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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday June 24, 2024 (NIV)

2 Kings 6-7

Elisha Makes an Ax Head Float

6 Some of the prophets[a] said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you[b] is too cramped[c] for us. 2 Let’s go to the Jordan. Each of us will get a log from there, and we will build a meeting place for ourselves there.” He said, “Go.” 3 One of them said, “Please come along with your servants.” He replied, “All right, I’ll come.” 4 So he went with them. When they arrived at the Jordan, they started cutting down trees. 5 As one of them was felling a tree, the ax head[d] dropped into the water. He shouted, “Oh no,[e] my master! It was borrowed!” 6 The prophet[f] asked, “Where did it drop in?” When he showed him the spot, Elisha[g] cut off a branch, threw it in at that spot, and made the ax head float. 7 He said, “Lift it out.” So he reached out his hand and grabbed it.

Elisha Defeats an Army

8 Now the king of Syria was at war with Israel. He consulted his advisers, who said, “Invade[h] at such and such[i] a place.” 9 But the prophet sent this message to the king of Israel, “Make sure you don’t pass through this place because Syria is invading there.” 10 So the king of Israel sent a message to the place the prophet had pointed out, warning it[j] to be on its guard. This happened on several occasions.[k] 11 This made the king of Syria upset.[l] So he summoned his advisers[m] and said to them, “One of us must be helping the king of Israel.”[n] 12 One of his advisers said, “No, my master, O king. The prophet Elisha who lives in Israel keeps telling the king of Israel the things you say in your bedroom.” 13 The king[o] ordered, “Go, find out where he is, so I can send some men to capture him.”[p] The king was told, “He is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent horses and chariots there, along with a good-sized army.[q] They arrived during the night and surrounded the city.

15 The prophet’s[r] attendant got up early in the morning. When he went outside there was an army surrounding the city, along with horses and chariots. He said to Elisha,[s] “Oh no, my master! What will we do?” 16 He replied, “Don’t be afraid, for our side outnumbers them.”[t] 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes so he can see.” The Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw that[u] the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 As the army approached him,[v] Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike these people[w] with blindness.”[x] The Lord[y] struck them with blindness as Elisha requested.[z] 19 Then Elisha said to them, “This is not the right road or city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you’re looking for.” He led them to Samaria.

20 When they had entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open their eyes, so they can see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were in the middle of Samaria.[aa] 21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Should I strike them down,[ab] my master?”[ac] 22 He replied, “Do not strike them down! You did not capture them with your sword or bow, so what gives you the right to strike them down?[ad] Give them some food and water, so they can eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23 So he threw a big banquet[ae] for them and they ate and drank. Then he sent them back[af] to their master. After that no Syrian raiding parties again invaded the land of Israel.

The Lord Saves Samaria

24 Later King Ben Hadad of Syria assembled his entire army and attacked[ag] and besieged Samaria. 25 Samaria’s food supply ran out.[ah] They laid siege to it so long that[ai] a donkey’s head was selling for eighty shekels of silver[aj] and a quarter of a kab[ak] of dove’s droppings[al] for five shekels of silver.[am]

26 While the king of Israel was passing by on the city wall, a woman shouted to him, “Help us, my master, O king!” 27 He replied, “No, let the Lord help you. How can I help you? The threshing floor and winepress are empty.”[an] 28 Then the king asked her, “What’s your problem?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Hand over your son; we’ll eat him today and then eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we boiled my son and ate him. Then I said to her the next day, ‘Hand over your son and we’ll eat him.’ But she hid her son!” 30 When the king heard what the woman said, he tore his clothes. As he was passing by on the wall, the people could see he was wearing sackcloth under his clothes.[ao] 31 Then he said, “May God judge me severely[ap] if Elisha son of Shaphat still has his head by the end of the day!”[aq]

32 Now Elisha was sitting in his house with the community leaders.[ar] The king[as] sent a messenger on ahead, but before he arrived,[at] Elisha[au] said to the leaders,[av] “Do you realize this assassin intends to cut off my head?[aw] Look, when the messenger arrives, shut the door and lean against it. His master will certainly be right behind him.”[ax] 33 He was still talking to them when[ay] the messenger approached[az] and said, “Look, the Lord is responsible for this disaster![ba] Why should I continue to wait for the Lord to help?” 7 1 Elisha replied, “Listen to the Lord’s message. This is what the Lord has said, ‘About this time tomorrow a seah[bb] of finely milled flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.’” 2 An officer who was the king’s right-hand man[bc] responded to the prophet,[bd] “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?”[be] Elisha[bf] said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!”[bg]

3 Now four men with a skin disease[bh] were sitting at the entrance of the city gate. They said to one another, “Why are we just sitting here waiting to die?[bi] 4 If we go into the city, we’ll die of starvation,[bj] and if we stay here we’ll die! So come on, let’s defect[bk] to the Syrian camp! If they spare us,[bl] we’ll live; if they kill us—well, we were going to die anyway.”[bm] 5 So they started toward[bn] the Syrian camp at dusk. When they reached the edge of the Syrian camp, there was no one there. 6 The Lord had caused the Syrian camp to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a large army. Then they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has paid the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to attack us!” 7 So they got up and fled at dusk, leaving behind their tents, horses, and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives. 8 When the men with a skin disease reached the edge of the camp, they entered a tent and had a meal.[bo] They also took some silver, gold, and clothes and went and hid it all.[bp] Then they went back and entered another tent. They looted it[bq] and went and hid what they had taken. 9 Then they said to one another, “It’s not right what we’re doing! This is a day to celebrate, but we haven’t told anyone.[br] If we wait until dawn,[bs] we’ll be punished.[bt] So come on, let’s go and inform the royal palace.” 10 So they went and called out to the gatekeepers[bu] of the city. They told them, “We entered the Syrian camp and there was no one there. We didn’t even hear a man’s voice.[bv] But the horses and donkeys are still tied up, and the tents remain up.”[bw] 11 The gatekeepers relayed the news to the royal palace.[bx]

12 The king got up in the night and said to his advisers,[by] “I will tell you what the Syrians have done to us. They know we are starving, so they left the camp and hid in the field, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we will capture them alive and enter the city.’” 13 One of his advisers replied, “Pick some men and have them take five of the horses that are left in the city. (Even if they are killed, their fate will be no different than that of all the Israelite people—we’re all going to die!)[bz] Let’s send them out so we can know for sure what’s going on.”[ca] 14 So they picked two horsemen and the king sent them out to track the Syrian army.[cb] He ordered them, “Go and find out what’s going on.”[cc] 15 So they tracked them[cd] as far as the Jordan. The road was filled with clothes and equipment that the Syrians had discarded in their haste.[ce] The scouts[cf] went back and told the king. 16 Then the people went out and looted the Syrian camp. A seah[cg] of finely milled flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, just as in the Lord’s message.

17 Now the king had placed the officer who was his right-hand man[ch] at the city gate. When the people rushed out, they trampled him to death in the gate.[ci] This fulfilled the prophet’s word which he had spoken when the king tried to arrest him.[cj] 18 The prophet had told the king, “Two seahs of barley will sell for a shekel, and a seah of finely milled flour for a shekel; this will happen about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria.” 19 But the officer had replied to the prophet, “Look, even if the Lord made it rain by opening holes in the sky, could this happen so soon?”[ck] Elisha[cl] had said, “Look, you will see it happen with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of the food!”[cm] 20 This is exactly what happened to him. The people trampled him to death in the city gate.

Footnotes:

  1. 2 Kings 6:1 tn Heb “the sons of the prophets.”
  2. 2 Kings 6:1 tn Heb “sit before you.”
  3. 2 Kings 6:1 tn Heb “narrow, tight.”
  4. 2 Kings 6:5 tn Heb “iron.”
  5. 2 Kings 6:5 tn Or “ah.”
  6. 2 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “man of God” (also in v. 9).
  7. 2 Kings 6:6 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. 2 Kings 6:8 tc The verb form used here is difficult to analyze. On the basis of the form נְחִתִּים (nekhittim) in v. 9 from the root נָחַת (nakhat), it is probably best to emend the verb to תִּנְחְתוּ (tinkhetu; a Qal imperfect form from the same root). The verb נָחַת in at least two other instances carries the nuance “go down, descend” in a military context. For a defense of this view, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 72.
  9. 2 Kings 6:8 sn The advisers would have mentioned a specific location, but the details are not significant to the narrator’s purpose, so he simply paraphrases here.
  10. 2 Kings 6:10 tn The vav + perfect here indicates action contemporary with the preceding main verb (“sent”). See IBHS 533-34 §32.2.3e.
  11. 2 Kings 6:10 tn Heb “and the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God spoke to him, and he warned it and he guarded himself there, not once and not twice.”
  12. 2 Kings 6:11 tn Heb “and the heart of the king of Syria was stirred up over this thing.”
  13. 2 Kings 6:11 tn Heb “servants.”
  14. 2 Kings 6:11 tn Heb “Will you not tell me who among us [is] for the king of Israel?” The sarcastic rhetorical question expresses the king’s suspicion.
  15. 2 Kings 6:13 tn Heb “he” (also a second time in this verse); the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. 2 Kings 6:13 tn Heb “Go and see where he [is] so I can send and take him.”
  17. 2 Kings 6:14 tn Heb “heavy force.”
  18. 2 Kings 6:15 tn Heb “man of God’s.”
  19. 2 Kings 6:15 tn Heb “his young servant said to him.”
  20. 2 Kings 6:16 tn Heb “for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
  21. 2 Kings 6:17 tn Heb “and he saw, and look.”
  22. 2 Kings 6:18 tn Heb “and they came down to him.”
  23. 2 Kings 6:18 tn Or “this nation,” perhaps emphasizing the strength of the Syrian army.
  24. 2 Kings 6:18 tn On the basis of the Akkadian etymology of the word, M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 74) translate “blinding light.” HALOT 761 s.v. סַנְוֵרִים suggests the glosses “dazzling, deception.”
  25. 2 Kings 6:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  26. 2 Kings 6:18 tn Heb “according to the word of Elisha.”
  27. 2 Kings 6:20 tn Heb “and they saw, and look, [they were] in the middle of Samaria.”
  28. 2 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “Should I strike them down? I will strike them down.” In the Hebrew text the first person imperfect form is repeated; the first form has the interrogative he prefixed to it; the second does not. It is likely that the second form should be omitted as dittographic or that the first should be emended to an infinitive absolute.
  29. 2 Kings 6:21 tn Heb “my father.” The king addresses the prophet in this way to indicate his respect. See 2 Kgs 2:12.
  30. 2 Kings 6:22 tn Heb “Are [they] ones you captured with your sword or your bow (that) you can strike (them) down?”
  31. 2 Kings 6:23 tn Or “held a great feast.”
  32. 2 Kings 6:23 tn Heb “they went back.”
  33. 2 Kings 6:24 tn Heb “went up.”
  34. 2 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “and there was a great famine in Samaria.”
  35. 2 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “and look, [they] were besieging it until.”
  36. 2 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “eighty, silver.” The unit of measurement is omitted.
  37. 2 Kings 6:25 sn A kab was a unit of dry measure, equivalent to approximately 2 quarts (2 liters).
  38. 2 Kings 6:25 tn The consonantal text (Kethib) reads “dove dung” (חֲרֵייוֹנִים, khareyonim), while the marginal reading (Qere) has “discharge” (דִּבְיוֹנִים, divyonim). Based on evidence from Akkadian, M. Cogan and H. Tadmor (II Kings [AB], 79) suggest that “dove’s dung” was a popular name for the inedible husks of seeds.
  39. 2 Kings 6:25 tn Heb “five, silver.” The unit of measurement is omitted.
  40. 2 Kings 6:27 tn Heb “From where can I help you, from the threshing floor or the winepress?” The rhetorical question expresses the king’s frustration. He has no grain or wine to give to the masses.
  41. 2 Kings 6:30 tn Heb “the people saw, and look, [there was] sackcloth against his skin underneath.”
  42. 2 Kings 6:31 tn Heb “So may God do to me, and so may he add.”
  43. 2 Kings 6:31 tn Heb “if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat stays on him today.”
  44. 2 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “and the elders were sitting with him.”
  45. 2 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  46. 2 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “sent a man from before him, before the messenger came to him.”
  47. 2 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  48. 2 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “elders.”
  49. 2 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “Do you see that this son of an assassin has sent to remove my head?”
  50. 2 Kings 6:32 tn Heb “Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?”
  51. 2 Kings 6:33 tn The Hebrew text also has “look” here.
  52. 2 Kings 6:33 tn Heb “came down to him.”
  53. 2 Kings 6:33 tn Heb “Look, this is a disaster from the Lord.”
  54. 2 Kings 7:1 sn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about 11 quarts (11 liters).
  55. 2 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “the officer on whose hand the king leans.”
  56. 2 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “man of God.”
  57. 2 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “the Lord was making holes in the sky, could this thing be?” Opening holes in the sky would allow the waters stored up there to pour to the earth and assure a good crop. But, the officer argues, even if this were to happen, it would take a long time to grow and harvest the crop.
  58. 2 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  59. 2 Kings 7:2 tn Heb “you will not eat from there.”
  60. 2 Kings 7:3 sn See the note at 2 Kgs 5:1.
  61. 2 Kings 7:3 tn Heb “until we die.”
  62. 2 Kings 7:4 tn Heb “If we say, ‘We will enter the city,’ the famine is in the city and we will die there.”
  63. 2 Kings 7:4 tn Heb “fall.”
  64. 2 Kings 7:4 tn Heb “keep us alive.”
  65. 2 Kings 7:4 tn Heb “we will die.” The paraphrastic translation attempts to bring out the logical force of their reasoning.
  66. 2 Kings 7:5 tn Heb “they arose to go to.”
  67. 2 Kings 7:8 tn Heb “they ate and drank.”
  68. 2 Kings 7:8 tn Heb “and they hid [it].”
  69. 2 Kings 7:8 tn Heb “and they took from there.”
  70. 2 Kings 7:9 tn Heb “this day is a day of good news and we are keeping silent.”
  71. 2 Kings 7:9 tn Heb “the light of the morning.”
  72. 2 Kings 7:9 tn Heb “punishment will find us.”
  73. 2 Kings 7:10 tn The MT has a singular form (“gatekeeper”), but the context suggests a plural. The pronoun that follows (“them”) is plural and a plural noun appears in v. 11. The Syriac Peshitta and the Targum have the plural here.
  74. 2 Kings 7:10 tn Heb “and, look, there was no man or voice of a man there.”
  75. 2 Kings 7:10 tn Heb “but the horses are tied up and the donkeys are tied up and the tents are as they were.”
  76. 2 Kings 7:11 tn Heb “and the gatekeepers called out and they told [it] within the house of the king.”
  77. 2 Kings 7:12 tn Heb “servants” (also in v. 13).
  78. 2 Kings 7:13 tn Heb “Let them take five of the remaining horses that remain in it. Look, they are like all the people of Israel that remain in it. Look, they are like all the people of Israel that have come to an end.” The MT is dittographic here; the words “that remain in it. Look they are like all the people of Israel” have been accidentally repeated. The original text read, “Let them take five of the remaining horses that remain in it. Look, they are like all the people of Israel that have come to an end.”
  79. 2 Kings 7:13 tn Heb “and let us send so we might see.”
  80. 2 Kings 7:14 tn Heb “and the king sent [them] after the Syrian camp.”
  81. 2 Kings 7:14 tn Heb “Go and see.”
  82. 2 Kings 7:15 tn Heb “went after.”
  83. 2 Kings 7:15 tn Heb “and look, all the road was full of clothes and equipment that Syria had thrown away in their haste.”
  84. 2 Kings 7:15 tn Or “messengers.”
  85. 2 Kings 7:16 sn A seah was a dry measure equivalent to about 11 quarts (11 liters).
  86. 2 Kings 7:17 tn Heb “the officer on whose hand he leans.”
  87. 2 Kings 7:17 tn Heb “and the people trampled him in the gate and he died.”
  88. 2 Kings 7:17 tn Heb “just as the man of God had spoken, [the word] which he spoke when the king came down to him.”
  89. 2 Kings 7:19 tn Heb “the Lord was making holes in the sky, could this thing be?” See the note at 7:2.
  90. 2 Kings 7:19 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  91. 2 Kings 7:19 tn Heb “you will not eat from there.”tn In the Hebrew text vv. 18-19a are one lengthy sentence, “When the man of God spoke to the king…, the officer replied to the man of God, ‘Look…so soon?’” The translation divides this sentence up for stylistic reasons.
New English Translation (NET)

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Acts 15:36-16:15

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return[a] and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord[b] to see how they are doing.”[c] 37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 38 but Paul insisted[d] that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia[e] and had not accompanied them in the work. 39 They had[f] a sharp disagreement,[g] so that they parted company. Barnabas took along[h] Mark and sailed away to Cyprus,[i] 40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended[j] to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters.[k] 41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening[l] the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 He also came to Derbe[m] and to Lystra.[n] A disciple[o] named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer,[p] but whose father was a Greek.[q] 2 The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well[r] of him.[s] 3 Paul wanted Timothy[t] to accompany him, and he took[u] him and circumcised[v] him because of the Jews who were in those places,[w] for they all knew that his father was Greek.[x] 4 As they went through the towns,[y] they passed on[z] the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers[aa] to obey.[ab] 5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day.[ac]

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

6 They went through the region of Phrygia[ad] and Galatia,[ae] having been prevented[af] by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message[ag] in the province of Asia.[ah] 7 When they came to[ai] Mysia,[aj] they attempted to go into Bithynia,[ak] but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow[al] them to do this,[am] 8 so they passed through[an] Mysia[ao] and went down to Troas.[ap] 9 A[aq] vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there[ar] urging him,[as] “Come over[at] to Macedonia[au] and help us!” 10 After Paul[av] saw the vision, we[aw] attempted[ax] immediately to go over to Macedonia,[ay] concluding that God had called[az] us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

11 We put out to sea[ba] from Troas[bb] and sailed a straight course[bc] to Samothrace,[bd] the next day to Neapolis,[be] 12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district[bf] of Macedonia,[bg] a Roman colony.[bh] We stayed in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down[bi] and began to speak[bj] to the women[bk] who had assembled there.[bl] 14 A[bm] woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth[bn] from the city of Thyatira,[bo] a God-fearing woman, listened to us.[bp] The Lord opened her heart to respond[bq] to what Paul was saying. 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us,[br] “If[bs] you consider me to be a believer in the Lord,[bt] come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded[bu] us.

Footnotes:

  1. Acts 15:36 tn Grk “Returning let us visit.” The participle ἐπιστρέψαντες (epistrepsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  2. Acts 15:36 tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.
  3. Acts 15:36 tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.
  4. Acts 15:38 tn BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 2.a has “he insisted (impf.) that they should not take him along” for this phrase.
  5. Acts 15:38 sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor. See Acts 13:13, where it was mentioned previously.
  6. Acts 15:39 tn Grk “There happened a sharp disagreement.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
  7. Acts 15:39 tn BDAG 780 s.v. παροξυσμός 2 has “sharp disagreement” here; L&N 33.451 has “sharp argument, sharp difference of opinion.”
  8. Acts 15:39 tn Grk “taking along Mark sailed.” The participle παραλαβόντα (paralabonta) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  9. Acts 15:39 sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
  10. Acts 15:40 tn Or “committed.” BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 2 gives “be commended by someone to the grace of the Lord” as the meaning for this phrase, although “give over” and “commit” are listed as alternatives for this category.
  11. Acts 15:40 tn Grk “by the brothers.” Here it it is highly probable that the entire congregation is in view, not just men, so the translation “brothers and sisters” has been used for the plural ἀδελφῶν (adelphōn),.
  12. Acts 15:41 sn Strengthening. See Acts 14:22; 15:32; 18:23.
  13. Acts 16:1 sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus.
  14. Acts 16:1 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) south of Iconium.
  15. Acts 16:1 tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
  16. Acts 16:1 tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”
  17. Acts 16:1 sn His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub. 30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot 7.5.
  18. Acts 16:2 tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (martureō), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.
  19. Acts 16:2 tn Grk “who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who was a believer…who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb (“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.
  20. Acts 16:3 tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  21. Acts 16:3 tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labōn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).
  22. Acts 16:3 tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.
  23. Acts 16:3 tn Or “who lived in the area.”
  24. Acts 16:3 tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).sn His father was Greek. Under Jewish law at least as early as the 2nd century, a person was considered Jewish if his or her mother was Jewish. It is not certain whether such a law was in effect in the 1st century, but even if it was, Timothy would not have been accepted as fully Jewish because he was not circumcised.
  25. Acts 16:4 tn Or “cities.”
  26. Acts 16:4 tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”
  27. Acts 16:4 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  28. Acts 16:4 tn Or “observe” or “follow.”
  29. Acts 16:5 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
  30. Acts 16:6 sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.
  31. Acts 16:6 sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.
  32. Acts 16:6 tn Or “forbidden.”
  33. Acts 16:6 tn Or “word.”
  34. Acts 16:6 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia. The Roman province of Asia made up about one-third of modern Asia Minor and was on the western side of it. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
  35. Acts 16:7 tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.
  36. Acts 16:7 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
  37. Acts 16:7 sn Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.
  38. Acts 16:7 tn Or “permit”; see BDAG 269 s.v. ἐάω 1.
  39. Acts 16:7 tn The words “do this” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons, since English handles ellipses differently than Greek.
  40. Acts 16:8 tn Although the normal meaning for παρέρχομαι (parerchomai) is “pass by, go by,” it would be difficult to get to Troas from where Paul and his companions were without going through rather than around Mysia. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 6 list some nonbiblical examples of the meaning “go through, pass through,” and give that meaning for the usage here.
  41. Acts 16:8 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.
  42. Acts 16:8 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.
  43. Acts 16:9 tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  44. Acts 16:9 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  45. Acts 16:9 tn The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
  46. Acts 16:9 tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  47. Acts 16:9 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  48. Acts 16:10 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  49. Acts 16:10 sn This marks the beginning of one of the “we” sections in Acts (16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16). These have been traditionally understood to mean that the author was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.
  50. Acts 16:10 tn Grk “sought.”
  51. Acts 16:10 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  52. Acts 16:10 tn Or “summoned.”
  53. Acts 16:11 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”
  54. Acts 16:11 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.
  55. Acts 16:11 tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”
  56. Acts 16:11 sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.
  57. Acts 16:11 sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.
  58. Acts 16:12 tc ‡ Or perhaps, “a city in the first district” (there are a number of textual variants). L&N 1.85 follow the text of UBS5 and NA28 here: “In Ac 16:12…the Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies has adopted a conjectural emendation, since the more traditional text, πρώτη τῆς μερίδος, literally ‘first of the district,’ is not only misleading in meaning but does not reflect the historical fact that Philippi was a city in one of the four districts of Macedonia but was not a capital city.” The Ausgangstext probably read πρώτη τῆς μερίδος (prōtē tēs meridos, “first of that district”) as found in P74 א A C Ψ 33vid 36 81 323 945 1175 1891. This has traditionally been translated to give the impression that Philippi was the capital city of the district, but it does not necessarily have to be translated this way. The translation of the article before μερίδος as “that” acknowledges that there were other districts in the province of Macedonia.
  59. Acts 16:12 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
  60. Acts 16:12 sn A Roman colony was a city whose residents were regarded as Roman citizens, since such cities were originally colonized by citizens of Rome. From Troas to Philippi was 130 mi (208 km).
  61. Acts 16:13 tn Grk “and sitting down we began to speak.” The participle καθίσαντες (kathisantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  62. Acts 16:13 tn The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
  63. Acts 16:13 sn To the women. Apparently there were not enough Jews present in Philippi to have a synagogue (ten men would have been required to have one).
  64. Acts 16:13 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  65. Acts 16:14 tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  66. Acts 16:14 tn On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see BDAG 855 s.v. πορφυρόπωλις.
  67. Acts 16:14 sn Thyatira was a city in western Asia Minor.
  68. Acts 16:14 tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
  69. Acts 16:14 tn Although BDAG 880 s.v. προσέχω 2.b gives the meaning “pay attention to” here, this could be misunderstood by the modern English reader to mean merely listening intently. The following context, however, indicates that Lydia responded positively to Paul’s message, so the verb here was translated “to respond.”sn Lydia is one of several significant women in Acts (see 17:4, 12, 34; 18:20).
  70. Acts 16:15 tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
  71. Acts 16:15 tn This is a first class condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake of the argument.
  72. Acts 16:15 tn Or “faithful to the Lord.” BDAG 821 s.v. πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one who is included among the faithful followers of Christ—‘believer, Christian, follower.’”
  73. Acts 16:15 tn Although BDAG 759 s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 142

Psalm 142[a]

A well-written song[b] by David, when he was in the cave;[c] a prayer.

142 To the Lord I cry out;[d]
to the Lord I plead for mercy.[e]
2 I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about[f] my troubles.
3 Even when my strength leaves me,[g]
you watch my footsteps.[h]
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see.
No one cares about me.[i]
I have nowhere to run;[j]
no one is concerned about my life.[k]
5 I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security[l] in the land of the living.”
6 Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble.[m]
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
7 Free me[n] from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble,[o]
for you will vindicate me.[p]

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 142:1 sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
  2. Psalm 142:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
  3. Psalm 142:1 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.
  4. Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”
  5. Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”
  6. Psalm 142:2 tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
  7. Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
  8. Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “you know my path.”
  9. Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
  10. Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”
  11. Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
  12. Psalm 142:5 tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.
  13. Psalm 142:6 tn Heb “for I am very low.”
  14. Psalm 142:7 tn Heb “bring out my life.”
  15. Psalm 142:7 tn Or “gather around.”
  16. Psalm 142:7 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ʿal) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 17:24-25

24 Wisdom is directly in front of[a] the discerning person,
but the eyes of a fool run[b] to the ends of the earth.[c]
25 A foolish child is a grief[d] to his father,
and bitterness to the mother who bore him.[e]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 17:24 tn The verse begins with אֶת־פְּנֵי מֵבִין (ʾet pene mevin), “before the discerning” or “the face of the discerning.” The particle אֶת here is simply drawing emphasis to the predicate (IBHS 182-83 §10.3.2b). Cf. NIV “A discerning man keeps wisdom in view.”
  2. Proverbs 17:24 tn The term “run” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied for the sake of clarification.
  3. Proverbs 17:24 sn To say that “the eyes of the fool run to the ends of the earth” means that he has no power to concentrate and cannot focus his attention on anything. The language is hyperbolic. Cf. NCV “the mind of a fool wanders everywhere.”
  4. Proverbs 17:25 sn The Hebrew noun means “vexation, anger, grief.”
  5. Proverbs 17:25 tn Heb “to the one who bore him.” Because the participle is feminine singular in Hebrew, this has been translated as “the mother who bore him.”sn The proverb is similar to v. 21, 10:1, and 15:20.
New English Translation (NET)

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