting the reader to still think the answer should be “yes,” even though it is the not the syntax for it (ESV, KJV). Another is to add a missing negative “did I not reveal myself…” so that the question expects the answer “yes” (NIV, NAS, NKJV). More likely the interrogative הֲ (ha) is a case of dittography, as the previous word ends with the same letter ה (he) (NRSV, NLT).
  15. 1 Samuel 2:27 tc Reading with 4QSama and the LXX “when they were in the land of Egypt, slaves to the house of Pharaoh.” The MT omits “slaves,” probably lost due to homoioteleuton.
  16. 1 Samuel 2:28 tn Heb “even choosing.” The finite verb shortens the sentence for better English style.
  17. 1 Samuel 2:28 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Eli’s ancestor, i.e., Aaron) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. 1 Samuel 2:28 tn The verb נָשָׁא (nasaʾ) normally means “to carry” or “to bear” and refers to an ephod three times. The issue is whether the context here views the ephod more as a piece of clothing or as a cultic object. Exodus 28:4 classifies the ephod as a garment, which is made of linen (Exod 39:2). But a different verb is used in 1 Sam 2:18 and elsewhere to describe wearing an ephod. The ephod also includes stones with cultic significance as a memorial (Exod 28:12; 39:7). An ephod is associated with or appears as a cultic object (Judg 8:27 and possibly 17:5 and 18:14-20) and can be “in the hand” (1 Sam 23:6) or brought as an object (1 Sam 30:7). David uses an ephod, brought by Abiathar the priest, to consult the Lord’s will (1 Sam 23:9-10; 30:7-8). In keeping with the other infinitives in this verse that refer to priestly activities and functions, the translation “bear the ephod” reflects carrying the ephod which was used for divine consultation.
  19. 1 Samuel 2:29 tc The MT has a plural “you” here, but the LXX and a Qumran ms have the singular. The singular may be the correct reading; the verb “you have honored” later in the verse is singular even in the MT. However, it is more probable that the Lord here refers to Eli and his sons. Note the plural in the second half of the verse (“you have made yourselves fat”).
  20. 1 Samuel 2:29 tn Heb “which I commanded, dwelling place.” The noun is functioning as an adverbial accusative in relation to the verb. Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun “my” is supplied in the translation.tc The LXX reads “Why did you look at my incense and my sacrifice with a shameless eye?” The LXX may have read the first verb as being from the root נָבַט (nabat) “to look at” rather than the rare בָּעַט (baʿat) “to kick.” And the final consonants of מָעוֹן (maʿon) are easily confused with עַיִן (ʿayin). But the rest of the variation appears inexplicable as a copying error from either direction.
  21. 1 Samuel 2:30 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
  22. 1 Samuel 2:30 tn Heb “walk about before.”
  23. 1 Samuel 2:30 tn Heb “may it be far removed from me.”
  24. 1 Samuel 2:31 tn Heb “chop off your arm.” The arm here symbolizes strength and activity.
  25. 1 Samuel 2:31 tn Heb “arm.”
  26. 1 Samuel 2:32 tn Heb “you will see [the] trouble of [the] dwelling place.” Since God’s dwelling place/sanctuary is in view, the pronoun is supplied in the translation (see v. 29).
  27. 1 Samuel 2:32 tn Heb “in all which he does good with Israel.”
  28. 1 Samuel 2:32 tc The LXX and a Qumran manuscript have the first person pronoun “my” here.
  29. 1 Samuel 2:32 tn Heb “all the days.”
  30. 1 Samuel 2:33 tc The MT reads “your eyes.” The LXX, a Qumran ms, and a few old Latin mss read “his eyes.”
  31. 1 Samuel 2:33 tn Heb “to cause your eyes to fail.” Elsewhere this verb, when used of eyes, refers to bloodshot eyes resulting from weeping, prolonged staring, or illness (see Lev 26:16; Pss 69:3; 119:82; Lam 2:11; 4:17).
  32. 1 Samuel 2:33 tn The MT reads “and to cause your soul grief.” The LXX, a Qumran ms, and a few old Latin mss read “his soul.”
  33. 1 Samuel 2:33 tn Heb “and all the increase of your house.”
  34. 1 Samuel 2:33 tc The MT says “all the increase of your house will die men.” The LXX and a Qumran ms, read “all…will die by the sword of men.” This reading (cf. ESV, NAB, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT) makes sense syntactically. Some translations take “men” adverbially, “die as men,” and then understand it to mean something like “all…will die in the prime of life” (cf. NASB, NIV, KJV). However, the proposed syntax is very odd and such an adverbial function for “men” is otherwise unattested.
  35. 1 Samuel 2:34 tn Heb “and this to you [is] the sign which will come to both of your sons.”
  36. 1 Samuel 2:35 tn Heb “house.”
  37. 1 Samuel 2:35 tn Heb “and he will walk about before my anointed one all the days.”
  38. 1 Samuel 2:36 tn Heb “a piece of silver” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  39. 1 Samuel 3:1 tn Heb “before Eli.”
  40. 1 Samuel 3:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. 1 Samuel 3:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  42. 1 Samuel 3:11 tn The Hebrew text adds “so that” here, formally connecting this clause with the next.
  43. 1 Samuel 3:12 tn Or “fulfill.”
  44. 1 Samuel 3:13 tc The MT has וְהִגַּדְתִּי לוֹ (vehiggadti lo). The verb is Hiphil perfect first person common singular, and apparently the conjunction should be understood as vav consecutive (“I will say to him”). But the future reference makes more sense if Samuel is the subject. This would require dropping the final י (yod) and reading the second person masculine singular וְהִגַּדְתָּ (vehiggadta). Although there is no external evidence to support it, this reading has been adopted in the present translation. The alternative is to understand the MT to mean “I said to him,” but for this we would expect the preterite with vav consecutive.
  45. 1 Samuel 3:13 tn The translation understands the preposition to have a causal sense. However, the preposition could also be understood as the beth pretii, indicating in a broad sense the price attached to this action. So GKC 380 §119.p.
  46. 1 Samuel 3:13 tc The translation follows the LXX θεόν (theon, “God”) rather than the MT לָהֶם (lahem, “to them”). The MT seems to mean “they were bringing a curse on themselves” (cf. ASV, NASB). But this meaning is problematic in part because the verb קָלַל (qalal) means “to curse,” not “to bring a curse on,” and in part because it takes an accusative object rather than the equivalent of a dative. This is one of the so-called tiqqune sopherim, or “emendations of the scribes.” Why would the ancient copyists alter the original statement about Eli’s sons cursing God to the less objectionable statement that they brought a curse on themselves? Some argue that the scribes were concerned that such a direct and blasphemous affront against God could occur without an immediate response of judgment from God. Therefore they changed the text by deleting two letters א and י (alef and yod) from the word for “God,” with the result that the text then read “to them.” If this ancient scribal claim is accepted as accurate, it implies that the MT here is secondary. The present translation follows the LXX (κακολογοῦντες θεόν, kakologountes theon) and a few mss of the Old Latin in reading “God” rather than the MT “to them.” Cf. also NAB, NRSV, NLT.
  47. 1 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  48. 1 Samuel 3:17 tn Heb “So God will do to you and thus he will add.” The verbal forms in this pronouncement are imperfects, not jussives, but the statement has the force of a curse or warning. One could translate, “May God do to you and thus may he add.”
  49. 1 Samuel 3:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. 1 Samuel 3:18 tn Heb “what is good in his eyes.”
  51. 1 Samuel 3:19 tn Heb “and he did not cause to fall from all his words to the ground.”
  52. 1 Samuel 3:21 tc The LXX has a lengthy addition here: “And Samuel was acknowledged to be a prophet of the Lord in all Israel, from one end to the other. Eli was very old and, as for his sons, their way kept getting worse and worse before the Lord.” The Hebraic nature of the Greek syntax used here suggests that the LXX translator was accurately rendering a Hebrew variant and not simply expanding the text on his own initiative.
  53. 1 Samuel 3:21 tn The chapter division at this point is inappropriate. 1 Sam 4:1a is best understood as the conclusion to chap. 3 rather than the beginning of chap. 4.
  54. 1 Samuel 4:1 tn Heb “and the word of Samuel was.” The present translation understands Samuel to be the speaker of the divine word (“Samuel” is a subjective genitive in this case), although the statement could mean that he was the recipient of the divine word (“Samuel” is an objective genitive in this case) who in turn reported it to Israel.
  55. 1 Samuel 4:1 tn Heb “and Israel went out to meet the Philistines for battle.”
  56. 1 Samuel 4:1 tn Heb “the stone, the help.” The second noun is in apposition to the first one and apparently is the name by which the stone was known. Contrast the expression used in 5:1 and 7:12, where the first word lacks the definite article, unlike 4:1.
  57. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn Heb “to meet.”
  58. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn The MT has וַתִּטֹּשׁ (vattittosh), from the root נָטַשׁ (natash). This verb normally means “to leave,” “to forsake,” or “to permit,” but such an idea does not fit this context very well. Many scholars have suspected that the text originally read either וַתֵּט (vattet, “and it spread out”), from the root נָטָה (natah), or וַתִּקֶשׁ (vattiqesh, “and it grew fierce”), from the root קָשַׂה (qasah). The former suggestion is apparently supported by the LXX ἔκλινεν (eklinen, “it inclined”) and is adopted in the translation.
  59. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn Heb “before.”
  60. 1 Samuel 4:2 tn Heb “the Philistines, and they killed.” The pronoun “they” has been translated as a relative pronoun (“who”) to make it clear to the English reader that the Philistines were the ones who did the killing.
  61. 1 Samuel 4:3 tn Or “people.”
  62. 1 Samuel 4:3 tn Heb “before.”
  63. 1 Samuel 4:3 tn Heb “and it will come in our midst and it will save.” After the cohortative (see “let’s take”), the prefixed verbal forms with the prefixed conjunction indicate purpose or result. The translation understands the ark to be the subject of the third masculine singular verbs, although it is possible to understand the Lord as the subject. In the latter case, one should translate, “when he is with us, he will save us.”
  64. 1 Samuel 4:4 tn Or “people.”
  65. 1 Samuel 4:5 tn Heb “shouted [with] a great shout.”
  66. 1 Samuel 4:7 tn The Hebrew text has a direct quote, “because they said, ‘Gods have come to the camp.’” Even though the verb translated “have come” is singular, the following subject should be taken as plural (“gods”), as v. 8 indicates. Some emend the verb to a plural form.
  67. 1 Samuel 4:10 tn Heb “and they fled, each to his tents.”
  68. 1 Samuel 4:12 tn Or perhaps, “the same day.” On this use of the demonstrative pronoun see Joüon 2:532 §143.f.
  69. 1 Samuel 4:13 tn The Qal of this verb, צָפָה (tsafah), means “to look.” (The more common word for “to see” is רָאָה, raʾah). Here the ptc. is Piel, which means “to be on the lookout for, look” (HALOT 1045 s.v. I צָפָה). Since we are told later that Eli could not see (which may mean that his eyesight was poor), the important part of using this verb is that Eli positioned himself to get the news as soon as it arrived.
  70. 1 Samuel 4:13 tc Read with many medieval Hebrew mss, the Qere, and much versional evidence יַד (yad, “hand”) rather than MT יַךְ (yakh).
  71. 1 Samuel 4:13 tn Heb “his heart was trembling.”
  72. 1 Samuel 4:13 tn Heb “and the man came to report in the city.”
  73. 1 Samuel 4:14 tn Heb “the sound of the cry.”
  74. 1 Samuel 4:14 tn Heb “the sound of this commotion.”
  75. 1 Samuel 4:15 tn Heb “were set” or “were fixed,” i.e., without vision.
  76. 1 Samuel 4:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  77. 1 Samuel 4:17 tn Heb “before.”
  78. 1 Samuel 4:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Eli) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  79. 1 Samuel 4:18 tn Heb “the man.”
  80. 1 Samuel 4:20 tn Heb “and she did not set her heart.”
  81. 1 Samuel 4:21 sn The name Ichabod (אִי־כָבוֹד) may mean, “Where is the glory?”
New English Translation (NET)

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John 5:24-47

24 “I tell you the solemn truth,[a] the one who hears[b] my message[c] and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned,[d] but has crossed over from death to life. 25 I tell you the solemn truth,[e] a time[f] is coming—and is now here—when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself, 27 and he has granted the Son[g] authority to execute judgment,[h] because he is the Son of Man.

28 “Do not be amazed at this, because a time[i] is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and will come out—the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation.[j] 30 I can do nothing on my own initiative.[k] Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just,[l] because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.[m]

More Testimony About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another[n] who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true. 33 You have sent to John,[o] and he has testified to the truth. 34 (I do not accept[p] human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved.) 35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining,[q] and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time[r] in his light.

36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds[s] that the Father has assigned me to complete—the deeds[t] I am now doing—testify about me that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people[u] have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time,[v] 38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 39 You study the scriptures thoroughly[w] because you think in them you possess eternal life,[x] and it is these same scriptures[y] that testify about me, 40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

41 “I do not accept[z] praise[aa] from people,[ab] 42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God[ac] within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept[ad] me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept[ae] him. 44 How can you believe, if you accept praise[af] from one another and don’t seek the praise[ag] that comes from the only God?[ah]

45 “Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope.[ai] 46 If[aj] you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 47 But if you do not believe what Moses[ak] wrote, how will you believe my words?”

Footnotes:

  1. John 5:24 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  2. John 5:24 tn Or “obeys.”
  3. John 5:24 tn Or “word.”
  4. John 5:24 tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”
  5. John 5:25 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  6. John 5:25 tn Grk “an hour.”
  7. John 5:27 tn Grk “him.”
  8. John 5:27 tn Grk “authority to judge.”
  9. John 5:28 tn Grk “an hour.”
  10. John 5:29 tn Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”
  11. John 5:30 tn Grk “nothing from myself.”
  12. John 5:30 tn Or “righteous,” or “proper.”
  13. John 5:30 tn That is, “the will of the Father who sent me.”
  14. John 5:32 sn To whom does another refer? To John the Baptist or to the Father? In the nearer context, v. 33, it would seem to be John the Baptist. But v. 34 seems to indicate that Jesus does not receive testimony from men. Probably it is better to view v. 32 as identical to v. 37, with the comments about the Baptist as a parenthetical digression.
  15. John 5:33 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
  16. John 5:34 tn Or “I do not receive.”
  17. John 5:35 sn He was a lamp that was burning and shining. Sir 48:1 states that the word of Elijah “burned like a torch.” Because of the connection of John the Baptist with Elijah (see John 1:21 and the note on John’s reply, “I am not”), it was natural for Jesus to apply this description to John.
  18. John 5:35 tn Grk “for an hour.”
  19. John 5:36 tn Or “works.”
  20. John 5:36 tn Grk “complete, which I am now doing”; the referent of the relative pronoun has been specified by repeating “deeds” from the previous clause.
  21. John 5:37 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs (“heard,” “seen,” “have residing,” “do not believe”) are second person plural.
  22. John 5:37 sn You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Cf. Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer—their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century a.d. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.
  23. John 5:39 tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.
  24. John 5:39 sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”
  25. John 5:39 tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).
  26. John 5:41 tn Or “I do not receive.”
  27. John 5:41 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
  28. John 5:41 tn Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.
  29. John 5:42 tn The genitive in the phrase τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ (tēn agapēn tou theou, “the love of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“God’s love”) or an objective genitive (“love for God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, the emphasis would be on the love God gives which in turn produces love for him, but Jesus’ opponents are lacking any such love inside them.
  30. John 5:43 tn Or “you do not receive.”
  31. John 5:43 tn Or “you will receive.”
  32. John 5:44 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
  33. John 5:44 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
  34. John 5:44 tc Several early and significant witnesses (P66,75 B W a b sa) lack θεοῦ (theou, “God”) here, thus reading “the only one,” while most of the rest of the tradition, including some very significant mss, has the name (א A D L Θ Ψ 33 M). Internally, it could be argued that the name of God was not used here, in keeping with the NT practice of suppressing the name of God at times for rhetorical effect, drawing the reader inexorably to the conclusion that the one being spoken of is God himself. On the other hand, never is ὁ μόνος (ho monos) used absolutely in the NT (i.e., without a noun or substantive with it), and always the subject of the adjunct is God (cf. Matt 24:36; John 17:3; 1 Tim 6:16). What then is to explain the shorter reading? In majuscule script, with θεοῦ written as a nomen sacrum, envisioning accidental omission of the name by way of homoioteleuton requires little imagination, largely because of the succession of words ending in -ου: toumonouqMuou. It is thus preferable to retain the word in the text.
  35. John 5:45 sn The final condemnation will come from Moses himself—again ironic, since Moses is the very one the Jewish authorities have trusted in (placed your hope). This is again ironic if it is occurring at Pentecost, which at this time was being celebrated as the occasion of the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. There is evidence that some Jews of the 1st century looked on Moses as their intercessor at the final judgment (see W. A. Meeks, The Prophet King [NovTSup], 161). This would mean the statement Moses, in whom you have placed your hope should be taken literally and relates directly to Jesus’ statements about the final judgment in John 5:28-29.
  36. John 5:46 tn Grk “For if.”
  37. John 5:47 tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 106:1-12

Psalm 106[a]

106 Praise the Lord.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures.[b]
2 Who can adequately recount the Lord’s mighty acts,
or relate all his praiseworthy deeds?[c]
3 How blessed are those who promote justice,
and do what is right all the time.
4 Remember me, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.
Pay attention to me, when you deliver,
5 so I may see the prosperity[d] of your chosen ones,
rejoice along with your nation,[e]
and boast along with the people who belong to you.[f]
6 We have sinned like[g] our ancestors;[h]
we have done wrong, we have done evil.
7 Our ancestors in Egypt failed to appreciate your miraculous deeds.
They failed to remember your many acts of loyal love,
and they rebelled at the sea, by the Red Sea.[i]
8 Yet he delivered them for the sake of his reputation,[j]
that he might reveal his power.
9 He shouted at[k] the Red Sea and it dried up;
he led them through the deep water as if it were a desert.
10 He delivered them from the power[l] of the one who hated them,
and rescued[m] them from the power[n] of the enemy.
11 The water covered their enemies;
not even one of them survived.[o]
12 They believed his promises;[p]
they sang praises to him.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 106:1 sn Psalm 106. The psalmist recalls Israel’s long history of rebellion against God, despite his mighty saving deeds on their behalf.
  2. Psalm 106:1 tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
  3. Psalm 106:2 tn Heb “[or] cause to be heard all his praise.”
  4. Psalm 106:5 tn Heb “good.”
  5. Psalm 106:5 tn Heb “in order that [I may] rejoice with the rejoicing of your nation.”
  6. Psalm 106:5 tn Heb “with your inheritance.”
  7. Psalm 106:6 tn Heb “with.”
  8. Psalm 106:6 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).
  9. Psalm 106:7 tn Heb “Reed Sea” (also in vv. 9, 22). “Reed Sea” (or “Sea of Reeds”) is a more accurate rendering of the Hebrew expression יָם סוּף (yam suf), traditionally translated “Red Sea.” See the note on the term “Red Sea” in Exod 13:18.sn They rebelled. The psalmist recalls the people’s complaint recorded in Exod 14:12.
  10. Psalm 106:8 tn Heb “his name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
  11. Psalm 106:9 tn Or “rebuked.”
  12. Psalm 106:10 tn Heb “hand.”
  13. Psalm 106:10 tn Or “redeemed.”
  14. Psalm 106:10 tn Heb “hand.”
  15. Psalm 106:11 tn Heb “remained.”
  16. Psalm 106:12 tn Heb “his words.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 14:30-31

30 A tranquil spirit[a] revives the body,[b]
but envy[c] is rottenness to the bones.[d]
31 The one who oppresses[e] the poor has insulted[f] his Creator,
but whoever honors him shows favor[g] to the needy.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 14:30 tn Heb “heart of calmness” or “heart of healing.” The term לֵב (lev, “heart, mind”) is a metonymy for the emotional state of a person (BDB 660 s.v. 6). The genitive noun מַרְפֵּא (marpeʾ) functions as an attributive adjective and may be one of two homonyms. 1 מַרְפֵּא (“healing”) derives from the root רָפָא (raphaʾ, “to heal”) and 2 מַרְפֵּא (“calmness, gentleness”) derives from the root רָפָה (raphah, “to be slack, loose”). A healthy spirit is tranquil, bringing peace to the body (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 158).
  2. Proverbs 14:30 tn Heb “is the life of the flesh” (so KJV, ASV); NAB, NIV “gives life to the body.”
  3. Proverbs 14:30 tn The term קִנְאָה (qinʾah, “envy”) refers to passionate zeal or “jealousy” (so NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT), depending on whether the object is out of bounds or within one’s rights. In the good sense one might be consumed with zeal to defend the institutions of the sanctuary. But as envy or jealousy the word describes an intense and sometimes violent excitement and desire that is never satisfied.
  4. Proverbs 14:30 tn Heb “rottenness of bones.” The term “bones” may be a synecdoche representing the entire body; it is in contrast with “flesh” of the first colon. One who is consumed with envy finds no tranquility or general sense of health in body or spirit.
  5. Proverbs 14:31 tn Heb “an oppressor of the poor.” The verb עָשַׁק (ʿashaq) normally means “to oppress” (as in many English versions). However, here it might mean “to slander.” See J. A. Emerton, “Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” JTS 20 (1969): 202-22.
  6. Proverbs 14:31 sn In the Piel this verb has the meaning of “to reproach; to taunt; to say sharp things against” someone (cf. NIV “shows contempt for”). By oppressing the poor one taunts or mistreats God because that person is in the image of God—hence the reference to his/her maker, or “Creator.” To ridicule what God made is to ridicule God himself.
  7. Proverbs 14:31 tn Or “whoever shows favor to the needy honors him” (so NASB, NIV, and most translations, except KJV). While being an “oppressor” contrasts “showing favor” and to “have insulted” contrasts “honoring” the Creator, the proverb may also make its contrast by switching which element is the subject and which is verbal. In the first half “the oppressor” occurs first; the second half begins with vav (and/but) plus “the one who honors him. When the second half of a proverb begins with vav plus a participle, the overwhelming trend is that the participle is the subject, or occasionally the object of the sentence. On the rare occasions that a participle is the subject of a finite verb in a clause where the verb comes first, eight occur in the A-line and only one in the B-line (6:29 where the A-line is verbless and the B-line places focus on the verb). In some cases it is ambiguous whether the participle is verbal or substantival (11:17; 12:16; 16:2; 17:3; 21:2; 29:13) but these probably act as a predicate nominative. In other cases where another participle supplies the verbal element in the B-line (10:19; 11:13, 15; 16:28; 17:9; 19:2) the lead participle is the subject and the verbal participle is second. Thus standard syntax expects to read the line with “the one who honors him” as the subject. Showing favor to the needy is an outgrowth of the character of honoring the Lord. This may also elucidate the contrast between the verb forms. What act(s) it took to be “an oppressor of the poor” qualify as having insulted (perfect verb) the Maker. Insult has been given; that mark continues. But the one who honors him [the Maker] keeps (participle) being gracious to the needy.sn The phrase “shows favor” is contrasted with the term “oppresses.” To “show favor” means to be gracious to (or treat kindly) those who do not deserve it or cannot repay it. It is treatment that is gratis. This honors God because he commanded it to be done (Prov 14:21; 17:5; 19:17).
New English Translation (NET)

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