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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 25, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

The Blessing of True Fasting

8 Then the message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[a] came to me as follows: 2 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘I am very much concerned for Zion; indeed, I am so concerned for her that my rage will fall on those who hurt her.’ 3 The Lord says, ‘I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem will be called “truthful city,” “mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,” “holy mountain.”’ 4 Moreover, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘Old men and women will once more live in the plazas of Jerusalem, each one leaning on a cane because of advanced age. 5 And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing.[b] 6 And,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘though such a thing may seem to be difficult in the opinion of the small community of those days, will it also appear difficult to me?’ asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

7 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies asserts, ‘I am about to save my people from the lands of the east and the west. 8 And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God,[c] in truth and righteousness.’

9 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies also says, ‘Gather strength, you who are listening to these words today from the mouths of the prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[d] so that the temple might be built. 10 Before that time there was no compensation for man or animal, nor was there any relief from adversity for those who came and went, because I had pitted everybody—each one—against everyone else. 11 But I will be different now to this remnant of my people from the way I was in those days,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, 12 ‘for there will be a peaceful time of sowing, the vine will produce its fruit, and the ground its yield, and the skies[e] will rain down dew. Then I will allow the remnant of my people to possess all these things. 13 And it will come about that just as you, both Judah and Israel, were a curse to the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid! Instead, be strong.’

14 “For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘As I had planned to hurt[f] you when your fathers made me angry,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘and I was not sorry, 15 so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah—do not fear! 16 These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.[g] 17 Do not plan evil in your hearts against one another. Do not favor a false oath—these are all things that I hate,’ says the Lord.”

18 The message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies came to me as follows: 19 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth[h] months will become joyful and happy, pleasant feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’ 20 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people—residents of many cities—will come. 21 The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, “Let’s go up at once to ask the favor of the Lord, to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Indeed, I’ll go with you.”’ 22 Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask his favor. 23 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘In those days ten people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of—indeed, grab—the robe of one Jew and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”[i]

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 8:1 sn There is a remarkable concentration of this name of God in this section of Zechariah, 18 times in this chapter out of 53 in the book. It emphasizes the Lord’s sovereignty in contrast to the human impossibility of accomplishing what lies ahead.
  2. Zechariah 8:5 sn The references to longevity and to children living and playing in peace are eschatological in tone. Elsewhere the millennial kingdom is characterized in a similar manner (cf. Isa 65:20; Jer 31:12-13).
  3. Zechariah 8:8 sn The affirmation They will be my people, and I will be their God speaks of covenant renewal, a restoration of the unbroken fellowship the Lord desired to have with his people but which their disloyalty had shattered. In the eschaton God and Israel will be in covenant union once again (cf. Jer 31:33).
  4. Zechariah 8:9 sn These prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies included at least Haggai and Zechariah, and perhaps others. The founding referred to here is not the initial laying of the temple’s foundations in 536 b.c. (Ezra 3:8) but the resumption of work two years before the time of the present narrative (i.e., in 520 b.c.), as vv. 10-12 make clear.
  5. Zechariah 8:12 tn Or “the heavens” (so KJV, NAB, NIV). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “skies” depending on the context.
  6. Zechariah 8:14 tn The verb זָמַם (zamam) usually means “to plot to do evil,” but with a divine subject (as here), and in light of v. 15 where it means to plan good, the meaning here has to be the implementation of discipline (cf. NCV, CEV “punish”). God may bring hurt but its purpose is redemptive and/or pedagogical.
  7. Zechariah 8:16 sn For a similar reference to true and righteous judgment see Mic 6:8.
  8. Zechariah 8:19 sn The fasts of the fifth and seventh months, mentioned previously (7:5), are listed here along with the observances of the fourth and tenth months. The latter commemorated the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians on January 15, 588 b.c. (2 Kgs 25:1), and the former the breach of the city walls on or about July 18, 586 b.c. (Jer 39:2-5).
  9. Zechariah 8:23 sn This scene of universal and overwhelming attraction of the nations to Israel’s God finds initial fulfillment in the establishment of the church (Acts 2:5-11) but ultimate completion in the messianic age (Isa 45:14, 24; 60:14; Zech 14:16-21).
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then[a] I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”[b] 2 So[c] the first angel[d] went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then[e] ugly and painful sores[f] appeared on the people[g] who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

3 Next,[h] the second angel[i] poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.

4 Then[j] the third angel[k] poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5 Now[l] I heard the angel of the waters saying:

“You are just[m]—the one who is and who was,
the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments,[n]
6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets,
so[o] you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!”[p]

7 Then[q] I heard the altar reply,[r] “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful,[s] your judgments are true and just!”

8 Then[t] the fourth angel[u] poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people[v] with fire. 9 Thus[w] people[x] were scorched by the terrible heat,[y] yet[z] they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority[aa] over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory.

10 Then[ab] the fifth angel[ac] poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that[ad] darkness covered his kingdom,[ae] and people[af] began to bite[ag] their tongues because[ah] of their pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings[ai] and because of their sores,[aj] but nevertheless[ak] they still refused to repent[al] of their deeds.

12 Then[am] the sixth angel[an] poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water[ao] to prepare the way[ap] for the kings from the east.[aq] 13 Then[ar] I saw three unclean spirits[as] that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth[at] to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful.[au]

15 (Look ! I will come like a thief!
Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose[av] his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition[aw] be seen.)[ax]

16 Now[ay] the spirits[az] gathered the kings and their armies[ba] to the place that is called Armageddon[bb] in Hebrew.

17 Finally[bc] the seventh angel[bd] poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” 18 Then[be] there were flashes of lightning, roaring,[bf] and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake—an earthquake unequaled since humanity[bg] has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. 19 The[bh] great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations[bi] collapsed.[bj] So[bk] Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup[bl] filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath.[bm] 20 Every[bn] island fled away[bo] and no mountains could be found.[bp] 21 And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a 100 pounds[bq] each, fell from heaven[br] on people,[bs] but they[bt] blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it[bu] was so horrendous.[bv]

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 16:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  2. Revelation 16:1 tn Or “anger.” Here τοῦ θυμοῦ (tou thumou) has been translated as a genitive of content.
  3. Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the directions given by the voice from the temple.
  4. Revelation 16:2 tn Grk “the first”; the referent (the first angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  6. Revelation 16:2 tn Or “ulcerated sores”; the term in the Greek text is singular but is probably best understood as a collective singular.
  7. Revelation 16:2 tn Grk ‘the men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  8. Revelation 16:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “next” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  9. Revelation 16:3 tn Grk “the second”; the referent (the second angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. Revelation 16:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  11. Revelation 16:4 tn Grk “the third”; the referent (the third angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  12. Revelation 16:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the remarks that follow.
  13. Revelation 16:5 tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.
  14. Revelation 16:5 tn Or “because you have judged these things.” The pronoun ταῦτα (tauta) is neuter gender.
  15. Revelation 16:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this judgment is the result of what these wicked people did to the saints and prophets.
  16. Revelation 16:6 tn Grk “They are worthy”; i.e., of this kind of punishment. By extension, “they got what they deserve.”
  17. Revelation 16:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  18. Revelation 16:7 tn Grk “the altar saying.”
  19. Revelation 16:7 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
  20. Revelation 16:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  21. Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “the fourth”; the referent (the fourth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  23. Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the bowl poured on the sun.
  24. Revelation 16:9 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  25. Revelation 16:9 tn On this phrase BDAG 536 s.v. καῦμα states, “burning, heat Rv 7:16…καυματίζεσθαι κ. μέγα be burned with a scorching heat 16:9.”
  26. Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  27. Revelation 16:9 tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
  28. Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  29. Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “the fifth”; the referent (the fifth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  30. Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” to indicate the implied result of the fifth bowl being poured out.
  31. Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “his kingdom became dark.”
  32. Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  33. Revelation 16:10 tn On this term BDAG 620 s.v. μασάομαι states, “bite w. acc. τὰς γλώσσας bite their tongues Rv 16:10.”
  34. Revelation 16:10 tn The preposition ἐκ (ek) has been translated here and twice in the following verse with a causal sense.
  35. Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π.…because of their sufferings vs. 11.”
  36. Revelation 16:11 tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).
  37. Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.
  38. Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.
  39. Revelation 16:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  40. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “the sixth”; the referent (the sixth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “and its water was dried up.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
  42. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “in order that the way might be prepared.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
  43. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12; simply ἀπὸ ἀ.…21:13.”
  44. Revelation 16:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  45. Revelation 16:13 sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.
  46. Revelation 16:14 tn BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 1 states, “the inhabited earth, the world…ὅλη ἡ οἰκ. the whole inhabited earth…Mt 24:14; Ac 11:28; Rv 3:10; 16:14.”
  47. Revelation 16:14 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
  48. Revelation 16:15 tn Grk “and keeps.” BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 2.c states “of holding on to someth. so as not to give it up or lose it…τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Rv 16:15 (or else he will have to go naked).”
  49. Revelation 16:15 tn On the translation of ἀσχημοσύνη (aschēmosunē) as “shameful condition” see L&N 25.202. The indefinite third person plural (“and they see”) has been translated as a passive here.
  50. Revelation 16:15 sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator. Many interpreters have seen this verse as so abrupt that it could not be an original part of the work, but the author has used such asides before (1:7; 14:13) and the suddenness here (on the eve of Armageddon) is completely parallel to Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:15-16 and parallels.
  51. Revelation 16:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the resumption and conclusion of the remarks about the pouring out of the sixth bowl.
  52. Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  53. Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “gathered them”; the referent (the kings and [implied] their armies, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  54. Revelation 16:16 tc There are many variations in the spelling of this name among the Greek mss, although ῾Αρμαγεδών (harmagedōn) has the best support. The usual English spelling is Armageddon, used in the translation.tn Or “Harmagedon” (a literal transliteration of the Greek), or “Har-Magedon” (NASB), meaning “the Mount of Magedon” in Hebrew.
  55. Revelation 16:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “finally” to indicate the conclusion of the seven bowl judgments.
  56. Revelation 16:17 tn Grk “the seventh”; the referent (the seventh angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  57. Revelation 16:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  58. Revelation 16:18 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
  59. Revelation 16:18 tn The singular ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used generically here to refer to the human race.
  60. Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  61. Revelation 16:19 tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
  62. Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “fell.”
  63. Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).
  64. Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).
  65. Revelation 16:19 tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (thumos) and ὀργή (orgē) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.
  66. Revelation 16:20 tn Grk “And every.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  67. Revelation 16:20 tn Or “vanished.”
  68. Revelation 16:20 sn Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. Major geographical and topographical changes will accompany the Day of the Lord.
  69. Revelation 16:21 tn Here BDAG 988 s.v. ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent…χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a 100 pounds NRSV) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
  70. Revelation 16:21 tn Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
  71. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
  72. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
  73. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the plague of it.”
  74. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”
New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Psalm 144

Psalm 144[a]

By David.

144 The Lord, my Protector,[b] deserves praise[c]—
the one who trains my hands for battle,[d]
and my fingers for war,
2 who loves me[e] and is my stronghold,
my refuge[f] and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me.[g]
3 O Lord, of what importance is the human race,[h] that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind,[i] that you should be concerned about them?[j]
4 People[k] are like a vapor,
their days like a shadow that disappears.[l]
5 O Lord, make the sky sink[m] and come down.[n]
Touch the mountains and make them smolder.[o]
6 Hurl lightning bolts and scatter the enemy.
Shoot your arrows and rout them.[p]
7 Reach down[q] from above.
Grab me and rescue me from the surging water,[r]
from the power of foreigners,[s]
8 who speak lies,
and make false promises.[t]
9 O God, I will sing a new song to you.
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
10 the one who delivers[u] kings,
and rescued David his servant from a deadly[v] sword.
11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners,[w]
who speak lies,
and make false promises.[x]
12 Then[y] our sons will be like plants,
that quickly grow to full size.[z]
Our daughters will be like corner pillars,[aa]
carved like those in a palace.[ab]
13 Our storehouses[ac] will be full,
providing all kinds of food.[ad]
Our sheep will multiply by the thousands
and fill[ae] our pastures.[af]
14 Our cattle will be weighted down with produce.[ag]
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares.[ah]
15 How blessed are the people who experience these things.[ai]
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 144:1 sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.
  2. Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
  3. Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”
  4. Psalm 144:1 sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
  5. Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
  6. Psalm 144:2 tn Or “my elevated place.”
  7. Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”
  8. Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “What is mankind?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (ʾenosh) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race. See Ps 8:5.
  9. Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
  10. Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “take account of him.” The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
  11. Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “man,” or “mankind.”
  12. Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “his days [are] like a shadow that passes away,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
  13. Psalm 144:5 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “to [cause to] bend; to [cause to] bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm. See Ps 18:9.
  14. Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so you might come down.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The same type of construction is utilized in v. 6.
  15. Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so they might smolder.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative.
  16. Psalm 144:6 sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17-18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
  17. Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “stretch out your hands.”
  18. Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful foreign enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see the next line and Ps 18:16-17).
  19. Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
  20. Psalm 144:8 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).
  21. Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “grants deliverance to.”
  22. Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “harmful.”
  23. Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
  24. Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.
  25. Psalm 144:12 tn Some consider אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) problematic, but here it probably indicates the anticipated consequence of the preceding request. (For other examples of אֲשֶׁר indicating purpose/result, see BDB 83 s.v. and HALOT 99 s.v.) If the psalmist—who appears to be a Davidic king preparing to fight a battle (see vv. 10-11)—is victorious, the whole nation will be spared invasion and defeat (see v. 14) and can flourish. Some prefer to emend the form to אַשְׁרֵי (“how blessed [are our sons]”). A suffixed noun sometimes follows אַשְׁרֵי (ʾashre; see 1 Kgs 10:8; Prov 20:7), but the presence of a comparative element (see “like plants”) after the suffixed noun makes the proposed reading too awkward syntactically.
  26. Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “grown up in their youth.” The translation assumes that “grown up” modifies “plants” (just as “carved” modifies “corner pillars” in the second half of the verse). Another option is to take “grown up” as a predicate in relation to “our sons,” in which case one might translate, “they will be strapping youths.”
  27. Psalm 144:12 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Zech 9:15, where it refers to the corners of an altar.
  28. Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “carved [in] the pattern of a palace.”
  29. Psalm 144:13 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
  30. Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “from kind to kind.” Some prefer to emend the text to מָזוֹן עַל מָזוֹן (mazon ʿal mazon, “food upon food”).
  31. Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “they are innumerable.”
  32. Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “in outside places.” Here the term refers to pastures and fields (see Job 5:10; Prov 8:26).
  33. Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “weighted down.” This probably refers (1) to the cattle having the produce from the harvest placed on their backs to be transported to the storehouses (see BDB 687 s.v. סָבַל). Other options are (2) to take this as reference to the cattle being pregnant (see HALOT 741 s.v. סבל pu) or (3) to their being well-fed or fattened (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 288).
  34. Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “there [will be] no breach, and there [will be] no going out, and there [will be] no crying out in our broad places.”
  35. Psalm 144:15 tn Heb “[O] the happiness of the people who [it is] such to them.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 30:29-31

29 There are three things that are magnificent[a] in their step,
four things that move about magnificently:[b]
30 a lion, mightiest[c] of the beasts,
who does not retreat from anything;
31 a strutting rooster,[d] a male goat,
and a king with his army around him.[e]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 30:29 tn The form מֵיטִיבֵי (metive) is the Hiphil participle, plural construct. It has the idea of “doing good [in] their step.” They move about well, i.e., magnificently. The genitive would be a genitive of specification.
  2. Proverbs 30:29 tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle again (as in the previous line) followed by the infinitive construct of הָלַךְ (halakh). This forms a verbal hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the participle before it the adverb.
  3. Proverbs 30:30 tn Heb “mighty among the beasts,” but referring to a superlative degree (“mightiest”).
  4. Proverbs 30:31 tn The Hebrew term זַרְזִיר (zarzir) means “girt”; it occurs only here with “loins” in the Bible: “that which is girt in the loins” (BDB 267 s.v.). Some have interpreted this to be the “greyhound” because it is narrow in the flanks (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 327); so KJV, ASV. Others have suggested the warhorse, zebra, raven, or starling. Tg. Prov 30:31 has it as the large fighting cock that struts around among the hens. There is no clear referent that is convincing, although most modern English versions use “strutting rooster” or something similar (cf. CEV “proud roosters”).
  5. Proverbs 30:31 tc This last line has inspired many suggestions. The MT has “with his army around him” (אַלְקוּם עִמּוֹ, ʾalqum ʿimmo); so NIV. This has been emended to read “against whom there is no rising up” (so KJV, ASV) or “standing over his people.” The LXX has “a king haranguing his people.” Tg. Prov 30:31 has, “a king who stands up before his people and addresses them.” Some have attempted to identify this with Alcimus, the high priest who aspired to kingship (1 Macc 7:5-22), but such a suggestion is quite remote. Another interpretation sees the word for “God” in the line: “a king with whom God is.” Furthermore, C. H. Toy thinks the text is defective and must have at one time referred to some majestic animal (Proverbs [ICC], 537). While all these suggestions are fascinating, they have not improved or corrected the Hebrew text. At least one can say the focus is on the stately appearance of the king at some auspicious moment. The word occurs only here, but if it is interpreted with its Arabic cognate in mind, then it refers to a band of soldiers (BDB 39 s.v. אַלְקוּם).
New English Translation (NET)

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday December 25, 2020 (NIV)

Zechariah 8

The Blessing of True Fasting

8 Then the message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[a] came to me as follows: 2 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘I am very much concerned for Zion; indeed, I am so concerned for her that my rage will fall on those who hurt her.’ 3 The Lord says, ‘I have returned to Zion and will live within Jerusalem. Now Jerusalem will be called “truthful city,” “mountain of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,” “holy mountain.”’ 4 Moreover, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘Old men and women will once more live in the plazas of Jerusalem, each one leaning on a cane because of advanced age. 5 And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing.[b] 6 And,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘though such a thing may seem to be difficult in the opinion of the small community of those days, will it also appear difficult to me?’ asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

7 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies asserts, ‘I am about to save my people from the lands of the east and the west. 8 And I will bring them to settle within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God,[c] in truth and righteousness.’

9 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies also says, ‘Gather strength, you who are listening to these words today from the mouths of the prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[d] so that the temple might be built. 10 Before that time there was no compensation for man or animal, nor was there any relief from adversity for those who came and went, because I had pitted everybody—each one—against everyone else. 11 But I will be different now to this remnant of my people from the way I was in those days,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, 12 ‘for there will be a peaceful time of sowing, the vine will produce its fruit, and the ground its yield, and the skies[e] will rain down dew. Then I will allow the remnant of my people to possess all these things. 13 And it will come about that just as you, both Judah and Israel, were a curse to the nations, so I will save you and you will be a blessing. Do not be afraid! Instead, be strong.’

14 “For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘As I had planned to hurt[f] you when your fathers made me angry,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘and I was not sorry, 15 so, to the contrary, I have planned in these days to do good to Jerusalem and Judah—do not fear! 16 These are the things you must do: Speak the truth, each of you, to one another. Practice true and righteous judgment in your courts.[g] 17 Do not plan evil in your hearts against one another. Do not favor a false oath—these are all things that I hate,’ says the Lord.”

18 The message of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies came to me as follows: 19 “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘The fast of the fourth, fifth, seventh, and tenth[h] months will become joyful and happy, pleasant feasts for the house of Judah; so love truth and peace.’ 20 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people—residents of many cities—will come. 21 The inhabitants of one will go to another and say, “Let’s go up at once to ask the favor of the Lord, to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. Indeed, I’ll go with you.”’ 22 Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask his favor. 23 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, ‘In those days ten people from all languages and nations will grasp hold of—indeed, grab—the robe of one Jew and say, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’”[i]

Footnotes:

  1. Zechariah 8:1 sn There is a remarkable concentration of this name of God in this section of Zechariah, 18 times in this chapter out of 53 in the book. It emphasizes the Lord’s sovereignty in contrast to the human impossibility of accomplishing what lies ahead.
  2. Zechariah 8:5 sn The references to longevity and to children living and playing in peace are eschatological in tone. Elsewhere the millennial kingdom is characterized in a similar manner (cf. Isa 65:20; Jer 31:12-13).
  3. Zechariah 8:8 sn The affirmation They will be my people, and I will be their God speaks of covenant renewal, a restoration of the unbroken fellowship the Lord desired to have with his people but which their disloyalty had shattered. In the eschaton God and Israel will be in covenant union once again (cf. Jer 31:33).
  4. Zechariah 8:9 sn These prophets who were there at the founding of the house of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies included at least Haggai and Zechariah, and perhaps others. The founding referred to here is not the initial laying of the temple’s foundations in 536 b.c. (Ezra 3:8) but the resumption of work two years before the time of the present narrative (i.e., in 520 b.c.), as vv. 10-12 make clear.
  5. Zechariah 8:12 tn Or “the heavens” (so KJV, NAB, NIV). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “skies” depending on the context.
  6. Zechariah 8:14 tn The verb זָמַם (zamam) usually means “to plot to do evil,” but with a divine subject (as here), and in light of v. 15 where it means to plan good, the meaning here has to be the implementation of discipline (cf. NCV, CEV “punish”). God may bring hurt but its purpose is redemptive and/or pedagogical.
  7. Zechariah 8:16 sn For a similar reference to true and righteous judgment see Mic 6:8.
  8. Zechariah 8:19 sn The fasts of the fifth and seventh months, mentioned previously (7:5), are listed here along with the observances of the fourth and tenth months. The latter commemorated the siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians on January 15, 588 b.c. (2 Kgs 25:1), and the former the breach of the city walls on or about July 18, 586 b.c. (Jer 39:2-5).
  9. Zechariah 8:23 sn This scene of universal and overwhelming attraction of the nations to Israel’s God finds initial fulfillment in the establishment of the church (Acts 2:5-11) but ultimate completion in the messianic age (Isa 45:14, 24; 60:14; Zech 14:16-21).
New English Translation (NET)

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Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

16 Then[a] I heard a loud voice from the temple declaring to the seven angels: “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”[b] 2 So[c] the first angel[d] went and poured out his bowl on the earth. Then[e] ugly and painful sores[f] appeared on the people[g] who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.

3 Next,[h] the second angel[i] poured out his bowl on the sea and it turned into blood, like that of a corpse, and every living creature that was in the sea died.

4 Then[j] the third angel[k] poured out his bowl on the rivers and the springs of water, and they turned into blood. 5 Now[l] I heard the angel of the waters saying:

“You are just[m]—the one who is and who was,
the Holy One—because you have passed these judgments,[n]
6 because they poured out the blood of your saints and prophets,
so[o] you have given them blood to drink. They got what they deserved!”[p]

7 Then[q] I heard the altar reply,[r] “Yes, Lord God, the All-Powerful,[s] your judgments are true and just!”

8 Then[t] the fourth angel[u] poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was permitted to scorch people[v] with fire. 9 Thus[w] people[x] were scorched by the terrible heat,[y] yet[z] they blasphemed the name of God, who has ruling authority[aa] over these plagues, and they would not repent and give him glory.

10 Then[ab] the fifth angel[ac] poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast so that[ad] darkness covered his kingdom,[ae] and people[af] began to bite[ag] their tongues because[ah] of their pain. 11 They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their sufferings[ai] and because of their sores,[aj] but nevertheless[ak] they still refused to repent[al] of their deeds.

12 Then[am] the sixth angel[an] poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and dried up its water[ao] to prepare the way[ap] for the kings from the east.[aq] 13 Then[ar] I saw three unclean spirits[as] that looked like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth[at] to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful.[au]

15 (Look ! I will come like a thief!
Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose[av] his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition[aw] be seen.)[ax]

16 Now[ay] the spirits[az] gathered the kings and their armies[ba] to the place that is called Armageddon[bb] in Hebrew.

17 Finally[bc] the seventh angel[bd] poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying: “It is done!” 18 Then[be] there were flashes of lightning, roaring,[bf] and crashes of thunder, and there was a tremendous earthquake—an earthquake unequaled since humanity[bg] has been on the earth, so tremendous was that earthquake. 19 The[bh] great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations[bi] collapsed.[bj] So[bk] Babylon the great was remembered before God, and was given the cup[bl] filled with the wine made of God’s furious wrath.[bm] 20 Every[bn] island fled away[bo] and no mountains could be found.[bp] 21 And gigantic hailstones, weighing about a 100 pounds[bq] each, fell from heaven[br] on people,[bs] but they[bt] blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, since it[bu] was so horrendous.[bv]

Footnotes:

  1. Revelation 16:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  2. Revelation 16:1 tn Or “anger.” Here τοῦ θυμοῦ (tou thumou) has been translated as a genitive of content.
  3. Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the directions given by the voice from the temple.
  4. Revelation 16:2 tn Grk “the first”; the referent (the first angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  5. Revelation 16:2 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  6. Revelation 16:2 tn Or “ulcerated sores”; the term in the Greek text is singular but is probably best understood as a collective singular.
  7. Revelation 16:2 tn Grk ‘the men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  8. Revelation 16:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “next” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  9. Revelation 16:3 tn Grk “the second”; the referent (the second angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. Revelation 16:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  11. Revelation 16:4 tn Grk “the third”; the referent (the third angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  12. Revelation 16:5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the somewhat parenthetical nature of the remarks that follow.
  13. Revelation 16:5 tn Or “righteous,” although the context favors justice as the theme.
  14. Revelation 16:5 tn Or “because you have judged these things.” The pronoun ταῦτα (tauta) is neuter gender.
  15. Revelation 16:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate that this judgment is the result of what these wicked people did to the saints and prophets.
  16. Revelation 16:6 tn Grk “They are worthy”; i.e., of this kind of punishment. By extension, “they got what they deserve.”
  17. Revelation 16:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  18. Revelation 16:7 tn Grk “the altar saying.”
  19. Revelation 16:7 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
  20. Revelation 16:8 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  21. Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “the fourth”; the referent (the fourth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  22. Revelation 16:8 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  23. Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the bowl poured on the sun.
  24. Revelation 16:9 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  25. Revelation 16:9 tn On this phrase BDAG 536 s.v. καῦμα states, “burning, heat Rv 7:16…καυματίζεσθαι κ. μέγα be burned with a scorching heat 16:9.”
  26. Revelation 16:9 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “yet” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  27. Revelation 16:9 tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
  28. Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  29. Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “the fifth”; the referent (the fifth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  30. Revelation 16:10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so that” to indicate the implied result of the fifth bowl being poured out.
  31. Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “his kingdom became dark.”
  32. Revelation 16:10 tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) and refers to both men and women.
  33. Revelation 16:10 tn On this term BDAG 620 s.v. μασάομαι states, “bite w. acc. τὰς γλώσσας bite their tongues Rv 16:10.”
  34. Revelation 16:10 tn The preposition ἐκ (ek) has been translated here and twice in the following verse with a causal sense.
  35. Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “pains” (the same term in Greek [πόνος, ponos] as the last word in v. 11, here translated “sufferings” because it is plural). BDAG 852 s.v. 2 states, “ἐκ τοῦ π. in pain…Rv 16:10; pl. (Gen 41:51; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 146; Test. Jud. 18:4) ἐκ τῶν π.…because of their sufferings vs. 11.”
  36. Revelation 16:11 tn Or “ulcerated sores” (see 16:2).
  37. Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “and they did not repent.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but nevertheless” to express the contrast here.
  38. Revelation 16:11 tn Grk “they did not repent” The addition of “still refused” reflects the hardness of people’s hearts in the context.
  39. Revelation 16:12 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  40. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “the sixth”; the referent (the sixth angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “and its water was dried up.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
  42. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “in order that the way might be prepared.” Here the passive construction has been translated as an active one.
  43. Revelation 16:12 tn Grk “from the rising of the sun.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατολή 2.a takes this as a geographical direction: “ἀπὸ ἀ. ἡλίου…from the east Rv 7:2; 16:12; simply ἀπὸ ἀ.…21:13.”
  44. Revelation 16:13 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  45. Revelation 16:13 sn According to the next verse, these three unclean spirits are spirits of demons.
  46. Revelation 16:14 tn BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 1 states, “the inhabited earth, the world…ὅλη ἡ οἰκ. the whole inhabited earth…Mt 24:14; Ac 11:28; Rv 3:10; 16:14.”
  47. Revelation 16:14 tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π.…Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”
  48. Revelation 16:15 tn Grk “and keeps.” BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 2.c states “of holding on to someth. so as not to give it up or lose it…τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Rv 16:15 (or else he will have to go naked).”
  49. Revelation 16:15 tn On the translation of ἀσχημοσύνη (aschēmosunē) as “shameful condition” see L&N 25.202. The indefinite third person plural (“and they see”) has been translated as a passive here.
  50. Revelation 16:15 sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator. Many interpreters have seen this verse as so abrupt that it could not be an original part of the work, but the author has used such asides before (1:7; 14:13) and the suddenness here (on the eve of Armageddon) is completely parallel to Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:15-16 and parallels.
  51. Revelation 16:16 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the resumption and conclusion of the remarks about the pouring out of the sixth bowl.
  52. Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  53. Revelation 16:16 tn Grk “gathered them”; the referent (the kings and [implied] their armies, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  54. Revelation 16:16 tc There are many variations in the spelling of this name among the Greek mss, although ῾Αρμαγεδών (harmagedōn) has the best support. The usual English spelling is Armageddon, used in the translation.tn Or “Harmagedon” (a literal transliteration of the Greek), or “Har-Magedon” (NASB), meaning “the Mount of Magedon” in Hebrew.
  55. Revelation 16:17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “finally” to indicate the conclusion of the seven bowl judgments.
  56. Revelation 16:17 tn Grk “the seventh”; the referent (the seventh angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  57. Revelation 16:18 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.
  58. Revelation 16:18 tn Or “sounds,” “voices.” It is not entirely clear what this refers to. BDAG 1071 s.v. φωνή 1 states, “In Rv we have ἀστραπαὶ καὶ φωναὶ καὶ βρονταί (cp. Ex 19:16) 4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18 (are certain other sounds in nature thought of here in addition to thunder, as e.g. the roar of the storm?…).”
  59. Revelation 16:18 tn The singular ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used generically here to refer to the human race.
  60. Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  61. Revelation 16:19 tn Or “of the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).
  62. Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “fell.”
  63. Revelation 16:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Babylon’s misdeeds (see Rev 14:8).
  64. Revelation 16:19 tn Grk “the cup of the wine of the anger of the wrath of him.” The concatenation of four genitives has been rendered somewhat differently by various translations (see the note on the word “wrath”).
  65. Revelation 16:19 tn Following BDAG 461 s.v. θυμός 2, the combination of the genitives of θυμός (thumos) and ὀργή (orgē) in Rev 16:19 and 19:15 are taken to be a strengthening of the thought as in the OT and Qumran literature (Exod 32:12; Jer 32:37; Lam 2:3; CD 10:9). Thus in Rev 14:8 (to which the present passage alludes) and 18:3 there is irony: The wine of immoral behavior with which Babylon makes the nations drunk becomes the wine of God’s wrath for her.
  66. Revelation 16:20 tn Grk “And every.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  67. Revelation 16:20 tn Or “vanished.”
  68. Revelation 16:20 sn Every island fled away and no mountains could be found. Major geographical and topographical changes will accompany the Day of the Lord.
  69. Revelation 16:21 tn Here BDAG 988 s.v. ταλαντιαῖος states, “weighing a talent…χάλαζα μεγάλη ὡς ταλαντιαία a severe hailstorm with hailstones weighing a talent (the talent=125 librae, or Roman pounds of c. 343 gr. or 12 ounces each) (weighing about a 100 pounds NRSV) Rv 16:21.” This means each hailstone would weigh just under 100 pounds or 40 kilograms.
  70. Revelation 16:21 tn Or “the sky.” Due to the apocalyptic nature of this book, it is probably best to leave the translation as “from heaven,” since God is ultimately the source of the judgment.
  71. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “on men,” but ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) is used here in a generic sense to refer to people in general (the hailstones did not single out adult males, but would have also fallen on women and children).
  72. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the men”; for stylistic reasons the pronoun “they” is used here.
  73. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “the plague of it.”
  74. Revelation 16:21 tn Grk “since the plague of it was exceedingly great.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 144

Psalm 144[a]

By David.

144 The Lord, my Protector,[b] deserves praise[c]—
the one who trains my hands for battle,[d]
and my fingers for war,
2 who loves me[e] and is my stronghold,
my refuge[f] and my deliverer,
my shield and the one in whom I take shelter,
who makes nations submit to me.[g]
3 O Lord, of what importance is the human race,[h] that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind,[i] that you should be concerned about them?[j]
4 People[k] are like a vapor,
their days like a shadow that disappears.[l]
5 O Lord, make the sky sink[m] and come down.[n]
Touch the mountains and make them smolder.[o]
6 Hurl lightning bolts and scatter the enemy.
Shoot your arrows and rout them.[p]
7 Reach down[q] from above.
Grab me and rescue me from the surging water,[r]
from the power of foreigners,[s]
8 who speak lies,
and make false promises.[t]
9 O God, I will sing a new song to you.
Accompanied by a ten-stringed instrument, I will sing praises to you,
10 the one who delivers[u] kings,
and rescued David his servant from a deadly[v] sword.
11 Grab me and rescue me from the power of foreigners,[w]
who speak lies,
and make false promises.[x]
12 Then[y] our sons will be like plants,
that quickly grow to full size.[z]
Our daughters will be like corner pillars,[aa]
carved like those in a palace.[ab]
13 Our storehouses[ac] will be full,
providing all kinds of food.[ad]
Our sheep will multiply by the thousands
and fill[ae] our pastures.[af]
14 Our cattle will be weighted down with produce.[ag]
No one will break through our walls,
no one will be taken captive,
and there will be no terrified cries in our city squares.[ah]
15 How blessed are the people who experience these things.[ai]
How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 144:1 sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.
  2. Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
  3. Psalm 144:1 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”
  4. Psalm 144:1 sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.
  5. Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “my loyal love,” which is probably an abbreviated form of “the God of my loyal love” (see Ps 59:10, 17).
  6. Psalm 144:2 tn Or “my elevated place.”
  7. Psalm 144:2 tn Heb “the one who subdues nations beneath me.”
  8. Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “What is mankind?” The singular noun אֱנוֹשׁ (ʾenosh) is used here in a collective sense and refers to the human race. See Ps 8:5.
  9. Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “and the son of man.” The phrase “son of man” is used here in a collective sense and refers to human beings. For other uses of the phrase in a collective or representative manner, see Num 23:19; Ps 146:3; Isa 51:12.
  10. Psalm 144:3 tn Heb “take account of him.” The two imperfect verbal forms in v. 4 describe God’s characteristic activity.
  11. Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “man,” or “mankind.”
  12. Psalm 144:4 tn Heb “his days [are] like a shadow that passes away,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness. See Ps 102:11.
  13. Psalm 144:5 tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “to [cause to] bend; to [cause to] bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm. See Ps 18:9.
  14. Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so you might come down.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative. The same type of construction is utilized in v. 6.
  15. Psalm 144:5 tn Heb “so they might smolder.” The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose after the preceding imperative.
  16. Psalm 144:6 sn Arrows and lightning bolts are associated in other texts (see Pss 18:14; 77:17-18; Zech 9:14), as well as in ancient Near Eastern art (see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” [Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983], 187).
  17. Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “stretch out your hands.”
  18. Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “mighty waters.” The waters of the sea symbolize the psalmist’s powerful foreign enemies, as well as the realm of death they represent (see the next line and Ps 18:16-17).
  19. Psalm 144:7 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
  20. Psalm 144:8 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” The reference to the “right hand” is probably a metonymy for an oath. When making an oath, one would raise the hand as a solemn gesture. See Exod 6:8; Num 14:30; Deut 32:40. The figure thus represents the making of false oaths (false promises).
  21. Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “grants deliverance to.”
  22. Psalm 144:10 tn Heb “harmful.”
  23. Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “from the hand of the sons of foreignness.”
  24. Psalm 144:11 tn Heb “who [with] their mouth speak falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.” See v. 8 where the same expression occurs.
  25. Psalm 144:12 tn Some consider אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) problematic, but here it probably indicates the anticipated consequence of the preceding request. (For other examples of אֲשֶׁר indicating purpose/result, see BDB 83 s.v. and HALOT 99 s.v.) If the psalmist—who appears to be a Davidic king preparing to fight a battle (see vv. 10-11)—is victorious, the whole nation will be spared invasion and defeat (see v. 14) and can flourish. Some prefer to emend the form to אַשְׁרֵי (“how blessed [are our sons]”). A suffixed noun sometimes follows אַשְׁרֵי (ʾashre; see 1 Kgs 10:8; Prov 20:7), but the presence of a comparative element (see “like plants”) after the suffixed noun makes the proposed reading too awkward syntactically.
  26. Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “grown up in their youth.” The translation assumes that “grown up” modifies “plants” (just as “carved” modifies “corner pillars” in the second half of the verse). Another option is to take “grown up” as a predicate in relation to “our sons,” in which case one might translate, “they will be strapping youths.”
  27. Psalm 144:12 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Zech 9:15, where it refers to the corners of an altar.
  28. Psalm 144:12 tn Heb “carved [in] the pattern of a palace.”
  29. Psalm 144:13 tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here.
  30. Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “from kind to kind.” Some prefer to emend the text to מָזוֹן עַל מָזוֹן (mazon ʿal mazon, “food upon food”).
  31. Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “they are innumerable.”
  32. Psalm 144:13 tn Heb “in outside places.” Here the term refers to pastures and fields (see Job 5:10; Prov 8:26).
  33. Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “weighted down.” This probably refers (1) to the cattle having the produce from the harvest placed on their backs to be transported to the storehouses (see BDB 687 s.v. סָבַל). Other options are (2) to take this as reference to the cattle being pregnant (see HALOT 741 s.v. סבל pu) or (3) to their being well-fed or fattened (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 288).
  34. Psalm 144:14 tn Heb “there [will be] no breach, and there [will be] no going out, and there [will be] no crying out in our broad places.”
  35. Psalm 144:15 tn Heb “[O] the happiness of the people who [it is] such to them.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 30:29-31

29 There are three things that are magnificent[a] in their step,
four things that move about magnificently:[b]
30 a lion, mightiest[c] of the beasts,
who does not retreat from anything;
31 a strutting rooster,[d] a male goat,
and a king with his army around him.[e]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 30:29 tn The form מֵיטִיבֵי (metive) is the Hiphil participle, plural construct. It has the idea of “doing good [in] their step.” They move about well, i.e., magnificently. The genitive would be a genitive of specification.
  2. Proverbs 30:29 tn The construction uses the Hiphil participle again (as in the previous line) followed by the infinitive construct of הָלַךְ (halakh). This forms a verbal hendiadys, the infinitive becoming the main verb and the participle before it the adverb.
  3. Proverbs 30:30 tn Heb “mighty among the beasts,” but referring to a superlative degree (“mightiest”).
  4. Proverbs 30:31 tn The Hebrew term זַרְזִיר (zarzir) means “girt”; it occurs only here with “loins” in the Bible: “that which is girt in the loins” (BDB 267 s.v.). Some have interpreted this to be the “greyhound” because it is narrow in the flanks (J. H. Greenstone, Proverbs, 327); so KJV, ASV. Others have suggested the warhorse, zebra, raven, or starling. Tg. Prov 30:31 has it as the large fighting cock that struts around among the hens. There is no clear referent that is convincing, although most modern English versions use “strutting rooster” or something similar (cf. CEV “proud roosters”).
  5. Proverbs 30:31 tc This last line has inspired many suggestions. The MT has “with his army around him” (אַלְקוּם עִמּוֹ, ʾalqum ʿimmo); so NIV. This has been emended to read “against whom there is no rising up” (so KJV, ASV) or “standing over his people.” The LXX has “a king haranguing his people.” Tg. Prov 30:31 has, “a king who stands up before his people and addresses them.” Some have attempted to identify this with Alcimus, the high priest who aspired to kingship (1 Macc 7:5-22), but such a suggestion is quite remote. Another interpretation sees the word for “God” in the line: “a king with whom God is.” Furthermore, C. H. Toy thinks the text is defective and must have at one time referred to some majestic animal (Proverbs [ICC], 537). While all these suggestions are fascinating, they have not improved or corrected the Hebrew text. At least one can say the focus is on the stately appearance of the king at some auspicious moment. The word occurs only here, but if it is interpreted with its Arabic cognate in mind, then it refers to a band of soldiers (BDB 39 s.v. אַלְקוּם).
New English Translation (NET)

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