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

1 Samuel 2:22-4

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

The Lord Judges the House of Eli

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

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

The Call of Samuel

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Ark of the Covenant is Lost to the Philistines

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

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

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

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

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

Eli Dies

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

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

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

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

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

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

Footnotes:

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

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John 5:24-47

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

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

More Testimony About Jesus

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

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

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

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

Footnotes:

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

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Psalm 106:1-12

Psalm 106[a]

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

Footnotes:

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

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Proverbs 14:30-31

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

Footnotes:

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

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday May 7, 2024 (NIV)

1 Samuel 1:1-2:21

The Birth of Samuel

1 Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim Zuphim, in the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 And he had two wives; the name of one was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

3 This man went up out of his city annually to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh. And there the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord. 4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved Hannah, but the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Now her rival provoked her greatly, making her miserable because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 Thus it was yearly, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that she provoked her. So Hannah wept and did not eat. 8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? And why do you not eat? Why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

9 So Hannah arose after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a seat by the door of the tabernacle of the Lord. 10 And she was bitter, and prayed to the Lord, and wept severely. 11 So she made a vow and said, “O Lord of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant, and remember me and not forget Your maidservant, but will give to Your maidservant a baby boy, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”[a]

12 And as she was praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth. 13 Now Hannah was speaking in her heart. Her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. 14 So Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you.”

15 And Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrow. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not consider your handmaid to be a sinful woman, for out of the abundance of my concern and provocation I have spoken until now.”

17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant you your request that you have asked of Him.”

18 And she said, “Let your handmaid find grace in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was not sad as before.

19 They rose up in the morning early and worshipped before the Lord. And they returned and came to their house to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And it came to pass that Hannah conceived and bore a son. And she called his name Samuel saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”

The Dedication of Samuel

21 Then the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and live there forever.”

23 So Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems good to you. Wait until you have weaned him; only may the Lord establish His word.” So the woman remained, and nursed her son until she weaned him.

24 When she had weaned him, she took him up with her with three bulls, one ephah[b] of flour, and a bottle of wine. And she brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, though the boy was young. 25 Then they slaughtered a bull, and they brought the boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 Therefore also I have let the Lord have him. As long as he lives he will be dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshipped the Lord there.

The Prayer of Hannah

2 Hannah prayed, saying:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth is bold against my enemies,
because I rejoice in Your salvation.

2 “There is none holy as the Lord,
for there is none besides You,
and there is no rock like our God.

3 “Do not multiply proud speech,
nor let arrogance come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is the God of knowledge,
and by Him actions are examined.

4 “The bows of the mighty are broken,
but those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those that were full have hired out themselves for bread,
and those that were hungry ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
and she that has many children wastes away.

6 “The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust
and lifts up the oppressed from the dunghill
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth belong to the Lord,
and He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
but the wicked will be silent in darkness.

“For by strength shall no man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord will be broken to pieces;
He will thunder against them out of heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king
and exalt the horn of His anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.

Wicked Sons of Eli

12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt. They did not know the Lord. 13 The priest’s custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the flesh was cooking with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot, and all that the fork brought up the priest took for himself. This they did in Shiloh to all the children of Israel who came there. 15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast. For he will not take boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

16 If any man said to him, “Let them first burn the fat and then take as much as you wish,” then he would answer him, “No, but you will give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force.”

17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord. For the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

God Blesses Hannah

18 But Samuel ministered before the Lord, as a boy, wearing a linen ephod. 19 Now his mother would make him a little coat and brought it to him every year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “The Lord give you offspring from this woman for the sake of the request which was made to the Lord.” Then they would return to their home. 21 The Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.

Footnotes:

  1. 1 Samuel 1:11 Hannah dedicates Samuel as a lifetime Nazirite (see Nu 6:2–21).
  2. 1 Samuel 1:24 Likely about 36 pounds, or 16 kilograms.
Modern English Version (MEV)

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John 5:1-23

The Healing at the Pool

5 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great crowd of invalids, blind, lame, and paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water. After the stirring of the water, whoever stepped in first was healed of whatever disease he had. 5 A certain man was there who had an illness for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been in that condition now a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”

7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred. But while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 Immediately the man was healed, took up his bed, and walked.

That day was the Sabbath. 10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath day. It is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

11 He answered them, “He who healed me said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”

12 So they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?”

13 Now the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in that place.

14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have become whole. Sin no more lest something worse happens to you.” 15 The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

16 So the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath day. 17 Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” 18 So the Jews sought even more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

The Authority of the Son

19 Then Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do. For whatever He does, likewise the Son does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does. And He will show Him greater works than these so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all men should honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Psalm 105:37-45

37 Then He brought them out with silver and gold,
and no one among their tribes faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
for the fear of Israel fell upon them.

39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
and fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and He brought quail,
and satisfied them with abundant bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out;
they ran in the desert like a river.

42 For he recalled His holy promise
to Abraham His servant.
43 He brought forth His people with joy,
and His chosen ones with gladness,
44 and gave them the lands of the nations,
and they took possession of the fruitful labor of the people,
45 that they might observe His statutes
and keep His laws.

Praise the Lord!

Modern English Version (MEV)

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Proverbs 14:28-29

28 In the multitude of people is a king’s honor,
but in the lack of people is the destruction of a prince.

29 He who is slow to wrath is of great understanding,
but he who is hasty of spirit exalts folly.

Modern English Version (MEV)

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday May 6, 2024 (NIV)

Ruth 2-4

Ruth Works in the Field of Boaz

2 Now Naomi[a] had a relative[b] on her husband’s side of the family named Boaz. He was a wealthy, prominent man from the clan of Elimelech.[c] 2 One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go[d] to the fields so I can gather[e] grain behind whoever permits me to do so.”[f] Naomi[g] replied, “You may go, my daughter.” 3 So Ruth[h] went and gathered grain in the fields[i] behind the harvesters. Now she just happened to end up[j] in the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Boaz and Ruth Meet

4 Now at that very moment,[k] Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted[l] the harvesters, “May the Lord be with you!” They replied,[m] “May the Lord bless you!” 5 Boaz asked[n] his servant[o] in charge of the harvesters, “To whom does this young woman belong?”[p] 6 The servant in charge of the harvesters replied, “She’s the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the region of Moab. 7 She asked,[q] ‘May I follow the harvesters and gather grain[r] among the bundles?’[s] Since she arrived she has been working hard[t] from this morning until now[u]—except for[v] sitting[w] in the resting hut[x] a short time.”[y]

8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully,[z] my dear![aa] Do not leave to gather grain in another field. You need not[ab] go beyond the limits of this field. You may go along beside[ac] my female workers.[ad] 9 Take note of[ae] the field where the men[af] are harvesting and follow behind with the female workers.[ag] I will tell the men[ah] to leave you alone.[ai] When you are thirsty, you may go to[aj] the water jars[ak] and drink some of the water[al] the servants draw.”[am]

10 Ruth[an] knelt before him with her forehead to the ground[ao] and said to him, “Why are you so kind[ap] and so attentive to me,[aq] even though[ar] I am a foreigner?”[as] 11 Boaz replied to her,[at] “I have been given a full report of[au] all that you have done for your mother-in-law following the death of your husband—how you left[av] your father and your mother, as well as your homeland, and came to live among people you did not know previously.[aw] 12 May the Lord reward your efforts![ax] May your acts of kindness be repaid fully[ay] by the Lord God of Israel, from whom you have sought protection.”[az] 13 She said, “You really are being kind to me,[ba] sir,[bb] for you have reassured[bc] and encouraged[bd] me, your servant,[be] even though I will[bf] never be like[bg] one of your servants.”[bh]

14 Later during the mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and have[bi] some food! Dip your bread[bj] in the vinegar.” So she sat down beside the harvesters. Then he handed[bk] her some roasted grain. She ate until she was full and saved the rest.[bl] 15 When she got up to gather grain, Boaz told[bm] his male servants, “Let her gather grain even among[bn] the bundles. Don’t chase her off![bo] 16 Make sure you pull out[bp] ears of grain for her and drop them so she can gather them up. Don’t tell her not to!”[bq] 17 So she gathered grain in the field until evening. When she threshed[br] what she had gathered, it came to about thirty pounds[bs] of barley.

Ruth Returns to Naomi

18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw[bt] how much grain[bu] she had gathered. Then Ruth[bv] gave her the roasted grain she had saved from mealtime.[bw] 19 Her mother-in-law asked her,[bx] “Where did you gather grain today? Where did you work? May the one who took notice of you be rewarded!”[by] So Ruth[bz] told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked. She said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be rewarded by the Lord because he[ca] has shown loyalty to the living on behalf of the dead!”[cb] Then Naomi said to her, “This man is a close relative of ours; he is our guardian.”[cc] 21 Ruth the Moabite replied, “He even[cd] told me, ‘You may go along beside my servants[ce] until they have finished gathering all my harvest!’”[cf] 22 Naomi then said to her daughter-in-law Ruth, “It is good, my daughter, that you should go out to work with his female servants.[cg] That way you will not be harmed, which could happen in another field.”[ch] 23 So Ruth[ci] worked beside[cj] Boaz’s female servants, gathering grain until the end of the barley harvest as well as the wheat harvest.[ck] After that she stayed home with her mother-in-law.[cl]

Naomi Instructs Ruth

3 At that time,[cm] Naomi, her mother-in-law, said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you so you will be secure.[cn] 2 Now Boaz, with whose female servants you worked, is our close relative.[co] Look, tonight he is winnowing barley at the threshing floor.[cp] 3 So bathe yourself,[cq] rub on some perfumed oil,[cr] and get dressed up.[cs] Then go down[ct] to the threshing floor. But don’t let the man know you’re there until he finishes his meal.[cu] 4 When he gets ready to go to sleep,[cv] take careful notice of the place where he lies down. Then go, uncover his legs,[cw] and lie down[cx] beside him.[cy] He will tell[cz] you what you should do.” 5 Ruth replied to Naomi,[da] “I will do everything you have told[db] me[dc] to do.”[dd]

Ruth Visits Boaz

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law had instructed her to do.[de] 7 When Boaz had finished his meal and was feeling satisfied, he lay down to sleep at the far end of the grain heap.[df] Then Ruth[dg] crept up quietly,[dh] uncovered his legs,[di] and lay down beside him.[dj] 8 In the middle of the night he was startled[dk] and turned over.[dl] Now[dm] he saw a woman[dn] lying beside him![do] 9 He said, “Who are you?”[dp] She replied, “I am Ruth, your servant.[dq] Marry your servant,[dr] for you are a guardian of the family interests.”[ds] 10 He said, “May you be rewarded[dt] by the Lord, my dear![du] This act of devotion[dv] is greater than what you did before.[dw] For you have not sought to marry[dx] one of the young men, whether rich or poor.[dy] 11 Now, my dear, don’t worry![dz] I intend to do for you everything you propose,[ea] for everyone in the village[eb] knows that you are a worthy woman.[ec] 12 Now yes, it is true that[ed] I am a guardian,[ee] but there is another guardian who is a closer relative than I am. 13 Remain here tonight. Then in the morning, if he agrees to marry you,[ef] fine,[eg] let him do so.[eh] But if he does not want to do so, I promise, as surely as the Lord lives, to marry you.[ei] Sleep here until morning.”[ej] 14 So she slept beside him[ek] until morning. She woke up while it was still dark.[el] Boaz thought,[em] “No one must know that a woman visited the threshing floor.”[en] 15 Then he said, “Hold out the shawl[eo] you are wearing[ep] and grip it tightly.” As she held it tightly, he measured out about sixty pounds[eq] of barley into the shawl[er] and put it on her shoulders. Then he[es] went into town, 16 and she returned to her mother-in-law.

Ruth Returns to Naomi

When Ruth returned to her mother-in-law, Naomi[et] asked,[eu] “How did things turn out for you,[ev] my daughter?” Ruth[ew] told her about all the man had done for her. 17 She said, “He gave me these sixty pounds of barley, for he said to me,[ex] ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”[ey] 18 Then Naomi[ez] said, “Stay put,[fa] my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until he has taken care of the matter today.”

Boaz Settles the Matter

4 Now Boaz went up[fb] to the village gate and sat there. Then along came the guardian[fc] whom Boaz had mentioned to Ruth.[fd] Boaz said, “Come[fe] here, what’s-your-name,[ff] and sit down.” So he came[fg] and sat down. 2 Boaz chose ten of the village leaders[fh] and said, “Sit down here!” So they sat down. 3 Then Boaz said to the guardian,[fi] “Naomi, who has returned from the region of Moab, is selling[fj] the portion of land that belongs to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I am legally informing you:[fk] Acquire it before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people.[fl] If you want to exercise your right to redeem it, then do so.[fm] But if not, then tell me[fn] so I will know.[fo] For you possess the first option to redeem it; I am next in line after you.”[fp] He replied, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “When[fq] you acquire the field[fr] from Naomi,[fs] you must also[ft] acquire Ruth the Moabite,[fu] the wife of our deceased relative,[fv] in order to preserve his family name by raising up a descendant who will inherit his property.”[fw] 6 The guardian said, “Then I am unable to redeem it, for I would ruin my own inheritance[fx] in that case. You may exercise my redemption option, for I am unable to redeem it.”[fy] 7 (Now this used to be the customary way to finalize a transaction involving redemption in Israel:[fz] A man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party.[ga] This was a legally binding act[gb] in Israel.) 8 So the guardian said to Boaz, “You may acquire it,” and he removed his sandal.[gc] 9 Then Boaz said to the leaders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, as my wife to raise up a descendant who will inherit his property[gd] so the name of the deceased might not disappear[ge] from among his relatives and from his village.[gf] You are witnesses today.” 11 All the people who were at the gate and the elders replied, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built up the house of Israel! May[gg] you prosper[gh] in Ephrathah and become famous[gi] in Bethlehem. 12 May your family[gj] become like the family of Perez[gk]—whom Tamar bore to Judah—through the descendants[gl] the Lord gives you by this young woman.”

A Grandson is Born to Naomi

13 So Boaz married Ruth and slept with her.[gm] The Lord enabled her to conceive[gn] and she gave birth to a son. 14 The village women said to Naomi, “May the Lord be praised because he has not left you without a guardian[go] today! May he[gp] become famous in Israel![gq] 15 He will encourage you and provide for you when you are old,[gr] for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, has given him birth. She[gs] is better to you than seven sons!” 16 Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap;[gt] she became his caregiver.[gu] 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed.[gv] Now he became the father of Jesse—David’s father.

Epilogue: Obed in the Genealogy of David

18 These are the descendants[gw] of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron was the father of Ram, Ram was the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab was the father of Nachshon, Nachshon was the father of Salmah, 21 Salmon[gx] was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed, 22 Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David.[gy]

Footnotes:

  1. Ruth 2:1 tn The disjunctive clause (note the vav [ו] + prepositional phrase structure) provides background information essential to the following narrative.
  2. Ruth 2:1 tc The marginal reading (Qere) is מוֹדַע (modaʿ, “relative”), while the consonantal text (Kethib) has מְיֻדָּע (mᵉyuddaʿ, “friend”). The textual variant was probably caused by orthographic confusion between consonantal מְיֻדָּע and מוֹדַע. Virtually all English versions follow the marginal reading (Qere), e.g., KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “kinsman”; NIV, NCV, NLT “relative.”
  3. Ruth 2:1 tn Heb “and [there was] to Naomi a relative, to her husband, a man mighty in substance, from the clan of Elimelech, and his name [was] Boaz.”
  4. Ruth 2:2 tn The cohortative here (“Let me go”) expresses Ruth’s request. Note Naomi’s response, in which she gives Ruth permission to go to the field.
  5. Ruth 2:2 tn Following the preceding cohortative, the cohortative with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result.
  6. Ruth 2:2 tn Heb “anyone in whose eyes I may find favor” (ASV, NIV similar). The expression אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינָיו (ʾemtsaʾ khen beʿenayv, “to find favor in the eyes of [someone]”) appears in Ruth 2:2, 10, 13. It is most often used when a subordinate or servant requests permission for something from a superior (BDB 336 s.v. חֵן). Ruth will play the role of the subordinate servant, seeking permission from a landowner, who then could show benevolence by granting her request to glean in his field behind the harvest workers.
  7. Ruth 2:2 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. Ruth 2:3 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  9. Ruth 2:3 tn Heb “and she went and entered [a field] and gleaned in the field behind the harvesters.” Cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “the reapers”; TEV “the workers.”
  10. Ruth 2:3 sn The text is written from Ruth’s limited perspective. As far as she was concerned, she randomly picked a spot in the field. But God was providentially at work and led her to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who, as a near relative of Elimelech, was a potential benefactor.
  11. Ruth 2:4 tn Heb “and look”; NIV, NRSV “Just then.” The narrator invites the audience into the story, describing Boaz’s arrival as if it were witnessed by the audience.
  12. Ruth 2:4 tn Heb “said to.” Context indicates that the following expression is a greeting, the first thing Boaz says to his workers.
  13. Ruth 2:4 tn Heb “said to him.” For stylistic reasons “replied” is used in the present translation.
  14. Ruth 2:5 tn Heb “said to.” Since what follows is a question, “asked” is appropriate in this context.
  15. Ruth 2:5 tn Heb “young man.” Cf. NAB “overseer”; NIV, NLT “foreman.”
  16. Ruth 2:5 sn In this patriarchal culture Ruth would “belong” to either her father (if unmarried) or her husband (if married).
  17. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “said.” What follows is a question, so “asked” is used in the translation.
  18. Ruth 2:7 tn On the use of the perfect with vav consecutive after the cohortative, see IBHS 530 §32.2.2b.
  19. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “May I glean and gather among the bundles behind the harvesters?” Others translate, “May I glean and gather [grain] in bundles behind the harvesters?” (cf. NAB; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 117). For discussion of the terminology and process of harvesting, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 59-61.
  20. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “and she came and she has persisted.” The construction וַתָּבוֹא וַתַּעֲמוֹד (vattavoʾ vataʿamod) forms a dependent temporal sequence: “since she came, she has persisted.” Because עָמַד (ʿamad, “to stand, remain, persist”; BDB 764 s.v. עָמַד; HALOT 840-42 s.v. עמד) has a broad range of meanings, וַתַּעֲמוֹד has been understood in various ways: (1) Ruth had stood all morning waiting to receive permission from Boaz to glean in his field: “she has stood (here waiting)”; (2) Ruth had remained in the field all morning: “she has remained here” (NAB, NASB, NCV); and (3) Ruth had worked hard all morning: “she has worked steadily” (REB), “she has been working” (TEV, CEV), “she has been on her feet (all morning)” (JPS, NJPS, NRSV). For discussion, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 118-19.
  21. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “and she came and she stood, from then, the morning, and until now, this, her sitting [in] the house a little.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward and the meaning uncertain. For discussion see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 118-19.
  22. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “except this.” The function and meaning of the demonstrative adjective זֶה (zeh, “this”) is difficult: (1) MT accentuation joins זֶה with שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah, “this her sitting”), suggesting that זֶה שִׁבְתָּהּ functions as subject complement (see BDB 261 s.v. זֶה 2.a and Josh 9:12). (2) Others suggest that זֶה functions as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”; BDB 261 s.v. 4.h) and connect it with עַתָּה (ʿattah, “now”) to form the idiom עַתָּה זֶה (ʿattah zeh, “now, just now”; BDB 261 s.v. 4.h; GKC 442-43 §136.d; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 118-19). The entire line is translated variously: KJV “until now, (+ save ASV) that she tarried a little in the house”; NASB “she has been sitting in the house for a little while”; NIV “except for a short rest in the shelter”; NJPS “she has rested but little in the hut”; “her sitting (= resting) in the house (has only been) for a moment.” A paraphrase would be: “She came and has kept at it (= gleaning) from this morning until now, except for this: She has been sitting in the hut only a little while.” The clause as a whole is an exceptive clause: “except for this….”
  23. Ruth 2:7 tc The MT vocalizes consonantal שבתה as שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah, “her sitting”; Qal infinitive construct from יָשַׁב (yashav), “to sit” + third person feminine singular suffix), apparently taking the third person feminine singular suffix as a subjective genitive: “she sat [in the hut only a little while]” (so KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV, REB, TEV, NCV, NJPS). On the other hand, LXX κατέπαυσεν (katepausen “she rested”) reflects the vocalization שָׁבְתָה (shavetah, “she rested”; Qal perfect third person feminine singular from שָׁבַת (shavat), “to rest”): “she rested [in the hut only a little while]” (so RSV, NRSV, NAB, CEV, NJB, JPS). The MT reading is more difficult and is therefore probably original.tn Heb “and she came and she stood, from then, the morning, and until now, this, her sitting [in] the house a little.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is awkward here and the meaning uncertain. F. W. Bush (Ruth, Esther [WBC], 118-19) takes עָמַד (ʿamad, “to stand”) in the sense “to stay, remain,” connects זֶה (zeh, “this”) with the preceding עַתָּה (ʿattah, “now”) as an emphasizing adverb of time (“just now”), and emends שִׁבְתָּהּ הַבַּיִת (shivtah habbayit, “her sitting [in] the house”) to שָׁבְתָה (shavetah, “she rested”), omitting הַבַּיִת (habbayit) as dittographic. Another option is to translate, “She came and has stood here from this morning until now. She’s been sitting in the house for a short time.” According to this view the servant has made Ruth wait to get permission from Boaz.
  24. Ruth 2:7 tc Several English versions (NAB, NEB, RSV, NRSV, JB, CEV) suggest deleting MT הַבַּיִת (habbayit, lit. “the house”) due to dittography with בתה in שִׁבְתָּהּ (shivtah) which precedes; however, several ancient textual witnesses support the MT (medieval Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, Targum). The LXX reading ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ (en tō agrō, “in the field”) probably does not represent an alternate Hebrew textual tradition, but merely the translator’s attempt to smooth out a difficult Hebrew text.tn “[in] the house.” The noun הַבַּיִת (lit. “the house”) functions as an adverbial accusative of location, and probably refers to a “hut, shelter,” providing shade for workers in the field, such as those still used by harvesters in modern Israel (H. A. Hoffner, TDOT 2:111-15). This kind of structure is probably referred to using different terms in Isaiah 1:8, “like a shelter (כְּסֻכָּה, kesukkah) in a vineyard, like a hut (כִּמְלוּנָה, kimlunah) in a field of melons.” Some translations render הַבַּיִת (habbayit) literally as “the house” (KJV, NKJV, NASB), while others nuance it as “the shelter” (NIV, NCV, TEV, NLT).
  25. Ruth 2:7 tn Heb “a little while.” The adjective מְעָט (meʿat) functions in a temporal sense (“a little while”; e.g., Job 24:24) or a comparative sense (“a little bit”); see BDB 589-90 s.v. The foreman’s point is that Ruth was a hard worker who only rested a short time, or that she had only been waiting for permission for a short time (depending on how other issues in the verse are resolved).
  26. Ruth 2:8 tn Heb “Have you not heard?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 119, and GKC 474 §150.e).
  27. Ruth 2:8 tn Heb “my daughter.” This form of address is a mild form of endearment, perhaps merely rhetorical. It might suggest that Boaz is older than Ruth, but not necessarily significantly so. A few English versions omit it entirely (e.g., TEV, CEV).
  28. Ruth 2:8 tn The switch from the negative particle אַל (ʾal, see the preceding statement, “do not leave”) to לֹא (loʾ) may make this statement more emphatic. It may indicate that the statement is a policy applicable for the rest of the harvest (see v. 21).
  29. Ruth 2:8 tn Heb “and thus you may stay close with.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here.
  30. Ruth 2:8 sn The female workers would come along behind those who cut the grain and bundle it up. Staying close to the female workers allowed Ruth to collect more grain than would normally be the case (see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 61, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 121).
  31. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “let your eyes be upon” (KJV, NASB similar).
  32. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “they.” The verb is masculine plural, indicating that the male workers are the subject here.
  33. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “and go after them.” The pronominal suffix (“them”) is feminine plural, indicating that the female workers are referred to here.
  34. Ruth 2:9 tn Male servants are in view here, as the masculine plural form of the noun indicates (cf. KJV, NAB, NRSV “the young men”).
  35. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “Have I not commanded the servants not to touch [i.e., “harm”] you?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see v. 8). The perfect is either instantaneous, indicating completion of the action concurrent with the statement (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 107, 121-22, who translates, “I am herewith ordering”) or emphatic/rhetorical, indicating the action is as good as done.
  36. Ruth 2:9 tn The juxtaposition of two perfects, each with vav consecutive, here indicates a conditional sentence (see GKC 337 §112.kk).
  37. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “vessels (so KJV, NAB, NRSV), receptacles”; NCV “water jugs.”
  38. Ruth 2:9 tn Heb “drink [some] of that which” (KJV similar); in the context “water” is implied.
  39. Ruth 2:9 tn The imperfect here either indicates characteristic or typical activity, or anterior future, referring to a future action (drawing water) which logically precedes another future action (drinking).
  40. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “she fell upon her face and bowed to the ground” (KJV, NASB similar).
  42. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “Why do I find favor in your eyes…?” The expression מָצַא חֵן בְּעֵינֶי (matsaʾ khen beʿeney, “to find favor in the eyes of [someone]”) is often characterized by the following features: (1) A subordinate or servant is requesting permission for something from a superior (master, owner, king). (2) The granting of the request is not a certainty but dependent on whether or not the superior is pleased with the subordinate to do so. (3) The granting of the request by the superior is an act of kindness or benevolence; however, it sometimes reciprocates loyalty previously shown by the subordinate to the superior (e.g., Gen 30:27; 32:6; 33:8, 10, 15; 34:11; 39:4; 47:25, 29; 50:4; Num 32:5; Deut 24:1; 1 Sam 1:18; 16:22; 20:3, 29; 27:3; 2 Sam 14:22; 16:4; 1 Kgs 11:19; Esth 5:8; 7:3; BDB 336 s.v. חֵן). While Boaz had granted her request for permission to glean in his field, she is amazed at the degree of kindness he had shown—especially since she had done nothing, in her own mind, to merit such a display. However, Boaz explains that she had indeed shown kindness to him indirectly through her devotion to Naomi (v. 11).
  43. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “Why do I find favor in your eyes by [you] recognizing me.” The infinitive construct with prefixed ל (lamed) here indicates manner (“by”).
  44. Ruth 2:10 tn Heb “and I am a foreigner.” The disjunctive clause (note the pattern vav + subject + predicate nominative) here has a circumstantial (i.e., concessive) function (“even though”).
  45. Ruth 2:10 sn The similarly spelled Hebrew terms נָכַר (nakhar, “to notice”) and נָכְרִי (nokhri, “foreigner”) in this verse form a homonymic wordplay. This highlights the unexpected nature of the attentiveness and concern Boaz displayed to Ruth.
  46. Ruth 2:11 tn Heb “answered and said to her” (so NASB). For stylistic reasons this has been translated as “replied to her.”
  47. Ruth 2:11 tn Heb “it has been fully reported to me.” The infinitive absolute here emphasizes the following finite verb from the same root. Here it emphasizes either the clarity of the report or its completeness. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 153, n. 6. Most English versions tend toward the nuance of completeness (e.g., KJV “fully been shewed”; NAB “a complete account”; NASB, NRSV “All that you have done”).
  48. Ruth 2:11 tn The vav (ו) consecutive construction here has a specifying function. This and the following clause elaborate on the preceding general statement and explain more specifically what she did for her mother-in-law.
  49. Ruth 2:11 tn Heb “yesterday and the third day.” This Hebrew idiom means “previously, in the past” (Exod 5:7, 8, 14; Exod 21:29, 36; Deut 4:42; 19:4, 6; Josh 3:4; 1 Sam 21:5; 2 Sam 3:17; 1 Chr 11:2).
  50. Ruth 2:12 tn Heb “repay your work”; KJV, ASV “recompense thy work.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer (note the jussive form in the next clause).
  51. Ruth 2:12 tn Heb “may your wages be complete”; NCV “May your wages be paid in full.” The prefixed verbal form is a distinct jussive form, indicating that this is a prayer for blessing.
  52. Ruth 2:12 tn Heb “under whose wings you have sought shelter”; NIV, NLT “have come to take refuge.”
  53. Ruth 2:13 tn Heb “I am finding favor in your eyes.” In v. 10, where Ruth uses the perfect, she simply states the fact that Boaz is kind. Here the Hebrew text switches to the imperfect, thus emphasizing the ongoing attitude of kindness displayed by Boaz. Many English versions treat this as a request: KJV “Let me find favour in thy sight”; NAB “May I prove worthy of your kindness”; NIV “May I continue to find favor in your eyes.”
  54. Ruth 2:13 tn Heb “my master”; KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV “my lord.”
  55. Ruth 2:13 tn Or “comforted” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT).
  56. Ruth 2:13 tn Heb “spoken to the heart of.” As F. W. Bush points out, the idiom here means “to reassure, encourage” (Ruth, Esther [WBC], 124).
  57. Ruth 2:13 tn Ruth here uses a word (שִׁפְחָה, shifkhah) that describes the lowest level of female servant (see 1 Sam 25:41). Note Ruth 3:9 where she uses the word אָמָה (ʾamah), which refers to a higher class of servant.
  58. Ruth 2:13 tn The imperfect verbal form of הָיָה (hayah) is used here. F. W. Bush shows from usage elsewhere that the form should be taken as future (Ruth, Esther [WBC], 124-25).
  59. Ruth 2:13 tn Or “will never be the equivalent of one of your maidservants” (see F. Bush, Ruth [WBC], 107).
  60. Ruth 2:13 tn The disjunctive clause (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + verb) is circumstantial (or concessive) here (“even though”).
  61. Ruth 2:14 tn Heb “eat” (so KJV, NRSV).
  62. Ruth 2:14 tn Heb “your portion”; NRSV “your morsel.”
  63. Ruth 2:14 tn The Hebrew verb צָבַט (tsavat) occurs only here in the OT. Cf. KJV, ASV “he reached her”; NASB “he served her”; NIV “he offered her”; NRSV “he heaped up for her.” For discussion of its meaning, including the etymological evidence, see BDB 840 s.v.; R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 174; and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 125-26.
  64. Ruth 2:14 tn Heb “and she ate and she was satisfied and she had some left over” (NASB similar).
  65. Ruth 2:15 tn Or “commanded” (so KJV, NASB, NCV).
  66. Ruth 2:15 tn Heb “even between”; NCV “even around.”
  67. Ruth 2:15 tn Heb “do not humiliate her”; cf. KJV “reproach her not”; NASB “do not insult her”; NIV “don’t embarrass her.” This probably refers to a verbal rebuke which would single her out and embarrass her (see v. 16). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 176-77, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 126.
  68. Ruth 2:16 tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis. Here שָׁלַל (shalal, “pull out”) is a homonym of the more common Hebrew verb meaning “to plunder.” An Arabic cognate is used of drawing a sword out of a scabbard (see BDB 1021 s.v.).
  69. Ruth 2:16 tn Heb “do not rebuke her” (so NASB, NRSV); CEV “don’t speak harshly to her”; NLT “don’t give her a hard time.”
  70. Ruth 2:17 tn Heb “she beat out” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV, NLT). Ruth probably used a stick to separate the kernels of grain from the husks. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 63.
  71. Ruth 2:17 tn Heb “there was an ephah.” An ephah was a dry measure, equivalent to one-tenth of a homer (see HALOT 43 s.v. אֵיפָה). An ephah was equivalent to a “bath,” a liquid measure. Jars labeled “bath” found at archaeological sites in Israel could contain approximately 5.8 gallons, or one-half to two-thirds of a bushel. Thus an ephah of barley would have weighed about 29 to 30 pounds (just over 13 kg). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 179.sn This was a huge amount of barley for one woman to gather in a single day. It testifies both to Ruth’s industry and to Boaz’s generosity.
  72. Ruth 2:18 tc MT vocalizes ותרא as the Qal verb וַתֵּרֶא (vattereʾ, “and she saw”), consequently of “her mother-in-law” as subject and “what she gathered” as the direct object: “her mother-in-law saw what she gathered.” A few medieval Hebrew mss (also reflected in Syriac and Vulgate) have the Hiphil וַתַּרְא (vattarʾ, “and she showed”), consequently taking “her mother-in-law” as the direct object and “what she gathered” as the double direct-object: “she showed her mother-in-law what she had gathered” (cf. NAB, TEV, CEV, NLT). Although the latter has the advantage of making Ruth the subject of all the verbs in this verse, it would be syntactically difficult. For one would expect the accusative sign אֶת (ʾet) before “her mother-in-law” if it were the direct object of a Hiphil verb in a sentence with a double direct object introduced by the accusative sign אֶת, e.g., “to show (Hiphil of רָאָה, raʾah) your servant (direct object marked by accusative sign אֶת) your greatness (double direct object marked by accusative sign אֶת) (Deut 3:24). Therefore the MT reading is preferred.
  73. Ruth 2:18 tn Heb “that which”; the referent (how much grain) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  74. Ruth 2:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  75. Ruth 2:18 tn Heb “and she brought out and gave to her that which she had left over from her being satisfied.”
  76. Ruth 2:19 tn Heb “said to her.” Since what follows is a question, the translation uses “asked her” here.
  77. Ruth 2:19 tn Or “blessed” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV). The same expression occurs in the following verse.
  78. Ruth 2:19 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  79. Ruth 2:20 tn Heb “Blessed be he to the Lord, who has not abandoned his loyalty.” The formula has (1) the passive participle “blessed,” followed by (2) a person (in this case “he”), followed by (3) the preposition and noun “to the Lord,” followed by (4) the relative pronoun אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher, “who”). The issue is whether the relative pronoun refers back to the Lord or to Boaz (“he”). Many English versions translate: “May he [Boaz] be blessed by the Lord, who has not abandoned his loyalty to the living and dead.” In this rendering the pronoun אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) appears to refer to “the Lord” not abandoning his loyalty. But it actually refers to Boaz as is clarified by the similar construction in 2 Sam 2:5. The formula there says, “May you [plural] be blessed to the Lord, who you [plural] have extended such kindness to your master Saul.” The plural verb after “who” clarifies that the clause does not refer to the Lord. As a formula, the אֲשֶׁר (ʾasher) clause, “who…,” modifies the person(s) to be blessed by the Lord, noting something the person(s) did to warrant the blessing. (Since the content of the clause provides a reason, it is fair to translate אֲשֶׁר [ʾasher, “who”] as “because.”) Some translations make the subordinate clause into a separate sentence, but this does not fully clarify the issue, e.g. “The Lord bless him…He has not stopped showing his kindness” (NIV). See B. A. Rebera, “Yahweh or Boaz? Ruth 2.20 Reconsidered,” BT 36 (1985): 317-27, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 134-36. By caring for the impoverished widows’ physical needs, Boaz had demonstrated loyalty to both the living (the impoverished widows) and the dead (their late husbands). See R. B. Chisholm, From Exegesis to Exposition, 72.
  80. Ruth 2:20 tn Heb “to the living and the dead” (so KJV, NASB).
  81. Ruth 2:20 tn The Hebrew term גָּאַל (gaʾal) is sometimes translated “redeemer” here (NIV “one of our kinsman-redeemers”; NLT “one of our family redeemers”). In this context Boaz, as a “redeemer,” functions as a guardian of the family interests who has responsibility for caring for the widows of his deceased kinsmen.
  82. Ruth 2:21 tn On the force of the phrase גָּם כִּי (gam ki) here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 138-39.
  83. Ruth 2:21 tn Heb “with the servants who are mine you may stay close.” The imperfect has a permissive nuance here. The word “servants” is masculine plural.
  84. Ruth 2:21 tn Heb “until they have finished all the harvest which is mine”; NIV “until they finish harvesting all my grain.”
  85. Ruth 2:22 tn Naomi uses the feminine form of the word “servant” (as Boaz did earlier, see v. 8), in contrast to Ruth’s use of the masculine form in the preceding verse. Since she is concerned for Ruth’s safety, she may be subtly reminding Ruth to stay with the female workers and not get too close to the men.
  86. Ruth 2:22 tn Heb “and they will not harm you in another field”; NRSV “otherwise you might be bothered in another field.”
  87. Ruth 2:23 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  88. Ruth 2:23 tn Heb “and she stayed close with”; NIV, NRSV, CEV “stayed close to”; NCV “continued working closely with.”
  89. Ruth 2:23 sn Barley was harvested from late March through late April, wheat from late April to late May (O. Borowski, Agriculture in Ancient Israel, 88, 91).
  90. Ruth 2:23 tn Heb “and she lived with her mother-in-law” (so NASB). Some interpret this to mean that she lived with her mother-in-law while working in the harvest. In other words, she worked by day and then came home to Naomi each evening. Others understand this to mean that following the harvest she stayed at home each day with Naomi and no longer went out looking for work (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 140). Others even propose that she lived away from home during this period, but this seems unlikely. A few Hebrew mss (so also Latin Vulgate) support this view by reading, “and she returned to her mother-in-law.”
  91. Ruth 3:1 tn The phrase “sometime later” does not appear in Hebrew but is supplied to mark the implicit shift in time from the events in chapter 2.
  92. Ruth 3:1 tn Heb “My daughter, should I not seek for you a resting place so that it may go well for you [or which will be good for you]?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see 2:8-9) and has thus been translated in the affirmative (so also NAB, NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
  93. Ruth 3:2 tn Heb “Is not Boaz our close relative, with whose female servants you were?” The idiomatic, negated rhetorical question is equivalent to an affirmation (see Ruth 2:8-9; 3:1) and has thus been translated in the affirmative (so also NCV, NRSV, TEV, CEV, NLT).
  94. Ruth 3:2 tn Heb “look, he is winnowing the barley threshing floor tonight.”sn Winnowing the threshed grain involved separating the kernels of grain from the straw and chaff. The grain would be thrown into the air, allowing the wind to separate the kernels (see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 65-66). The threshing floor itself was usually located outside town in a place where the prevailing west wind could be used to advantage (Borowski, 62-63).
  95. Ruth 3:3 tn The perfect with prefixed vav (ו) consecutive here introduces a series of instructions. See GKC 335 §112.aa for other examples of this construction.
  96. Ruth 3:3 tn For the meaning of the verb סוּךְ (sukh), see HALOT 745-46 s.v. II סוך, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 150. Cf. NAB, NRSV “anoint yourself”; NIV “perfume yourself”; NLT “put on perfume.”
  97. Ruth 3:3 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has the singular שִׂמְלֹתֵךְ (simlotekh, “your outer garment”), while the marginal reading (Qere) has the plural שִׂמְלֹתַיִךְ (simlotayikh) which might function as a plural of number (“your outer garments”) or a plural of composition (“your outer garment [composed of several parts]).”tn Heb “and put your outer garment on yourself”; NAB “put on your best attire.” The noun שִׂמְלָה (simlah) may refer to clothes in general (see R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth [NICOT], 197, n. 7) or a long outer garment (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 150-51). Mourners often wore mourning clothes and refrained from washing or using cosmetics (Gen 38:14, 19; 2 Sam 12:20; 14:2), so Ruth’s attire and appearance would signal that her period of mourning was over and she was now available for remarriage (see Bush, 152).
  98. Ruth 3:3 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has וְיָרַדְתִּי (veyaradti, “then I will go down”; Qal perfect first person common singular), while the marginal reading (Qere) is וְיָרַדְתְּ (veyaradet, “then you go down”; Qal perfect second person feminine singular) which makes more much sense in context. It is possible that the Kethib preserves an archaic spelling of the second person feminine singular form (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 144-45).
  99. Ruth 3:3 tn Heb “until he finishes eating and drinking”; NASB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, CEV “until he has finished.”
  100. Ruth 3:4 tn Heb “and let it be when he lies down”; NAB “But when he lies down.”
  101. Ruth 3:4 tn Some define the noun מַרְגְּלוֹת (margelot) as “the place for the feet” (see HALOT 631 s.v.; cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), but in Dan 10:6 the word refers to the legs, or “region of the legs.” For this reason “legs” or “lower body” is the preferred translation (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 152). Because “foot” is sometimes used euphemistically for the genitals, some feel that Ruth uncovered Boaz’s genitals. For a critique of this view see Bush, 153. While Ruth and Boaz did not actually have a sexual encounter at the threshing floor, there is no doubt that Ruth’s actions are symbolic and constitute a marriage proposal.
  102. Ruth 3:4 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has וְשָׁכָבְתִּי (veshakhavtiy, “then I will lie down”; Qal perfect first person common singular), while the marginal reading (Qere) is וְשָׁכָבְתְּ (veshakhavet, “then you lie down”; Qal perfect second person feminine singular) which makes more sense. It is possible that the Kethib preserves an archaic spelling of the second person feminine singular form (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 144-45).
  103. Ruth 3:4 tn The words “beside him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons; cf. NLT “lie down there.”
  104. Ruth 3:4 tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) highlights this final word of instruction or signals the conclusion of the instructions.
  105. Ruth 3:5 tn Heb “she said to her.” The referents (Ruth and Naomi) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  106. Ruth 3:5 tn The Hebrew imperfect is used, even though Naomi’s instructions appear to be concluded. The imperfect can sometimes express actions which although (strictly speaking) are already finished, yet are regarded as still lasting into the present, or continuing to operate in it (GKC 316 §107.h).
  107. Ruth 3:5 tc The MT (Kethib) lacks the preposition אֵלַי (ʾelay, “to me”) which is attested in the marginal reading (Qere). Many medieval Hebrew mss agree with the marginal reading (Qere) by including the phrase.
  108. Ruth 3:5 tn Heb “everything which you are saying I will do.” The Hebrew word order emphasizes Ruth’s intention to follow Naomi’s instructions to the letter.
  109. Ruth 3:6 tn Heb “and she did according to all which her mother-in-law commanded her” (NASB similar). Verse 6 is a summary statement, while the following verses (vv. 7-15) give the particulars.
  110. Ruth 3:7 tn Heb “and Boaz ate and drank and his heart was well and he went to lie down at the end of the heap”; NAB “at the edge of the sheaves.”
  111. Ruth 3:7 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  112. Ruth 3:7 sn Ruth must have waited until Boaz fell asleep, for he does not notice when she uncovers his legs and lies down beside him.
  113. Ruth 3:7 tn See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.
  114. Ruth 3:7 tn The words “beside him” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. Cf. TEV “at his feet”; CEV “near his feet.”
  115. Ruth 3:8 tn Heb “trembled, shuddered”; CEV, NLT “suddenly woke up.” Perhaps he shivered because he was chilled.
  116. Ruth 3:8 tn The verb לָפַת (lafat) occurs only here, Job 6:18, and Judg 16:29 (where it seems to mean “grab hold of”). Here the verb seems to carry the meaning “bend, twist, turn,” like its Arabic cognate (see HALOT 533 s.v. לפת, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 163).
  117. Ruth 3:8 tn Heb “and behold” (so KJV, NASB). The narrator invites the reader to view the situation through Boaz’s eyes.
  118. Ruth 3:8 sn Now he saw a woman. The narrator writes from Boaz’s perspective. Both the narrator and the reader know the night visitor is Ruth, but from Boaz’s perspective she is simply “a woman.”
  119. Ruth 3:8 tn Heb “[at] his legs.” See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.
  120. Ruth 3:9 tn When Boaz speaks, he uses the feminine form of the pronoun, indicating that he knows she is a woman.
  121. Ruth 3:9 tn Here Ruth uses אָמָה (ʾamah), a more elevated term for a female servant than שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah), the word used in 2:13. In Ruth 2, where Ruth has just arrived from Moab and is very much aware of her position as a foreigner (v. 10), she acknowledges Boaz’s kindness and emphasizes her own humility by using the term שִׁפְחָה, though she admits that she does not even occupy that lowly position on the social scale. However, here in chap. 3, where Naomi sends her to Boaz to seek marriage, she uses the more elevated term אָמָה to describe herself because she is now aware of Boaz’s responsibility as a close relative of her deceased husband and she wants to challenge him to fulfill his obligation. In her new social context she is dependent on Boaz (hence the use of אָמָה), but she is no mere שִׁפְחָה.
  122. Ruth 3:9 tn Heb “and spread your wing [or skirt] over your servant.” Many medieval Hebrew mss have the plural/dual “your wings” rather than the singular “your wing, skirt.” The latter is more likely here in the context of Ruth’s marriage proposal. In the metaphorical account in Ezek 16:8, God spreads his skirt over naked Jerusalem as an act of protection and as a precursor to marriage. Thus Ruth’s words can be taken, in effect, as a marriage proposal (and are so translated here; cf. TEV “So please marry me”). See F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 164-65.
  123. Ruth 3:9 tn Heb “for you are a גֹאֵל [goʾel],” sometimes translated “redeemer” (cf. NIV “a kinsman-redeemer”; NLT “my family redeemer”). In this context Boaz, as a “redeemer,” functions as a guardian of the family interests who has responsibility for caring for the widows of his deceased kinsmen. For a discussion of the legal background, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 166-69.sn By proposing marriage, Ruth goes beyond the letter of Naomi’s instructions (see v. 4, where Naomi told Ruth that Boaz would tell her what to do). Though she is more aggressive than Naomi told her to be, she is still carrying out the intent of Naomi’s instructions, which were designed to lead to marriage.
  124. Ruth 3:10 tn Or “blessed” (so NASB, NRSV).
  125. Ruth 3:10 tn Heb “my daughter.” This form of address is a mild form of endearment, perhaps merely rhetorical. A few English versions omit it entirely (e.g., TEV, CEV). The same expression occurs in v. 11.
  126. Ruth 3:10 tn Heb “latter [act of] devotion”; NRSV “this last instance of your loyalty.”
  127. Ruth 3:10 tn Heb “you have made the latter act of devotion better than the former”; NIV “than that which you showed earlier.”sn Greater than what you did before. Ruth’s former act of devotion was her decision to remain and help Naomi. The latter act of devotion is her decision to marry Boaz to provide a child to carry on her deceased husband’s (and Elimelech’s) line and to provide for Naomi in her old age (see Ruth 4:5, 10, 15).
  128. Ruth 3:10 tn Heb “by not going after the young men” (NASB similar); TEV “You might have gone looking for a young man.”
  129. Ruth 3:10 tn Heb “whether poor or rich” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NRSV); the more common English idiom reverses the order (“rich or poor”; cf. NIV, NCV, TEV, CEV, NLT).sn Whether rich or poor. This statement seems to indicate that Ruth could have married anyone. However, only by marrying a גֹּאֵל (goʾel, “family guardian”; traditionally “redeemer”) could she carry on her dead husband’s line and make provision for Naomi.
  130. Ruth 3:11 tn Heb “do not fear” (so NASB); NRSV “do not be afraid.”
  131. Ruth 3:11 tn Heb “everything which you are saying I will do for you.” The Hebrew word order emphasizes Boaz’s intention to fulfill Ruth’s request. As in v. 5, the Hebrew imperfect is used (note “you are saying”), even though Ruth’s request appears to be concluded. According to GKC 316 §107.h, the imperfect can sometimes “express actions, etc., which although, strictly speaking, they are already finished, are regarded as still lasting on into the present time, or continuing to operate in it.” The imperfect אֶעֱשֶׂה (ʾeʿeseh) could be translated “I will do” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT), but since there are legal complications which must first be resolved, it is better to take the form as indicating Boaz’s desire or intention, if the legal matters can be worked out.
  132. Ruth 3:11 tn Heb “all the gate of the town,” which by metonymy could refer to everyone in town (NIV “All my fellow townsmen”; NLT “everyone in town”), or only to the leaders and prominent citizens of the community (Boaz’s peers) who transacted business and made legal decisions at the town gate (NRSV “all the assembly of my people”).
  133. Ruth 3:11 tn Or “woman of strong character” (cf. NIV “woman of noble character”). The same phrase is used in Prov 31:10 to describe the ideal wife. Prov 31 emphasizes the ideal wife’s industry, her devotion to her family, and her concern for others, characteristics which Ruth had demonstrated.
  134. Ruth 3:12 tc The sequence כִּי אָמְנָם כִּי אִם (ki ʾomnam ki ʾim; Kethib) occurs only here in the OT, as does the sequence כִּי אָמְנָם כִּי (Qere). It is likely that כִּי אִם is dittographic (note the preceding sequence כִּי אָמְנָם). The translation assumes that the original text was simply the otherwise unattested וְעַתָּה כִּי אָמְנָם, with אָמְנָם and כִּי both having an asseverative (or emphatic) function.
  135. Ruth 3:12 tn Sometimes translated “redeemer” (also later in this verse). See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in v. 9.
  136. Ruth 3:13 tn Heb “if he redeems you”; NIV “if he wants to redeem”; NRSV “if he will act as next-of-kin for you.” The verb גֹּאֵל (goʾel) here refers generally to fulfilling his responsibilities as a guardian of the family interests. In this case it specifically entails marrying Ruth.
  137. Ruth 3:13 tn Or “good” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “well and good.”
  138. Ruth 3:13 tn Heb “let him redeem” (so NIV); NLT “then let him marry you.”
  139. Ruth 3:13 tn Heb “but if he does not want to redeem you, then I will redeem you, I, [as] the Lord lives” (NASB similar).
  140. Ruth 3:13 sn Sleep here. Perhaps Boaz tells her to remain at the threshing floor because he is afraid she might be hurt wandering back home in the dark. See Song 5:7 and R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 218.
  141. Ruth 3:14 tc The consonantal text (Kethib) has the singular מַרְגְּלָתוֹ (margelato, “his leg”), while the marginal reading (Qere) has the plural מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו (margelotayv, “his legs”). tn Heb “[at] his legs.” See the note on the word “legs” in v. 4.
  142. Ruth 3:14 tn Heb “and she arose before a man could recognize his companion”; NRSV “before one person could recognize another”; CEV “before daylight.”
  143. Ruth 3:14 tn Heb “and he said” (so KJV, NASB, NIV). Some translate “he thought [to himself]” (cf. NCV).
  144. Ruth 3:14 tn Heb “let it not be known that the woman came [to] the threshing floor” (NASB similar). The article on הָאִשָּׁה (haʾishah, “the woman”) is probably dittographic (note the final he on the preceding verb בָּאָה [baʾah, “she came”]).
  145. Ruth 3:15 tn Or “cloak” (so NAB, NRSV, NLT); CEV “cape.” The Hebrew noun occurs only here and in Isa 3:22.
  146. Ruth 3:15 tn Heb “which [is] upon you”; NIV, NRSV “you are wearing.”
  147. Ruth 3:15 tn Heb “and she gripped it tightly and he measured out six of barley and placed upon her.” The unit of measure is not indicated in the Hebrew text, although it would probably have been clear to the original hearers of the account. Six ephahs, the equivalent of 180-300 pounds, is clearly too heavy, especially if carried in a garment. Six omers (an omer being a tenth of an ephah) seems too little, since this would have amounted to six-tenths of an ephah, less than Ruth had gleaned in a single day (cf. 2:17). Thus a seah (one third of an ephah) may be in view here; six seahs would amount to two ephahs, about 60 pounds (27 kg). See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 222, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 178.
  148. Ruth 3:15 tn The phrase “into the shawl” are supplied in the translation for clarity.
  149. Ruth 3:15 tc The MT preserves the third person masculine singular form וַיָּבֹא (vayyavoʾ, “then he went”; cf. ASV, NAB, NIV, NCV, NRSV, NLT), while many medieval mss (supported by the Syriac and Vulgate) have the third person feminine singular form וַתָּבֹא (vattavoʾ, “then she went”; cf. KJV, NASB, TEV).
  150. Ruth 3:16 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  151. Ruth 3:16 tn Heb “said.” Since what follows is a question, the present translation uses “asked” here.
  152. Ruth 3:16 tn Heb “Who are you?” In this context Naomi is clearly not asking for Ruth’s identity. Here the question has the semantic force “Are you his wife?” See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 223-24, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 184-85.
  153. Ruth 3:16 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  154. Ruth 3:17 tc The MT (Kethib) lacks the preposition אֵלַי (ʾelay, “to me”) which is attested in the marginal reading (Qere).
  155. Ruth 3:17 sn ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ In addition to being a further gesture of kindness on Boaz’s part, the gift of barley served as a token of his intention to fulfill his responsibility as family guardian. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 225-26, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 187.
  156. Ruth 3:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  157. Ruth 3:18 tn Heb “sit”; KJV “Sit still”; NAB “Wait here”; NLT “Just be patient.”
  158. Ruth 4:1 tn The disjunctive clause structure (note the pattern vav [ו] + subject + verb) here signals the beginning of a new scene.
  159. Ruth 4:1 tn Sometimes translated “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9.
  160. Ruth 4:1 tn Heb “look, the guardian was passing by of whom Boaz had spoken.”
  161. Ruth 4:1 tn Heb “turn aside” (so KJV, NASB); NIV, TEV, NLT “Come over here.”
  162. Ruth 4:1 tn The Hebrew idiom, פְּלֹנִי אַלְמֹנִי (peloni ʾalmoni) literally means “such and such” or “a certain one” (BDB 811-12 s.v. פְּלֹנִי. The idiom is used when one wishes to be ambiguous (1 Sam 21:3; 2 Kgs 6:8). Certainly Boaz would have known his relative’s name, especially in such a small village, and would have uttered his actual name. However the narrator refuses to record his name in a form of poetic justice because he refused to preserve Mahlon’s “name” (lineage) by marrying his widow (see 4:5, 9-10). This close relative, who is a literary foil for Boaz, refuses to fulfill the role of family guardian and is relegated to anonymity in a chapter otherwise filled with names and in contrast to Boaz’s prominence. Because the actual name of this relative is not recorded, the translation of this expression is difficult. Contemporary English style expects either a name or title, but the purpose of the expression is to remove his name. This is usually supplied in modern translations: “friend” (NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, NLT), “so-and-so” (JPS, NJPS). Perhaps “Mr. So-And-So!” or “Mr. No-Name!” makes the point. For discussion see Adele Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative, 99-101; R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 233-35; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 196-97.
  163. Ruth 4:1 tn Heb “and he turned aside” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “And he went over.”
  164. Ruth 4:2 tn Heb “and he took ten men from the elders of the town.”
  165. Ruth 4:3 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9.
  166. Ruth 4:3 tn The perfect form of the verb here describes as a simple fact an action that is underway (cf. NIV, NRSV, CEV, NLT); NAB “is putting up for sale.”sn Naomi…is selling. The nature of the sale is uncertain. Naomi may have been selling the property rights to the land, but this seems unlikely in light of what is known about ancient Israelite property laws. It is more likely that Naomi, being a woman, held only the right to use the land until the time of her remarriage or death (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 202-4). Because she held this right to use of the land, she also had the right to buy it back from the its current owner. (This assumes that Elimelech sold the land prior to going to Moab.) Since she did not possess the means to do so, however, she decided to dispose of her rights in the matter. She was not selling the land per se, but disposing of the right to its redemption and use, probably in exchange for room and board with the purchaser (Bush, 211-15). If this is correct, it might be preferable to translate, “Naomi is disposing of her rights to the portion of land,” although such a translation presumes some knowledge of ancient Israelite property laws.
  167. Ruth 4:4 tn Heb “and I said [or perhaps, “thought to myself”], ‘I will [or “must”] uncover your ear, saying’”; NAB “So I thought I would inform you”; NIV “I thought I should bring the matter to your attention.”
  168. Ruth 4:4 tn The phrase “before those sitting here and before the leaders of my people” appears to refer to the leaders who were specially chosen as witnesses (v. 2) and the larger group of community leaders standing by. It is possible, however, that the phrases “before those sitting here” and “before the leaders of my people” are appositional and that both refer to the ten leaders mentioned in v. 2 (cf. NLT “in the presence of these witnesses”).
  169. Ruth 4:4 tn Heb “if you will redeem, redeem” (KJV, NASB, NRSV all similar); NCV “If you want to buy back the land, then buy it.”
  170. Ruth 4:4 tn Heb “but if he will not redeem, tell me.” Most English versions emend the third person verb form (“he”) to the second person form because Boaz is addressing the closer relative. But it is possible that he briefly addresses the witnesses and refers to the closer relative in the third person. See J. M. Sasson, Ruth, 118.
  171. Ruth 4:4 tn Following the imperative, the prefixed verb form with vav indicates purpose or result.
  172. Ruth 4:4 tn Heb “for there is no one besides you to redeem, and I am after you” (NASB similar).
  173. Ruth 4:5 tn Heb “in the day”; NASB, NIV “On the day.”
  174. Ruth 4:5 sn Acquire the field. This probably refers to the right to redeem and use the field. See the note on the word “selling” in v. 3.
  175. Ruth 4:5 tn Heb “from the hand of Naomi” (so NASB, NRSV).
  176. Ruth 4:5 tc The MT וּמֵאֵת (umeʾet) may be understood in two ways: (1) “and from” (vav conjunction “and,” plus preposition מִן [min] “from,” plus definite direct object marker אֵת) parallel to the preceding מִיַד (miyyad, “from [the hand of]”), suggesting the field would be purchased from Naomi and from Ruth; or (2) “and” (vav [ו] conjunction “and,” plus enclitic mem [ם], plus direct object marker [אֵת]) introducing the second part of the acquisition: the nearest kinsman would be acquiring the field and Ruth (for discussion see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 202). However, the BHS editors suggest reading גם את (“as well as…”; emphatic particle גם [“also”] and the definite direct object marker אֵת) introducing the second part of the acquisition: He would be acquiring the field and Ruth. This alternate reading is reflected in the Vulgate reading quoque (“and also”) and supported by parallel usage in v. 9, “I am acquiring the field from Naomi, and also (גָּם אֵת, gam ʾet) Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased.”
  177. Ruth 4:5 tc The MT (Kethib) reads קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I acquire,” Qal perfect first person common singular): “When you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, I acquire Ruth the Moabitess….” However, the marginal reading (Qere) is קָנִיתָה (qanitah, “you acquire,” Qal perfect second person masculine singular, reflected in second person masculine singular forms in Greek, Latin, Aramaic, and Syriac): “When you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess…” The Qere is probably original because the Kethib is too difficult syntactically and contextually, while the Qere makes perfect sense: (1) Boaz stated in 3:13 that the nearest kinsman had the first right to acquire Ruth if he wanted to do so, and only the Qere reading here presents him with that option; and (2) Boaz announces in 4:9-10 that he was acquiring the field and Ruth as a package deal in 4:9-10, and only the Qere reading here presents the nearest kinsman with the same package deal. The Kethib probably arose by a scribe trying to harmonize 4:5 with the first person common singular form in 4:9-10 without fully understanding the ploy of Boaz in 4:5. See F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 216-17.
  178. Ruth 4:5 tc The presence of two difficult textual problems in this line (see two preceding notes) has produced a combination of four different ways in which this line can be rendered: (1) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must acquire [it] from Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (KJV, NKJV); (2) “When you acquire the field from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you must acquire the wife of the deceased” (JPS, NJPS, NIV); (3) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (NASB, NCV, TEV, RSV, NRSV, NLT); and (4) “When you acquire the field from Naomi, then I acquire Ruth the Moabitess the wife of the deceased” (REB). The third option is adopted here. sn Our deceased relative. This refers to Mahlon, viewed as Elimelech’s heir.
  179. Ruth 4:5 tn Heb “in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance” (NASB similar); NRSV “to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.”
  180. Ruth 4:6 sn I would ruin my own inheritance. It is not entirely clear how acquiring Ruth and raising up an heir for the deceased Elimelech would ruin this individual’s inheritance. Perhaps this means that the inheritance of his other children would be diminished. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 245-46.
  181. Ruth 4:6 tn Heb “redeem for yourself, you, my right of redemption for I am unable to redeem.”sn Here it appears that the acquisition of Ruth along with the land was an obligatory package deal (“When you acquire the field from Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth…”). On the other hand, Boaz viewed marriage to Ruth as voluntary in 3:13 (“If he does not want to redeem you, I will redeem you”), and presented the acquisition of the field as voluntary in 4:4 (“If you want to exercise your right…but if not, tell me!”). Initially, Boaz makes the transaction appear to be a mere land deal in 4:4. When the nearest relative jumped at the land offer, Boaz confronted him with the attendant social/family obligation of marrying Ruth to raise up an heir for the deceased to inherit this very land. By conducting the transaction in public where the close relative would need to save face, Boaz forced him either to reject the offer entirely or to include Ruth in the deal—but he could not take the land and reject Ruth. Either way, Ruth would be cared for and Elimelech’s line continued. But if he took Ruth, the acquisition of the land would be more economically burdensome than beneficial, so he yielded his purchase option to Boaz. For discussion, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 229-33.
  182. Ruth 4:7 tn Heb “and this formerly in Israel concerning redemption and concerning a transfer to ratify every matter.”
  183. Ruth 4:7 tn Heb “a man removed his sandal and gave [it] to his companion”; NASB “gave it to another”; NIV, NRSV, CEV “to the other.”
  184. Ruth 4:7 tn Heb “the legal witness”; KJV “a testimony”; ASV, NASB “the manner (form NAB) of attestation.”
  185. Ruth 4:8 tc The LXX adds “and gave it to him” (cf. TEV, CEV), which presupposes the reading ויתן לו. This seems to be a clarifying addition (see v. 7), but it is possible the scribe’s eye jumped from the final ו (vav) on נַעֲלוֹ (naʿalo, “his sandal”) to the final ו (vav) on לוֹ (lo, “to him”), accidentally omitting the intervening letters.
  186. Ruth 4:10 tn Heb “in order to raise up the name of the deceased over his inheritance” (NASB similar).
  187. Ruth 4:10 tn Heb “be cut off” (so NASB, NRSV); NAB “may not perish.”
  188. Ruth 4:10 tn Heb “and from the gate of his place” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “from the court of his birth place”; NIV “from the town records.”
  189. Ruth 4:11 tn Following the jussive, the imperative with prefixed vav indicates purpose or result.
  190. Ruth 4:11 tn The phrase וַעֲשֵׂה־חַיִל (vaʿaseh khayil, literally, “do strength”) has been variously translated: (1) financial prosperity: “may you become rich” (TEV), “may you be a rich man” (CEV), “may you achieve wealth” (NASB), “may you prosper” (NKJV, NJPS); (2) social prominence: “may you become powerful” (NCV), “may you have standing” (NIV), “may you be great” (NLT), “may you do well” (NAB); (3) reproductive fertility: “may you produce children” (NRSV); and (4) social activity: “may you do a worthy deed” (REB).
  191. Ruth 4:11 tc Heb “and call a name.” This statement appears to be elliptical. Usually the person named and the name itself follow this expression. Perhaps וּקְרָא־שֵׁם (uqeraʾ shem) should be emended to וְיִקָּרֵא־שֵׁם (veyiqqareʾ shem), “and your name will be called out,” that is, “perpetuated” (see Gen 48:16, cf. also Ruth 4:14b). The omission of the suffix with “name” could be explained as virtual haplography (note the letter ב (bet), which is similar to כ (kaf), at the beginning of the next word). The same explanation could account for the omission of the prefixed י (yod) on the verb “call,” as י (yod) and ו (vav) are similar in appearance. Whether one reads the imperative (the form in the MT) or the jussive (the emended form), the construction indicates purpose or result following the earlier jussive “may he make.”
  192. Ruth 4:12 tn Heb “your house” (so NAB, NASB, NRSV).
  193. Ruth 4:12 tn Heb “and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, from the offspring whom the Lord gives to you from this young woman.”sn Perez is an appropriate comparison here, because (1) he was an ancestor of Boaz, (2) he was born to Tamar by a surrogate father (Judah) after the death of her husband, and (3) he had an unbroken line of male descendants extending over several generations (see vv. 18-22).
  194. Ruth 4:12 tn Heb “from the seed” (KJV, ASV both similar); NASB, NIV “through the offspring”; NRSV “through the children.”
  195. Ruth 4:13 tn Heb “and Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife and he approached her.” The verb לָקַח (laqakh), “to take,” acts as in idiom meaning “to take [a wife], to marry.” The phrase בּוֹא אֶל (boʾ ʾel) means “come to” or “approach,” but is also used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
  196. Ruth 4:13 tn Heb “gave her conception” (so KJV); NRSV “made her conceive”; NLT “enabled her to become pregnant.”
  197. Ruth 4:14 tn Or “redeemer.” See the note on the phrase “guardian of the family interests” in 3:9. As the following context indicates, the child is referred to here.
  198. Ruth 4:14 tn The “guardian” is the subject of the verb, as the next verse makes clear.
  199. Ruth 4:14 tn Heb “may his name be called [i.e., “perpetuated”; see Gen 48:16] in Israel.”
  200. Ruth 4:15 tn Heb “and he will become for you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age” (NASB similar).
  201. Ruth 4:15 tn Heb “who, she”; KJV “which is better to thee.”
  202. Ruth 4:16 tn Or “breast”; KJV, NRSV “in her bosom.”
  203. Ruth 4:16 tn Heb “his nurse,” but this refers to a dry nurse, not a medical attendant. Cf. NIV “and cared for him”; TEV “and took (+ good CEV) care of him.”
  204. Ruth 4:17 tn The name “Obed” means “one who serves,” perhaps anticipating how he would help Naomi (see v. 15).
  205. Ruth 4:18 tn Or “generations” (so KJV, NASB); NIV, NLT “family line.”sn The concluding genealogy demonstrates that the prayers of blessing made earlier were fulfilled. Boaz’s line did become like the line of Perez, and both Boaz and Obed became famous. God’s blessing upon Ruth and Boaz extended beyond their lifetime and immediate family, for their great descendant, David, became the greatest of Israel’s kings, and his descendant in turn, Jesus the Messiah, became greater still.
  206. Ruth 4:21 sn Salmon appears to be an alternate spelling of Salmah in the preceding line.
  207. Ruth 4:22 sn The theological message of the Book of Ruth may be summarized as follows: God cares for needy people like Naomi and Ruth; he is their ally in this chaotic world. He richly rewards people like Ruth and Boaz who demonstrate sacrificial love and in so doing become his instruments in helping the needy. God’s rewards for those who sacrificially love others sometimes exceed their wildest imagination and transcend their lifetime.
New English Translation (NET)

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John 4:43-54

Onward to Galilee

43 After the two days he departed from there to Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)[a] 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem[b] at the feast[c] (for they themselves had gone to the feast).[d]

Healing the Royal Official’s Son

46 Now he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had made the water wine.[e] In[f] Capernaum[g] there was a certain royal official[h] whose son was sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him[i] to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people[j] see signs and wonders you will never believe!”[k] 49 “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus told him, “Go home;[l] your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home.[m]

51 While he was on his way down,[n] his slaves[o] met him and told him that his son was going to live. 52 So he asked them the time[p] when his condition began to improve,[q] and[r] they told him, “Yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon[s] the fever left him.” 53 Then the father realized that it was the very time[t] Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he himself believed along with his entire household. 54 Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign[u] when he returned from Judea to Galilee.

Footnotes:

  1. John 4:44 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  2. John 4:45 sn All the things he had done in Jerusalem probably refers to the signs mentioned in John 2:23.
  3. John 4:45 sn See John 2:23-25.
  4. John 4:45 sn John 4:44-45. The last part of v. 45 is a parenthetical note by the author. The major problem in these verses concerns the contradiction between the proverb stated by Jesus in v. 44 and the reception of the Galileans in v. 45. Origen solved the problem by referring his own country to Judea (which Jesus had just left) and not Galilee. But this runs counter to the thrust of John’s Gospel, which takes pains to identify Jesus with Galilee (cf. 1:46) and does not even mention his Judean birth. R. E. Brown typifies the contemporary approach: He regards v. 44 as an addition by a later redactor who wanted to emphasize Jesus’ unsatisfactory reception in Galilee. Neither expedient is necessary, though, if honor is understood in its sense of attributing true worth to someone. The Galileans did welcome him, but their welcome was to prove a superficial response based on what they had seen him do at the feast. There is no indication that the signs they saw brought them to place their faith in Jesus any more than Nicodemus did on the basis of the signs. But a superficial welcome based on enthusiasm for miracles is no real honor at all.
  5. John 4:46 sn See John 2:1-11.
  6. John 4:46 tn Grk “And in.”
  7. John 4:46 sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (207 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). In modern times the site was discovered in 1838 by the American explorer E. Robinson, and major excavations began in 1905 by German archaeologists H. Kohl and C. Watzinger. Not until 1968, however, were remains from the time of Jesus visible; in that year V. Corbo and S. Loffreda began a series of annual archaeological campaigns that lasted until 1985. This work uncovered what is thought to be the house of Simon Peter as well as ruins of the first century synagogue beneath the later synagogue from the fourth or fifth century A.D. Today gently rolling hills and date palms frame the first century site, a favorite tourist destination of visitors to the Galilee.
  8. John 4:46 tn Although βασιλικός (basilikos) has often been translated “nobleman” it almost certainly refers here to a servant of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee (who in the NT is called a king, Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29). Capernaum was a border town, so doubtless there were many administrative officials in residence there.
  9. John 4:47 tn The direct object of ἠρώτα (ērōta) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  10. John 4:48 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than the royal official alone).
  11. John 4:48 tn Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε (pisteusēte) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.
  12. John 4:50 tn Grk “Go”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  13. John 4:50 tn Grk “and went.” The words “for home” are implied by the following verse.
  14. John 4:51 sn While he was on his way down. Going to Capernaum from Cana, one must go east across the Galilean hills and then descend to the Sea of Galilee. The 20 mi (33 km) journey could not be made in a single day. The use of the description on his way down shows the author was familiar with Palestinian geography.
  15. John 4:51 tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). One good translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος) in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households.
  16. John 4:52 tn Grk “the hour.”
  17. John 4:52 tn BDAG 558 s.v. κομψότερον translates the idiom κομψότερον ἔχειν (kompsoteron echein) as “begin to improve.”
  18. John 4:52 tn The second οὖν (oun) in 4:52 has been translated as “and” to improve English style by avoiding redundancy.
  19. John 4:52 tn Grk “at the seventh hour.”
  20. John 4:53 tn Grk “at that hour.”
  21. John 4:54 tn This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. 2:11 where the same construction occurs.
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 105:16-36

16 He called down a famine upon the earth;
he cut off all the food supply.[a]
17 He sent a man ahead of them[b]—
Joseph was sold as a servant.
18 The shackles hurt his feet;[c]
his neck was placed in an iron collar,[d]
19 until the time when his prediction[e] came true.
The Lord’s word[f] proved him right.[g]
20 The king authorized his release;[h]
the ruler of nations set him free.
21 He put him in charge of his palace,[i]
and made him manager of all his property,
22 giving him authority to imprison his officials[j]
and to teach his advisers.[k]
23 Israel moved to[l] Egypt;
Jacob lived for a time[m] in the land of Ham.
24 The Lord[n] made his people very fruitful,
and made them[o] more numerous than their[p] enemies.
25 He caused the Egyptians[q] to hate his people,
and to mistreat[r] his servants.
26 He sent his servant Moses,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They executed his miraculous signs among them,[s]
and his amazing deeds in the land of Ham.
28 He made it dark;[t]
Moses and Aaron did not disobey his orders.[u]
29 He turned the Egyptians’ water into blood,
and killed their fish.
30 Their land was overrun by frogs,
which even got into the rooms of their kings.
31 He ordered flies to come;[v]
gnats invaded their whole territory.
32 He sent hail along with the rain;[w]
there was lightning in their land.[x]
33 He destroyed their vines and fig trees,
and broke the trees throughout their territory.
34 He ordered locusts to come,[y]
innumerable grasshoppers.
35 They ate all the vegetation in their land,
and devoured the crops of their fields.[z]
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of their reproductive power.[aa]

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 105:16 tn Heb “and every staff of food he broke.” The psalmist refers to the famine that occurred in Joseph’s time (see v. 17 and Gen 41:53-57).
  2. Psalm 105:17 tn After the reference to the famine in v. 16, v. 17 flashes back to events that preceded the famine (see Gen 37).
  3. Psalm 105:18 tn Heb “they afflicted his feet with shackles.”
  4. Psalm 105:18 tn Heb “his neck came [into] iron.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with the suffix could mean simply “he” or “his life.” But the nuance “neck” makes good sense here (note the reference to his “feet” in the preceding line). See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 38.
  5. Psalm 105:19 tn Heb “word,” probably referring to Joseph’s prediction about the fate of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker (see Gen 41:9-14).
  6. Psalm 105:19 tn This line may refer to Joseph’s prediction of the famine in response to Pharaoh’s dream. Joseph emphasized to Pharaoh that the interpretation of the dream came from God (see Gen 41:16, 25, 28, 32, 39).
  7. Psalm 105:19 tn Heb “refined him.”
  8. Psalm 105:20 tn Heb “[the] king sent and set him free.”
  9. Psalm 105:21 tn Heb “he made him master of his house.”
  10. Psalm 105:22 tn Heb “to bind his officials by his will.”
  11. Psalm 105:22 tn Heb “and his elders he taught wisdom.”
  12. Psalm 105:23 tn Heb “entered.”
  13. Psalm 105:23 tn Heb “lived as a resident foreigner.”
  14. Psalm 105:24 tn Heb “and he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  15. Psalm 105:24 tn Heb “him,” referring to “his people.”
  16. Psalm 105:24 tn Heb “his,” referring to “his people.”
  17. Psalm 105:25 tn Heb “their heart.”
  18. Psalm 105:25 tn Or “to deal deceptively.” The Hitpael of נָכַל (nakhal) occurs only here and in Gen 37:18, where it is used of Joseph’s brothers “plotting” to kill him.
  19. Psalm 105:27 tn Apparently the pronoun refers to “his servants” (i.e., the Israelites, see v. 25).
  20. Psalm 105:28 tn Heb “he sent darkness and made it dark.”sn He made it dark. The psalmist begins with the ninth plague (see Exod 10:21-29).
  21. Psalm 105:28 tn Heb “they did not rebel against his words.” Apparently this refers to Moses and Aaron, who obediently carried out God’s orders.
  22. Psalm 105:31 tn Heb “he spoke and flies came.”
  23. Psalm 105:32 tn Heb “he gave their rains hail.”
  24. Psalm 105:32 tn Heb “fire of flames [was] in their land.”
  25. Psalm 105:34 tn Heb “he spoke and locusts came.”
  26. Psalm 105:35 tn Heb “the fruit of their ground.”
  27. Psalm 105:36 tn Heb “the beginning of all their strength,” that is, reproductive power (see Ps 78:51).sn Verses 28-36 recall the plagues in a different order than the one presented in Exodus: v. 28 (plague 9), v. 29 (plague 1), v. 30 (plague 2), v. 31a (plague 4), v. 31b (plague 3), vv. 32-33 (plague 7), vv. 34-35 (plague 8), v. 36 (plague 10). No reference is made in Ps 105 to plagues 5 and 6.
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Proverbs 14:26-27

26 In the fear of the Lord one has[a] strong confidence,[b]
and it will be a refuge[c] for his children.
27 The fear of the Lord[d] is like[e] a life-giving fountain,[f]
to turn[g] people[h] from deadly snares.[i]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 14:26 tn Heb “In the fear of the Lord [there is] confidence of strength.” The verb “one has” is supplied in the translation for the Hebrew nominal clause for the sake of smoothness.
  2. Proverbs 14:26 tn Heb “confidence of strength.” This construct phrase features an attributive genitive: “strong confidence” (so most English versions; NIV “a secure fortress”).
  3. Proverbs 14:26 sn The fear of the Lord will not only provide security for the parent but will also be a refuge for children. The line recalls Exod 20:5-6 where children will reap the benefits of the righteous parents. The line could also be read as “he [= God] will be a refuge for the children.”
  4. Proverbs 14:27 sn The verse is similar to Prov 13:14 except that “the fear of the Lord” has replaced “the teaching of the wise.”
  5. Proverbs 14:27 tn The comparative “like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.
  6. Proverbs 14:27 tn Heb “fountain of life.”
  7. Proverbs 14:27 tn The infinitive construct with prefixed ל (lamed) indicates the purpose/result of the first line; it could also function epexegetically, explaining how fear is a fountain: “by turning….”
  8. Proverbs 14:27 tn The term “people” does not appear in the Hebrew but is supplied in the translation for the sake of smoothness.
  9. Proverbs 14:27 tn Heb “snares of death” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT); CEV “deadly traps.”
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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday May 5, 2024 (NIV)

Judges 21 - Ruth 1

Six Hundred Brides for Six Hundred Brothers

21 The Israelites had taken an oath in Mizpah, saying, “Not one of us will allow his daughter to marry a Benjaminite.” 2 So the people came to Bethel and sat there before God until evening, weeping loudly and uncontrollably.[a] 3 They said, “Why, O Lord God of Israel, has this happened in Israel? An entire[b] tribe has disappeared from Israel today!”

4 The next morning the people got up early and built an altar there. They offered up burnt sacrifices and tokens of peace.[c] 5 The Israelites asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes has not assembled before the Lord?”They had made a solemn oath that whoever did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah must certainly be executed.[d] 6 The Israelites regretted what had happened to[e] their brother Benjamin. They said, “Today we cut off an entire[f] tribe from Israel! 7 How can we find wives for those who are left?[g] After all, we took an oath in the Lord’s name not to give them our daughters as wives.” 8 So they asked, “Who from all the Israelite tribes did not assemble before the Lord at Mizpah?” Now it just so happened no one from Jabesh Gilead had come to the gathering.[h] 9 When they took roll call,[i] they noticed[j] none of the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead were there. 10 So the assembly sent 12,000 capable warriors[k] against Jabesh Gilead.[l] They commanded them, “Go and kill with your swords[m] the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead, including the women and little children. 11 Do this:[n] Exterminate every male, as well as every woman who has experienced a man’s bed.[o] But spare the lives of any virgins.” So they did as instructed.[p] 12 They found among the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead 400 young girls who were virgins who had never been intimate with a man in bed.[q] They brought them back to the camp at Shiloh in the land of Canaan.

13 The entire assembly sent messengers to the Benjaminites at the cliff of Rimmon and assured them they would not be harmed.[r] 14 The Benjaminites returned at that time, and the Israelites[s] gave to them the women they had spared from Jabesh Gilead. But there were not enough to go around.[t]

15 The people regretted what had happened to[u] Benjamin because the Lord had weakened[v] the Israelite tribes. 16 The leaders[w] of the assembly said, “How can we find wives for those who are left?[x] After all, the Benjaminite women have been wiped out. 17 The[y] remnant of Benjamin must be preserved. An entire Israelite tribe should not be wiped out.[z] 18 But we can’t allow our daughters to marry them,[aa] for the Israelites took an oath, saying, ‘Whoever gives a woman to a Benjaminite will be destroyed.’[ab] 19 However, there is an annual festival to the Lord in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel (east of the main road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem) and south of Lebonah.” 20 So they commanded the Benjaminites, “Go hide in the vineyards, 21 and keep your eyes open.[ac] When you see[ad] the daughters of Shiloh coming out to dance in the celebration,[ae] jump out from the vineyards. Each one of you, catch yourself a wife from among the daughters of Shiloh and then go home to the land of Benjamin. 22 When their fathers or brothers come and protest to us,[af] we’ll say to them, ‘Do us a favor and let them be,[ag] for we could not get each one a wife through battle.[ah] Don’t worry about breaking your oath![ai] You would only be guilty if you had voluntarily given them wives.’”[aj]

23 The Benjaminites did as instructed.[ak] They abducted 200 of the dancing girls to be their wives.[al] They went home[am] to their own territory,[an] rebuilt their cities, and settled down.[ao] 24 Then the Israelites dispersed from there to their respective tribal and clan territories. Each went from there to his own property.[ap] 25 In those days Israel had no king. Each man did what he considered to be right.[aq]

A Family Tragedy: Famine and Death

1 During the time of the judges,[ar] there was a famine in the land of Judah.[as] So a man from Bethlehem[at] in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner[au] in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons.[av] 2 (Now the man’s name was Elimelech,[aw] his wife was Naomi,[ax] and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion.[ay] They were of the clan of Ephrath[az] from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there.[ba] 3 Sometime later[bb] Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. 4 Both her sons[bc] married[bd] Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.)[be] And they continued to live there about ten years. 5 Then Naomi’s two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died.[bf] So the woman was left all alone—bereaved of her two children[bg] as well as her husband! 6 So she decided to return home from the region of Moab, accompanied by her daughters-in-law,[bh] because while she was living in Moab[bi] she had heard that the Lord had shown concern for[bj] his people, reversing the famine by providing abundant crops.[bk]

Ruth Returns with Naomi

7 Now as she and her two daughters-in-law began to leave the place where she had been living to return to the land of Judah,[bl] 8 Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Listen to me! Each of you should return to your mother’s home.[bm] May the Lord show[bn] you[bo] the same kind of devotion that you have shown to your deceased husbands[bp] and to me.[bq] 9 May the Lord enable each of you to find[br] security[bs] in the home of a new husband.”[bt] Then she kissed them goodbye, and they wept loudly.[bu] 10 But they said to her, “No![bv] We will[bw] return with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi replied, “Go back home, my daughters! There is no reason for you to return to Judah with me.[bx] I am no longer capable of giving birth to sons who might become your husbands![by] 12 Go back home, my daughters! For I am too old to get married again.[bz] Even if I thought that there was hope that I could get married tonight and conceive sons,[ca] 13 surely you would not want to wait until they were old enough to marry.[cb] Surely you would not remain unmarried all that time![cc] No,[cd] my daughters, you must not return with me.[ce] For my intense suffering[cf] is too much for you to bear.[cg] For the Lord is afflicting me!”[ch]

14 Again they wept loudly.[ci] Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye,[cj] but Ruth[ck] clung tightly to her.[cl] 15 So Naomi[cm] said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god.[cn] Follow your sister-in-law back home!” 16 But Ruth replied,

“Stop urging me to abandon you![co]
For wherever you go, I will go.
Wherever you live, I will live.
Your people will become my people,
and your God will become my God.
17 Wherever you die, I will die—and there I will be buried.
May the Lord punish me severely if I do not keep my promise![cp]
Only death will be able to separate me from you!”[cq]

18 When Naomi[cr] realized that Ruth[cs] was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her.[ct] 19 So the two of them[cu] journeyed together until they arrived in Bethlehem.

Naomi and Ruth Arrive in Bethlehem

When they entered[cv] Bethlehem, the whole village was excited about their arrival.[cw] The women of the village said,[cx] “Can this be Naomi?”[cy] 20 But she replied[cz] to them,[da] “Don’t call me ‘Naomi’![db] Call me ‘Mara’[dc] because the Sovereign One[dd] has treated me very harshly.[de] 21 I left here full,[df] but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed.[dg] Why do you call me ‘Naomi,’ seeing that[dh] the Lord has opposed me,[di] and the Sovereign One[dj] has caused me to suffer?”[dk] 22 So Naomi returned, accompanied by her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth, who came back with her from the region of Moab.[dl] (Now they[dm] arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.)[dn]

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 21:2 tn Heb “and they lifted up their voice[s] and wept with great weeping.” Both the cognate accusative בְּכִי (bekhi, “weeping”) and the attributive adjective גָדוֹל (gadol, “great”) emphasize their degree of sorrow.
  2. Judges 21:3 tn Heb “one.”
  3. Judges 21:4 tn Or “peace offerings.”
  4. Judges 21:5 tn Heb “A great oath there was concerning the one who did not go up before the Lord at Mizpah, saying, ‘He must surely be put to death.’”
  5. Judges 21:6 tn Or “felt sorry for.”
  6. Judges 21:6 tn Heb “cut off one.”
  7. Judges 21:7 tn Heb “What should we do for them, for the remaining ones, concerning wives?”
  8. Judges 21:8 tn Heb “Look, no one had come to the camp from Jabesh Gilead to the assembly.”
  9. Judges 21:9 tn Or “when the people were mustered.”
  10. Judges 21:9 tn Heb “and look.”
  11. Judges 21:10 tn Heb “men, sons of strength.”
  12. Judges 21:10 tn Heb “there.”
  13. Judges 21:10 tn Heb “the edge of the sword.”
  14. Judges 21:11 tn Heb “And this is the thing that you will do.”
  15. Judges 21:11 tn Heb “a knower of the bed of a male.” The verb יָדָע (yadaʿ) “to know,” “be intimate with,” is used as a euphemism for sexual relations.
  16. Judges 21:11 tc Some Greek witnesses (notably Codex Vaticanus [B]) add the words, “‘But the virgins you should keep alive.’ And they did so.” These additional words, which probably represent the original Hebrew text, can be retroverted: וְאֶת־הַבְּתוּלוֹת תְּחַיּוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כֵן (veʾet habbetulot tekhayyu vayyaʿasu khen). It is likely that a scribe’s eye jumped from the ו (vav) on וְאֶת (veʾet) to the initial vav of v. 11, accidentally leaving out the intervening letters. The present translation is based on this reconstruction.
  17. Judges 21:12 tn Heb “who were not knowers of a man by the bed of a male.” The verb יָדַע (yadaʿ) “to know,” or “to be intimate with,” acts as a euphemism for sexual relations, which is further clarified by reference to a man’s bed.
  18. Judges 21:13 tn Heb “And all the assembly sent and spoke to the sons of Benjamin who were at the cliff of Rimmon and they proclaimed to them peace.”
  19. Judges 21:14 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  20. Judges 21:14 tn Heb “but they did not find for them enough.”
  21. Judges 21:15 tn Or “felt sorry for.”
  22. Judges 21:15 tn Heb “had made a gaping hole in.” The narrator uses imagery that compares Israel to a wall that has been breached.
  23. Judges 21:16 tn Or “elders.”
  24. Judges 21:16 tn Heb “What should we do for the remaining ones concerning wives?”
  25. Judges 21:17 tn The Hebrew text has “and they said” at the beginning of the verse. For stylistic reasons the translation treats v. 17 as a continuation of the remarks of the leaders in v. 16.
  26. Judges 21:17 tn Heb “An inheritance for the remnant belonging to Benjamin, and a tribe from Israel will not be wiped away.” The first statement lacks a verb. Some prefer to emend the text to read, “How can an inheritance remain for the remnant of Benjamin?”
  27. Judges 21:18 tn Heb “But we are not able to give to them wives from our daughters.”
  28. Judges 21:18 tn Heb “is cursed.”
  29. Judges 21:21 tn Heb “and look.”
  30. Judges 21:21 tn Heb “and look, when.”
  31. Judges 21:21 tn Heb “in the dances.”
  32. Judges 21:22 tc The (original) LXX and Vulgate read “to you.”
  33. Judges 21:22 tn The words “and let them be” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
  34. Judges 21:22 tn Heb “for we did not take each his wife in battle.”sn Through battle. This probably refers to the battle against Jabesh Gilead, which only produced 400 of the 600 wives needed.
  35. Judges 21:22 tn This sentence is not in the Hebrew text. It is supplied in the translation to clarify the logic of the statement.
  36. Judges 21:22 tc Heb “You did not give to them, now you are guilty.” The MT as it stands makes little sense. It is preferable to emend לֹא (loʾ, “not”) to לוּא (luʾ, “if”). This particle introduces a purely hypothetical condition, “If you had given to them [but you didn’t].” See G. F. Moore, Judges (ICC), 453-54.
  37. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “did so.”
  38. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “And they took wives according to their number from the dancing girls whom they abducted.”
  39. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “went and returned.”
  40. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “inheritance.”
  41. Judges 21:23 tn Heb “and lived in them.”
  42. Judges 21:24 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
  43. Judges 21:25 tn Heb “Each was doing what was right in his [own] eyes.”sn Each man did what he considered to be right. The Book of Judges closes with this note, which summarizes the situation of the Israelite tribes during this period.
  44. Ruth 1:1 tn Heb “in the days of the judging of the judges.” The LXX simply reads “when the judges judged,” and Syriac has “in the days of the judges.” Cf. NASB “in the days when the judges governed (ruled NRSV).”sn Many interpreters, reading this statement in the light of the Book of Judges which describes a morally corrupt period, assume that the narrator is painting a dark backdrop against which Ruth’s exemplary character and actions will shine even more brightly. However, others read this statement in the light of the book’s concluding epilogue which traces the full significance of the story to the time of David, the chosen king of Judah (4:18-22).
  45. Ruth 1:1 tn Heb “in the land.” The phrase “of Judah” is supplied in the translation to clarify the referent.
  46. Ruth 1:1 sn The name Bethlehem (בֵּית לֶחֶם, bet lekhem) is from “house, place” (בֵּית) and “bread, food” (לֶחֶם), so the name literally means “House of Bread” or “Place of Food.” Perhaps there is irony here: One would not expect a severe famine in such a location. This would not necessarily indicate that Bethlehem was under divine discipline, but merely that the famine was very severe, explaining the reason for the family’s departure.
  47. Ruth 1:1 tn Or “to live temporarily.” The verb גּוּר (gur, “sojourn”) may refer to (1) temporary dwelling in a location (Deut 18:6; Judg 17:7) or (2) permanent dwelling in a location (Judg 5:17; Ps 33:8). When used of a foreign land, it can refer to (1) temporary dwelling as a visiting foreigner (Gen 12:10; 20:1; 21:34; 2 Kgs 8:1-2; Jer 44:14) or (2) permanent dwelling as a resident foreigner (Gen 47:4; Exod 6:4; Num 15:14; Deut 26:5; 2 Sam 4:3; Jer 49:18, 33; 50:40; Ezek 47:22-23). Although Naomi eventually returned to Judah, there is some ambiguity whether or not Elimelech intended the move to make them permanent resident foreigners. Cf. NASB “to sojourn” and NIV “to live for a while,” both of which imply the move was temporary, while “to live” (NCV, NRSV, NLT) is more neutral about the permanence of the relocation.sn Some interpreters view Elimelech’s departure from Judah to sojourn in Moab as lack of faith in the covenant God of Israel to provide for his family’s needs in the land of promise; therefore his death is consequently viewed as divine judgment. Others note that God never prohibited his people from seeking food in a foreign land during times of famine but actually sent his people to a foreign land during a famine in Canaan on at least one occasion as an act of deliverance (Gen 37-50). In this case, Elimelech’s sojourn to Moab was an understandable act by a man concerned for the survival of his family, perhaps even under divine approval, so their death in Moab was simply a tragedy, a bad thing that happened to a godly person.
  48. Ruth 1:1 tn Heb “he and his wife and his two sons.” The LXX omits “two.”
  49. Ruth 1:2 sn The name “Elimelech” literally means “My God [is] king.” The narrator’s explicit identification of his name seems to cast him in a positive light.
  50. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “and the name of his wife [was] Naomi.” This has been simplified in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn The name Naomi (נָעֳמִי, noʿomi) is from the adjective נֹעַם (noʿam, “pleasant, lovely”) and literally means “my pleasant one” or “my lovely one.” Her name will become the subject of a wordplay in 1:20-21 when she laments that she is no longer “pleasant” but “bitter” because of the loss of her husband and two sons.
  51. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “and the name[s] of his two sons [were] Mahlon and Kilion.”sn The name Mahlon (מַחְלוֹן, makhlon) is from חָלָה (khalah, “to be weak, sick”) and Kilion (כִּלְיוֹן, kilyon) is from כָּלָה (kalah, “to be frail”). The rate of infant mortality was so high during the Iron Age that parents typically did not name children until they survived infancy and were weaned. Naomi and Elimelech might have named their two sons Mahlon and Kilion to reflect their weak condition in infancy due to famine—which eventually prompted the move to Moab where food was abundant.
  52. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “[They were] Ephrathites.” Ephrathah is a small village (Ps 132:6) in the vicinity of Bethlehem (Gen 35:16), so close in proximity that it is often identified with the larger town of Bethlehem (Gen 35:19; 48:7; Ruth 4:11; Mic 5:2 [MT 5:1]; HALOT 81 s.v. אֶפְרָתָה); see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 64. The designation “Ephrathites” might indicate that they were residents of Ephrathah. However, the adjectival form אֶפְרָתִים (ephratim, “Ephrathites”) used here elsewhere refers to someone from the clan of Ephrath (cf. 1 Chr 4:4) which lived in the region of Bethlehem: “Now David was the son of an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in Judah whose name was Jesse” (1 Sam 17:12; cf. Mic 5:2 [MT 5:1]). So it is more likely that the virtually identical expression here—“Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah”—refers to the clan of Ephrath in Bethlehem (see R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth [NICOT], 91).
  53. Ruth 1:2 tn Heb “and were there”; KJV “continued there”; NRSV “remained there”; TEV “were living there.”
  54. Ruth 1:3 tn Heb “And Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died.” The vav (ו) functions in a consecutive sense (“then”), but the time-frame is not explicitly stated.
  55. Ruth 1:4 tn Heb “they.” The verb is third person masculine plural referring to Naomi’s sons, as the translation indicates.
  56. Ruth 1:4 tn Heb “and they lifted up for themselves Moabite wives.” When used with the noun “wife,” the verb נָשָׂא (nasaʾ, “to lift up, carry, take”) forms the idiom “to take a wife,” that is, to marry (BDB 673 s.v. Qal.3.d; 2 Chr 11:21; 13:21; 24:3; Ezra 9:2, 12; 10:44; Neh 13:25).
  57. Ruth 1:4 tn Heb “the name of the one [was] Orpah and the name of the second [was] Ruth.” sn The name Orpah (עָרְפָּה, ʿorpah) is from the noun עֹרֶף (ʿoref, “back of the neck”) and the related verb (“to turn one’s back”). The name Ruth (רוּת, rut) is from the noun רְעוּת (reʿut, “friendship”), derived from the root רֵעַ (reaʿ, “friend, companion”). Ironically, Orpah will eventually turn her back on Naomi, while Ruth will display extraordinary friendship as her life-long companion (see 1:14). Since they seem to mirror the most definitive action of these women, perhaps they designate character types (as is the case with the name Mara in 1:21 and Peloni Almoni in 4:1) rather than their original birth names.
  58. Ruth 1:5 tn Heb “and the two of them also died, Mahlon and Kilion.”
  59. Ruth 1:5 tn The term יֶלֶד (yeled, “offspring”), from the verb יָלַד (yalad, “to give birth to”), is used only here of a married man. By shifting to this word from the more common term בֵּן (ben, “son”; see vv. 1-5a) and then using it in an unusual manner, the author draws attention to Naomi’s loss and sets up a verbal link with the story’s conclusion (cf. 4:16). Although grown men, they were still her “babies” (see E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 56; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 66).
  60. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “and she arose, along with her daughters-in-law, and she returned from the region of Moab.”
  61. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “in the region of Moab”; KJV, NRSV “in the country of Moab.” Since this is a repetition of the phrase found earlier in the verse, it has been shortened to “in Moab” in the present translation for stylistic reasons.
  62. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “had visited” or “taken note of.” The basic meaning of פָּקַד (paqad) is “observe, examine, take note of” (T. F. Williams, NIDOTTE 3:658), so it sometimes appears with זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”; Pss 8:4 [MT 5]; 106:4; Jer 14:10; 15:15; Hos 8:13; 9:9) and רָאָה (raʾah, “to see”; Exod 4:31; Ps 80:14 [MT 15]; NIDOTTE 3:659). It often emphasizes the cause/effect response to what is seen (NIDOTTE 3:659). When God observes people in need, it is glossed “be concerned about, care for, attend to, help” (Gen 21:1; 50:24, 25; Exod 4:31; Ruth 1:6; 1 Sam 2:21; Jer 15:15; Zeph 2:7; Zech 10:3b; NIDOTTE 3:661). When humans are the subject, it sometimes means “to visit” needy people to bestow a gift (Judg 15:1; 1 Sam 17:18). Because it has such a broad range of meanings, its use here has been translated variously: (1) “had visited” (KJV, ASV, NASB, RSV; so BDB 823-24 s.v. פָּקַד); (2) “had considered” (NRSV) and “had taken note of” (TNK; so HALOT 955-57 s.v. פקד); and (3) “had come to the aid of” (NIV), “had blessed” (TEV), and “had given” (CEV; so NIDOTTE 3:657). When God observed the plight of his people, he demonstrated his concern by benevolently giving them food.
  63. Ruth 1:6 tn Heb “by giving to them food.” The translation “reversing the famine and providing abundant crops” attempts to clarify the referent of לֶחֶם (lekhem, “food”) as “crops” and highlights the reversal of the famine that began in v. 1. The infinitive construct לָתֵת לָהֶם לָחֶם (latet lahem lakhem) may denote (1) purpose: “[he visited his people] to give them food” or (2) complementary sense explaining the action of the main verb: “[he visited his people] by giving them food.” The term לֶחֶם (lakhem) here refers to agricultural fertility, the reversal of the famine in v. 1.
  64. Ruth 1:7 tn Heb “and she went out from the place she had been, and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”
  65. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “each to the house of her mother.” Naomi’s words imply that it is more appropriate for the two widows to go home to their mothers, rather than stay with their mother-in-law (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75).
  66. Ruth 1:8 tc The MT (Kethib) has the imperfect יַעֲשֶׂה (yaʿaseh, “[the Lord] will do”), but the marginal reading (Qere) has the shortened jussive form יַעַשׂ (yaʿas, “may [the Lord] do”), which is more probable in this prayer of blessing. Most English versions adopt the jussive form (KJV, ASV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV, JPS, TEV, CEV, NLT).
  67. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “do with you”; NRSV “deal kindly with you”; NLT “reward you for your kindness.” The pronominal suffix “you” appears to be a masculine form, but this is likely a preservation of an archaic dual form (see E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 65; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75-76).
  68. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “the dead” (so KJV, NRSV); NLT “your husbands.” This refers to their deceased husbands.
  69. Ruth 1:8 tn Heb “devotion as you have done with the dead and with me.” The noun חֶסֶד (khesed, “devotion”) is a key thematic term in the book of Ruth (see 2:20; 3:10). G. R. Clark suggests that חֶסֶד “is not merely an attitude or an emotion; it is an emotion that leads to an activity beneficial to the recipient”; an act of חֶסֶד is “a beneficent action performed, in the context of a deep and enduring commitment between two persons or parties, by one who is able to render assistance to the needy party who in the circumstances is unable to help him—or herself” (The Word Hesed in the Hebrew Bible [JSOTSup], 267). HALOT 336-37 s.v. II חֶסֶד defines the word as “loyalty” or “faithfulness.” Other appropriate glosses might be “commitment” and “devotion.”
  70. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “may the Lord give to you, and find rest, each [in] the house of her husband.” The syntax is unusual, but following the jussive (“may he give”), the imperative with vav (ו) conjunctive (“and find”) probably indicates the purpose or consequence of the preceding action: “May he enable you to find rest.”
  71. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “rest.” While the basic meaning of מְנוּחָה (menukhah) is “rest,” it often refers to “security,” such as provided in marriage (BDB 629-30 s.v.; HALOT 600 s.v.). Thus English versions render it in three different but related ways: (1) the basic sense: “rest” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV); (2) the metonymical cause/effect sense: “security” (NRSV, NJPS, REB, NLT, GW); and (3) the referential sense: “home” (RSV, TEV, CEV, NCV).
  72. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “in the house of her husband” (so KJV, NASB); NRSV “your husband.”
  73. Ruth 1:9 tn Heb “they lifted their voice[s] and wept” (KJV, ASV, NASB all similar). This refers to loud weeping characteristic of those mourning a tragedy (Judg 21:2; 2 Sam 13:36; Job 2:12).
  74. Ruth 1:10 tn The particle כִּי (ki) here has the force of “no, on the contrary” (see Gen 31:26; Ps 44:22; HALOT 470 s.v. II כִּי 3).
  75. Ruth 1:10 tn Or perhaps “we want to” (so NCV, CEV, NLT), if the imperfect is understood in a modal sense indicating desire.
  76. Ruth 1:11 tn Heb “Why would you want to come with me?” Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer. The phrase “to Judah” is added in the translation for clarification.
  77. Ruth 1:11 tn Heb “Do I still have sons in my inner parts that they might become your husbands?” Again Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer.
  78. Ruth 1:12 sn Too old to get married again. Naomi may be exaggerating for the sake of emphasis. Her point is clear, though: It is too late to roll back the clock.
  79. Ruth 1:12 tn Verse 12b contains the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, which is completed by the rhetorical questions in v. 13. For a detailed syntactical analysis, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 78-79.
  80. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “For them would you wait until they were grown?” Some understand הֲלָהֵן (halahen) as an interrogative he (ה) with an Aramaic particle meaning “therefore” (see GKC 301 §103.b.2 [n. 4]; cf. ASV, NASB), while others understand the form to consist of an interrogative he, the preposition ל (lamed, “for”), and an apparent third person feminine plural pronominal suffix (CEV, NLT “for them”). The feminine suffix is problematic, for its antecedent is the hypothetical “sons” mentioned at the end of v. 12. For this reason some emend the form to הלתם (“for them,” a third person masculine plural suffix). R. L. Hubbard raises the possibility that the nunated suffix is an archaic Moabite masculine dual form (Ruth [NICOT], 111, n. 31). In any case, Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer.
  81. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “For them would you hold yourselves back so as not to be for a man?” Again Naomi’s rhetorical question expects a negative answer. The verb עָגַן (ʿagan, “hold back”; cf. KJV, ASV “stay”; NRSV “refrain”) occurs only here in the OT. For discussion of its etymology and meaning, see HALOT 785-86 s.v. עגן, and F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 79-80.
  82. Ruth 1:13 tn The negative is used here in an elliptical manner for emphasis (see HALOT 48 s.v. I אַל; GKC 479-80 §152.g).
  83. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “No, my daughters.” Naomi is not answering the rhetorical questions she has just asked. In light of the explanatory clause that follows, it seems more likely that she is urging them to give up the idea of returning with her. In other words, the words “no, my daughters” complement the earlier exhortation to “go back.” To clarify this, the words “you must not return with me” are added in the translation.
  84. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “bitterness to me.” The term מָרַר (marar) can refer to emotional bitterness: “to feel bitter” (1 Sam 30:6; 2 Kgs 4:27; Lam 1:4) or a grievous situation: “to be in bitter circumstances” (Jer 4:18) (BDB 600 s.v.; HALOT 638 s.v. I מרר). So the expression מַר־לִי (mar li) can refer to emotional bitterness (KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV, NJPS, CEV, NLT) or a grievous situation (cf. NRSV, NAB, NCV, CEV margin). Although Naomi and her daughters-in-law had reason for emotional grief, the issue at hand was Naomi’s lamentable situation, which she did not want them to experience: being a poor widow in a foreign land.
  85. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “for there is bitterness to me exceedingly from you.” The clause כִּי־מַר־לִי מְאֹד מִכֶּם (ki mar li meʾod mikkem) is notoriously difficult to interpret. It has been taken in three different ways: (1) “For I am very bitter for me because of you,” that is, because of your widowed condition (cf. KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NJB, REB, JB, TEV). This does not fit well, however, with the following statement (“for the LORD has attacked me”) nor with the preceding statement (“You must not return with me”). (2) “For I am far more bitter than for you” (cf. NASB, NIV, NJPS, NEB, CEV, NLT). This does not provide an adequate basis, however, for the preceding statement (“You must not return with me”). (3) “For my bitterness is too much for you [to bear]” (cf. NAB, NRSV, NCV, CEV margin). This is preferable because it fits well with both the preceding and following statements. These three options reflect the three ways the preposition מן may be taken here: (1) causal: “because of, on account of” (BDB 580 s.v. מִן 2.f; HALOT 598 s.v. מִן 6), not that Orpah and Ruth were the cause of her calamity, but that Naomi was grieved because they had become widows; (2) comparative: “more [bitter] than you” (BDB 581 s.v. 6.a; HALOT 598 s.v. 5b), meaning that Naomi’s situation was more grievous than theirs—while they could remarry, her prospects were much more bleak; and (3) elative, describing a situation that is too much for a person to bear: “too [bitter] for you” (BDB 581 s.v. 6.d; HALOT 598 s.v. 5a; IBHS 267 §14.4f; e.g., Gen 4:13; Exod 18:18; Deut 17:8; 1 Kgs 19:17), meaning that Naomi’s plight was too bitter for her daughters-in-law to share. While all three options are viable, the meaning adopted must fit two criteria: (1) The meaning of this clause (1:13b) must provide the grounds for Naomi’s emphatic rejection of the young women’s refusal to separate themselves from her (1:13a); and (2) it must fit the following clause: “for the hand of the LORD has gone out against me” (1:13c). The first and second options do not provide adequate reasons for sending her daughters-in-law back home, nor do they fit her lament that the LORD had attacked her (not them); however, the third option (elative sense) fits both criteria. Naomi did not want her daughters-in-law to share her sad situation, that is, to be poor, childless widows in a foreign land with no prospect for marriage. If they accompanied her back to Judah, they would be in the same kind of situation in which she found herself in Moab. If they were to find the “rest” (security of home and husband) she wished for them, it would be in Moab, not in Judah. The Lord had already deprived her of husband and sons. She could do nothing for them in this regard because she had no more sons to give them as husbands, and she was past the age of child-bearing to raise up new husbands for them in the future—as if they could wait that long anyway (1:13a). For a discussion of these three options and defense of the approach adopted here, see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther (WBC), 80-81.
  86. Ruth 1:13 tn Heb “for the hand of the Lord has gone out against me” (KJV, ASV, NASB, NIV all similar). The expression suggests opposition and hostility, perhaps picturing the Lord as the Divine Warrior who is bringing calamity upon Naomi. See R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth (NICOT), 113.
  87. Ruth 1:14 tn Heb “they lifted their voice[s] and wept” (so NASB; see v. 9). The expression refers to loud weeping employed in mourning tragedy (Judg 21:2; 2 Sam 13:36; Job 2:12).
  88. Ruth 1:14 tc The LXX adds, “and she returned to her people” (cf. TEV “and went back home”). Most dismiss this as a clarifying addition added under the influence of v. 15, but it should not be rejected too quickly. When translated back to Hebrew, the consonantal text would be ותשׁב אל־עמה. Note the beginning ו (vav) and ending ה (he). The phrase would fit between the MT’s לַחֲמוֹתָהּ וְרוּת (lakhamotah verut, “to her mother-in-law. And Ruth”), so that ו (vav) follows ה (he) both beginning and ending the clause. The scribe’s eye could have jumped from one to the other, inadvertently leaving out the intervening words.
  89. Ruth 1:14 tn The clause is disjunctive. The word order is conjunction + subject + verb, highlighting the contrast between the actions of Orpah and Ruth. sn Orpah is a literary foil for Ruth. Orpah is a commendable and devoted person (see v. 8); after all she is willing to follow Naomi back to Judah. However, when Naomi bombards her with good reasons why she should return, she relents. But Ruth is special. Despite Naomi’s bitter tirade, she insists on staying. Orpah is a good person, but Ruth is beyond good—she possesses an extra measure of devotion and sacrificial love that is uncommon.
  90. Ruth 1:14 sn Clung tightly. The expression suggests strong commitment (see R. L. Hubbard, Jr., Ruth [NICOT], 115).
  91. Ruth 1:15 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  92. Ruth 1:15 tn Or “gods” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV, CEV, NLT), if the plural form is taken as a numerical plural. However, it is likely that Naomi, speaking from Orpah’s Moabite perspective, uses the plural of majesty of the Moabite god Chemosh. For examples of the plural of majesty being used of a pagan god, see BDB 43 s.v. אֱלֹהִים 1.d. Note especially 1 Kgs 11:33, where the plural form is used of Chemosh.
  93. Ruth 1:16 tn Heb “do not urge me to abandon you to turn back from after you.” Most English versions, following the lead of the KJV, use “leave” here. The use of עזב (ʿazav, “abandon”) reflects Ruth’s perspective. To return to Moab would be to abandon Naomi and to leave her even more vulnerable than she already is.
  94. Ruth 1:17 tn Heb “Thus may the Lord do to me and thus may he add…” The construction וְכֹה יֹסִיף…כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה (koh yaʿaseh…vekhoh yosif, “May he do thus…and may he do even more so…!”) is an oath formula of self-imprecation (e.g., 1 Sam 3:17; 14:44; 20:13; 25:22; 2 Sam 3:9, 35; 19:14; 1 Kgs 2:23; 2 Kgs 6:31). In this formula the exact curse is understood but not expressed (GKC 472 §149.d; BDB 462 s.v. כֹּה 1.b). In ancient Near Eastern imprecations, when the curse was so extreme, it was not uttered because it was unspeakably awful: “In the twelve uses of this formula, the calamity which the speaker invokes is never named, since OT culture (in keeping with the rest of the ancient Near East) accorded such power to the spoken word” (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 82). Ruth here pronounces a curse upon herself, elevating the preceding promise to a formal, unconditional level. If she is not faithful to her promise, she agrees to become an object of divine judgment. As in other occurrences of this oath/curse formula, the specific punishment is not mentioned. As Bush explains, the particle כִּי (ki) here is probably asseverative (“indeed, certainly”) and the statement that follows expresses what underscores the seriousness of her promise by invoking divine judgment, as it were, if she does otherwise. Of course, the Lord would not have been obligated to judge her if she had abandoned Naomi—this is simply an ancient idiomatic way of expressing her commitment to her promise.
  95. Ruth 1:17 tn Heb “certainly death will separate me and you.” Ruth’s vow has been interpreted two ways: (1) Not even death will separate her from Naomi—because they will be buried next to one another (e.g., NRSV, NCV; see E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 74-75). However, for the statement to mean, “Not even death will separate me and you,” it would probably need to be introduced by אִם (ʾim, “if”) or negated by לֹא (loʾ, “not”; see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 83). (2) Nothing except death will separate her from Naomi (e.g., KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV, TEV, NJPS, REB, NLT, GW; see Bush, 83). The particle כִּי introduces the content of the vow, which—if violated—would bring about the curse uttered in the preceding oath (BDB 472 s.v. כִּי 1.c; e.g., Gen 42:16; Num 14:22; 1 Sam 20:3; 26:16; 29:6; 2 Sam 3:35; 1 Kgs 2:23; Isa 49:18). Some suggest that כּי is functioning as an asseverative (“indeed, certainly”) to express what the speaker is determined will happen (Bush, 83; see 1 Sam 14:44; 2 Sam 3:9; 1 Kgs 2:23; 19:2). Here כִּי probably functions in a conditional sense: “if” or “if…except, unless” (BDB 473 s.v. כִּי 2.b). So her vow may essentially mean “if anything except death should separate me from you!” The most likely view is (2): Ruth is swearing that death alone will separate her from Naomi.sn Ruth’s devotion to Naomi is especially apparent here. Instead of receiving a sure blessing and going home (see v. 8), Ruth instead takes on a serious responsibility and subjects herself to potential divine punishment. Death, a power beyond Ruth’s control, will separate the two women, but until that time Ruth will stay by Naomi’s side and she will even be buried in the same place as Naomi.
  96. Ruth 1:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Naomi) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  97. Ruth 1:18 tn Heb “she”; the referent (Ruth) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  98. Ruth 1:18 tn Heb “she ceased speaking to her.” This does not imply that Naomi was completely silent toward Ruth. It simply means that Naomi stopped trying to convince her to go back to Moab (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 84-85).
  99. Ruth 1:19 tn The suffix “them” appears to be masculine, but it is probably an archaic dual form (E. F. Campbell, Ruth [AB], 65; F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 75-76).
  100. Ruth 1:19 tn The temporal indicator וַיְהִי (vayehi, “and it was”) here introduces a new scene.
  101. Ruth 1:19 tn Heb “because of them” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “excited to see them.”
  102. Ruth 1:19 tn Heb “they said,” but the verb form is third person feminine plural, indicating that the women of the village are the subject.
  103. Ruth 1:19 tn Heb “Is this Naomi?” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV). The question here expresses surprise and delight because of the way Naomi reacts to it (F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 92).
  104. Ruth 1:20 tn Heb “said.” For stylistic reasons the present translation employs “replied” here.
  105. Ruth 1:20 tn The third person feminine plural form of the pronominal suffix indicates the women of the village (see v. 19) are the addressees.
  106. Ruth 1:20 sn The name Naomi means “pleasant.”
  107. Ruth 1:20 sn The name Mara means “bitter.”
  108. Ruth 1:20 tn Heb “Shaddai”; traditionally “the Almighty.” The etymology and meaning of this divine name is uncertain. It may be derived from: (1) שָׁדַד (shadad, “to be strong”), cognate to Arabic sdd, meaning “The Strong One” or “Almighty”; (2) שָׁדָה (shadah, “mountain”), cognate to Akkadian shadu, meaning “The Mountain Dweller” or “God of the Mountains”; (3) שָׁדַד (shadad, “to devastate”) and שַׁד (shad, “destroyer”), Akkadian Shedum, meaning “The Destroyer” or “The Malevolent One”; or (4) שֶׁ (she, “who”) plus דִּי (diy, “sufficient”), meaning “The One Who is Sufficient” or “All-Sufficient One” (HALOT 1420-22 s.v. שַׁדַּי, שַׁדָּי). In terms of use, Shaddai (or El Shaddai) is presented as the sovereign king/judge of the world who grants life/blesses and kills/judges. In Genesis he blesses the patriarchs with fertility and promises numerous descendants. Outside Genesis he blesses/protects and also takes away life/happiness. In light of Naomi’s emphasis on God’s sovereign, malevolent deprivation of her family, one can understand her use of this name for God. For discussion of this divine name, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 69-72.
  109. Ruth 1:20 tn Or “caused me to be very bitter”; NAB “has made it very bitter for me.”
  110. Ruth 1:21 sn I left here full. That is, with a husband and two sons.
  111. Ruth 1:21 tn Heb “but empty the Lord has brought me back.” The disjunctive clause structure (vav + adverb + verb + subject) highlights the contrast between her former condition and present situation. Cf. TEV “has brought me back without a thing.”sn Empty-handed. This statement is highly ironic, for ever-loyal Ruth stands by her side even as she speaks these words. These words reflect Naomi’s perspective, not the narrator’s, for Ruth will eventually prove to be the one who reverses Naomi’s plight and “fills” her “emptiness.” Naomi’s perspective will prove to be inaccurate and the women will later correct Naomi’s faulty view of Ruth’s value (see 4:15).
  112. Ruth 1:21 tn The disjunctive clause structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) here introduces either an attendant circumstance (“when the Lord has opposed me”) or an explanation (“seeing that the Lord has opposed me”).
  113. Ruth 1:21 tc The LXX reads “humbled me” here, apparently understanding the verb as a Piel (עָנָה, ʿanah) from a homonymic root meaning “afflict.” However, עָנָה (“afflict”) never introduces its object with בְּ (bet); when the preposition בְּ is used with this verb, it is always adverbial (“in, with, through”). To defend the LXX reading one would have to eliminate the preposition.tn Heb “has testified against me” (KJV, ASV both similar); NAB “has pronounced against me.” The idiom עָנַה בִי (ʿanah vi, “testify against”) is well attested elsewhere in legal settings (see BDB 773 s.v. עָנָה Qal.3.a; HALOT 852 s.v. I ענה qal.2). Naomi uses a legal metaphor and depicts the Lord as testifying against her in court.
  114. Ruth 1:21 sn The divine name translated Sovereign One is שַׁדַּי (shadday, “Shaddai”). See further the note on this term in Ruth 1:20.
  115. Ruth 1:21 tn Or “brought disaster upon me”; NIV “brought misfortune (calamity NRSV) upon me”; NLT “has sent such tragedy.”
  116. Ruth 1:22 tn Heb “and Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, the one who returned from the region of Moab.”sn This summarizing statement provides closure to the first part of the story. By highlighting Ruth’s willingness to return with Naomi, it also contrasts sharply with Naomi’s remark about being empty-handed.
  117. Ruth 1:22 tn The pronoun appears to be third person masculine plural in form, but it is probably an archaic third person dual form (see F. W. Bush, Ruth, Esther [WBC], 94).
  118. Ruth 1:22 tn This statement, introduced with a disjunctive structure (vav [ו] + subject + verb) provides closure for the previous scene, while at the same time making a transition to the next scene, which takes place in the barley field. The reference to the harvest also reminds the reader that God has been merciful to his people by replacing the famine with fertility. In the flow of the narrative the question is now, “Will he do the same for Naomi and Ruth?”sn The barley harvest began in late March. See O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 91.
New English Translation (NET)

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John 4:4-42

Conversation With a Samaritan Woman

4 But he had[a] to pass through Samaria.[b] 5 Now he came to a Samaritan town[c] called Sychar,[d] near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.[e] 6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside[f] the well. It was about noon.[g]

7 A Samaritan woman[h] came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water[i] to drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies.[j])[k] 9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you—a Jew[l]—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water[m] to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common[n] with Samaritans.)[o]

10 Jesus answered[p] her, “If you had known[q] the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water[r] to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”[s] 11 “Sir,”[t] the woman[u] said to him, “you have no bucket and the well[v] is deep; where then do you get this[w] living water?[x] 12 Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor[y] Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.”[z]

13 Jesus replied,[aa] “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty[ab] again. 14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again,[ac] but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain[ad] of water springing up[ae] to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw[af] water.”[ag] 16 He[ah] said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.”[ai] 17 The woman replied,[aj] “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said,[ak] ‘I have no husband,’[al] 18 for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with[am] now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!”

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see[an] that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain,[ao] and you people[ap] say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman,[aq] a time[ar] is coming when you will worship[as] the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You people[at] worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.[au] 23 But a time[av] is coming—and now is here[aw]—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks[ax] such people to be[ay] his worshipers.[az] 24 God is spirit,[ba] and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ);[bb] “whenever he[bc] comes, he will tell[bd] us everything.”[be] 26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

The Disciples Return

27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back.[bf] They were shocked[bg] because he was speaking[bh] with a woman. However, no one said, “What do you want?”[bi] or “Why are you speaking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people,[bj] 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah,[bk] can he?”[bl] 30 So[bm] they left the town and began coming[bn] to him.

Workers for the Harvest

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him,[bo] “Rabbi, eat something.”[bp] 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 So the disciples began to say[bq] to one another, “No one brought him anything[br] to eat, did they?”[bs] 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me[bt] and to complete[bu] his work.[bv] 35 Don’t you say,[bw] ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up[bx] and see that the fields are already white[by] for harvest! 36 The one who reaps receives pay[bz] and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 37 For in this instance the saying is true,[ca] ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

The Samaritans Respond

39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified,[cb] “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking[cc] him to stay with them.[cd] He stayed there two days, 41 and because of his word many more[ce] believed. 42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one[cf] really is the Savior of the world.”[cg]

Footnotes:

  1. John 4:4 sn Travel through Samaria was not geographically necessary; the normal route for Jews ran up the east side of the Jordan River (Transjordan). Although some take the impersonal verb had to (δεῖ, dei) here to indicate logical necessity only, normally in John’s Gospel its use involves God’s will or plan (3:7, 14, 30; 4:4, 20, 24; 9:4; 10:16; 12:34; 20:9).
  2. John 4:4 sn Samaria. The Samaritans were descendants of 2 groups: (1) The remnant of native Israelites who were not deported after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 b.c.; (2) Foreign colonists brought in from Babylonia and Media by the Assyrian conquerors to settle the land with inhabitants who would be loyal to Assyria. There was theological opposition between the Samaritans and the Jews because the former refused to worship in Jerusalem. After the exile the Samaritans put obstacles in the way of the Jewish restoration of Jerusalem, and in the 2nd century b.c. the Samaritans helped the Syrians in their wars against the Jews. In 128 b.c. the Jewish high priest retaliated and burned the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim.
  3. John 4:5 tn Grk “town of Samaria.” The noun Σαμαρείας (Samareias) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
  4. John 4:5 sn Sychar was somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem, possibly the village of Askar, 1.5 km northeast of Jacob’s well.
  5. John 4:5 sn Perhaps referred to in Gen 48:22.
  6. John 4:6 tn Grk “on (ἐπί, epi) the well.” There may have been a low stone rim encircling the well, or the reading of P66 (“on the ground”) may be correct.
  7. John 4:6 tn Grk “the sixth hour.”sn It was about noon. The suggestion has been made by some that time should be reckoned from midnight rather than sunrise. This would make the time 6 a.m. rather than noon. That would fit in this passage but not in John 19:14 which places the time when Jesus is condemned to be crucified at “the sixth hour.”
  8. John 4:7 tn Grk “a woman from Samaria.” According to BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, the prepositional phrase is to be translated as a simple attributive: “γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείας a Samaritan woman J 4:7.”
  9. John 4:7 tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
  10. John 4:8 tn Grk “buy food.”
  11. John 4:8 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author, indicating why Jesus asked the woman for a drink.
  12. John 4:9 tn Or “a Judean.” Here BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαίος 2.a states, “Judean (with respect to birth, nationality, or cult).” The same term occurs in the plural later in this verse. In one sense “Judean” would work very well in the translation here, since the contrast is between residents of the two geographical regions. However, since in the context of this chapter the discussion soon becomes a religious rather than a territorial one (cf. vv. 19-26), the translation “Jew” has been retained here and in v. 22.
  13. John 4:9 tn “Water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
  14. John 4:9 tn D. Daube (“Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: the Meaning of συγχράομαι [Jn 4:7ff],” JBL 69 [1950]: 137-47) suggests this meaning.sn The background to the statement use nothing in common is the general assumption among Jews that the Samaritans were ritually impure or unclean. Thus a Jew who used a drinking vessel after a Samaritan had touched it would become ceremonially unclean.
  15. John 4:9 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  16. John 4:10 tn Grk “answered and said to her.”
  17. John 4:10 tn Or “if you knew.”
  18. John 4:10 tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
  19. John 4:10 tn This is a second class conditional sentence in Greek.sn The word translated living is used in Greek of flowing water, which leads to the woman’s misunderstanding in the following verse. She thought Jesus was referring to some unknown source of drinkable water.
  20. John 4:11 tn Or “Lord.” The Greek term κύριος (kurios) means both “Sir” and “Lord.” In this passage there is probably a gradual transition from one to the other as the woman’s respect for Jesus grows throughout the conversation (4:11, 15, 19).
  21. John 4:11 tc ‡ Two early and significant Greek mss along with two versional witnesses (P75 B sys ac2) lack ἡ γυνή (hē gunē, “the woman”) here; א* has ἐκείνη (ekeinē, “that one” or possibly “she”) instead of ἡ γυνή. It is possible that no explicit subject was in the autographic text and scribes added either ἡ γυνή or ἐκείνη to make the meaning clear. It is also possible that the archetype of P75 א B expunged the subject because it was not altogether necessary, with the scribe of א later adding the pronoun. However, ἡ γυνή is not in doubt in any other introduction to the woman’s words in this chapter (cf. vv. 9, 15, 17, 19, 25), suggesting that intentional deletion was not the motive for the shorter reading in v. 11 (or else why would they delete the words only here?). Thus, the fact that virtually all witnesses (P66 א2 A C D L Ws Θ Ψ 050 083 086 ƒ1,13 M latt syc,p,h sa bo) have ἡ γυνή here may suggest that it is a motivated reading, conforming this verse to the rest of the pericope. Although a decision is difficult, it is probably best to regard the shorter reading as authentic. NA28 has ἡ γυνή in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity. For English stylistic reasons, the translation also includes “the woman” here.
  22. John 4:11 tn The word for “well” has now shifted to φρέαρ (phrear, “cistern”); earlier in the passage it was πηγή (pēgē).
  23. John 4:11 tn The anaphoric article has been translated “this.”
  24. John 4:11 sn Where then do you get this living water? The woman’s reply is an example of the “misunderstood statement,” a technique appearing frequently in John’s Gospel. Jesus was speaking of living water which was spiritual (ultimately a Johannine figure for the Holy Spirit, see John 7:38-39), but the woman thought he was speaking of flowing (fresh drinkable) water. Her misunderstanding gave Jesus the opportunity to explain what he really meant.
  25. John 4:12 tn Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”
  26. John 4:12 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end. In this instance all of v. 12 is one question. It has been broken into two sentences for the sake of English style (instead of “for he” the Greek reads “who”).
  27. John 4:13 tn Grk “answered and said to her.”
  28. John 4:13 tn Grk “will thirst.”
  29. John 4:14 tn Grk “will never be thirsty forever.” The possibility of a later thirst is emphatically denied.
  30. John 4:14 tn Or “well.” “Fountain” is used as the translation for πηγή (pēgē) here since the idea is that of an artesian well that flows freely, but the term “artesian well” is not common in contemporary English.
  31. John 4:14 tn The verb ἁλλομένου (hallomenou) is used of quick movement (like jumping) on the part of living beings. This is the only instance of its being applied to the action of water. However, in the LXX it is used to describe the “Spirit of God” as it falls on Samson and Saul. See Judg 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Kgdms 10:2, 10 LXX (= 1 Sam 10:6, 10 ET); and Isa 35:6 (note context).
  32. John 4:15 tn Grk “or come here to draw.”
  33. John 4:15 tn The direct object of the infinitive ἀντλεῖν (antlein) is understood in Greek but supplied for clarity in the English translation.
  34. John 4:16 tc Most witnesses have “Jesus” here, either with the article (אc C2 D L Ws Ψ 086 M lat) or without (א* A Θ ƒ1,13 al), while several significant and early witnesses lack the name (P66,75 B C* 33vid). It is unlikely that scribes would have deliberately expunged the name of Jesus from the text here, especially since it aids the reader with the flow of the dialogue. Further, that the name occurs both anarthrously and with the article suggests that it was a later addition. (For similar arguments, see the tc note on “woman” in 4:11).
  35. John 4:16 tn Grk “come here” (“back” is implied).
  36. John 4:17 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
  37. John 4:17 tn Grk “Well have you said.”
  38. John 4:17 tn The word order in Jesus’ reply is reversed from the woman’s original statement. The word “husband” in Jesus’ reply is placed in an emphatic position.
  39. John 4:18 tn Grk “the one you have.”
  40. John 4:19 tn Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.
  41. John 4:20 sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.
  42. John 4:20 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “say” is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone.
  43. John 4:21 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.
  44. John 4:21 tn Grk “an hour.”
  45. John 4:21 tn The verb is plural.
  46. John 4:22 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “worship” is second person plural and thus refers to more than the woman alone.
  47. John 4:22 tn Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9.
  48. John 4:23 tn Grk “an hour.”
  49. John 4:23 tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.
  50. John 4:23 sn See also John 4:27.
  51. John 4:23 tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”
  52. John 4:23 tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunountas) as the complement.sn The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.
  53. John 4:24 tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (theos) is the subject.
  54. John 4:25 tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”sn The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.
  55. John 4:25 tn Grk “that one.”
  56. John 4:25 tn Or “he will announce to us.”
  57. John 4:25 tn Grk “all things.”
  58. John 4:27 tn Or “his disciples returned”; Grk “came” (“back” is supplied in keeping with English usage). Because of the length of the Greek sentence it is better to divide here and begin a new English sentence, leaving the καί (kai) before ἐθαύμαζον (ethaumazon) untranslated.
  59. John 4:27 tn BDAG 444 s.v. θαυμάζω 1.a.γ has “be surprised that” followed by indirect discourse. The context calls for a slightly stronger wording.
  60. John 4:27 tn The ὅτι (hoti) could also be translated as declarative (“that he had been speaking with a woman”) but since this would probably require translating the imperfect verb as a past perfect (which is normal after a declarative ὅτι), it is preferable to take this ὅτι as causal.
  61. John 4:27 tn Grk “seek.” See John 4:23.sn The question “What do you want?” is John’s editorial comment (for no one in the text was asking it). The author is making a literary link with Jesus’ statement in v. 23: It is evident that, in spite of what the disciples may have been thinking, what Jesus was seeking is what the Father was seeking, that is to say, someone to worship him.
  62. John 4:28 tn The term ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [anēr]). Thus the woman could have been speaking either (1) to all the people or (2) to the male leaders of the city as their representatives. However, most recent English translations regard the former as more likely and render the word “people” here.
  63. John 4:29 tn Grk “the Christ” (both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). Although the Greek text reads χριστός (christos) here, it is more consistent based on 4:25 (where Μεσσίας [Messias] is the lead term and is qualified by χριστός) to translate χριστός as “Messiah” here.
  64. John 4:29 tn The use of μήτι (mēti) normally presupposes a negative answer. This should not be taken as an indication that the woman did not believe, however. It may well be an example of “reverse psychology,” designed to gain a hearing for her testimony among those whose doubts about her background would obviate her claims.
  65. John 4:30 tn “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.
  66. John 4:30 sn The imperfect tense is here rendered began coming for the author is not finished with this part of the story yet; these same Samaritans will appear again in v. 35.
  67. John 4:31 tn Grk “were asking him, saying.”
  68. John 4:31 tn The direct object of φάγε (phage) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.
  69. John 4:33 tn An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.
  70. John 4:33 tn The direct object of ἤνεγκεν (ēnenken) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.
  71. John 4:33 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “did they?”).
  72. John 4:34 sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.
  73. John 4:34 tn Or “to accomplish.”
  74. John 4:34 tn The substantival ἵνα (hina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.sn No one brought him anything to eat, did they? In the discussion with the disciples which took place while the woman had gone into the city, note again the misunderstanding: The disciples thought Jesus referred to physical food, while he was really speaking figuratively and spiritually again. Thus Jesus was forced to explain what he meant, and the explanation that his food was his mission, to do the will of God and accomplish his work, leads naturally into the metaphor of the harvest. The fruit of his mission was represented by the Samaritans who were coming to him.
  75. John 4:35 tn The recitative ὅτι (hoti) after λέγετε (legete) has not been translated.
  76. John 4:35 tn Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.
  77. John 4:35 tn That is, “ripe.”
  78. John 4:36 tn Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.
  79. John 4:37 tn The recitative ὅτι (hoti) after ἀληθινός (alēthinos) has not been translated.
  80. John 4:39 tn Grk “when she testified.”
  81. John 4:40 tn Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.
  82. John 4:40 tn Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
  83. John 4:41 tn Or “and they believed much more.”
  84. John 4:42 tn Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).
  85. John 4:42 sn There is irony in the Samaritans’ declaration that Jesus was really the Savior of the world, an irony foreshadowed in the prologue to the Fourth Gospel (1:11): “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” Yet the Samaritans welcomed Jesus and proclaimed him to be not the Jewish Messiah only, but the Savior of the world.
New English Translation (NET)

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Psalm 105:1-15

Psalm 105[a]

105 Give thanks to the Lord.
Call on his name.
Make known his accomplishments among the nations.
2 Sing to him.
Make music to him.
Tell about all his miraculous deeds.
3 Boast about his holy name.
Let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Seek the Lord and the strength he gives.
Seek his presence continually.
5 Recall the miraculous deeds he performed,
his mighty acts and the judgments he decreed,[b]
6 O children[c] of Abraham,[d] God’s[e] servant,
you descendants[f] of Jacob, God’s[g] chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God;
he carries out judgment throughout the earth.[h]
8 He always remembers his covenantal decree,
the promise he made[i] to a thousand generations—
9 the promise[j] he made to Abraham,
the promise he made by oath to Isaac.
10 He gave it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as a lasting promise,[k]
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion of your inheritance.”
12 When they were few in number,
just a very few, and resident foreigners within it,
13 they wandered from nation to nation,
and from one kingdom to another.[l]
14 He let no one oppress them;
he disciplined kings for their sake,
15 saying,[m] “Don’t touch my chosen ones.[n]
Don’t harm my prophets.”

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 105:1 sn Psalm 105. The psalmist summons Israel to praise God because he delivered his people from Egypt in fulfillment of his covenantal promises to Abraham. A parallel version of vv. 1-15 appears in 1 Chr 16:8-22.
  2. Psalm 105:5 tn Heb “and the judgments of his mouth.”
  3. Psalm 105:6 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
  4. Psalm 105:6 tc Some mss have “Israel,” which appears in the parallel version of this psalm in 1 Chr 16:13.
  5. Psalm 105:6 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. Psalm 105:6 tn Heb “sons.”
  7. Psalm 105:6 tn Heb “his”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  8. Psalm 105:7 tn Heb “in all the earth [are] his judgments.”
  9. Psalm 105:8 tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 10-12 make clear.
  10. Psalm 105:9 tn Heb “which.”
  11. Psalm 105:10 tn Or “eternal covenant.”
  12. Psalm 105:13 tn Heb “and from a kingdom to another nation.”
  13. Psalm 105:15 tn The word “saying” is supplied in the translation for clarification and for stylistic reasons.
  14. Psalm 105:15 tn Heb “anointed.”
New English Translation (NET)

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Proverbs 14:24-25

24 The crown of the wise is their riches,[a]
but the folly[b] of fools is folly.
25 A truthful witness[c] rescues lives,[d]
but one who testifies falsely betrays them.[e]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 14:24 tc The LXX reads πανοῦργος (panourgos, “crafty”) which suggests deleting the שׁ (shin) from עָשְׁרָם (ʿoshram, “their riches”) and reading a noun or adj. derived from the verb עָרֹם (ʿarom, “be crafty). If the first case of “folly” in the second half is also emended, the proverb would read “The crown of the wise is their craftiness, but the garland of fools is folly.”sn C. H. Toy suggests that this line probably means that wealth is an ornament to those who use it well (Proverbs [ICC], 269). J. H. Greenstone suggests that it means that the wisdom of the wise, which is their crown of glory, constitutes their wealth (Proverbs, 155).
  2. Proverbs 14:24 tc The MT reads אִוֶלֶת (ʾivelet, “folly”). The editors of BHS propose emending the text to וְלִוְיַת (velivyat) from לִוְיָה (livyah, “wreath, garland”). This would provide the same parallelism (“garland” and “crown”) as Prov 4:9. The LXX reads διατριβὴ (diatribē, “lifestyle”). See M. Rotenberg, “The Meaning of אִוֶּלֶת in Proverbs,” LesŒ 25 (1960-1961): 201. A similar emendation is followed by NAB (“the diadem”) and NRSV (“the garland”).
  3. Proverbs 14:25 tn Heb “a witness of truth”; cf. CEV “an honest witness.”
  4. Proverbs 14:25 tn The noun נְפָשׁוֹת (nefashot) often means “souls,” but here “lives”—it functions as a metonymy for life (BDB 659 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 3.c).sn The setting of this proverb is the courtroom. One who tells the truth “saves” (מַצִּיל [matsil, “rescues; delivers”]) the lives of those falsely accused.
  5. Proverbs 14:25 tc In the MT the verb lacks agreement with the two nouns in either gender or number so that there is no clear subject: “but he breathes lies, deceit.” Revocalizing the consonants from וְיָפִחַ (veyafiakh, “and he breathes/testifies”) to וִיפֵחַ (vifeakh, “and a witness [of lies]”) and from מִרְמָה (mirmah, “deceit”) to the Piel participle מְרַמֶּה (merammeh, “betrays, deceives, leads astray”) produces a grammatically acceptable text. One may also supply by parallelism “…betrays lives.”
New English Translation (NET)

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The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday May 4, 2024 (NIV)

Judges 19-20

A Levite and His Concubine

19 In those days, when there was no king in Israel, there was a certain Levite living as resident foreigner in a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. He took a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. 2 Yet his concubine became angry with him and went away from him to her father’s house at Bethlehem in Judah. She was there for four months. 3 Her husband got up and went after her in order to speak tenderly to her and bring her back. His servant and two donkeys were with him. When he came to her father’s house, the girl’s father saw him and was happy to meet with him. 4 His father-in-law, the girl’s father, prevailed upon him to stay with him for three days. So they ate and drank and spent the night there.

5 On the fourth day they woke up early in the morning. He got ready to go, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Strengthen yourself with a little food, and then you can go.” 6 So the two of them sat down to eat and drink together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please spend the night and let your heart be merry.” 7 The man got up to go, but his father-in-law urged him until he turned back and spent the night there. 8 He got up early in the morning on the fifth day to go. The girl’s father said, “Please, strengthen yourself and wait until later in the day.” So the two of them ate.

9 Then the man got up to go: he, his concubine, and his servant. His father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look! It is getting dark. Spend the night! Settle in and spend the night here, let your heart be merry. You can get up early tomorrow and go home.” 10 Yet the man did not want to spend the night, so he got up and left and approached Jebus (that is, Jerusalem). Two saddled donkeys and his concubine were with him.

11 When they were near Jebus, it was getting very late. The servant said to his master, “Come, let us turn aside to this Jebusite city and spend the night in it.”

12 His master said to him, “We must not turn aside to a city of foreigners, who are not children of Israel. We will continue on to Gibeah.” 13 He said to his servant, “Come, let us go to one of these places. We will spend the night in Gibeah or Ramah.” 14 They continued and went on. The sun went down when they were near Gibeah in Benjamin. 15 So they turned aside there to go and spend the night in Gibeah. They went in and sat in the city square, but no one took them in to spend the night.

16 Just then, an old man came in at evening time from his work in the field. The man was from the hill country of Ephraim and lived as a resident foreigner in Gibeah, but the townspeople were Benjamites. 17 He looked up and saw the traveler in the city square. The old man said, “Where are you going, and where do you come from?”

18 He said to him, “We are traveling from Bethlehem in Judah to a remote part of the hill country of Ephraim. I am from there. I went to Bethlehem in Judah, and now I am going to the house of the Lord. No one has taken me into his home. 19 Yet there is enough straw and fodder for our donkeys, with bread and wine for me, your maidservant, and the young man who is with your servant. We do not lack anything.”

20 The old man said, “Do not worry. I will take care of whatever you need. Just do not spend the night in the city square.” 21 So he brought him into his house and gave food to his donkeys. They washed their feet, ate, and drank.

22 While they were enjoying themselves, the men of the city, who were wicked men, surrounded the house and pounded on the door. They said to the old man, the master of the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him.”

23 The master of the house went out to them and said, “No, my brothers, do not commit this evil act, not after this man has come into my house. Do not commit this disgrace. 24 Here are my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine. Let me bring them out to you. Ravish them and do to them what you please. But do not commit this vile act against this man.”

25 The men were unwilling to listen to him, so the man seized his concubine and brought her out to them in the street. They knew her and abused her all night until morning. As the dawn began to break, they let her go. 26 The woman came back at daybreak and fell down at the door of the man’s house where her master was, lying there until it was light.

27 Her master got up in the morning and opened the doors of the house. He went out to go on his way, but there was the woman, his concubine, fallen at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold. 28 He said to her, “Get up, let us be going,” but there was no answer. So the man put her on a donkey and went home.

29 When he got home, he took a knife and seized his concubine, then cut her body into twelve pieces. Then he sent her throughout all the territory of Israel. 30 Everyone who saw this said, “Nothing like this has been done or seen since the day the children of Israel came out of the land of Egypt until today. Consider it, take counsel, and speak up!”

The Children of Israel Punish the Benjamites

20 All the children of Israel from Dan to Beersheba, and also from the land of Gilead, went out and gathered together in an assembly as one man before the Lord at Mizpah. 2 The leaders of all the people from all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in an assembly of the people of God, who numbered four hundred thousand infantrymen bearing swords. 3 (The Benjamites heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, “Tell how this evil happened!”

4 So the Levite, the husband of the murdered woman, answered, “My concubine and I came to Gibeah, in Benjamin, to spend the night. 5 Then the leaders of Gibeah rose up against me. At night they surrounded the house where I was staying. They wanted to kill me; instead they ravished my concubine so that she died. 6 I seized my concubine, cut her into pieces, and sent her throughout all the territory of Israel, because they committed an infamous and disgraceful act in Israel. 7 Now, all of you are children of Israel. Give your advice and counsel here.”

8 All the people arose as one man and said, “Not a man among us will go to his tent, and no one will turn aside to his house. 9 Now this is what we will do to Gibeah. We will go against it by lot. 10 We will take ten men out of every hundred, from every tribe of Israel, a hundred from every thousand, and a thousand from every ten thousand, to bring provisions for the troops. Then when they come to Gibeah in Benjamin, they may repay them for all the evil that they committed in Israel.” 11 So all the men of Israel gathered at the city, united like one man.

12 The tribes of Israel sent men throughout the whole tribe of Benjamin, saying, “What is this evil that has been committed among you? 13 Now hand over the wicked men in Gibeah, so that we can kill them and purge the evil from Israel.”

Yet the Benjamites were not willing to listen to their fellow children of Israel. 14 The Benjamites gathered from their cities at Gibeah in order to go out and wage war against the children of Israel. 15 That day, the Benjamites mustered twenty-six thousand armed men from the cities and seven hundred specially chosen men from Gibeah. 16 Out of all these people there were seven hundred specially chosen men who were left-handed, all of whom could sling a stone at a hair and not miss.

17 The men of Israel, apart from Benjamin, gathered four hundred thousand armed men who drew the sword; all of them were men of war.

18 The children of Israel arose, went up to Bethel, and asked God, “Who should go up first to wage war against the Benjamites?”

The Lord said, “Judah first.”

19 The children of Israel got up in the morning and camped against Gibeah. 20 The men of Israel went out for battle with Benjamin, and the men of Israel lined up for battle at Gibeah. 21 Then the Benjamites came out from Gibeah and struck twenty-two thousand Israelite men down to the ground. 22 The people, the men of Israel, rallied and lined up for battle again in the place where they had lined up on the first day. 23 Then the children of Israel went up and wept before the Lord until evening. They asked the Lord, “Should we advance and fight our brother-tribesmen the Benjamites again?”

The Lord said, “Advance against them.”

24 So the children of Israel advanced against the Benjamites for the second day. 25 And on the second day, the Benjamites went out from Gibeah to meet them and again struck eighteen thousand men down to the ground, every one of them armed.

26 Then all the children of Israel, all the people, went up to Bethel where they wept and sat before the Lord. They fasted that day until evening and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 The children of Israel asked the Lord (because the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 and Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it then), “Should we go out again to wage war with our brother-tribesmen the Benjamites, or should we not?”

The Lord said, “Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hands.”

29 So Israel set an ambushing force around Gibeah. 30 The children of Israel went up against the Benjamites on the third day and lined up at Gibeah as before. 31 The Benjamites went out to engage the people and were drawn away from the city. They began to strike the people down as before. On the main roads that go up to Bethel and Gibeah and in the field, they struck down about thirty children of Israel. 32 The Benjamites said, “They are struck down before us like at the beginning.” But the children of Israel said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city toward the main roads.”

33 So all the men of Israel rose up out of their place and assumed their battle positions at Baal Tamar. Then the men of Israel in ambush charged out of their places, out of the meadows of Gibeah. 34 Ten thousand specially chosen men from all of Israel came against Gibeah. The battle was fierce, and the Benjamites did not know that disaster was upon them. 35 The Lord defeated Benjamin before Israel, and that day the children of Israel struck down twenty-five thousand one hundred Benjamites, every one of them armed. 36 The Benjamites saw that they were defeated.

Now the men of Israel had withdrawn from Benjamin, because they relied on the men in ambush whom they had set against Gibeah. 37 So the ambushing force rushed on and attacked Gibeah. They struck down the whole city with the edge of the sword. 38 The men of Israel had made an agreement with the ambushing force that when they sent up a large amount of smoke from the city, 39 the children of Israel would turn around in battle.

When the Benjamites had begun to strike the children of Israel down, about thirty men, they said, “Surely they are struck down before us like at the beginning.” 40 Yet when the smoke began to rise up from the city in a column, the Benjamites looked behind them and suddenly noticed the whole city going up in smoke to the sky. 41 Then the men of Israel turned around, and the men of Benjamin were horrified because they saw that disaster had come on them. 42 So they fled from the men of Israel toward the direction of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them. Whoever came out of the cities destroyed them in their midst. 43 They surrounded the Benjamites, chased them without rest, and trampled them down near Gibeah toward the east. 44 Eighteen thousand men from Benjamin fell; all these were men of valor. 45 The rest turned and fled toward the wilderness to Rimmon Rock, and they cut down five thousand men on the main roads. They pursued them relentlessly until they reached Gidom and killed two thousand of them.

46 So the Benjamites who fell that day numbered twenty-five thousand, every one of them armed, valorous men. 47 However, six hundred men turned and fled toward the wilderness, to Rimmon Rock. They dwelled at Rimmon Rock for four months. 48 Yet the men of Israel turned back against the Benjamites and struck them with the edge of the sword—city inhabitants, animals, and everything that could be found. Indeed, they set on fire every city that could be found.

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

John 3:22-4:3

Jesus and John the Baptist

22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea. He remained with them there and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon toward Salim, because much water was there. And people came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been put in prison. 25 Then a dispute arose between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about ceremonial cleansing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”

27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear witness of me, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

He Who Comes From Heaven

31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness of what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure to Him. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has placed all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman

4 Now when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), 3 He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Psalm 104:24-35

24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
With wisdom You have made them all;
the earth is full of Your creatures—
25 so is this great and wide sea,
which is full of innumerable creatures,
living animals both small and great.
26 There go the ships,
and there is Leviathan, which You have made to play in it.

27 These all wait upon You,
that You may give them their food in due season.
28 When You give it to them,
they gather it;
when You open Your hand,
they are filled with good food.
29 When You hide Your face,
they are troubled;
You take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
30 When You send forth Your Spirit,
they are created,
and You renew the surface of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles;
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 May my meditation be sweet to Him,
for I will be glad in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise the Lord!

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Proverbs 14:22-23

22 Do they not err who devise evil?
But mercy and truth will be to those who devise good.

23 In all labor there is profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Friday May 3, 2024 (NIV)

Judges 17-18

Micah and the Levite

17 There was a man of (A)the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah. 2 And he said to his mother, “The 1,100 pieces of silver that were taken from you, about which you uttered a curse, and also spoke it in my ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it.” And his mother said, (B)“Blessed be my son by the Lord.” 3 And he restored the 1,100 pieces of silver to his mother. And his mother said, “I dedicate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make (C)a carved image and (D)a metal image. Now therefore I will restore it to you.” 4 So when he restored the money to his mother, his mother (E)took 200 pieces of silver and gave it to the silversmith, who made it into a carved image and a metal image. And it was in the house of Micah. 5 And the man Micah had a shrine, and he made (F)an ephod and (G)household gods, and (H)ordained[a] one of his sons, who became his priest. 6 (I)In those days there was no king in Israel. (J)Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

7 Now there was a young man of (K)Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. 8 And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place. And as he journeyed, he came to (L)the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. 9 And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.” 10 And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me (M)a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the Levite went in. 11 And the Levite (N)was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. 12 And Micah (O)ordained the Levite, and the young man (P)became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. 13 Then Micah said, “Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because I have a Levite as priest.”

Danites Take the Levite and the Idol

18 (Q)In those days there was no king in Israel. And in those days (R)the tribe of the people of Dan was seeking for itself an inheritance to dwell in, for until then no inheritance among the tribes of Israel had fallen to them. 2 So the people of Dan sent five able men from the whole number of their tribe, (S)from Zorah and from Eshtaol, (T)to spy out the land and to explore it. And they said to them, “Go and explore the land.” And they came (U)to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there. 3 When they were by the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. And they turned aside and said to him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? What is your business here?” 4 And he said to them, “This is how Micah dealt with me: (V)he has hired me, and I have become his priest.” 5 And they said to him, (W)“Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether the journey on which we are setting out will succeed.” 6 And the priest said to them, (X)“Go in peace. The journey on which you go is under the eye of the Lord.”

7 Then the five men departed and came to (Y)Laish and saw the people who were there, how they lived in security, after the manner of the Sidonians, (Z)quiet and unsuspecting, lacking[b] nothing that is in the earth and possessing wealth, and how (AA)they were far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone. 8 And when they came to their brothers at (AB)Zorah and Eshtaol, their brothers said to them, “What do you report?” 9 They said, (AC)“Arise, and let us go up against them, for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. (AD)And will you do nothing? (AE)Do not be slow to go, to enter in and possess the land. 10 As soon as you go, you will come to an (AF)unsuspecting people. The land is spacious, for God has given it into your hands, (AG)a place where there is no lack of anything that is in the earth.”

11 So 600 men of the tribe of Dan, (AH)armed with weapons of war, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol, 12 and went up and encamped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. On this account that place is called (AI)Mahaneh-dan[c] to this day; behold, it is west of (AJ)Kiriath-jearim. 13 And they passed on from there to (AK)the hill country of Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah.

14 Then the five men who had gone to scout out the country of Laish said to their brothers, “Do you know that (AL)in these houses there are an ephod, household gods, a carved image, and a metal image? Now therefore consider what you will do.” 15 And they turned aside there and came to the house of the young Levite, at the home of Micah, and (AM)asked him about his welfare. 16 Now the 600 men of the Danites, (AN)armed with their weapons of war, stood by the entrance of the gate. 17 And (AO)the five men who had gone to scout out the land went up and entered and took (AP)the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, while the priest stood by the entrance of the gate with the 600 men armed with weapons of war. 18 And when these went into Micah's house and took (AQ)the carved image, the ephod, the household gods, and the metal image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?” 19 And they said to him, “Keep quiet; (AR)put your hand on your mouth and come with us and be to us (AS)a father and a priest. Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one man, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?” 20 And the priest's heart was glad. He took the ephod and the household gods and the carved image and went along with the people.

21 So they turned and departed, putting the little ones and the livestock and (AT)the goods in front of them. 22 When they had gone a distance from the home of Micah, the men who were in the houses near Micah's house were called out, and they overtook the people of Dan. 23 And they shouted to the people of Dan, who turned around and said to Micah, “What is the matter with you, that you come with such a company?” 24 And he said, (AU)“You take my gods that I made and the priest, and go away, and what have I left? How then do you ask me, ‘What is the matter with you?’” 25 And the people of Dan said to him, “Do not let your voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows fall upon you, and you lose your life with the lives of your household.” 26 Then the people of Dan went their way. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back to his home.

27 But the people of Dan took what Micah had made, and the priest who belonged to him, and they came to Laish, to a people (AV)quiet and unsuspecting, and (AW)struck them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire. 28 And there was no deliverer because it was (AX)far from Sidon, and they had no dealings with anyone. It was in the valley that belongs to (AY)Beth-rehob. Then they rebuilt the city and lived in it. 29 And they named the city (AZ)Dan, after the name of Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel; but (BA)the name of the city was Laish at the first. 30 And the people of Dan set up the carved image for themselves, and Jonathan the son of Gershom, (BB)son of Moses,[d] (BC)and his sons were priests to the tribe of the Danites until the day (BD)of the captivity of the land. 31 So they set up Micah's carved image that he made, (BE)as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 17:5 Hebrew filled the hand of; also verse 12
  2. Judges 18:7 Compare 18:10; the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  3. Judges 18:12 Mahaneh-dan means camp of Dan
  4. Judges 18:30 Or Manasseh

Cross references:

  1. Judges 17:1 : ver. 8; ch. 18:2; See Josh. 24:33
  2. Judges 17:2 : Ruth 3:10; 1 Sam. 15:13
  3. Judges 17:3 : [Ex. 20:4]
  4. Judges 17:3 : [Lev. 19:4]
  5. Judges 17:4 : [Isa. 46:6]
  6. Judges 17:5 : ch. 8:27; 18:14, 17; See Ex. 28:6-35
  7. Judges 17:5 : [Gen. 31:19; Hos. 3:4]
  8. Judges 17:5 : ver. 12; [1 Kgs. 13:33]
  9. Judges 17:6 : ch. 18:1; 19:1; 21:25
  10. Judges 17:6 : [Deut. 12:8]
  11. Judges 17:7 : ch. 19:1; Ruth 1:1, 2; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1, 5, 6
  12. Judges 17:8 : See Josh. 24:33
  13. Judges 17:10 : ch. 18:19
  14. Judges 17:11 : [Ex. 2:21]
  15. Judges 17:12 : ver. 5
  16. Judges 17:12 : [ch. 18:30]
  17. Judges 18:1 : ch. 17:6; 21:25
  18. Judges 18:1 : [ch. 1:34; Josh. 19:47, 48]
  19. Judges 18:2 : ver. 8, 11; ch. 13:25
  20. Judges 18:2 : [Num. 13:17; Josh. 2:1]
  21. Judges 18:2 : ch. 17:1, 8; See Josh. 24:33
  22. Judges 18:4 : ch. 17:10
  23. Judges 18:5 : Num. 27:21
  24. Judges 18:6 : 1 Sam. 1:17; [1 Kgs. 22:6]
  25. Judges 18:7 : [Josh. 19:47]
  26. Judges 18:7 : ver. 10, 27
  27. Judges 18:7 : ver. 28
  28. Judges 18:8 : ver. 2, 11
  29. Judges 18:9 : [Num. 13:20; Josh. 2:23, 24]
  30. Judges 18:9 : 1 Kgs. 22:3
  31. Judges 18:9 : [Josh. 18:3]
  32. Judges 18:10 : ver. 7, 27
  33. Judges 18:10 : [ch. 19:19; Deut. 8:9]
  34. Judges 18:11 : ver. 16
  35. Judges 18:12 : ch. 13:25
  36. Judges 18:12 : Josh. 15:60
  37. Judges 18:13 : ver. 2
  38. Judges 18:14 : ch. 17:4, 5
  39. Judges 18:15 : Gen. 43:27
  40. Judges 18:16 : ver. 11
  41. Judges 18:17 : ver. 2, 14
  42. Judges 18:17 : ver. 14; ch. 17:4, 5
  43. Judges 18:18 : [See ver. 17 above]; ver. 14; ch. 17:4, 5
  44. Judges 18:19 : Job 21:5; 29:9; 40:4; Prov. 30:32; Mic. 7:16
  45. Judges 18:19 : ch. 17:10
  46. Judges 18:21 : [1 Sam. 17:22; Isa. 10:28]
  47. Judges 18:24 : [Gen. 31:30]
  48. Judges 18:27 : ver. 7, 10
  49. Judges 18:27 : Josh. 19:47
  50. Judges 18:28 : ver. 7
  51. Judges 18:28 : 2 Sam. 10:6; [Num. 13:21; Josh. 19:28]
  52. Judges 18:29 : ch. 20:1; Gen. 14:14; 1 Kgs. 12:29, 30; 15:20
  53. Judges 18:29 : ver. 7
  54. Judges 18:30 : Ex. 2:22; 18:3
  55. Judges 18:30 : [ch. 17:12]
  56. Judges 18:30 : ch. 13:1; 1 Sam. 4:2, 3, 10, 11; See Ps. 78:60-64
  57. Judges 18:31 : Josh. 18:1; 1 Sam. 1:3
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

John 3:1-21

You Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named (A)Nicodemus, (B)a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] (C)by night and said to him, (D)“Rabbi, (E)we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do (F)unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is (G)born (H)again[b] he cannot (I)see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born (J)of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 (K)That which is born of the flesh is (L)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 (M)Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born (N)again.’ 8 (O)The wind[e] blows (P)where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, (Q)“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel (R)and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, (S)we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but (T)you[f] do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 (U)No one has (V)ascended into heaven except (W)he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[g] 14 And (X)as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man (Y)be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes (Z)in him (AA)may have eternal life.[h]

For God So Loved the World

16 “For (AB)God so loved (AC)the world,[i] (AD)that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not (AE)perish but have eternal life. 17 For (AF)God did not send his Son into the world (AG)to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 (AH)Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (AI)believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 (AJ)And this is the judgment: (AK)the light has come into the world, and (AL)people loved the darkness rather than the light because (AM)their works were evil. 20 (AN)For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, (AO)lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever (AP)does what is true (AQ)comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Footnotes:

  1. John 3:2 Greek him
  2. John 3:3 Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7
  3. John 3:6 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
  4. John 3:7 The Greek for you is plural here
  5. John 3:8 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
  6. John 3:11 The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12
  7. John 3:13 Some manuscripts add who is in heaven
  8. John 3:15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15
  9. John 3:16 Or For this is how God loved the world

Cross references:

  1. John 3:1 : ch. 7:50; 19:39
  2. John 3:1 : See Luke 24:20
  3. John 3:2 : [ch. 12:42]
  4. John 3:2 : See ch. 1:38
  5. John 3:2 : [ch. 9:29; Matt. 22:16]
  6. John 3:2 : Acts 10:38; [ch. 5:36; 9:33; Acts 2:22]
  7. John 3:3 : See ch. 1:13
  8. John 3:3 : [2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23]
  9. John 3:3 : ver. 36
  10. John 3:5 : [Ezek. 36:25-27; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; Heb. 10:22]
  11. John 3:6 : 1 Cor. 15:50
  12. John 3:6 : ch. 6:63
  13. John 3:7 : ch. 5:28
  14. John 3:7 : See ver. 3
  15. John 3:8 : [Eccles. 11:5; Ezek. 37:9]
  16. John 3:8 : 1 Cor. 12:11
  17. John 3:9 : ch. 6:52, 60
  18. John 3:10 : [ch. 9:30]
  19. John 3:11 : See ver. 32
  20. John 3:11 : See ver. 32
  21. John 3:13 : Prov. 30:4; [Acts 2:34; Eph. 4:9]
  22. John 3:13 : [ch. 7:34]
  23. John 3:13 : ver. 31; ch. 6:38, 42, 62; 1 Cor. 15:47; [Rom. 10:6]
  24. John 3:14 : Num. 21:9
  25. John 3:14 : ch. 8:28; 12:32, 34
  26. John 3:15 : [ch. 15:4; 16:33; 1 John 5:12, 20]
  27. John 3:15 : ver. 36
  28. John 3:16 : Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4; 2 Thess. 2:16; 1 John 3:1; 4:9, 10
  29. John 3:16 : See ch. 1:29
  30. John 3:16 : Rom. 8:32
  31. John 3:16 : ch. 10:28
  32. John 3:17 : ch. 5:36, 38; 6:29, 57; 7:29; 8:42; 10:36; 11:42; 17:3; 20:21; Rom. 8:3; 1 John 4:9, 10, 14
  33. John 3:17 : ch. 5:45; 8:15; 12:47
  34. John 3:18 : ch. 5:24; [Mark 16:16]
  35. John 3:18 : See 1 John 5:13
  36. John 3:19 : [ch. 9:39]
  37. John 3:19 : See ch. 1:4, 5, 9
  38. John 3:19 : [Isa. 30:10; Jer. 5:31]
  39. John 3:19 : ch. 7:7
  40. John 3:20 : [Job 24:13; Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:13]
  41. John 3:20 : Eph. 5:11, 13
  42. John 3:21 : 1 John 1:6
  43. John 3:21 : Ps. 139:23, 24
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 104:1-24

O Lord My God, You Are Very Great

104 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are (B)very great!
(C)You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 covering yourself with light as with a garment,
(D)stretching out the heavens (E)like a tent.
3 He (F)lays the beams of his (G)chambers on the waters;
he makes (H)the clouds his chariot;
he rides on (I)the wings of the wind;
4 he (J)makes his messengers winds,
his (K)ministers (L)a flaming fire.

5 He (M)set the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
6 You (N)covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At (O)your rebuke they fled;
at (P)the sound of your thunder they (Q)took to flight.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
to the place that you (R)appointed for them.
9 You set (S)a boundary that they may not pass,
so that they (T)might not again cover the earth.

10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
11 they (U)give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
13 (V)From your lofty abode you (W)water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14 You cause (X)the grass to grow for the livestock
and (Y)plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth (Z)food from the earth
15 and (AA)wine to gladden the heart of man,
(AB)oil to make his face shine
and bread to (AC)strengthen man's heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
(AD)the cedars of Lebanon (AE)that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;
the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for (AF)the wild goats;
the rocks are a refuge for (AG)the rock badgers.

19 He made the moon to mark the (AH)seasons;[a]
the sun knows its time for setting.
20 (AI)You make darkness, and it is night,
when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 (AJ)The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
and lie down in their (AK)dens.
23 (AL)Man goes out to his work
and to his labor until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In (AM)wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 104:19 Or the appointed times (compare Genesis 1:14)

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 104:1 : Ps. 103:1, 2, 22
  2. Psalm 104:1 : See 2 Sam. 7:22
  3. Psalm 104:1 : Ps. 93:1; Job 40:10; [Job 37:22]
  4. Psalm 104:2 : See Job 9:8
  5. Psalm 104:2 : Isa. 40:22
  6. Psalm 104:3 : Amos 9:6
  7. Psalm 104:3 : ver. 13
  8. Psalm 104:3 : Isa. 19:1
  9. Psalm 104:3 : Ps. 18:10; 2 Sam. 22:11
  10. Psalm 104:4 : Cited Heb. 1:7; [Ps. 148:8]
  11. Psalm 104:4 : Ps. 103:21
  12. Psalm 104:4 : [2 Kgs. 1:10; 2:11]
  13. Psalm 104:5 : Ps. 24:2; 89:11; 136:6; See Job 38:4
  14. Psalm 104:6 : Gen. 7:19
  15. Psalm 104:7 : Ps. 18:15; [Ps. 106:9; Gen. 1:9; 8:1, 5; Matt. 8:26]
  16. Psalm 104:7 : Ps. 77:18
  17. Psalm 104:7 : Ps. 48:5
  18. Psalm 104:8 : [Job 38:8, 10, 11]
  19. Psalm 104:9 : See Job 26:10
  20. Psalm 104:9 : See Gen. 9:11-16
  21. Psalm 104:11 : [ver. 13]
  22. Psalm 104:13 : ver. 3
  23. Psalm 104:13 : [Ps. 65:9; 147:8; Deut. 11:11; Job 5:10; Jer. 10:13; 14:22]
  24. Psalm 104:14 : Ps. 147:8, 9
  25. Psalm 104:14 : Gen. 1:11, 29, 30; 3:18; 9:3
  26. Psalm 104:14 : Job 28:5; [Ps. 136:25; 147:9]
  27. Psalm 104:15 : Judg. 9:13; Eccles. 10:19; [Prov. 31:6, 7]
  28. Psalm 104:15 : [Ps. 23:5; Judg. 9:9]
  29. Psalm 104:15 : [Gen. 18:5]
  30. Psalm 104:16 : See Judg. 9:15
  31. Psalm 104:16 : [Num. 24:6]
  32. Psalm 104:18 : See Job 39:1
  33. Psalm 104:18 : Lev. 11:5; Prov. 30:26
  34. Psalm 104:19 : Gen. 1:14; Lev. 23:4
  35. Psalm 104:20 : Isa. 45:7
  36. Psalm 104:21 : Job 38:39
  37. Psalm 104:22 : Job 37:8
  38. Psalm 104:23 : [Gen. 3:19]
  39. Psalm 104:24 : Prov. 3:19
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 14:20-21

20 (A)The poor is disliked even by his neighbor,
(B)but the rich has many friends.
21 Whoever (C)despises his neighbor is a sinner,
but (D)blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 14:20 : ch. 19:7
  2. Proverbs 14:20 : ch. 19:4
  3. Proverbs 14:21 : ch. 11:12
  4. Proverbs 14:21 : Ps. 41:1
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Thursday May 2, 2024 (NIV)

Judges 15-16

Samson Defeats the Philistines

15 After some days, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson went to visit his wife with (A)a young goat. And he said, “I will go in to my wife in the chamber.” But her father would not allow him to go in. 2 And her father said, “I really thought that you utterly hated her, (B)so I gave her to your companion. Is not her younger sister more beautiful than she? Please take her instead.” 3 And Samson said to them, “This time I shall be innocent in regard to the Philistines, when I do them harm.” 4 So Samson went and caught 300 foxes and took torches. And he turned them tail to tail and put a torch between each pair of tails. 5 And when he had set fire to the torches, he let the foxes go into the standing grain of the Philistines and set fire to the stacked grain and the standing grain, as well as the olive orchards. 6 Then the Philistines said, “Who has done this?” And they said, “Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he has taken his wife (C)and given her to his companion.” And the Philistines came up and (D)burned her and her father with fire. 7 And Samson said to them, “If this is what you do, I swear I will be avenged on you, and after that I will quit.” 8 And he struck them hip and thigh with a great blow, and he went down and stayed in the (E)cleft of the rock of Etam.

9 Then the Philistines came up and encamped in Judah and (F)made a raid on (G)Lehi. 10 And the men of Judah said, “Why have you come up against us?” They said, “We have come up to bind Samson, to do to him as he did to us.” 11 Then 3,000 men of Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, “Do you not know that (H)the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so have I done to them.” 12 And they said to him, “We have come down to bind you, that we may give you into the hands of the Philistines.” And Samson said to them, “Swear to me that you will not attack me yourselves.” 13 They said to him, “No; we will only bind you and give you into their hands. We will surely not kill you.” So they bound him with two (I)new ropes and brought him up from the rock.

14 When he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him. (J)Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands. 15 And he found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, and put out his hand and took it, (K)and with it he struck 1,000 men. 16 And Samson said,

“With the jawbone of a donkey,
heaps upon heaps,
with the jawbone of a donkey
have I struck down a thousand men.”

17 As soon as he had finished speaking, he threw away the jawbone out of his hand. And that place (L)was called Ramath-lehi.[a]

18 And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the Lord and said, (M)“You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” 19 And God split open the hollow place that is (N)at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, (O)his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore;[b] it is at Lehi to this day. 20 And he judged Israel (P)in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

Samson and Delilah

16 Samson went to (Q)Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. 2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they (R)surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” 3 But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.

4 After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And (S)the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, (T)“Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to (U)humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could (V)subdue you.”

7 Samson said to her, “If they bind me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, (W)then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 8 Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she bound him with them. 9 Now she had men lying in ambush in an inner chamber. And she said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he snapped the bowstrings, as a thread of flax snaps when it touches the fire. So the secret of his strength was not known.

10 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Behold, you have mocked me and told me lies. Please tell me how you might be bound.” 11 And he said to her, “If they bind me with (X)new ropes that have not been used, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 12 So Delilah took new ropes and bound him with them and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And the men lying in ambush were in an inner chamber. But he snapped the ropes off his arms like a thread.

13 Then Delilah said to Samson, “Until now you have mocked me and told me lies. Tell me how you might be bound.” And he said to her, “If you weave the seven locks of my head with the web and fasten it tight with the pin, then I shall become weak and be like any other man.” 14 So while he slept, Delilah took the seven locks of his head and wove them into the web.[c] And she made them tight with the pin and said to him, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” But he awoke from his sleep and pulled away the pin, the loom, and the web.

15 And she said to him, (Y)“How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when your heart is not with me? You have mocked me these three times, and you have not told me where your great strength lies.” 16 And (Z)when she pressed him hard with her words day after day, and urged him, his soul was vexed to death. 17 And he told her all his heart, and said to her, (AA)“A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If my head is shaved, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.”

18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought (AB)the money in their hands. 19 She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began (AC)to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that (AD)the Lord had left him. 21 And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. (AE)And he ground at the mill in the prison. 22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.

The Death of Samson

23 Now the lords of the Philistines gathered to offer a great sacrifice to (AF)Dagon their god and to rejoice, and they said, “Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hand.” 24 And when the people saw him, (AG)they praised their god. For they said, “Our god has given our enemy into our hand, the ravager of our country, who has killed many of us.”[d] 25 And (AH)when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars. 26 And Samson said to the young man who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars on which the house rests, that I may lean against them.” 27 Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and (AI)on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.

28 Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “O Lord God, (AJ)please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God, that I may be avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes.” 29 And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. 30 And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” Then he bowed with all his strength, and the house fell upon the lords and upon all the people who were in it. So the dead whom he killed at his death were more than those whom he had killed during his life. 31 Then his brothers and all his family came down and took him and brought him up and buried him (AK)between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. He had judged Israel twenty years.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 15:17 Ramath-lehi means the hill of the jawbone
  2. Judges 15:19 En-hakkore means the spring of him who called
  3. Judges 16:14 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew lacks and fasten it tight… into the web
  4. Judges 16:24 Or who has multiplied our slain

Cross references:

  1. Judges 15:1 : [Gen. 38:17]
  2. Judges 15:2 : ver. 6; ch. 14:20
  3. Judges 15:6 : ver. 2
  4. Judges 15:6 : ch. 14:15
  5. Judges 15:8 : ver. 11; Isa. 2:21; 57:5
  6. Judges 15:9 : 2 Sam. 5:18, 22
  7. Judges 15:9 : ver. 14, 17, 19
  8. Judges 15:11 : ch. 13:1; 14:4
  9. Judges 15:13 : ch. 16:11, 12
  10. Judges 15:14 : ch. 14:6, 19; 1 Sam. 11:6; [ch. 3:10]
  11. Judges 15:15 : Josh. 23:10; [ch. 3:31; Lev. 26:8]
  12. Judges 15:17 : ver. 9, 14
  13. Judges 15:18 : [Ps. 3:7]
  14. Judges 15:19 : [See ver. 17 above]; ver. 9, 14
  15. Judges 15:19 : Gen. 45:27
  16. Judges 15:20 : ch. 13:1
  17. Judges 16:1 : Josh. 15:47
  18. Judges 16:2 : [1 Sam. 23:26; Ps. 118:10-12; Acts 9:24]
  19. Judges 16:5 : Josh. 13:3
  20. Judges 16:5 : ch. 14:15
  21. Judges 16:5 : ver. 19
  22. Judges 16:6 : [See ver. 5 above]; ver. 19
  23. Judges 16:7 : ver. 11, 17
  24. Judges 16:11 : ch. 15:13, 14
  25. Judges 16:15 : ch. 14:16
  26. Judges 16:16 : [ch. 14:17]
  27. Judges 16:17 : [ch. 13:5]
  28. Judges 16:18 : ver. 5
  29. Judges 16:19 : ver. 5, 6
  30. Judges 16:20 : 1 Sam. 28:15, 16
  31. Judges 16:21 : [Ex. 11:5; Matt. 24:41]
  32. Judges 16:23 : 1 Chr. 10:10; See 1 Sam. 5:2-7
  33. Judges 16:24 : [Dan. 5:4]
  34. Judges 16:25 : ch. 19:6; [2 Sam. 13:28]
  35. Judges 16:27 : [Deut. 22:8; 2 Sam. 11:2; Neh. 8:16; Matt. 24:17; Mark 13:15; Luke 17:31]
  36. Judges 16:28 : Jer. 15:15
  37. Judges 16:31 : ch. 13:25
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

John 2

The Wedding at Cana

2 On (A)the third day there was a wedding at (B)Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with (C)his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, (D)“Woman, (E)what does this have to do with me? (F)My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there (G)for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty (H)gallons.[a] 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted (I)the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested (J)his glory. And (K)his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and (L)his brothers[b] and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 (M)The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus (N)went up to Jerusalem. 14 (O)In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make (P)my Father's house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, (Q)“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 So the Jews said to him, (R)“What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, (S)“Destroy this temple, and in three days (T)I will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,[c] and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about (U)the temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, (V)his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed (W)the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name (X)when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus (Y)on his part did not entrust himself to them, because (Z)he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for (AA)he himself knew what was in man.

Footnotes:

  1. John 2:6 Greek two or three measures (metrētas); a metrētēs was about 10 gallons or 35 liters
  2. John 2:12 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
  3. John 2:20 Or This temple was built forty-six years ago

Cross references:

  1. John 2:1 : [ch. 1:29, 35, 43]
  2. John 2:1 : ch. 4:46; 21:2
  3. John 2:2 : ch. 1:40-49
  4. John 2:4 : ch. 19:26
  5. John 2:4 : See 2 Sam. 16:10
  6. John 2:4 : ch. 7:30; 8:20; 13:1
  7. John 2:6 : ch. 3:25; [Mark 7:3, 4]
  8. John 2:6 : 2 Chr. 4:5 (Gk.)
  9. John 2:9 : ch. 4:46
  10. John 2:11 : See ch. 1:14
  11. John 2:11 : ver. 2
  12. John 2:12 : See Matt. 12:46
  13. John 2:13 : ch. 11:55; See ch. 6:4
  14. John 2:13 : ver. 23; Deut. 16:1-6; Luke 2:41
  15. John 2:14 : For ver. 14-17, [Matt. 21:12, 13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45, 46, with Mal. 3:1-3]
  16. John 2:16 : [ch. 14:2; Luke 2:49]
  17. John 2:17 : Cited from Ps. 69:9
  18. John 2:18 : ch. 4:48; 6:30; [Ex. 4:1, 8; 7:9]; See Matt. 12:38
  19. John 2:19 : [Matt. 26:61; 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29]
  20. John 2:19 : ch. 10:18
  21. John 2:21 : [ch. 1:14; 1 Cor. 6:19; Col. 2:9]
  22. John 2:22 : ch. 12:16; Luke 24:8
  23. John 2:22 : ch. 20:9; Ps. 16:10
  24. John 2:23 : ch. 11:45
  25. John 2:24 : [ch. 6:14, 15]
  26. John 2:24 : ch. 1:48; 5:42; 16:30; [ch. 6:61, 64]; See Matt. 9:4
  27. John 2:25 : [See ver. 24 above]; ch. 1:48; 5:42; 16:30; [ch. 6:61, 64]; See Matt. 9:4
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

103 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 (B)Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and (C)forget not all his benefits,
3 who (D)forgives all your iniquity,
who (E)heals all your diseases,
4 who (F)redeems your life from the pit,
who (G)crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who (H)satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like (I)the eagle's.

6 The Lord works (J)righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his (K)ways to Moses,
his (L)acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is (M)merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 (N)He will not always chide,
nor will he (O)keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us (P)according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For (Q)as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his (R)steadfast love toward (S)those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he (T)remove our transgressions from us.
13 As (U)a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion (V)to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;[a]
he (W)remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like (X)grass;
he flourishes like (Y)a flower of the field;
16 for (Z)the wind passes over it, and (AA)it is gone,
and (AB)its place knows it no more.
17 But (AC)the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on (AD)those who fear him,
and his righteousness to (AE)children's children,
18 to those who (AF)keep his covenant
and (AG)remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has (AH)established his throne in the heavens,
and his (AI)kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, O you (AJ)his angels,
you (AK)mighty ones who (AL)do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his (AM)hosts,
his (AN)ministers, who do his will!
22 (AO)Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
(AP)Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 103:14 Or knows how we are formed

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 103:1 : ver. 22; Ps. 104:1
  2. Psalm 103:2 : [See ver. 1 above]; ver. 22; Ps. 104:1
  3. Psalm 103:2 : Deut. 6:12; 8:11
  4. Psalm 103:3 : Ex. 34:7; Isa. 33:24; Matt. 9:2; Mark 2:5; [Luke 7:47]
  5. Psalm 103:3 : Ps. 107:20; 147:3; Ex. 15:26; [Matt. 8:17]
  6. Psalm 103:4 : See Ps. 56:13
  7. Psalm 103:4 : [Ps. 5:12]
  8. Psalm 103:5 : Ps. 107:9
  9. Psalm 103:5 : Isa. 40:31
  10. Psalm 103:6 : Ps. 146:7
  11. Psalm 103:7 : Ex. 33:13; [Ps. 25:4]
  12. Psalm 103:7 : [Ps. 78:11; Ex. 34:10]
  13. Psalm 103:8 : See Ps. 86:15
  14. Psalm 103:9 : Isa. 57:16
  15. Psalm 103:9 : Ps. 30:5; Jer. 3:5, 12; Mic. 7:18
  16. Psalm 103:10 : Ezra 9:13
  17. Psalm 103:11 : See Ps. 36:5
  18. Psalm 103:11 : Ps. 117:2
  19. Psalm 103:11 : ver. 13, 17; Luke 1:50
  20. Psalm 103:12 : [Isa. 38:17; 43:25; Mic. 7:19]
  21. Psalm 103:13 : Mal. 3:17
  22. Psalm 103:13 : [See ver. 11 above]; ver. 13, 17; Luke 1:50
  23. Psalm 103:14 : Ps. 78:39
  24. Psalm 103:15 : Ps. 90:5
  25. Psalm 103:15 : See Job 14:2
  26. Psalm 103:16 : Isa. 40:7
  27. Psalm 103:16 : Ps. 37:36
  28. Psalm 103:16 : See Job 7:10
  29. Psalm 103:17 : Ps. 25:6
  30. Psalm 103:17 : [See ver. 11 above]; ver. 13, 17; Luke 1:50
  31. Psalm 103:17 : Ex. 20:5, 6
  32. Psalm 103:18 : Deut. 7:9
  33. Psalm 103:18 : Ps. 19:8
  34. Psalm 103:19 : Ps. 11:4; 93:2
  35. Psalm 103:19 : Ps. 47:2; Dan. 4:17
  36. Psalm 103:20 : Ps. 148:2; [Luke 2:13]
  37. Psalm 103:20 : Ps. 78:25
  38. Psalm 103:20 : Matt. 6:10
  39. Psalm 103:21 : Gen. 32:2; Josh. 5:14; 1 Kgs. 22:19
  40. Psalm 103:21 : Ps. 104:4; Dan. 7:10; Heb. 1:14
  41. Psalm 103:22 : Ps. 145:10
  42. Psalm 103:22 : ver. 1, 2
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 14:17-19

17 A man of (A)quick temper acts foolishly,
and a man of evil devices is hated.
18 The simple inherit folly,
but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.
19 (B)The evil bow down before the good,
the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 14:17 : [ver. 29]
  2. Proverbs 14:19 : [Gen. 42:6; 1 Sam. 2:36]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Wednesday May 1, 2024 (NIV)

Judges 13-14

The Birth of Samson

13 And the people of Israel again (A)did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them (B)into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.

2 There was a certain man of (C)Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. (D)And his wife was barren and had no children. 3 (E)And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Therefore be careful (F)and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, 5 for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. (G)No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be (H)a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall (I)begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, (J)“A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. (K)I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name, 7 but he said to me, (L)‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.’”

8 Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born.” 9 And God listened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again to the woman as she sat in the field. But Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 So the woman ran quickly and told her husband, “Behold, the man who came to me the other day has appeared to me.” 11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife and came to the man and said to him, “Are you the man who spoke to this woman?” And he said, “I am.” 12 And Manoah said, “Now when your words come true, (M)what is to be the child's manner of life, and what is his mission?” 13 And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Of all that I said to the woman let her be careful. 14 She may not eat of anything that comes from the vine, (N)neither let her drink wine or strong drink, or eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe.”

15 Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain you and (O)prepare a young goat for you.” 16 And the angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “If you detain me, I will not eat of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, then offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know that he was the angel of the Lord.) 17 And Manoah said to the angel of the Lord, (P)“What is your name, so that, when your words come true, we may honor you?” 18 And the angel of the Lord said to him, (Q)“Why do you ask my name, seeing (R)it is wonderful?” 19 So (S)Manoah took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it on the rock to the Lord, to the one who works[a] wonders, and Manoah and his wife were watching. 20 And when the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the angel of the Lord went up in the flame of the altar. Now Manoah and his wife were watching, (T)and they fell on their faces to the ground.

21 The angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. (U)Then Manoah knew that he was the angel of the Lord. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, (V)“We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” 23 But his wife said to him, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and a grain offering at our hands, or shown us all these things, or now announced to us such things as these.” 24 And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. (W)And the young man grew, and the Lord blessed him. 25 (X)And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between (Y)Zorah and Eshtaol.

Samson's Marriage

14 (Z)Samson went down to (AA)Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. 2 Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. (AB)Now get her for me as my wife.” 3 But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters (AC)of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the (AD)uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.”

4 His father and mother did not know that it was (AE)from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. (AF)At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.

5 Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. 6 (AG)Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. 7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes.

8 After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. 9 He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.

10 His father went down to the woman, and Samson prepared a feast there, for so the young men used to do. 11 As soon as the people saw him, they brought thirty companions to be with him. 12 And Samson said to them, (AH)“Let me now put a riddle to you. If you can tell me what it is, within (AI)the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty (AJ)changes of clothes, 13 but if you cannot tell me what it is, then you shall give me thirty linen garments and thirty changes of clothes.” And they said to him, “Put your riddle, that we may hear it.” 14 And he said to them,

“Out of the eater came something to eat.
Out of the strong came something sweet.”

And in three days they could not solve the riddle.

15 On the fourth[b] day they said to Samson's wife, (AK)“Entice your husband to tell us what the riddle is, (AL)lest we burn you and your father's house with fire. Have you invited us here to impoverish us?” 16 And Samson's wife wept over him and said, (AM)“You only hate me; you do not love me. You have put a riddle to my people, and you have not told me what it is.” And he said to her, “Behold, I have not told my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?” 17 She wept before him the seven days that their feast lasted, and on the seventh day he told her, because (AN)she pressed him hard. Then she told the riddle to her people. 18 And the men of the city said to him on the seventh day before the sun went down,

“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?”

And he said to them,

“If you had not plowed with my heifer,
you would not have found out my riddle.”

19 (AO)And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to (AP)Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father's house. 20 And Samson's wife was given to (AQ)his companion, (AR)who had been his best man.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 13:19 Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew Lord, and working
  2. Judges 14:15 Septuagint, Syriac; Hebrew seventh

Cross references:

  1. Judges 13:1 : See ch. 2:11
  2. Judges 13:1 : [ch. 3:31; 10:7; 1 Sam. 12:9]
  3. Judges 13:2 : Josh. 19:41; [Josh. 15:33]
  4. Judges 13:2 : [1 Sam. 1:2; Luke 1:7]
  5. Judges 13:3 : ch. 6:12; Luke 1:11, 13
  6. Judges 13:4 : ver. 7, 14; [Num. 6:2, 3; Luke 1:15]
  7. Judges 13:5 : ch. 16:17; 1 Sam. 1:11; [Num. 6:5]
  8. Judges 13:5 : [See ver. 4 above]; ver. 7, 14; [Num. 6:2, 3; Luke 1:15]
  9. Judges 13:5 : [1 Sam. 7:13; 2 Sam. 8:1; 1 Chr. 18:1]
  10. Judges 13:6 : See Deut. 33:1
  11. Judges 13:6 : [ver. 17, 18]
  12. Judges 13:7 : ver. 3-5
  13. Judges 13:12 : [Luke 1:66]
  14. Judges 13:14 : ver. 4, 7
  15. Judges 13:15 : ch. 6:19; [Gen. 18:5-8]
  16. Judges 13:17 : [ver. 6]
  17. Judges 13:18 : Gen. 32:29
  18. Judges 13:18 : [Isa. 9:6]
  19. Judges 13:19 : ch. 6:19-21
  20. Judges 13:20 : Lev. 9:24; 1 Chr. 21:16; Ezek. 1:28
  21. Judges 13:21 : ch. 6:22
  22. Judges 13:22 : [See ver. 21 above]; ch. 6:22
  23. Judges 13:24 : 1 Sam. 2:21; 3:19; Luke 1:80; [Luke 2:52]
  24. Judges 13:25 : See ch. 3:10
  25. Judges 13:25 : ch. 18:11; Josh. 15:33
  26. Judges 14:1 : Heb. 11:32
  27. Judges 14:1 : Gen. 38:12, 13; Josh. 15:10; 19:43
  28. Judges 14:2 : [Gen. 34:4]
  29. Judges 14:3 : [Gen. 24:3, 4; 28:1, 2]
  30. Judges 14:3 : ch. 15:18; 1 Sam. 14:6; 17:26, 36; 31:4; 2 Sam. 1:20
  31. Judges 14:4 : Josh. 11:20
  32. Judges 14:4 : ch. 13:1; 15:11
  33. Judges 14:6 : ver. 19; ch. 15:14; 1 Sam. 11:6; [ch. 3:10]
  34. Judges 14:12 : Ezek. 17:2; [1 Kgs. 10:1; Ps. 78:2; Prov. 1:6]
  35. Judges 14:12 : Gen. 29:27
  36. Judges 14:12 : Gen. 45:22; 2 Kgs. 5:5, 22, 23
  37. Judges 14:15 : ch. 16:5
  38. Judges 14:15 : ch. 15:6
  39. Judges 14:16 : [ch. 16:15]
  40. Judges 14:17 : [ch. 16:16]
  41. Judges 14:19 : See ver. 6
  42. Judges 14:19 : ch. 1:18
  43. Judges 14:20 : ch. 15:2, 6
  44. Judges 14:20 : John 3:29
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

John 1:29-51

Behold, the Lamb of God

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, (A)the Lamb of God, who (B)takes away the sin (C)of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, (D)‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but (E)for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John (F)bore witness: (G)“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and (H)it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but (I)he who sent me to baptize (J)with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, (K)this is he who baptizes (L)with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son[a] of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, (M)the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, (N)“What are you seeking?” And they said to him, (O)“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.[b] 40 (P)One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus[c] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found (Q)the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of (R)John. You shall be called (S)Cephas” (which means (T)Peter[d]).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 (U)The next day Jesus decided (V)to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now (W)Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found (X)Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom (Y)Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus (Z)of Nazareth, (AA)the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, (AB)“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, (AC)an Israelite indeed, (AD)in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How (AE)do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, (AF)“Rabbi, (AG)you are the Son of God! You are the (AH)King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,[e] you will see (AI)heaven opened, and (AJ)the angels of God ascending and descending on (AK)the Son of Man.”

Footnotes:

  1. John 1:34 Some manuscripts the Chosen One
  2. John 1:39 That is, about 4 p.m.
  3. John 1:40 Greek him
  4. John 1:42 Cephas and Peter are from the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively
  5. John 1:51 The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse

Cross references:

  1. John 1:29 : ver. 36; Ex. 12:3; Isa. 53:7; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19; [Gen. 22:8; Rev. 5:6]
  2. John 1:29 : 1 John 3:5; [Heb. 10:4, 11]
  3. John 1:29 : [ch. 3:16, 17; 4:42; 12:47; 1 John 2:2; 4:14]
  4. John 1:30 : ver. 15, 27
  5. John 1:31 : Luke 1:17, 76, 77
  6. John 1:32 : See ver. 7
  7. John 1:32 : Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22
  8. John 1:32 : [Isa. 11:2; Acts 10:38]
  9. John 1:33 : ver. 6; Luke 3:2
  10. John 1:33 : [ch. 3:5]
  11. John 1:33 : Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5
  12. John 1:33 : [ch. 3:5]
  13. John 1:36 : See ver. 29
  14. John 1:38 : ch. 18:4, 7; 20:15
  15. John 1:38 : ver. 49; ch. 3:2, 26; 6:25; [ch. 20:16; Mark 10:51]
  16. John 1:40 : For ver. 40-42, [Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:2-11]
  17. John 1:41 : ch. 4:25
  18. John 1:42 : ch. 21:15-17
  19. John 1:42 : 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22
  20. John 1:42 : Matt. 16:18
  21. John 1:43 : [ver. 35; ch. 2:1]
  22. John 1:43 : [ver. 28]
  23. John 1:44 : ch. 12:21
  24. John 1:45 : ch. 21:2
  25. John 1:45 : See Luke 16:16; 24:27
  26. John 1:45 : See Matt. 2:23
  27. John 1:45 : ch. 6:42; Luke 3:23
  28. John 1:46 : [ch. 7:41, 52]
  29. John 1:47 : Ps. 73:1; Rom. 9:4, 6
  30. John 1:47 : Ps. 32:2; [Zeph. 3:13; Rev. 14:5]
  31. John 1:48 : ch. 2:24, 25
  32. John 1:49 : See ver. 38
  33. John 1:49 : [ch. 6:69; 11:27; 20:28]
  34. John 1:49 : ch. 12:13; Zeph. 3:15; Matt. 27:11, 42; [Zech. 9:9]
  35. John 1:51 : Ezek. 1:1; Matt. 3:16; Luke 3:21
  36. John 1:51 : [Gen. 28:12]
  37. John 1:51 : See Dan. 7:13
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 102

Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is (A)faint and (B)pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 (C)Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry (D)come to you!
2 (E)Do not hide your face from me
in (F)the day of my distress!
(G)Incline your ear to me;
(H)answer me speedily (I)in the day when I call!

3 For my days (J)pass away like smoke,
and my (K)bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is (L)struck down like grass and (M)has withered;
I (N)forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning
my (O)bones cling to my flesh.
6 I am like (P)a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl[a] of the waste places;
7 I (Q)lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who (R)deride me (S)use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread
and (T)mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of your indignation and anger;
for you have (U)taken me up and (V)thrown me down.
11 My days are like (W)an evening shadow;
I (X)wither away like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are (Y)enthroned forever;
you (Z)are remembered throughout all generations.
13 You will (AA)arise and have (AB)pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
(AC)the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold her (AD)stones dear
and have pity on her dust.
15 Nations will (AE)fear the name of the Lord,
and all (AF)the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16 For the Lord (AG)builds up Zion;
he (AH)appears in his glory;
17 he (AI)regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.

18 Let this be (AJ)recorded for (AK)a generation to come,
so that (AL)a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19 that he (AM)looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear (AN)the groans of the prisoners,
to set free (AO)those who were doomed to die,
21 that they may (AP)declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when (AQ)peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he (AR)has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” (AS)I say, “take me not away
in the midst of my days—
(AT)you whose years endure
throughout all generations!”

25 (AU)Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and (AV)the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 (AW)They will perish, but (AX)you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27 but (AY)you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 (AZ)The children of your servants (BA)shall dwell secure;
(BB)their offspring shall be established before you.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 102:6 The precise identity of these birds is uncertain

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 102:1 : Ps. 61:2
  2. Psalm 102:1 : Ps. 142:2
  3. Psalm 102:1 : Ps. 39:12
  4. Psalm 102:1 : Ps. 18:6; Ex. 2:23; 1 Sam. 9:16
  5. Psalm 102:2 : See Ps. 27:9
  6. Psalm 102:2 : See Ps. 18:6
  7. Psalm 102:2 : See Ps. 31:2
  8. Psalm 102:2 : See Ps. 69:17
  9. Psalm 102:2 : Ps. 56:9
  10. Psalm 102:3 : [James 4:14]; See Ps. 37:20
  11. Psalm 102:3 : Job 30:30; Lam. 1:13; See Ps. 31:10
  12. Psalm 102:4 : Ps. 121:6
  13. Psalm 102:4 : Ps. 37:2; Isa. 40:7; [James 1:10, 11]
  14. Psalm 102:4 : [1 Sam. 1:7; 2 Sam. 12:17; 1 Kgs. 21:4; Job 33:20]
  15. Psalm 102:5 : See Job 19:20
  16. Psalm 102:6 : Isa. 34:11; Zeph. 2:14; [Job 30:29]
  17. Psalm 102:7 : Ps. 77:4
  18. Psalm 102:8 : [Acts 26:11]
  19. Psalm 102:8 : Isa. 65:15; Jer. 29:22
  20. Psalm 102:9 : See Ps. 42:3
  21. Psalm 102:10 : Ezek. 3:12, 14
  22. Psalm 102:10 : Ps. 51:11
  23. Psalm 102:11 : Ps. 109:23; 144:4; Job 8:9
  24. Psalm 102:11 : [See ver. 4 above]; Ps. 37:2; Isa. 40:7; [James 1:10, 11]
  25. Psalm 102:12 : ver. 26; See Ps. 9:7
  26. Psalm 102:12 : Ps. 135:13; Ex. 3:15
  27. Psalm 102:13 : Ps. 68:1
  28. Psalm 102:13 : Isa. 60:10; Zech. 1:12
  29. Psalm 102:13 : Ps. 75:2; Jer. 29:10; Dan. 9:2; [Isa. 40:2]
  30. Psalm 102:14 : Neh. 4:2; [Lam. 4:1]
  31. Psalm 102:15 : 1 Kgs. 8:43; Isa. 59:19
  32. Psalm 102:15 : Ps. 138:4; Isa. 60:3
  33. Psalm 102:16 : Ps. 147:2
  34. Psalm 102:16 : Isa. 60:1, 2
  35. Psalm 102:17 : Neh. 1:6, 11
  36. Psalm 102:18 : [Deut. 31:19; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:1]
  37. Psalm 102:18 : Ps. 48:13; See Ps. 78:4, 6
  38. Psalm 102:18 : See Ps. 22:31; [Isa. 43:21]
  39. Psalm 102:19 : See Ps. 11:4
  40. Psalm 102:20 : Ps. 79:11
  41. Psalm 102:20 : Ps. 79:11
  42. Psalm 102:21 : See Ps. 22:22
  43. Psalm 102:22 : [Isa. 45:14]; See Ps. 22:27
  44. Psalm 102:23 : Ps. 89:45
  45. Psalm 102:24 : [Isa. 38:10]
  46. Psalm 102:24 : Ps. 90:2; Job 36:26; Hab. 1:12
  47. Psalm 102:25 : Gen. 1:1; 2:1; Cited Heb. 1:10
  48. Psalm 102:25 : See Ps. 96:5
  49. Psalm 102:26 : Isa. 34:4; 51:6; Matt. 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 12; Rev. 20:11; 21:1; Cited Heb. 1:11, 12
  50. Psalm 102:26 : ver. 12
  51. Psalm 102:27 : Isa. 41:4; 48:12; Mal. 3:6; [Heb. 13:8; James 1:17]
  52. Psalm 102:28 : See Ps. 69:36
  53. Psalm 102:28 : Ps. 37:29
  54. Psalm 102:28 : Ps. 112:2
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 14:15-16

15 (A)The simple believes everything,
but the prudent gives thought to his steps.
16 (B)One who is wise is cautious[a] and (C)turns away from evil,
but a fool is reckless and careless.

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 14:16 Or fears [the Lord]

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 14:15 : See ch. 1:4
  2. Proverbs 14:16 : [ch. 22:3; 27:12]
  3. Proverbs 14:16 : [ch. 3:7]; See Job 28:28; Ps. 34:14
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Tuesday April 30, 2024 (NIV)

Judges 11-12

Jephthah Delivers Israel

11 Now (A)Jephthah the Gileadite was (B)a mighty warrior, but he was the son of a prostitute. Gilead was the father of Jephthah. 2 And Gilead's wife also bore him sons. And when his wife's sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out and said to him, “You shall not have an inheritance in our father's house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and lived in the land of (C)Tob, and (D)worthless fellows collected around Jephthah and went out with him.

4 After a time the Ammonites made war against Israel. 5 And when the Ammonites made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to bring Jephthah from the land of (E)Tob. 6 And they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our leader, that we may fight against the Ammonites.” 7 But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me and drive me out of my father's house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the Ammonites and (F)be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you bring me home again to fight against the Ammonites, and the Lord gives them over to me, I will be your head.” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, (G)“The Lord will be witness between us, if we do not do as you say.” 11 So Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people (H)made him head and leader over them. And Jephthah spoke all his words (I)before the Lord at (J)Mizpah.

12 Then Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites and said, “What do you have against me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?” 13 And the king of the Ammonites answered the messengers of Jephthah, (K)“Because Israel on coming up from Egypt took away my land, from the (L)Arnon to the (M)Jabbok and to the Jordan; now therefore restore it peaceably.” 14 Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the Ammonites 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: (N)Israel did not take away the land of Moab or the land of the Ammonites, 16 but when they came up from Egypt, Israel went through the wilderness (O)to the Red Sea and (P)came to Kadesh. 17 (Q)Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Please let us pass through your land,’ (R)but the king of Edom would not listen. And they sent also to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel (S)remained at Kadesh.

18 “Then they journeyed through the wilderness and (T)went around the land of Edom and the land of Moab and (U)arrived on the east side of the land of Moab and (V)camped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the boundary of Moab. 19 (W)Israel then sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon, and Israel said to him, ‘Please let us pass through your land to our country,’ 20 but Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory, so Sihon gathered all his people together and encamped at Jahaz and fought with Israel. 21 And the Lord, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. So Israel took possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 And they took possession of all the territory of the Amorites from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan. 23 So then the Lord, the God of Israel, dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel; and are you to take possession of them? 24 Will you not possess what (X)Chemosh your god gives you to possess? (Y)And all that the Lord our God has dispossessed before us, we will possess. 25 Now are you any better than (Z)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever contend against Israel, or did he ever go to war with them? 26 While Israel lived (AA)in Heshbon and its villages, and (AB)in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities that are on the banks of the Arnon, 300 years, why did you not deliver them within that time? 27 I therefore have not sinned against you, and you do me wrong by making war on me. (AC)The Lord, the Judge, decide this day between the people of Israel and the people of Ammon.” 28 But the king of the Ammonites did not listen to the words of Jephthah that he sent to him.

Jephthah's Tragic Vow

29 (AD)Then the Spirit of the Lord was upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh and passed on to Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed on to the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah (AE)made a vow to the Lord and said, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, 31 then whatever[a] comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites (AF)shall be the Lord's, and (AG)I will offer it[b] up for a burnt offering.” 32 So Jephthah crossed over to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord gave them into his hand. 33 And he struck them from Aroer to the neighborhood of (AH)Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel-keramim, with a great blow. So the Ammonites were subdued before the people of Israel.

34 Then Jephthah came to his home at (AI)Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him (AJ)with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And as soon as he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, (AK)and I cannot take back my vow.” 36 And she said to him, “My father, you have opened your mouth to the Lord; do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has avenged you on your enemies, on the Ammonites.” 37 So she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: leave me alone two months, that I may go up and down on the mountains and weep for my virginity, I and my companions.” 38 So he said, “Go.” Then he sent her away for two months, and she departed, she and her companions, and wept for her virginity on the mountains. 39 And at the end of two months, she returned to her father, (AL)who did with her according to his vow that he had made. She had never known a man, and it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went year by year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in the year.

Jephthah's Conflict with Ephraim

12 (AM)The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2 And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. 3 And when I saw that you would not save me, (AN)I took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4 Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, (AO)“You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” 5 And the Gileadites captured (AP)the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” 6 they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at (AQ)the fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.

7 Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried in his city in Gilead.[c]

Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon

8 After him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons, and thirty daughters he gave in marriage outside his clan, and thirty daughters he brought in from outside for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

11 After him Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel, and he judged Israel ten years. 12 Then Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun.

13 After him Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty (AR)sons and thirty grandsons, who (AS)rode on seventy donkeys, and he judged Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried at Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites.

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 11:31 Or whoever
  2. Judges 11:31 Or him
  3. Judges 12:7 Septuagint; Hebrew in the cities of Gilead

Cross references:

  1. Judges 11:1 : Heb. 11:32
  2. Judges 11:1 : ch. 6:12; 2 Kgs. 5:1
  3. Judges 11:3 : 2 Sam. 10:6, 8
  4. Judges 11:3 : See ch. 9:4; [1 Sam. 22:2]
  5. Judges 11:5 : [See ver. 3 above]; 2 Sam. 10:6, 8
  6. Judges 11:8 : ch. 10:18
  7. Judges 11:10 : Jer. 42:5
  8. Judges 11:11 : ver. 6, 8; ch. 10:18
  9. Judges 11:11 : 1 Sam. 10:19, 25; 11:15; 12:7; [ch. 20:1; 1 Sam. 10:17]
  10. Judges 11:11 : ch. 10:17
  11. Judges 11:13 : See Num. 21:24-26
  12. Judges 11:13 : Num. 21:13
  13. Judges 11:13 : Gen. 32:22
  14. Judges 11:15 : Deut. 2:9, 19
  15. Judges 11:16 : Num. 14:25; Deut. 1:40
  16. Judges 11:16 : Num. 13:26
  17. Judges 11:17 : Num. 20:14
  18. Judges 11:17 : See Num. 20:18-21
  19. Judges 11:17 : Num. 20:1; Deut. 1:46
  20. Judges 11:18 : Num. 21:4; See Deut. 2:1-8
  21. Judges 11:18 : Num. 21:11
  22. Judges 11:18 : Num. 21:13; 22:36
  23. Judges 11:19 : For ver. 19-22, see Num. 21:21-26; Deut. 2:26-37
  24. Judges 11:24 : Num. 21:29; 1 Kgs. 11:7
  25. Judges 11:24 : Deut. 9:5; 18:12; Josh. 3:10
  26. Judges 11:25 : Num. 22:2; Josh. 24:9; Mic. 6:5
  27. Judges 11:26 : Num. 21:25
  28. Judges 11:26 : Deut. 2:36
  29. Judges 11:27 : Gen. 16:5; 18:25; 31:53; 1 Sam. 24:12, 15
  30. Judges 11:29 : See ch. 3:10
  31. Judges 11:30 : Gen. 28:20; 1 Sam. 1:11
  32. Judges 11:31 : [Lev. 27:2; 1 Sam. 1:28]
  33. Judges 11:31 : Ps. 66:13
  34. Judges 11:33 : Ezek. 27:17
  35. Judges 11:34 : ver. 11; ch. 10:17
  36. Judges 11:34 : Ex. 15:20; 1 Sam. 18:6; Ps. 68:25; Jer. 31:4
  37. Judges 11:35 : Num. 30:2; [Eccles. 5:4, 5]
  38. Judges 11:39 : ver. 31
  39. Judges 12:1 : ch. 8:1
  40. Judges 12:3 : 1 Sam. 19:5; 28:21; Job 13:14; [Ps. 119:109]
  41. Judges 12:4 : [1 Sam. 25:10]
  42. Judges 12:5 : See ch. 3:28
  43. Judges 12:6 : [See ver. 5 above]; See ch. 3:28
  44. Judges 12:14 : Job 18:19; Isa. 14:22; [1 Tim. 5:4]
  45. Judges 12:14 : ch. 5:10
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

John 1:1-28

The Word Became Flesh

1 (A)In the beginning was (B)the Word, and (C)the Word was with God, and (D)the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 (E)All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 (F)In him was life,[a] and (G)the life was the light of men. 5 (H)The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man (I)sent from God, whose name was (J)John. 7 He came as a (K)witness, to bear witness about the light, (L)that all might believe through him. 8 (M)He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 (N)The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet (O)the world did not know him. 11 He came to (P)his own,[b] and (Q)his own people[c] (R)did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, (S)who believed in his name, (T)he gave the right (U)to become (V)children of God, 13 who (W)were born, (X)not of blood (Y)nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And (Z)the Word (AA)became flesh and (AB)dwelt among us, (AC)and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of (AD)grace and (AE)truth. 15 ((AF)John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, (AG)‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from (AH)his fullness we have all received, (AI)grace upon grace.[e] 17 For (AJ)the law was given through Moses; (AK)grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 (AL)No one has ever seen God; (AM)the only God,[f] who is at the Father's side,[g] (AN)he has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19 And this is the (AO)testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, (AP)“Who are you?” 20 (AQ)He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? (AR)Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you (AS)the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am (AT)the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight[h] the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, (AU)“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, (AV)“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even (AW)he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Footnotes:

  1. John 1:4 Or was not any thing made. That which has been made was life in him
  2. John 1:11 Greek to his own things; that is, to his own domain, or to his own people
  3. John 1:11 People is implied in Greek
  4. John 1:14 Or only One, or unique One
  5. John 1:16 Or grace in place of grace
  6. John 1:18 Or the only One, who is God; some manuscripts the only Son
  7. John 1:18 Greek in the bosom of the Father
  8. John 1:23 Or crying out, ‘In the wilderness make straight

Cross references:

  1. John 1:1 : Gen. 1:1; [Col. 1:17; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 1:4, 8, 17; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13]
  2. John 1:1 : Rev. 19:13; [Heb. 4:12; 1 John 1:1]
  3. John 1:1 : 1 John 1:2; [ch. 17:5]
  4. John 1:1 : Phil. 2:6
  5. John 1:3 : ver. 10; Ps. 33:6; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2
  6. John 1:4 : ch. 5:26; 11:25; 1 John 1:2; 5:11
  7. John 1:4 : ch. 8:12; 9:5; 12:46
  8. John 1:5 : [ch. 3:19]
  9. John 1:6 : ver. 33; ch. 3:28; Mal. 3:1
  10. John 1:6 : Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:2
  11. John 1:7 : ch. 3:26; 5:33
  12. John 1:7 : Acts 19:4
  13. John 1:8 : ver. 20
  14. John 1:9 : Isa. 49:6; 1 John 2:8
  15. John 1:10 : [ch. 16:3; 1 John 3:1]
  16. John 1:11 : Matt. 21:38
  17. John 1:11 : ch. 13:1
  18. John 1:11 : ch. 5:43; [ch. 3:11, 32]
  19. John 1:12 : See 1 John 5:13
  20. John 1:12 : 1 John 5:1
  21. John 1:12 : 1 John 3:1; [Matt. 5:45]
  22. John 1:12 : [Gal. 3:26]; See ch. 11:52
  23. John 1:13 : James 1:18; [ch. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:3]
  24. John 1:13 : 1 Pet. 1:23
  25. John 1:13 : ch. 3:6
  26. John 1:14 : ver. 1
  27. John 1:14 : Rom. 1:3; 8:3; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:7, 8; Col. 1:22; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 4:2; 2 John 7; [ch. 6:51]
  28. John 1:14 : Rev. 7:15; 21:3
  29. John 1:14 : ch. 2:11; Luke 9:32; 2 Pet. 1:16, 17; 1 John 1:1; 4:14
  30. John 1:14 : See ver. 7
  31. John 1:14 : [ch. 14:6]
  32. John 1:15 : See ver. 7
  33. John 1:15 : ver. 27, 30; See Matt. 3:11
  34. John 1:16 : Eph. 1:23; 3:19; 4:13; Col. 1:19; 2:9
  35. John 1:16 : [Matt. 25:29]
  36. John 1:17 : ch. 7:19; Ex. 20:1
  37. John 1:17 : ver. 14; [Rom. 5:21]
  38. John 1:18 : ch. 5:37; 6:46; Ex. 33:20; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 4:12, 20; [ch. 12:45]
  39. John 1:18 : ver. 14; See ch. 3:16
  40. John 1:18 : [Matt. 11:27]; See ch. 3:32
  41. John 1:19 : ch. 3:26
  42. John 1:19 : [ch. 8:25]
  43. John 1:20 : ver. 8; ch. 3:28; Acts 13:25; [Luke 3:15]
  44. John 1:21 : [Matt. 11:14; 16:14]
  45. John 1:21 : See Deut. 18:15, 18
  46. John 1:23 : Cited from Isa. 40:3; See Matt. 3:3
  47. John 1:25 : Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 7
  48. John 1:26 : Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:7, 8; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; 13:25
  49. John 1:27 : ver. 15, 30
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 101

I Will Walk with Integrity

A Psalm of David.

101 I will sing of (A)steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
2 I will (B)ponder the way (C)that is blameless.
Oh when will you (D)come to me?
I will (E)walk with (F)integrity of heart
within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
anything (G)that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who (H)fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
4 (I)A perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will (J)know nothing of evil.

5 Whoever slanders his neighbor (K)secretly
I will (L)destroy.
Whoever has a (M)haughty look and an (N)arrogant heart
I will not endure.

6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he who walks in (O)the way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

7 No one who (P)practices deceit
shall dwell in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall (Q)continue before my eyes.

8 (R)Morning by morning I will destroy
all the wicked in the land,
(S)cutting off all (T)the evildoers
from (U)the city of the Lord.

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 101:1 : [Ex. 34:7]
  2. Psalm 101:2 : [Ps. 4:4]
  3. Psalm 101:2 : Ps. 119:1; Prov. 11:20; [Matt. 5:48]
  4. Psalm 101:2 : [Ex. 20:24; John 14:23]
  5. Psalm 101:2 : 1 Kgs. 9:4
  6. Psalm 101:2 : Ps. 78:72
  7. Psalm 101:3 : Deut. 15:9
  8. Psalm 101:3 : See Ps. 40:4
  9. Psalm 101:4 : Prov. 11:20; 17:20
  10. Psalm 101:4 : [1 Cor. 5:11]
  11. Psalm 101:5 : Ps. 15:3
  12. Psalm 101:5 : ver. 8
  13. Psalm 101:5 : Ps. 18:27; 131:1; Prov. 6:17; 21:4; 30:13
  14. Psalm 101:5 : Prov. 16:5
  15. Psalm 101:6 : Ps. 119:1; Prov. 11:20; [Matt. 5:48]
  16. Psalm 101:7 : Ps. 52:2
  17. Psalm 101:7 : Ps. 102:28
  18. Psalm 101:8 : [Ps. 73:14]
  19. Psalm 101:8 : Ps. 75:10
  20. Psalm 101:8 : Ps. 94:4
  21. Psalm 101:8 : Ps. 48:1, 8; [Isa. 52:1]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 14:13-14

13 Even in laughter the heart may ache,
and (A)the end of joy may be (B)grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be (C)filled with the fruit of his ways,
and (D)a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 14:13 : [Eccles. 2:2; Luke 6:25]
  2. Proverbs 14:13 : ch. 10:1
  3. Proverbs 14:14 : [ch. 1:31; Matt. 6:2, 5]
  4. Proverbs 14:14 : ch. 12:14; Isa. 3:10
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Posted on

The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Monday April 29, 2024 (NIV)

Judges 9:22-10:18

The Downfall of Abimelech

22 Abimelech ruled over Israel three years. 23 (A)And God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, and the leaders of Shechem (B)dealt treacherously with Abimelech, 24 (C)that the violence done to the seventy sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid on Abimelech their brother, who killed them, and on the men of Shechem, who strengthened his hands to kill his brothers. 25 And the leaders of Shechem put men in ambush against him on the mountaintops, and they robbed all who passed by them along that way. And it was told to Abimelech.

26 And Gaal the son of Ebed moved into Shechem with his relatives, and the leaders of Shechem put confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the field and gathered the grapes from their vineyards and trod them and held a festival; and they went into (D)the house of their god and ate and drank and reviled Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, (E)“Who is Abimelech, and who are we of Shechem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerubbaal, and is not Zebul his officer? Serve the men of (F)Hamor the father of Shechem; but why should we serve him? 29 Would that this people were under my hand! Then I would remove Abimelech. I would say[a] to Abimelech, ‘Increase your army, and come out.’”

30 When Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled. 31 And he sent messengers to Abimelech secretly,[b] saying, “Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his relatives have come to Shechem, and they are stirring up[c] the city against you. 32 Now therefore, go by night, you and the people who are with you, and set an ambush in the field. 33 Then in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, rise early and rush upon the city. And when he and the people who are with him come out against you, you may do to them (G)as your hand finds to do.”

34 So Abimelech and all the men who were with him rose up by night and set an ambush against Shechem in four companies. 35 And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city, and Abimelech and the people who were with him rose from the ambush. 36 And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, “Look, people are coming down from (H)the mountaintops!” And Zebul said to him, “You mistake[d] the shadow of the mountains for men.” 37 Gaal spoke again and said, “Look, people are coming down from the center of the land, and one company is coming from the direction of the Diviners' Oak.” 38 Then Zebul said to him, “Where is your mouth now, you who said, (I)‘Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?’ Are not these the people whom you despised? Go out now and fight with them.” 39 And Gaal went out at the head of the leaders of Shechem and fought with Abimelech. 40 And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him. And many fell wounded, up to the entrance of the gate. 41 And Abimelech lived at Arumah, and Zebul drove out Gaal and his relatives, so that they could not dwell at Shechem.

42 On the following day, the people went out into the field, and Abimelech was told. 43 He took his people and divided them into three companies and set an ambush in the fields. And he looked and saw the people coming out of the city. So he rose against them and killed them. 44 Abimelech and the company that was with him (J)rushed forward and stood at the entrance of the gate of the city, while the two companies rushed upon all who were in the field and killed them. 45 And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and (K)he razed the city and (L)sowed it with salt.

46 When all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem heard of it, they entered (M)the stronghold of the house of (N)El-berith. 47 Abimelech was told that all the leaders of the Tower of Shechem were gathered together. 48 And Abimelech went up to Mount (O)Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him. And Abimelech took an axe in his hand and cut down a bundle of brushwood and took it up and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the men who were with him, “What you have seen me do, hurry and do as I have done.” 49 So every one of the people cut down his bundle and following Abimelech put it against (P)the stronghold, and they set the stronghold on fire over them, so that all the people of the Tower of Shechem also died, about 1,000 men and women.

50 Then Abimelech went to Thebez and encamped against Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower within the city, and all the men and women and all the leaders of the city fled to it and shut themselves in, and they went up to the roof of the tower. 52 And Abimelech came to the tower and fought against it and drew near to the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 (Q)And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull. 54 (R)Then he called quickly to the young man his armor-bearer and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest they say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, everyone departed to his home. 56 (S)Thus God returned the evil of Abimelech, which he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. 57 And God also made all the evil of the men of Shechem return on their heads, and upon them came (T)the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

Tola and Jair

10 After Abimelech there arose to (U)save Israel Tola the son of Puah, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he lived at Shamir in (V)the hill country of Ephraim. 2 And he judged Israel twenty-three years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir.

3 After him arose Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 And he had thirty sons who (W)rode on thirty donkeys, and they had thirty cities, called Havvoth-jair to this day, (X)which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Kamon.

Further Disobedience and Oppression

6 (Y)The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (Z)and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, (AA)the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they (AB)forsook the Lord and did not serve him. 7 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and (AC)he sold them into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, 8 and they crushed and oppressed the people of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the people of Israel who were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead. 9 And the Ammonites crossed the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

10 And the people of Israel (AD)cried out to the Lord, saying, “We have sinned against you, because (AE)we have forsaken our God and have served the Baals.” 11 And the Lord said to the people of Israel, “Did I not save you (AF)from the Egyptians and (AG)from the Amorites, (AH)from the Ammonites and (AI)from the Philistines? 12 The Sidonians also, and (AJ)the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, and you cried out to me, and I (AK)saved you out of their hand. 13 Yet you have (AL)forsaken me and served other gods; therefore I will save you no more. 14 Go and cry out (AM)to the gods whom you have chosen; let them save you in the time of your distress.” 15 And the people of Israel said to the Lord, “We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you. Only please deliver us this day.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord, and (AN)he became impatient over the misery of Israel.

17 Then the Ammonites were called to arms, and they encamped in Gilead. And the people of Israel came together, and they encamped at (AO)Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said one to another, “Who is the man who will begin to fight against the Ammonites? (AP)He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

Footnotes:

  1. Judges 9:29 Septuagint; Hebrew and he said
  2. Judges 9:31 Or at Tormah
  3. Judges 9:31 Hebrew besieging, or closing up
  4. Judges 9:36 Hebrew You see

Cross references:

  1. Judges 9:23 : [1 Sam. 16:14; 18:10; 19:9]
  2. Judges 9:23 : Isa. 33:1
  3. Judges 9:24 : ver. 56; [1 Kgs. 2:32; Esth. 9:25; Ps. 7:16; Matt. 23:35, 36]
  4. Judges 9:27 : ver. 4, 46
  5. Judges 9:28 : [1 Sam. 25:10]
  6. Judges 9:28 : Gen. 34:2, 6
  7. Judges 9:33 : Eccles. 9:10
  8. Judges 9:36 : ver. 7, 25
  9. Judges 9:38 : ver. 28, 29
  10. Judges 9:44 : ch. 20:37
  11. Judges 9:45 : 2 Kgs. 3:25
  12. Judges 9:45 : Deut. 29:23
  13. Judges 9:46 : ver. 49
  14. Judges 9:46 : ver. 4; ch. 8:33
  15. Judges 9:48 : Ps. 68:14
  16. Judges 9:49 : ver. 46
  17. Judges 9:53 : 2 Sam. 11:21
  18. Judges 9:54 : [1 Sam. 31:4]
  19. Judges 9:56 : [Job 31:8; Ps. 94:23; Prov. 5:22]; See ver. 24
  20. Judges 9:57 : ver. 20
  21. Judges 10:1 : ver. 12, 13; See ch. 2:16
  22. Judges 10:1 : See Josh. 24:33
  23. Judges 10:4 : ch. 5:10; 12:14
  24. Judges 10:4 : Deut. 3:14
  25. Judges 10:6 : See ch. 2:11
  26. Judges 10:6 : See ch. 2:13
  27. Judges 10:6 : 1 Kgs. 11:5, 7, 33; 2 Kgs. 23:13
  28. Judges 10:6 : ver. 10, 13; Deut. 31:16
  29. Judges 10:7 : See ch. 2:14
  30. Judges 10:10 : See ch. 3:9
  31. Judges 10:10 : ver. 6, 13
  32. Judges 10:11 : Ex. 14:30
  33. Judges 10:11 : See Num. 21:21-32
  34. Judges 10:11 : [ch. 3:13]
  35. Judges 10:11 : ch. 3:31
  36. Judges 10:12 : [ch. 3:13; 6:3]
  37. Judges 10:12 : See ch. 2:16
  38. Judges 10:13 : ver. 6, 10; [Deut. 32:15; Jer. 2:13]
  39. Judges 10:14 : Deut. 32:37, 38
  40. Judges 10:16 : ch. 2:18; Isa. 63:9
  41. Judges 10:17 : ch. 11:11, 29
  42. Judges 10:18 : [ch. 11:5, 6, 8, 11]
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Luke 24:13-53

On the Road to Emmaus

13 That very day (A)two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles[a] from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 (B)But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was (C)a prophet (D)mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and (E)how our chief priests and (F)rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was (G)the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now (H)the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. (I)They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and (J)when they did not find his body, they came back saying that (K)they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 (L)Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 (M)Was it not necessary that (N)the Christ should suffer these things and enter into (O)his glory?” 27 And (P)beginning with (Q)Moses and (R)all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. (S)He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and (T)the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and (U)blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 (V)And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And (W)he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, (X)“Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he (Y)opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they (Z)found the eleven and (AA)those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and (AB)has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and (AC)how he was known to them in (AD)the breaking of the bread.

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

36 As they were talking about these things, (AE)Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were (AF)startled and (AG)frightened and (AH)thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. (AI)Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, (AJ)he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved (AK)for joy and were marveling, (AL)he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,[b] 43 and he took it and ate before them.

44 Then he said to them, (AM)“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, (AN)that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then (AO)he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus (AP)it is written, (AQ)that the Christ should suffer and on the third day (AR)rise from the dead, 47 and that (AS)repentance for[c] the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed (AT)in his name (AU)to all nations, (AV)beginning from Jerusalem. 48 (AW)You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending (AX)the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you (AY)are clothed with (AZ)power (BA)from on high.”

The Ascension

50 And (BB)he led them out as far as (BC)Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, (BD)he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they (BE)worshiped him and (BF)returned to Jerusalem (BG)with great joy, 53 and (BH)were continually in the temple (BI)blessing God.

Footnotes:

  1. Luke 24:13 Greek sixty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters
  2. Luke 24:42 Some manuscripts add and some honeycomb
  3. Luke 24:47 Some manuscripts and

Cross references:

  1. Luke 24:13 : Mark 16:12
  2. Luke 24:16 : John 20:14; 21:4; [ver. 31; ch. 9:45; 18:34]
  3. Luke 24:19 : See Matt. 21:11
  4. Luke 24:19 : Acts 2:22; [Acts 7:22]
  5. Luke 24:20 : Acts 2:23; 5:30; 13:27, 28; 1 Thess. 2:15
  6. Luke 24:20 : ch. 23:13, 35; John 3:1; 7:26, 48; 12:42; Acts 3:17; 4:5, 8; 13:27; [1 Cor. 2:8]
  7. Luke 24:21 : See ch. 1:68; 1 Pet. 1:18
  8. Luke 24:21 : ver. 7
  9. Luke 24:22 : ver. 1
  10. Luke 24:23 : ver. 3
  11. Luke 24:23 : ver. 4, 5, 9
  12. Luke 24:24 : ver. 12; John 20:3
  13. Luke 24:26 : ver. 7, 44, 46; Heb. 2:10; 12:2; 1 Pet. 1:11; See Acts 3:18
  14. Luke 24:26 : See Matt. 1:17
  15. Luke 24:26 : See ch. 9:26
  16. Luke 24:27 : Acts 8:35
  17. Luke 24:27 : Gen. 3:15; 12:3; 22:18; Num. 21:9; 24:17; [John 1:45; 5:46]
  18. Luke 24:27 : 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; 50:6; 52:13–53:12; 61:1; Jer. 23:5, 6; Dan. 7:13, 14; 9:24-27; Mic. 5:2; Zech. 6:12; 9:9; 12:10; 13:7; [Acts 13:27]
  19. Luke 24:28 : [Mark 6:48]
  20. Luke 24:29 : ch. 9:12 (Gk.)
  21. Luke 24:30 : See Matt. 14:19
  22. Luke 24:31 : [ver. 16]
  23. Luke 24:31 : [ch. 4:30]
  24. Luke 24:32 : Ps. 39:3
  25. Luke 24:32 : ver. 45
  26. Luke 24:33 : Mark 16:13; Acts 17:3
  27. Luke 24:33 : [Acts 1:14]
  28. Luke 24:34 : 1 Cor. 15:5
  29. Luke 24:35 : ver. 30, 31
  30. Luke 24:35 : See Acts 2:42
  31. Luke 24:36 : Mark 16:14; John 20:19
  32. Luke 24:37 : ch. 21:9
  33. Luke 24:37 : ver. 5
  34. Luke 24:37 : [Matt. 14:26; Mark 6:49]
  35. Luke 24:39 : 1 John 1:1; [John 20:27]
  36. Luke 24:40 : John 20:20
  37. Luke 24:41 : Acts 12:14; [Gen. 45:26]
  38. Luke 24:41 : John 21:5
  39. Luke 24:44 : See ver. 6
  40. Luke 24:44 : See ver. 27
  41. Luke 24:45 : ver. 32; [Job 33:16; Ps. 119:18; Acts 16:14; 1 John 5:20]
  42. Luke 24:46 : See Matt. 26:24
  43. Luke 24:46 : See ver. 7, 26
  44. Luke 24:46 : John 20:9
  45. Luke 24:47 : Acts 5:31; See Acts 2:38
  46. Luke 24:47 : See Acts 4:12
  47. Luke 24:47 : ch. 2:32; Gen. 12:3; Ps. 22:27; Isa. 2:2; 49:6; Hos. 2:23; Mal. 1:11; Matt. 28:19
  48. Luke 24:47 : Acts 10:37; Gal. 3:8
  49. Luke 24:48 : Acts 1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41; 13:31; 1 Pet. 5:1; [John 15:27; 1 Cor. 15:15]
  50. Luke 24:49 : John 14:26; Acts 1:4; [Acts 2:33; Eph. 1:13]; See Acts 2:16, 17
  51. Luke 24:49 : Job 29:14; Ps. 132:9
  52. Luke 24:49 : Acts 1:8
  53. Luke 24:49 : ch. 1:78; Isa. 32:15
  54. Luke 24:50 : Acts 1:12
  55. Luke 24:50 : Matt. 21:17; John 11:18
  56. Luke 24:51 : See Mark 16:19
  57. Luke 24:52 : Matt. 28:9
  58. Luke 24:52 : [See ver. 50 above]; Acts 1:12
  59. Luke 24:52 : See John 16:22
  60. Luke 24:53 : Acts 2:46; 3:1; 5:21, 42
  61. Luke 24:53 : ch. 1:64; 2:28
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Psalm 100

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

A Psalm for (A)giving thanks.

100 (B)Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 (C)Serve the Lord with gladness!
(D)Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that (E)the Lord, he is God!
It is he who (F)made us, and (G)we are his;[a]
we are his (H)people, and (I)the sheep of his pasture.

4 (J)Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his (K)courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; (L)bless his name!

5 (M)For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his (N)faithfulness to all generations.

Footnotes:

  1. Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves

Cross references:

  1. Psalm 100:1 : [Ps. 50:14]
  2. Psalm 100:1 : See Ps. 66:1
  3. Psalm 100:2 : [Ps. 2:11]
  4. Psalm 100:2 : [Ps. 95:2]
  5. Psalm 100:3 : 1 Kgs. 18:39
  6. Psalm 100:3 : See Ps. 95:6; Job 10:3, 8
  7. Psalm 100:3 : Isa. 43:1
  8. Psalm 100:3 : Ezek. 34:30
  9. Psalm 100:3 : See Ps. 74:1
  10. Psalm 100:4 : [Ps. 66:13]
  11. Psalm 100:4 : Ps. 96:8
  12. Psalm 100:4 : Ps. 96:2
  13. Psalm 100:5 : Ps. 25:8; 106:1; 119:68; 2 Chr. 5:13; Ezra 3:11; Jer. 33:11; Nah. 1:7
  14. Psalm 100:5 : See Ps. 36:5
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Proverbs 14:11-12

11 (A)The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 (B)There is a way that seems right to a man,
but (C)its end is the way to death.[a]

Footnotes:

  1. Proverbs 14:12 Hebrew ways of death

Cross references:

  1. Proverbs 14:11 : [ch. 3:33; 15:25; Job 8:15; 21:28]
  2. Proverbs 14:12 : ch. 16:25; See ch. 12:15
  3. Proverbs 14:12 : [ch. 5:5; Rom. 6:21]; See ch. 7:27
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.