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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday October 5, 2024 (NIV)

Jeremiah 4:19-6:15

19 I said,[a]

“Oh, the feeling in the pit of my stomach![b]
I writhe in anguish.
Oh, the pain in my heart![c]
My heart pounds within me.
I cannot keep silent.
For I hear the sound of the trumpet;[d]
the sound of the battle cry pierces my soul![e]
20 I see[f] one destruction after another taking place,
so that the whole land lies in ruins.
I see our[g] tents suddenly destroyed,
their[h] curtains torn down in a mere instant.[i]
21 How long must I see the enemy’s battle flags
and hear the military signals of their bugles?”[j]

22 The Lord answered,[k]

“This will happen[l] because my people are foolish.
They do not know me.
They are like children who have no sense.[m]
They have no understanding.
They are skilled at doing evil.
They do not know how to do good.”
23 I looked at the land and saw[n] that it was an empty wasteland.[o]

I looked up at the sky, and its light had vanished.
24 I looked at the mountains and saw that they were shaking.
All the hills were swaying back and forth!
25 I looked and saw that there were no more people[p]
and that all the birds in the sky had flown away.
26 I looked and saw that the fruitful land had become a desert
and that all the cities had been laid in ruins.
The Lord had brought this all about
because of his blazing anger.[q]
27 All this will happen because the Lord said,[r]
“The whole land will be desolate;
however, I will not completely destroy it.
28 Because of this the land will mourn
and the sky above will grow black.[s]
For I have made my purpose known,[t]
and I will not relent or turn back from carrying it out.”[u]
29 At the sound of the approaching horsemen and archers
the people of every town will flee.
Some of them will hide in the thickets.
Others will climb up among the rocks.
All the cities will be deserted.
No one will remain in them.
30 And you, Zion, city doomed to destruction,[v]
you accomplish nothing[w] by wearing a beautiful dress,[x]
decking yourself out in jewels of gold,
and putting on eye shadow![y]
You are making yourself beautiful for nothing.
Your lovers spurn you.
They want to kill you.[z]
31 In fact,[aa] I hear a cry like that of a woman in labor,
a cry of anguish like that of a woman giving birth to her first baby.
It is the cry of Daughter Zion[ab] gasping for breath,
reaching out for help,[ac] saying, “I am done in![ad]
My life is ebbing away before these murderers!”

Judah is Justly Deserving of Coming Judgment

5 The Lord said,[ae]

“Go up and down[af] through the streets of Jerusalem.
Look around and see for yourselves.
Search through its public squares.
See if any of you can find a single person
who deals honestly and tries to be truthful.[ag]
If you can,[ah] then I will not punish this city.[ai]
2 These people make promises in the name of the Lord.[aj]
But the fact is,[ak] what they swear to is really a lie.”[al]
3 Lord, I know you look for faithfulness.[am]
But even when you punish these people, they feel no remorse.[an]
Even when you nearly destroy them, they refuse to be corrected.
They have become as hardheaded as a rock.[ao]
They refuse to change their ways.[ap]
4 I thought, “Surely it is only the ignorant poor who act this way.[aq]
They act like fools because they do not know what the Lord demands.[ar]
They do not know what their God requires of them.[as]
5 I will go to the leaders[at]
and speak with them.
Surely they know what the Lord demands.[au]
Surely they know what their God requires of them.”[av]
Yet all of them, too, have rejected his authority
and refuse to submit to him.[aw]
6 So like a lion from the thicket their enemies will kill them.
Like a wolf from the rift valley they will destroy them.
Like a leopard they will lie in wait outside their cities
and totally destroy anyone who ventures out.[ax]
For they have rebelled so much
and done so many unfaithful things.[ay]

7 The Lord asked,[az]

“How can I leave you unpunished, Jerusalem?[ba]
Your people[bb] have rejected me
and have worshiped gods that are not gods at all.[bc]
Even though I supplied all their needs,[bd] they were like an unfaithful wife to me.[be]
They went flocking[bf] to the houses of prostitutes.[bg]
8 They are like lusty, well-fed[bh] stallions.
Each of them lusts after[bi] his neighbor’s wife.
9 I will surely punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.
“I will surely bring retribution on such a nation as this!”[bj]
10 The Lord commanded the enemy,[bk]
“March through the vineyards of Israel and Judah and ruin them.[bl]
But do not destroy them completely.
Strip off their branches
for these people do not belong to the Lord.[bm]
11 For the nations of Israel and Judah[bn]
have been very unfaithful to me,”
says the Lord.
12 “These people have denied what the Lord says.[bo]
They have said, ‘That is not so![bp]
No harm will come to us.
We will not experience war and famine.[bq]
13 The prophets will prove to be full of wind.[br]
The Lord has not spoken through them.[bs]
So, let what they say happen to them.’”

14 Because of that,[bt] the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies[bu] said to me:[bv]

“Because these people have spoken[bw] like this,[bx]
I will make the words that I put in your mouth like fire.
And I will make this people like wood,
which the fiery judgments you speak will burn up.”[by]
15 The Lord says,[bz] “Listen,[ca] nation of Israel![cb]
I am about to bring a nation from far away to attack you.
It will be a nation that was founded long ago
and has lasted for a long time.
It will be a nation whose language you will not know.
Its people will speak words that you will not be able to understand.
16 All its soldiers are strong and mighty.[cc]
Their arrows will send you to your grave.[cd]
17 They will eat up your crops and your food.
They will kill off[ce] your sons and your daughters.
They will eat up your sheep and your cattle.
They will destroy your vines and your fig trees.[cf]
Their weapons will batter down[cg]
the fortified cities you trust in.

18 “Yet even then[ch] I will not completely destroy you,” says the Lord. 19 “So then, Jeremiah,[ci] when your people[cj] ask, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all this to us?’ tell them, ‘It is because you rejected me and served foreign gods in your own land. So[ck] you must serve foreigners[cl] in a land that does not belong to you.’

20 “Proclaim[cm] this message among the descendants of Jacob.[cn]
Make it known throughout Judah.
21 Tell them: ‘Hear this,
you foolish people who have no understanding,
who have eyes but do not discern,
who have ears but do not perceive:[co]
22 ‘You should fear me!’ says the Lord.
‘You should tremble in awe before me![cp]
I made the sand to be a boundary for the sea,
a permanent barrier that it can never cross.
Its waves may roll, but they can never prevail.
They may roar, but they can never cross beyond that boundary.’[cq]
23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts.
They have turned aside and gone their own way.[cr]
24 They do not say to themselves,[cs]
‘Let us revere the Lord our God.
It is he who gives us the autumn rains and the spring rains at the proper time.
It is he who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.”[ct]
25 Your misdeeds have stopped these things from coming.[cu]
Your sins have deprived you of my bounty.’[cv]
26 Indeed, there are wicked scoundrels among my people.
They lie in wait like bird catchers hiding in ambush.[cw]
They set deadly traps[cx] to catch people.
27 Like a cage filled with the birds that have been caught,[cy]
their houses are filled with the gains of their fraud and deceit.[cz]
That is how they have gotten so rich and powerful.[da]
28 That is how[db] they have grown fat and sleek.[dc]
There is no limit to the evil things they do.[dd]
They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it.
They do not defend the rights of the poor.
29 I will certainly punish them for doing such things!” says the Lord.
“I will certainly bring retribution on such a nation as this![de]
30 Something horrible and shocking
is going on in the land of Judah:
31 The prophets prophesy lies.
The priests exercise power by their own authority.[df]
And my people love to have it this way.
But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes![dg]

The Destruction of Jerusalem Depicted

6 “Run for safety, people of Benjamin!
Get out of Jerusalem![dh]
Sound the trumpet[di] in Tekoa!
Light the signal fires at Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster lurks[dj] out of the north;
it will bring great destruction.[dk]
2 I will destroy[dl] Daughter Zion,[dm]
who is as delicate and defenseless as a young maiden.[dn]
3 Kings will attack her with their armies.[do]
They will encamp in siege all around her.[dp]
Each of them will devastate the portion assigned to him.[dq]
4 They will say,[dr] ‘Prepare to do battle[ds] against it!
Come on! Let’s attack it at noon!’
But later they will say,[dt] ‘Woe to us![du]
For the day is almost over,
and the shadows of evening are getting long.
5 So come on, let’s go ahead and attack it by night
and destroy all its fortified buildings.’
6 All this is because[dv] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[dw] has said:
‘Cut down the trees around Jerusalem
and build up a siege ramp against its walls.[dx]
This is the city that is to be punished.[dy]
Nothing but oppression happens in it.[dz]
7 As a well continually pours out fresh water
so it continually pours out wicked deeds.[ea]
Sounds of violence and destruction echo throughout it.[eb]
All I see are sick and wounded people.’[ec]
8 So[ed] take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will abandon you in disgust[ee]
and make you desolate,
a place where no one can live.”

9 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[ef] said to me:[eg]

“Those who remain in Israel will be
like the grapes thoroughly gleaned[eh] from a vine.
So go over them again, as though you were a grape harvester
passing your hand over the branches one last time.”[ei]

10 I answered,[ej]

“Who would listen
if I spoke to them and warned them?[ek]
Their ears are so closed[el]
that they cannot hear!
Indeed,[em] the Lord’s message is offensive to them.
They do not like it at all.[en]
11 I am as full of anger as you are, Lord,[eo]
I am tired of trying to hold it in.”

The Lord answered,[ep]

“Vent it, then,[eq] on the children who play in the street
and on the young men who are gathered together.
Husbands and wives are to be included,[er]
as well as the old and those who are advanced in years.
12 Their houses will be turned over to others
as will their fields and their wives.
For I will unleash my power[es]
against those who live in this land,”
says the Lord.
13 “That is because, from the least important to the most important of them,
all of them are greedy for dishonest gain.
Prophets and priests alike,
all of them practice deceit.
14 They offer only superficial help
for the harm my people have suffered.[et]
They say, ‘Everything will be all right!’
But everything is not all right![eu]
15 Are they ashamed because they have done such shameful things?
No, they are not at all ashamed.
They do not even know how to blush!
So they will die, just like others have died.[ev]
They will be brought to ruin when I punish them,”
says the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Jeremiah 4:19 tn The words “I said” are not in the text. They are used to mark the shift from the Lord’s promise of judgment to Jeremiah’s lament concerning it.
  2. Jeremiah 4:19 tn Heb “My bowels! My bowels!”
  3. Jeremiah 4:19 tn Heb “the walls of my heart!”
  4. Jeremiah 4:19 tn Heb “ram’s horn.” But the modern equivalent is “trumpet” and is more readily understandable.
  5. Jeremiah 4:19 tc The translation reflects a different division of the last two lines than that suggested by the Masoretes. The written text (the Kethib) reads “for the sound of the ram’s horn I have heard [or “you have heard,” if the form is understood as the old second feminine singular perfect] my soul” followed by “the battle cry” in the last line. The translation is based on taking “my soul” with the last line and understanding an elliptical expression “[to] my soul the battle cry.” Such an elliptical expression is in keeping with the elliptical nature of the exclamations at the beginning of the verse (cf. the literal translations of the first two lines of the verse in the notes on the words “stomach” and “heart”).
  6. Jeremiah 4:20 tn The words “I see” are not in the text here or at the beginning of the third line. They are supplied in the translation to show that this is Jeremiah’s vision of what will happen as a result of the invasion announced in 4:5-9, 11-17a.
  7. Jeremiah 4:20 tn Heb “my.” This is probably not a reference to Jeremiah’s own tents since he foresees the destruction of the whole land. Jeremiah so identifies with the plight of his people that he sees the destruction of their tents as though they were his very own. It would probably lead to confusion to translate literally, and it is not uncommon in Hebrew laments for the community or its representative to speak of the community as an “I.” See, for example, the interchange between first singular and first plural pronouns in Ps 44:4-8.
  8. Jeremiah 4:20 tn Heb “my.”
  9. Jeremiah 4:20 tn It is not altogether clear what Jeremiah intends by the use of this metaphor. In all likelihood he means that the defenses of Israel’s cities and towns have offered no more resistance than nomads’ tents. However, in light of the fact that the word “tent” came to be used generically for a person’s home (cf. 1 Kgs 8:66; 12:16), it is possible here that Jeremiah is referring to the destruction of their homes and the resultant feeling of homelessness and loss of even elementary protection. Given the lack of certainty, the present translation is rather literal here.
  10. Jeremiah 4:21 tn Heb “the sound of ram’s horns.” But the modern equivalent is “bugles” and is more readily understandable.
  11. Jeremiah 4:22 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show clearly the shift in speaker. Jeremiah has been speaking; now the Lord answers, giving the reason for the devastation Jeremiah foresees.
  12. Jeremiah 4:22 tn Heb “For….” This gives the explanation for the destruction envisaged in 4:20 to which Jeremiah responds in 4:19, 21.
  13. Jeremiah 4:22 tn Heb “They are senseless children.”
  14. Jeremiah 4:23 tn Heb “I looked at the land and behold…” This indicates the visionary character of Jeremiah’s description of the future condition of the land of Israel.
  15. Jeremiah 4:23 tn Heb “formless and empty.” This is a case of hendiadys (two nouns joined by “and” both describe the same thing): one noun retains its full nominal force; the other functions as an adjective. The words תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ (tohu vavohu) allude to Gen 1:2, hyperbolically picturing a reversal of creation and return to the original precreation chaos.
  16. Jeremiah 4:25 tn Heb “there was no man/human being.”
  17. Jeremiah 4:26 tn Heb “because of the Lord, because of his blazing anger.”
  18. Jeremiah 4:27 tn Heb “For this is what the Lord said.”
  19. Jeremiah 4:28 sn The earth and the heavens are personified here and depicted in the act of mourning and wearing black clothes because of the destruction of the land of Israel.
  20. Jeremiah 4:28 tn Heb “has spoken and purposed.” This is an example of hendiadys where two verbs are joined by “and” but one is meant to serve as a modifier of the other.
  21. Jeremiah 4:28 tn Heb “will not turn back from it.”
  22. Jeremiah 4:30 tn Heb “And you that are doomed to destruction.” The referent is supplied from the following context and the fact that Zion/Jerusalem represents the leadership that was continually making overtures to foreign nations for help.
  23. Jeremiah 4:30 tn Heb “What are you accomplishing…?” The rhetorical question assumes a negative answer, made clear by the translation in the indicative.
  24. Jeremiah 4:30 tn Heb “clothing yourself in scarlet.”
  25. Jeremiah 4:30 tn Heb “enlarging your eyes with antimony.” Antimony was a black powder used by women as eyeliner to make their eyes look larger.
  26. Jeremiah 4:30 tn Heb “they seek your life.”
  27. Jeremiah 4:31 tn The particle כִּי (ki) is more likely asseverative here than causal.
  28. Jeremiah 4:31 sn Jerusalem is personified as a helpless young woman giving birth.
  29. Jeremiah 4:31 tn Heb “spreading out her hands.” The idea of asking or pleading for help is implicit in the figure.
  30. Jeremiah 4:31 tn Heb “Woe, now to me!” See the translator’s note on 4:13 for the usage of “Woe to…”
  31. Jeremiah 5:1 tn These words are not in the text, but since the words at the end are obviously those of the Lord, they are supplied in the translation here to mark the shift in speaker from 4:29-31, where Jeremiah is the obvious speaker.
  32. Jeremiah 5:1 tn It is not clear who is being addressed here. The verbs are plural so they are not addressed to Jeremiah per se. Since the passage is talking about the people of Jerusalem, it is unlikely they are addressed here except perhaps rhetorically. Some have suggested that the heavenly court is being addressed as in Job 1:6-8; 2:1-3. It is clear from Jer 23:18, 22; Amos 3:7 that the prophets had access to this heavenly council through visions (cf. 1 Kgs 22:19-23), so Jeremiah could have been privy to this speech through that means. Though these angels are the most likely addressees, it is too presumptuous to supply such an explicit addressee without clearer indication in the text.
  33. Jeremiah 5:1 tn Heb “who does justice and seeks faithfulness.”
  34. Jeremiah 5:1 tn Heb “squares. If you can find…if there is one person…then I will…”
  35. Jeremiah 5:1 tn Heb “forgive [or pardon] it.”
  36. Jeremiah 5:2 tn Heb “Though they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives.’” The idea of “swear on oath” comes from the second line.
  37. Jeremiah 5:2 tc The translation follows many Hebrew mss and the Syriac version in reading “surely” (אָכֵן, ʾakhen) instead of “therefore” (לָכֵן, lakhen) in the MT. tn Heb “Surely.”
  38. Jeremiah 5:2 tn Heb “they swear falsely.”
  39. Jeremiah 5:3 tn Heb “O Lord, are your eyes not to faithfulness?” The question is rhetorical and expects a positive answer.
  40. Jeremiah 5:3 tn Commentaries and lexicons debate the meaning of the verb here. The MT is pointed as though from a verb meaning “to writhe in anguish or contrition” (חוּל [khul]; see, e.g., BDB 297 s.v. חוּל 2.c), but some commentaries and lexicons repoint the text as though from a verb meaning “to be sick,” thus “to feel pain” (חָלָה [khalah]; see, e.g., HALOT 304 s.v. חָלָה 3). The former appears more appropriate to the context.
  41. Jeremiah 5:3 tn Heb “They made their faces as hard as a rock.”
  42. Jeremiah 5:3 tn Or “to repent”; Heb “to turn back.”
  43. Jeremiah 5:4 tn Heb “Surely they are poor.” The translation is intended to make clear the explicit contrasts and qualifications drawn in this verse and the next.
  44. Jeremiah 5:4 tn Heb “the way of the Lord.”
  45. Jeremiah 5:4 tn Heb “the judgment [or ordinance] of their God.”
  46. Jeremiah 5:5 tn Or “people in power”; Heb “the great ones.”
  47. Jeremiah 5:5 tn Heb “the way of the Lord.”
  48. Jeremiah 5:5 tn Heb “the judgment [or ordinance] of their God.”
  49. Jeremiah 5:5 tn Heb “have broken the yoke and torn off the yoke ropes.” Cf. Jer 2:20 and the note there.
  50. Jeremiah 5:6 tn Heb “So a lion from the thicket will kill them. A wolf from the desert will destroy them. A leopard will watch outside their cities. Anyone who goes out from them will be torn in pieces.” However, it is unlikely that, in the context of judgment that Jeremiah has previously been describing, literal lions are meant. The animals are metaphorical for their enemies. Cf. Jer 4:7.
  51. Jeremiah 5:6 tn Heb “their rebellions are so many, and their unfaithful acts so numerous.”
  52. Jeremiah 5:7 tn These words are not in the text, but are supplied in the translation to make clear who is speaking.
  53. Jeremiah 5:7 tn Heb “How can I forgive [or pardon] you?” The pronoun “you” is second feminine singular, referring to the city. See v. 1.
  54. Jeremiah 5:7 tn Heb “your children.”
  55. Jeremiah 5:7 tn Heb “and they have sworn [oaths] by not-gods.”
  56. Jeremiah 5:7 tn Heb “I satisfied them to the full.”
  57. Jeremiah 5:7 tn Heb “they committed adultery.” It is difficult to decide whether literal adultery with other women or spiritual adultery with other gods is meant. The word for adultery is used for both in the book of Jeremiah. For examples of its use for spiritual adultery see 3:8, 9; 9:2. For examples of its use for literal adultery see 7:9; 23:14. The context here could argue for either. The swearing by other gods and the implicit contradiction in their actions in contrast to the expected gratitude for supplying their needs argues for spiritual adultery. However, the reference to prostitution in the next line and the reference to chasing after their neighbor’s wives argues for literal adultery. The translation opts for spiritual adultery because of the contrast implicit in the concessive clause.
  58. Jeremiah 5:7 tn There is a great deal of debate about the meaning of this word. Most of the modern English versions follow the lead of lexicographers who relate this word to a noun meaning “troop” and understand it to mean “they trooped together” (cf. BDB 151 s.v. גָּדַד Hithpo.2 and compare the usage in Mic 5:1 [4:14 HT]). A few of the modern English versions and commentaries follow the reading of the Greek and read a word meaning “they lodged” (reading יִתְגּוֹרְרוּ [yitgoreru] from I גּוּר [gur; cf. HALOT 177 s.v. Hithpo. and compare the usage in 1 Kgs 17:20] instead of יִתְגֹּדָדוּ [yitgodadu]). W. L. Holladay (Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:180) sees a reference here to the cultic practice of cutting oneself in supplication to pagan gods (cf. BDB 151 s.v. גָּדַד Hithpo.1 and compare the usage in 1 Kgs 18:28). The houses of prostitutes would then be a reference to ritual prostitutes at the pagan shrines. The translation follows BDB and the majority of modern English versions.
  59. Jeremiah 5:7 tn Heb “to a house of a prostitute.”sn This could be a reference to cultic temple prostitution connected with the pagan shrines. For allusion to this in the OT, see, e.g., Deut 23:17 and 2 Kgs 23:7.
  60. Jeremiah 5:8 tn The meanings of these two adjectives are uncertain. The translation of the first adjective is based on assuming that the word is a defectively written participle related to the noun “testicle” (a Hiphil participle מַאֲשִׁכִים [maʾashikhim] from a verb related to אֶשֶׁךְ [ʾeshekh, “testicle”]; cf. Lev 21:20) and hence “having testicles” (cf. HALOT 1379 s.v. שָׁכָה) instead of the Masoretic form מַשְׁכִּים (mashkim) from a root שָׁכָה (shakhah), which is otherwise unattested in either verbal or nominal forms. The second adjective is best derived from a verb root meaning “to feed” (a Hophal participle מוּזָנִים [muzanim, the Kethib] from a root זוּן [zun; cf. BDB 266 s.v. זוּן] for which there is the cognate noun מָזוֹן [mazon; cf. 2 Chr 11:23]). This is more likely than the derivation from a root יָזַן ([yazan]reading מְיֻזָּנִים [meyuzzanim], a Pual participle with the Qere) which is otherwise unattested in verbal or nominal forms and whose meaning is dependent only on a supposed Arabic cognate (cf. HALOT 387 s.v. יָזַן).
  61. Jeremiah 5:8 tn Heb “neighs after.”
  62. Jeremiah 5:9 tn Heb “Should I not punish them…? Should I not bring retribution…?” The rhetorical questions have the force of strong declarations.
  63. Jeremiah 5:10 tn These words to not appear in the Hebrew text but have been added in the translation for the sake of clarity to identify the implied addressee.
  64. Jeremiah 5:10 tn Heb “through her vine rows and destroy.” No object is given but “vines” must be implicit. The word for “vineyards” (or “vine rows”) is a hapax legomenon and its derivation is debated. BDB 1004 s.v. שּׁוּרָה repoints שָׁרוֹתֶיהָ (sharoteha) to שֻׁרוֹתֶיהָ (shuroteha) and relates it to a Mishnaic Hebrew and Palestinian Aramaic word meaning “row.” HALOT 1348 s.v. שּׁוּרָה also repoints to שֻׁרוֹתֶיהָ and relates it to a noun meaning “wall,” preferring to see the reference here to the walled terraces on which the vineyards were planted. The difference in meaning is minimal.
  65. Jeremiah 5:10 tn Heb “for they do not belong to the Lord.” In the light of the context and Jeremiah’s identification of Israel as a vine (cf., e.g., 2:21) and a vineyard (cf., e.g., 12:10), it is likely that this verse has a totally metaphorical significance. The enemy is to go through the vineyard that is Israel and Judah and destroy all those who have been unfaithful to the Lord. It is not impossible, however, that the verse has a double meaning, a literal one and a figurative one: the enemy is not only to destroy Israel and Judah’s vines but to destroy Israel and Judah, lopping off the wicked Israelites who, because of their covenant unfaithfulness, the Lord has disowned. If the verse is totally metaphorical one might translate, “Pass through my vineyard, Israel and Judah, wreaking destruction. But do not destroy all of the people. Cut down like branches those unfaithful people because they no longer belong to the Lord.”
  66. Jeremiah 5:11 tn Heb “the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”
  67. Jeremiah 5:12 tn Heb “have denied the Lord.” The words “What…says” are implicit in what follows.
  68. Jeremiah 5:12 tn Or “he will do nothing”; Heb “Not he [or it]!”
  69. Jeremiah 5:12 tn Heb “we will not see the sword and famine.”
  70. Jeremiah 5:13 tn Heb “will be wind.”sn There is a wordplay on the Hebrew word translated “wind” (רוּחַ, ruakh) which also means “spirit.” The prophets spoke by inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord (cf., e.g., 2 Chr 20:14); hence the prophet was sometimes called “the man of the spirit” (cf. Hos 9:7). The people were claiming that the prophets were speaking lies and hence were full of wind, not the Spirit.
  71. Jeremiah 5:13 tc Heb “the word is not in them.” The MT has a highly unusual form here, the Piel perfect with the definite article (הַדִּבֵּר, haddibber). It is undoubtedly best to read with the LXX (Greek version) and one Hebrew ms the article on the noun (הַדָּבָר, haddavar).
  72. Jeremiah 5:14 tn Heb “Therefore.”
  73. Jeremiah 5:14 tn Heb “The Lord God of Armies.” See the translator’s note at 2:19.sn Here the emphasis appears to be on the fact that the Lord is in charge of the enemy armies whom he will use to punish Israel for their denial of his prior warnings through the prophets.
  74. Jeremiah 5:14 tn The words, “to me” are not in the text but are implicit in the connection. They are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  75. Jeremiah 5:14 tn Heb “you have spoken.” The text here דַּבֶּרְכֶם (dabberekhem, “you have spoken”) is either a case of a scribal error for דַּבֶּרָם (dabberam, “their speaking”; preceding יַעַן [ya‘an] would function as a preposition meaning “because of”) or an example of the rapid shift in addressee which is common in Jeremiah.
  76. Jeremiah 5:14 tn Heb “this word.”
  77. Jeremiah 5:14 tn Heb “like wood and it [i.e., the fire I put in your mouth] will consume them.”
  78. Jeremiah 5:15 tn Heb “oracle of the Lord.”
  79. Jeremiah 5:15 tn Heb “Behold!”
  80. Jeremiah 5:15 tn Heb “house of Israel.”
  81. Jeremiah 5:16 tn Heb “All of them are mighty warriors.”
  82. Jeremiah 5:16 tn Heb “his quiver [is] an open grave.” The order of the lines has been reversed to make the transition from “nation” to “their arrows” easier.
  83. Jeremiah 5:17 tn Heb “eat up.”
  84. Jeremiah 5:17 tn Or “eat up your grapes and figs”; Heb “eat up your vines and your fig trees.”sn It was typical for an army in time of war in the ancient Near East not only to eat up the crops but to destroy the means of further production.
  85. Jeremiah 5:17 tn Heb “They will beat down with the sword.” The term “sword” is a figure of speech (synecdoche) for military weapons in general. Siege ramps, not swords, beat down city walls; swords kill people, not city walls.
  86. Jeremiah 5:18 tn Heb “in those days.”
  87. Jeremiah 5:19 tn The word, “Jeremiah,” is not in the text but the second person address in the second half of the verse is obviously to him. The word is supplied in the translation here for clarity.
  88. Jeremiah 5:19 tn The MT reads the second masculine plural; this is probably a case of attraction to the second masculine plural pronoun in the preceding line. An alternative would be to understand a shift from speaking first to the people in the first half of the verse and then speaking to Jeremiah in the second half, where the verb is second masculine singular (e.g., “When you [people] say, “Why…?” then you, Jeremiah, tell them…”).
  89. Jeremiah 5:19 tn Heb “As you left me and…, so you will….” The translation was chosen so as to break up a rather long and complex sentence.
  90. Jeremiah 5:19 sn This is probably a case of deliberate ambiguity (double entendre). The adjective “foreigners” is used for both foreign people (so Jer 30:8; 51:51) and foreign gods (so Jer 2:25; 3:13). See also Jer 16:13 for the idea of having to serve other gods in the lands of exile.
  91. Jeremiah 5:20 sn The verbs are second plural here. Jeremiah, speaking for the Lord, addresses his people, calling on them to make the message further known.
  92. Jeremiah 5:20 tn Heb “in the house of Jacob.”
  93. Jeremiah 5:21 tn Heb “they have eyes but they do not see; they have ears but they do not hear.”
  94. Jeremiah 5:22 tn Heb “Should you not fear me? Should you not tremble in awe before me?” The rhetorical questions expect the answer explicit in the translation.
  95. Jeremiah 5:22 tn Heb “it.” The referent is made explicit to avoid any possible confusion.
  96. Jeremiah 5:23 tn The words, “their own way” are not in the text but are implicit and are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  97. Jeremiah 5:24 tn Heb “say in their hearts.”
  98. Jeremiah 5:24 tn Heb “who keeps for us the weeks appointed for harvest.
  99. Jeremiah 5:25 tn Heb “have turned these things away.”
  100. Jeremiah 5:25 tn Heb “have withheld the good from you.”
  101. Jeremiah 5:26 tn The meaning of the last three words is uncertain. The pointing and meaning of the Hebrew word rendered “hiding in ambush” is debated. BDB relates the form (כְּשַׁךְ, keshakh) to a root שָׁכַךְ (shakhakh), which elsewhere means “decrease, abate” (cf. BDB 1013 s.v. שָׁכַךְ). BDB notes that this is usually understood here as “like the crouching of fowlers,” but they say this meaning is dubious. HALOT 1345 s.v. I שׁוֹר questions the validity of the text and offers three proposals; the second appears to create the least textual modification, i.e., reading כְּשַׂךְ (kesakh, “as in the hiding place of (bird catchers).” For the word שַׂךְ (sakh) see HALOT 1236 s.v. שׂךְ 4 and compare Lam 2:6 for usage. The versions do not help. The Greek does not translate the first two words of the line. The proposal given in HALOT is accepted with some hesitancy.
  102. Jeremiah 5:26 tn Heb “a destroying thing.”
  103. Jeremiah 5:27 tn The words, “that have been caught” are not in the text but are implicit in the comparison.
  104. Jeremiah 5:27 tn Heb “are filled with deceit.” The translation assumes a figure of speech of cause for effect (metonymy). Compare the same word in the same figure in Zeph 1:9.
  105. Jeremiah 5:27 tn Heb “therefore they have gotten great and rich.”
  106. Jeremiah 5:28 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show that this line is parallel with the preceding.
  107. Jeremiah 5:28 tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. This verb occurs only here. The lexicons generally relate it to the word translated “plate” in Song 5:14 and understand it to mean “smooth, shiny” (so BDB 799 s.v. I עֶשֶׁת) or “fat” (so HALOT 850 s.v. II עֶשֶׁת). The word in Song 5:14 more likely means “smooth” than “plate” (so TEV). So “sleek” is most likely here.
  108. Jeremiah 5:28 tn Heb “they cross over/transgress with respect to matters of evil.”sn There is a wordplay in the use of this verb, which has twice been applied in v. 22 to the sea not crossing the boundary set for it by God.
  109. Jeremiah 5:29 tn Heb “Should I not punish…? Should I not bring retribution…?” The rhetorical questions function as emphatic declarations.sn These words are repeated from 5:9 to give a kind of refrain justifying again the necessity of punishment in the light of such sins.
  110. Jeremiah 5:31 tn Heb “they shall rule at their hands.” Since the word “hand” can be used figuratively for authority or mean “side,” and the pronoun “them” can refer to the priests themselves or the prophets, the following translations have also been suggested: “the priests rule under their [the prophets’] directions,” or “the priests rule in league with them [the prophets].” From the rest of the book it would appear that the prophets did not exercise authority over the priests, nor did they exercise the same authority over the people that the priests did. Hence it probably means “by their own hand/power/authority.”
  111. Jeremiah 5:31 tn Heb “But what will you do at its end?” The rhetorical question implies a negative answer: “Nothing!”
  112. Jeremiah 6:1 tn Heb “Flee for safety, people of Benjamin, out of the midst of Jerusalem.”sn Compare and contrast Jer 4:6. There people in the outlying areas were warned to seek safety in the fortified city of Jerusalem. Here they are told to flee it because it was about to be destroyed.
  113. Jeremiah 6:1 tn Heb “ram’s horn.” But the modern equivalent is “trumpet” and is more readily understandable.
  114. Jeremiah 6:1 tn Heb “leans down” or “looks down.” This verb personifies destruction leaning/looking down from its window in the sky, ready to attack.
  115. Jeremiah 6:1 tn Heb “[It will be] a severe fracture.” The nation is pictured as a limb being fractured.sn This passage is emotionally charged. There are two examples of assonance or wordplay in the verse. “Sound” and “Tekoa” are built on the same root: תָּקַע (taqaʿ, “blow”). “Light” and “signal fire,” also come from the same root: נָשָׂא (nasaʾ, “lift up”). Also disaster is personified when it is said to “lurk” (Heb “look down on”) out of the north. This gives a sense of urgency and concern for the coming destruction.
  116. Jeremiah 6:2 tn The verb here is another example of the Hebrew verb form that indicates the action is as good as done (a Hebrew prophetic perfect).
  117. Jeremiah 6:2 sn Jerusalem is personified as a young maiden who is helpless in the hands of her enemies.
  118. Jeremiah 6:2 tn Heb “The beautiful and delicate one I will destroy, the daughter of Zion.” The English versions and commentaries are divided over the rendering of this verse because (1) there are two verbs with these same consonants, one meaning “to be like” and the other meaning “to be destroyed” (intransitive) or “to destroy” (transitive), and (2) the word rendered “beautiful” (נָוָה, navah) can be understood as a noun meaning “pasture” or as a defective writing of an adjective meaning “beautiful, comely” (נָאוָה, naʾvah). Hence some render, “Fair Zion, you are like a lovely pasture,” reading the verb form as an example of the old second feminine singular perfect. Although this may fit the imagery of the next verse, that rendering ignores the absence of a preposition (לְ or אֶל, le or ʾel, both of which can be translated “to”) that normally goes with the verb “be like,” and it drops the conjunction in front of the adjective “delicate.” The parallel usage of the verb in Hos 4:5 argues for the meaning “destroy.”
  119. Jeremiah 6:3 tn Heb “Shepherds and their flocks will attack it.” Rulers are often depicted as shepherds; see BDB 945 s.v. רָעָה 1.d(2) (cf. Jer 12:10). The translation of this verse attempts to clarify the point of this extended metaphor.
  120. Jeremiah 6:3 tn Heb “They will thrust [= pitch] tents around it.” The shepherd imagery has a surprisingly ominous tone. The beautiful pasture filled with shepherds grazing their sheep is in reality a city under siege from an attacking enemy.
  121. Jeremiah 6:3 tn Heb “They will graze each one his portion.” For the use of the verb “graze” to mean “strip” or “devastate” see BDB 945 s.v. רָעָה 2.c. For a similar use of the word normally meaning “hand” to mean portion, compare 2 Sam 19:43 (19:44 HT).sn There is another wordplay involving the root תָּקַע (taqaʿ). Here it is the verb for pitching tents, while in v. 1 it was used for sounding the trumpet. It is the root for the place name “Tekoa.”
  122. Jeremiah 6:4 tn These words are not in the text but are implicit in the connection. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  123. Jeremiah 6:4 tn Heb “Sanctify war.” This is probably an idiom from early Israel’s holy wars in which religious rites were to precede the battle.
  124. Jeremiah 6:4 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity. Some commentaries and English versions see these not as the words of the enemy but as those of the Israelites expressing their fear that the enemy will launch a night attack against them and further destroy them. The connection with the next verse, however, fits better with them if they are the words of the enemy.
  125. Jeremiah 6:4 tn For the usage of this phrase see the translator’s note on 4:13. The usage of this particle here is a little exaggerated. They have lost the most advantageous time for attack but they are scarcely in a hopeless or doomed situation. The equivalent in English slang is “Bad news!”
  126. Jeremiah 6:6 tn Heb “For.” The translation attempts to make the connection clearer.
  127. Jeremiah 6:6 tn Heb “Yahweh of Armies.”sn For an explanation of the significance of this title see the study note on 2:19.
  128. Jeremiah 6:6 tn Heb “Cut down its trees and build up a siege ramp against Jerusalem.” The referent has been moved forward from the second line for clarity.
  129. Jeremiah 6:6 tn Or “has been appointed.” The meaning of this line is uncertain. The LXX reads, “Woe, city of falsehood!” The MT presents a masculine singular verb with a feminine singular subject. The verb פָּקַד (paqad) in the Hophal verbal stem elsewhere means “to be appointed, designated.” It is used of officials who have been appointed to tasks or of leaving something deposited with someone. Hence many follow the Greek, which presupposes הוֹי עִיר הַשֶּׁקֶר (hoy ʿir hasheqer) instead of הִיא הָעִיר הָפְקַד (hiʾ haʿir hofqad). The Greek is the easier reading in light of the parallelism, and it would be hard to explain how the MT arose from it. KBL suggests reading a noun meaning “licentiousness” that occurs elsewhere only in Mishnaic Hebrew, hence “this is the city, the licentious one” (attributive apposition; cf. KBL 775 s.v. פֶּקֶר). Perhaps the Hophal perfect (הָפְקַד, hofqad) should be revocalized as a Niphal infinitive absolute (הִפָּקֹד, hippaqod), which would solve both anomalies in the MT since the Niphal is used in this nuance and the infinitive absolute can function in place of a finite verb (cf. GKC 346 §113.ee and ff). This change, however, is mere speculation and is supported by no Hebrew ms.
  130. Jeremiah 6:6 tn Heb “All of it oppression in its midst.”
  131. Jeremiah 6:7 tc Heb “As a well makes cool/fresh its water, she makes cool/fresh her wickedness.” The translation follows the reading proposed by the Masoretes (Qere) which reads a rare form of the word “well” (בַּיִר [bayir] for בְּאֵר [beʾer]) in place of the form written in the text (Kethib, בּוֹר [bor]), which means “cistern.” The latter noun is masculine and the pronoun “its” is feminine. If indeed בַּיִר (bayir) is a byform of בְּאֵר (beʾer), which is feminine, it would agree in gender with the pronoun. It also forms a more appropriate comparison since cisterns do not hold fresh water.
  132. Jeremiah 6:7 tn Heb “Violence and destruction are heard in it.”
  133. Jeremiah 6:7 tn Heb “Sickness and wound are continually before my face.”
  134. Jeremiah 6:8 tn This word is not in the text but is supplied in the translation. Jeremiah uses a figure of speech (enallage) where the speaker turns from talking about someone to address him/her directly.
  135. Jeremiah 6:8 tn Heb “lest my soul [= I] becomes disgusted with you.”sn The wordplay begun with “sound…in Tekoa” in v. 1 and continued with “encamp” (they will pitch [their tents]) in v. 3 is concluded here with “turn away in disgust” (תֵּקַע [teqaʿ]), which uses the same consonants although built now on the root יָקַע (yaqaʿ).
  136. Jeremiah 6:9 tn Heb “Yahweh of Armies.”sn For an explanation of the significance of this title see the study note on 2:19.
  137. Jeremiah 6:9 tn The words “to me” are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  138. Jeremiah 6:9 tn Heb “They will thoroughly glean those who are left in Israel like a vine.” That is, they will be carried off by judgment. It is not necessary to read the verb forms here the way some English versions and commentaries do: as two imperatives, or as an infinitive absolute followed by an imperative. “Glean” is an example of a third plural verb used impersonally and translated as a passive (cf. GKC 460 §144.g).
  139. Jeremiah 6:9 tn Heb “Pass your hand back over the branches like a grape harvester.” The translation is intended to clarify the metaphor that Jeremiah should try to rescue some from the coming destruction.
  140. Jeremiah 6:10 tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  141. Jeremiah 6:10 tn Heb “To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may listen?”
  142. Jeremiah 6:10 tn Heb “are uncircumcised.”
  143. Jeremiah 6:10 tn Heb “Behold!”
  144. Jeremiah 6:10 tn Heb “They do not take pleasure in it.”
  145. Jeremiah 6:11 tn Heb “I am full of the wrath of the Lord.”
  146. Jeremiah 6:11 tn These words are not in the text but are implicit from the words that follow. They are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  147. Jeremiah 6:11 tn Heb “Pour it out.”
  148. Jeremiah 6:11 tn Heb “are to be captured.”
  149. Jeremiah 6:12 tn Heb “I will reach out my hand.” This figure involves both comparing God to a person (anthropomorphism) and substituting the hand for its actions or exertions (metonymy). A common use of “hand” is for the exertion of power or strength (cf. BDB 290 s.v. יָד 2 and 289-90 s.v. יָד 1.e(2); cf. Deut 34:12; Ps 78:42; Jer 16:21).
  150. Jeremiah 6:14 tn Heb “They heal [= bandage] the wound of my people lightly”; TEV “They act as if my people’s wounds were only scratches.”
  151. Jeremiah 6:14 tn Heb “They say, ‘Peace! Peace!’ and there is no peace!”
  152. Jeremiah 6:15 tn Heb “They will fall among the fallen.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Colossians 1:18-2:7

18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn[a] from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.[b]
19 For God[c] was pleased to have all his[d] fullness dwell[e] in the Son[f]
20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him,[g] whether things on earth or things in heaven.

Paul’s Goal in Ministry

21 And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your[h] minds[i] as expressed through[j] your evil deeds, 22 but now he has reconciled you[k] by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him— 23 if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm,[l] without shifting[m] from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my physical body—for the sake of his body, the church—what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. 25 I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship[n] from God—given to me for you—in order to complete[o] the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery that has been kept hidden from ages and generations, but has now been revealed to his saints. 27 God wanted to make known to them the glorious[p] riches of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him by instructing[q] and teaching[r] all people[s] with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature[t] in Christ. 29 Toward this goal[u] I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully[v] works in me.

2 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you,[w] and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face.[x] 2 My goal is that[y] their hearts, having been knit together[z] in love, may be encouraged, and that[aa] they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ,[ab] 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments[ac] that sound reasonable.[ad] 5 For though[ae] I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see[af] your morale[ag] and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Warnings Against the Adoption of False Philosophies

6 Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,[ah] continue to live your lives[ai] in him, 7 rooted[aj] and built up in him and firm[ak] in your[al] faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Footnotes:

  1. Colossians 1:18 tn See the note on the term “firstborn” in 1:15. Here the reference to Jesus as the “firstborn from the dead” seems to be arguing for a chronological priority, i.e., Jesus was the first to rise from the dead.
  2. Colossians 1:18 tn Grk “in order that he may become in all things, himself, first.”
  3. Colossians 1:19 tn The noun “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the similar phrase “all the fullness of deity” in 2:9 lends credence to God as the subject of εὐδόκησεν (eudokēsen).
  4. Colossians 1:19 tn The Greek article τό (to), insofar as it relates to God, may be translated as a possessive pronoun, i.e., “his.” BDAG 404 s.v. εὐδοκέω 1 translates the phrase as “all the fullness willed to dwell in him” thus leaving the referent as impersonal. Insofar as Paul is alluding to the so-called emanations from God this is acceptable. But the fact that “the fullness” dwells in a person (i.e., “in him”) seems to argue for the translation “his fullness” where “his” refers to God.
  5. Colossians 1:19 tn The aorist verb κατοικῆσαι (katoikēsai) could be taken as an ingressive, in which case it refers to the incarnation and may be translated as “begin to dwell, to take up residence.” It is perhaps better, though, to take it as a constative aorist and simply a reference to the fact that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus Christ. This is a permanent dwelling, though, not a temporary one, as the present tense in 2:9 makes clear.
  6. Colossians 1:19 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the Son; see v. 13) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. Colossians 1:20 tc The presence or absence of the second occurrence of the phrase δι᾿ αὐτοῦ (di’ autou, “through him”) is a difficult textual problem to solve. External evidence is fairly evenly divided. Many ancient and excellent witnesses lack the phrase (B D* F G I 0278 81 1175 1739 1881 2464 al latt sa), but equally significant witnesses have it (P46 א A C D1 Ψ 048vid 33 M al sy bo). Both readings have strong Alexandrian support, which makes the problem difficult to decide on external evidence alone. The phrase, however, has stronger evidence geographically. Internal evidence points to the inclusion of the phrase as autographic. The word immediately preceding the phrase is the masculine pronoun αὐτοῦ (autou); thus the possibility of omission through homoioteleuton in various witnesses is likely. Scribes might have deleted the phrase because of perceived redundancy or awkwardness in the sense: The shorter reading is smoother and more elegant, so scribes would be prone to correct the text in that direction. As far as style is concerned, repetition of key words and phrases for emphasis is not foreign to the corpus Paulinum (see, e.g., Rom 8:23, Eph 1:13, 2 Cor 12:7). In sum, it is easier to account for the shorter reading arising from the longer reading than vice versa, so the longer reading is more likely original, though a decision is not easy. The NA28 prints the prepositional phrase in brackets indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.
  8. Colossians 1:21 tn The article τῇ (tē) has been translated as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).
  9. Colossians 1:21 tn Although διανοία (dianoia) is singular in Greek, the previous plural noun ἐχθρούς (echthrous) indicates that all those from Colossae are in view here.
  10. Colossians 1:21 tn The dative ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς (en tois ergois tois ponērois) is taken as means, indicating the avenue through which hostility in the mind is revealed and made known.
  11. Colossians 1:22 tc Some of the better representatives of the Alexandrian and Western groups have a passive verb here instead of the active ἀποκατήλλαξεν (apokatēllaxen, “he has reconciled”): ἀποκατηλλάγητε (apokatēllagēte) in P46 B, ἀποκατήλλακται [sic] (apokatēllaktai) in 33, and ἀποκαταλλαγέντες (apokatallagentes) in D* F G. Yet the active verb is strongly supported by א A C D2 Ψ 048 075 0278 1175 1505 1739 1881 2464 M al lat sy. Internally, the passive creates an anacoluthon in that it looks back to the accusative ὑμᾶς (humas, “you”) of v. 21 and leaves the following παραστῆσαι (parastēsai) dangling (“you were reconciled…to present you”). The passive reading is certainly the harder reading. As such, it may well explain the rise of the others. At the same time, it is possible that the passive was produced by scribes who wanted some symmetry between the ποτε (pote, “at one time”) of v. 21 and the νυνὶ δέ (nuni de, “but now”) of v. 22: Since a passive periphrastic participle is used in v. 21, there may have been a temptation to produce a corresponding passive form in v. 22, so that the ὑμᾶς of v. 21 functioned as subject by way of constructio ad sensum. Since παραστῆσαι occurs ten words later, it may not have been considered in this scribal modification. Further, the Western reading (ἀποκαταλλαγέντες) hardly seems to have arisen from ἀποκατηλλάγητε (contra TCGNT 555). As difficult as this decision is, the preferred reading is the active form because it is superior externally and seems to explain the rise of all forms of the passive readings.tn The direct object is omitted in the Greek text, but it is clear from context that “you” (ὑμᾶς, humas) is implied.
  12. Colossians 1:23 tn BDAG 276 s.v. ἑδραῖος suggests “firm, steadfast.”
  13. Colossians 1:23 tn BDAG 639 s.v. μετακινέω suggests “without shifting from the hope” here.
  14. Colossians 1:25 tn BDAG 697 s.v. οἰκονομία 1.b renders the term here as “divine office.”
  15. Colossians 1:25 tn See BDAG 828 s.v. πληρόω 3. The idea here seems to be that the apostle wants to “complete the word of God” in that he wants to preach it to every person in the known world (cf. Rom 15:19). See P. T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC), 82.
  16. Colossians 1:27 tn The genitive noun τῆς δόξης (tēs doxēs) is an attributive genitive and has therefore been translated as “glorious riches.”
  17. Colossians 1:28 tn Or “admonishing,” or “warning.” BDAG 679 s.v. νουθετέω states, “to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct, admonish, warn, instruct.” After the participle νουθετοῦντες (nouthetountes, “instructing”) the words πάντα ἄνθρωπον (panta anthrōpon, “all men”) occur in the Greek text, but since the same phrase appears again after διδάσκοντες (didaskontes) it was omitted in translation to avoid redundancy in English.
  18. Colossians 1:28 tn The two participles “instructing” (νουθετοῦντες, nouthetountes) and “teaching” (διδάσκοντες, didaskontes) are translated as participles of means (“by”) related to the finite verb “we proclaim” (καταγγέλλομεν, katangellomen).
  19. Colossians 1:28 tn Here ἄνθρωπον (anthrōpon) is twice translated as a generic (“people” and “person”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
  20. Colossians 1:28 tn Since Paul’s focus is on the present experience of the Colossians, “mature” is a better translation of τέλειον (teleion) than “perfect,” since the latter implies a future, eschatological focus.
  21. Colossians 1:29 tn The Greek phrase εἴς ὅ (eis ho, “toward which”) implies “movement toward a goal” and has been rendered by the English phrase “Toward this goal.”
  22. Colossians 1:29 tn The prepositional phrase ἐν δυνάμει (en dunamei) seems to be functioning adverbially, related to the participle, and has therefore been translated “powerfully.”
  23. Colossians 2:1 tn Or “I want you to know how hard I am working for you…”
  24. Colossians 2:1 tn Grk “as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.”
  25. Colossians 2:2 tn Verse two begins a subordinate ἵνα (hina) clause which was divided up into two sentences for the sake of clarity in English. Thus the phrase “My goal is that” is an attempt to reflect in the translation the purpose expressed through the ἵνα clauses.
  26. Colossians 2:2 tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβιβάζω 1.b reads “unite, knit together.” Some commentators take the verb as a reference to instruction, “instructed in love.” See P. T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC), 93.
  27. Colossians 2:2 tn The phrase “and that” translates the first εἰς (eis) clause of v. 2 and reflects the second goal of Paul’s striving and struggle for the Colossians—the first is “encouragement” and the second is “full assurance.”
  28. Colossians 2:2 tc There are at least a dozen variants here, almost surely generated by the unusual wording τοῦ θεοῦ, Χριστοῦ (tou theou, Christou, “of God, [namely,] Christ”; so P46 B Hil). Scribes would be prone to conform this to more common Pauline expressions such as “of God, who is in Christ” (33), “of God, the Father of Christ” (א* A C 048vid 1175 bo), and “of the God and Father of Christ” (א2 Ψ 365 945 1505). Several witnesses, especially later Byzantines, read “of the God and Father, and of Christ” (D2 K L 075 [0208 0278] M). Even though the external support for the wording τοῦ θεοῦ, Χριστοῦ is hardly overwhelming, it clearly best explains the rise of the other readings and should thus be regarded as authentic.
  29. Colossians 2:4 tn BDAG 812 s.v. πιθανολογία states, “persuasive speech, art of persuasion (so Pla., Theaet. 162e) in an unfavorable sense in its only occurrence in our lit. ἐν πιθανολογίᾳ by specious arguments Col 2:4 (cp. PLips 40 III, 7 διὰ πιθανολογίας).”
  30. Colossians 2:4 sn Paul’s point is that even though the arguments seem to make sense (sound reasonable), they are in the end false. Paul is not here arguing against the study of philosophy or serious thinking per se, but is arguing against the uncritical adoption of a philosophy that is at odds with a proper view of Christ and the ethics of the Christian life.
  31. Colossians 2:5 tn The conditional particle εἰ (ei) together with καί (kai) here indicates a first class condition in Greek and carries a concessive force, especially when seen in contrast to the following phrase which begins with ἀλλά (alla).
  32. Colossians 2:5 tn Grk “rejoicing and seeing.”
  33. Colossians 2:5 tn The Greek word τάξις can mean “order,” “discipline,” or even “unbroken ranks” (REB).
  34. Colossians 2:6 tn Though the verb παρελάβετε (parelabete) does not often take a double accusative, here it seems to do so. Both τὸν Χριστὸν ᾿Ιησοῦν (ton Christon Iēsoun) and τὸν κύριον (ton kurion) are equally definite insofar as they both have an article, but both the word order and the use of “Christ Jesus” as a proper name suggest that it is the object (cf. Rom 10:9, 10). Thus Paul is affirming that the tradition that was delivered to the Colossians by Epaphras was Christ-centered and focused on him as Lord.
  35. Colossians 2:6 tn The present imperative περιπατεῖτε (peripateite) implies, in this context, a continuation of something already begun. This is evidenced by the fact that Paul has already referred to their faith as “orderly” and “firm” (2:5), despite the struggles of some of them with this deceptive heresy (cf. 2:16-23). The verb is used literally to refer to a person “walking” and is thus used metaphorically (i.e., ethically) to refer to the way a person lives his or her life.
  36. Colossians 2:7 tn Or “having been rooted.”
  37. Colossians 2:7 sn The three participles rooted, built up, and firm belong together and reflect three different metaphors. The first participle “rooted” (perfect tense) indicates a settled condition on the part of the Colossian believers and refers to horticulture. The second participle “built up” (present passive) comes from the world of architecture. The third participle “firm [established]” (present passive) comes from the law courts. With these three metaphors (as well as the following comment on thankfulness) Paul explains what he means when he commands them to continue to live their lives in Christ. The use of the passive probably reflects God’s activity among them. It was he who had rooted them, had been building them up, and had established them in the faith (cf. 1 Cor 3:5-15 for the use of mixed metaphors).
  38. Colossians 2:7 tn Or “the.” The Greek text has the article τῇ (tē), not the possessive pronoun ὑμῶν (humōn), but the article often functions as a possessive pronoun and was translated as such here (ExSyn 215).
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 77

Psalm 77[a]

For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.

77 I will cry out to God[b] and call for help.
I will cry out to God and he will pay attention[c] to me.
2 In my time of trouble I sought[d] the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night.[e]
I[f] refused to be comforted.
3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.”[g] (Selah)
4 You held my eyelids open;[h]
I was troubled and could not speak.[i]
5 I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times.[j]
6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening.[k]
7 I asked,[l] “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise[m] failed forever?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?” (Selah)
10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the Most High[n] might become inactive.[o]
11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.[p]
12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds.”
13 [q] O God, your deeds are extraordinary.[r]
What god can compare to our great God?[s]
14 You are the God who does amazing things;
you have revealed your strength among the nations.
15 You delivered[t] your people by your strength[u]—
the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
16 The waters[v] saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and trembled.[w]
Yes, the depths of the sea[x] shook with fear.[y]
17 The clouds poured down rain;[z]
the skies thundered.[aa]
Yes, your arrows[ab] flashed about.
18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning bolts lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.[ac]
19 You walked through the sea;[ad]
you passed through the surging waters,[ae]
but left no footprints.[af]
20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 77:1 sn Psalm 77. The psalmist recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.
  2. Psalm 77:1 tn Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qaraʾ, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.
  3. Psalm 77:1 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. NEB, NIV). The psalmist expresses his confidence that God will respond to his prayer. This mood of confidence seems premature (see vv. 3-4), but v. 1 probably reflects the psalmist’s attitude at the end of the prayer (see vv. 13-20). Having opened with an affirmation of confidence, he then retraces how he gained confidence during his trial (see vv. 2-12).
  4. Psalm 77:2 tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.
  5. Psalm 77:2 tn Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.
  6. Psalm 77:2 tn Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
  7. Psalm 77:3 tn Heb “I will remember God and I will groan, I will reflect and my spirit will grow faint.” The first three verbs are cohortatives, the last a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The psalmist’s statement in v. 4 could be understood as concurrent with v. 1, or, more likely, as a quotation of what he had said earlier as he prayed to God (see v. 2). The words “I said” are supplied in the translation at the beginning of the verse to reflect this interpretation (see v. 10).
  8. Psalm 77:4 tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).
  9. Psalm 77:4 tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
  10. Psalm 77:5 tn Heb “the years of antiquity.”
  11. Psalm 77:6 tn Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.
  12. Psalm 77:7 tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  13. Psalm 77:8 tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).
  14. Psalm 77:10 sn The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ʿelyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
  15. Psalm 77:10 tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khalloti) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khaloti), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbחָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shenot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.
  16. Psalm 77:11 tn Heb “yes, I will remember from old your wonders.”sn The psalmist refuses to allow skepticism to win out. God has revealed himself to his people in tangible, incontrovertible ways in the past and the psalmist vows to remember the historical record as a source of hope for the future.
  17. Psalm 77:13 sn Verses 13-20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11-12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).
  18. Psalm 77:13 tn Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.
  19. Psalm 77:13 tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”
  20. Psalm 77:15 tn Or “redeemed.”
  21. Psalm 77:15 tn Heb “with [your] arm.”
  22. Psalm 77:16 tn The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.
  23. Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
  24. Psalm 77:16 tn The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
  25. Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
  26. Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “water.”
  27. Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “a sound the clouds gave.”
  28. Psalm 77:17 tn The lightning accompanying the storm is portrayed as the Lord’s “arrows” (see v. 18).
  29. Psalm 77:18 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.sn Verses 16-18 depict the Lord coming in the storm to battle his enemies and subdue the sea. There is no record of such a storm in the historical account of the Red Sea crossing. The language the psalmist uses here is stereotypical and originates in Canaanite myth, where the storm god Baal subdues the sea in his quest for kingship. The psalmist has employed the stereotypical imagery to portray the exodus vividly and at the same time affirm that it is not Baal who subdues the sea, but Yahweh.
  30. Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
  31. Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
  32. Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your footprints were not known.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 24:23-25

Further Sayings of the Wise

23 These sayings also are from the wise:

To show partiality[a] in judgment is terrible:[b]
24 The one who says to the guilty,[c] “You are innocent,”[d]
peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce[e] him.
25 But there will be delight[f] for those who convict[g] the guilty,[h]
and a pleasing blessing[i] will come on them.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 24:23 tn Heb “to recognize faces”; KJV, ASV “to have respect of persons”; NLT “to show favoritism.”
  2. Proverbs 24:23 tn Heb “not good.” This is a figure known as tapeinosis—a deliberate understatement to emphasize a worst-case scenario: “it is terrible!”
  3. Proverbs 24:24 tn The word means “wicked; guilty” or “criminal”; the contrast could be “wicked—righteous” (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB) or “innocent—guilty” (cf. NIV, TEV, CEV). Since this line follows the statement about showing partiality in judgment, it involves a forensic setting. Thus the statement describes one who calls a guilty person innocent or acquitted.
  4. Proverbs 24:24 tn Or “righteous”; the same Hebrew word may be translated either “innocent” or “righteous” depending on the context.
  5. Proverbs 24:24 tn The verb means “to be indignant.” It can be used within the range of “have indignation,” meaning “loathe” or “abhor,” or express indignation, meaning “denounce” or “curse.” In this passage, in collocation with the previous term “curse,” the latter is intended (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT).
  6. Proverbs 24:25 tn The verb means “to be pleasant; to be delightful.” The imperfect tense promises that there “will be delight” to those who rebuke the wicked.
  7. Proverbs 24:25 tn The verb יָכַח (yakhakh) means “to decide; to adjudge; to prove.” This word occurs frequently in the book of Proverbs meaning “to reprove” or “to rebuke.” It deals with disputes, legal or otherwise. It can refer to a charge against someone or starting a dispute (and so rebuke); it can mean quarrel, argue; and it can mean settle a dispute. In this context the first or last use would work: (1) reproving the wicked for what they do (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV), or (2) convicting them in a legal setting (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). In light of the previous forensic context the second sense is preferred here.
  8. Proverbs 24:25 tn “The guilty” is supplied in the translation for clarity based on the preceding context. See the previous note on the word “convict”: If a non-forensic context is preferred for vv. 23-25, “wicked” would be supplied here.
  9. Proverbs 24:25 tn The expression is בִרְכַּת־טוֹב (birkat tov, “blessing of good”); the genitive “good” has to be an attributive genitive modifying “blessings.” The word is general enough to mean any number of things—rich, healthy, pleasing, etc. The parallelism here narrows the choice. Some English versions interpret the “blessing” here as prosperity (cf. NAB, TEV, CEV).
New English Translation (NET)

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