Proverbs 28:13
New English Translation
13 The one who covers[a] his transgressions will not prosper,[b]
but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy.[c]
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- Proverbs 28:13 tn The Hebrew participles provide the subject matter in this contrast. On the one hand is the person who covers over (מְכַסֶּה, mekhasseh) his sins. This means refusing to acknowledge them in confession, and perhaps rationalizing them away. On the other hand there is the one who both “confesses” (מוֹדֶה, modeh) and “forsakes” (עֹזֵב, ʿozev) the sin. To “confess” sins means to acknowledge them, to say the same thing about them that God does.
- Proverbs 28:13 sn The verse contrasts the consequences of each. The person who refuses to confess will not prosper. This is an understatement (a figure of speech known as tapeinosis); the opposite is the truth, that eventually such a person will be undone and ruined. On the other hand, the penitent will find mercy. This expression is a metonymy of cause for the effect—although “mercy” is mentioned, what mercy provides is intended, i.e., forgiveness. In other passages the verb “conceal” is used of God’s forgiveness—he covers over the iniquity (Ps 32:1). Whoever acknowledges sin, God will cover it; whoever covers it, God will lay it open.
- Proverbs 28:13 sn This verse is unique in the book of Proverbs; it captures the theology of forgiveness (e.g., Pss 32; 51). Every part of the passage is essential to the point: Confession of sins as opposed to concealing them, coupled with a turning away from them, results in mercy.
1 John 1:9
New English Translation
9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous,[a] forgiving[b] us our sins and cleansing[c] us from all unrighteousness.
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- 1 John 1:9 tn Or “just.”
- 1 John 1:9 tn The ἵνα (hina) followed by the subjunctive is here equivalent to the infinitive of result, an “ecbatic” or consecutive use of ἵνα according to BDAG 477 s.v. 3 where 1 John 1:9 is listed as a specific example. The translation with participles (“forgiving,…cleansing”) conveys this idea of result.
- 1 John 1:9 tn Or “purifying.”
Leviticus 16:20-22
New English Translation
The Live Goat Ritual Procedures
20 “When Aaron[a] has finished purifying the Holy Place,[b] the Meeting Tent, and the altar, he is to present the live goat. 21 Aaron is to lay his two hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities of the Israelites and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins,[c] and thus he is to put them[d] on the head of the goat and send it away into the desert by the hand of a man standing ready.[e] 22 The goat is to bear on itself all their iniquities into an inaccessible land,[f] so he is to send the goat away[g] into the desert.
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- Leviticus 16:20 tn Heb “he.”
- Leviticus 16:20 tn Heb “And he shall finish from atoning the holy place.” In this case, the “holy place” etc. are direct objects of the verb “to atone” (cf. v. 33a below). In this case, therefore, the basic meaning of the verb (i.e., “to purge” or “wipe clean”) comes to the forefront. When the prepositions עַל (ʿal) or בֲּעַד (baʿad) occur with the verb כִּפֶּר (kipper) the purging is almost always being done “for” or “on behalf of” priests or people (see the note on Lev 1:4 as well as R. E. Averbeck, NIDOTTE 2:698, the literature cited there, and B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 110, for more details).
- Leviticus 16:21 tn Heb “transgressions to all their sins.”
- Leviticus 16:21 tn Heb “and he shall give them.”
- Leviticus 16:21 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term עִתִּי (ʿitti) is uncertain. It is apparently related to עֵת (ʿet, “time”), and could perhaps mean either that he has been properly “appointed” (i.e., designated) for the task (e.g., NIV and NRSV) or “ready” (e.g., NASB and NEB).
- Leviticus 16:22 tn The Hebrew term rendered “inaccessible” derives from a root meaning “to cut off” (cf. NAB “an isolated region”). Another possible translation would be “infertile land” (see HALOT 187 s.v. *גָּזֵּר and cf. NRSV “a barren region”; NLT “a desolate land.”
- Leviticus 16:22 tn Heb “and he [the man (standing) ready, v. 21] shall send the goat away.”
Leviticus 26:40-42
New English Translation
40 However, when[a] they confess their iniquity and their ancestors’ iniquities which they committed by trespassing against me,[b] by which they also walked[c] in hostility against me[d] 41 (and I myself will walk in hostility against them and bring them into the land of their enemies), and[e] then their uncircumcised hearts become humbled and they make up for[f] their iniquities, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham,[g] and I will remember the land.
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- Leviticus 26:40 tn Heb “And.” Many English versions take this to be a conditional clause (“if…”) though there is no conditional particle (see, e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV; but see the very different rendering in B. A. Levine, Leviticus [JPSTC], 190). The temporal translation offered here (“when”) takes into account the particle אָז (ʾaz, “then”), which occurs twice in v. 41. The obvious contextual contrast between vv. 39 and 40 is expressed by “however” in the translation.
- Leviticus 26:40 tn Heb “in their trespassing which they trespassed in me.” See the note on Lev 5:15, although the term is used in a more technical sense there in relation to the “guilt offering.”
- Leviticus 26:40 tn Heb “and also which they walked.”
- Leviticus 26:40 tn Heb “with me.”
- Leviticus 26:41 tn Heb “or then,” although the LXX has “then” and the Syriac “and then.”
- Leviticus 26:41 tn Heb “and then they make up for.” On the verb “make up for” see the note on v. 34 above.
- Leviticus 26:42 tn Heb “my covenant with Abraham I will remember.” The phrase “I will remember” has not been repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.
2 Samuel 12:13
New English Translation
13 Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgiven[a] your sin. You are not going to die.
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- 2 Samuel 12:13 tn Heb “removed.”
Psalm 32:3-5
New English Translation
3 When I refused to confess my sin,[a]
my whole body wasted away,[b]
while I groaned in pain all day long.
4 For day and night you tormented me;[c]
you tried to destroy me[d] in the intense heat[e] of summer.[f] (Selah)
5 Then I confessed my sin;
I no longer covered up my wrongdoing.
I said, “I will confess[g] my rebellious acts to the Lord.”
And then you forgave my sins.[h] (Selah)
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- Psalm 32:3 tn Heb “when I was silent.”
- Psalm 32:3 tn Heb “my bones became brittle.” The psalmist pictures himself as aging and growing physically weak. Trying to cover up his sin brought severe physical consequences.
- Psalm 32:4 tn Heb “your hand was heavy upon me.”
- Psalm 32:4 tc Heb “my [?] was turned.” The meaning of the Hebrew term לְשַׁד (leshad) is uncertain. A noun לָשָׁד (lashad, “cake”) is attested in Num 11:8, but it would make no sense to understand that word in this context. It is better to emend the form to לְשֻׁדִּי (leshuddi, “to my destruction”) and understand “your hand” as the subject of the verb “was turned.” In this case the text reads, “[your hand] was turned to my destruction.” In Lam 3:3 the author laments that God’s “hand” was “turned” (הָפַךְ, hafakh) against him in a hostile sense.sn You tried to destroy me. The psalmist’s statement reflects his perspective. As far as he was concerned, it seemed as if the Lord was trying to kill him.
- Psalm 32:4 tn The translation assumes that the plural form indicates degree. If one understands the form as a true plural, then one might translate, “in the times of drought.”
- Psalm 32:4 sn Summer. Perhaps the psalmist suffered during the hot season and perceived the very weather as being an instrument of divine judgment. Another option is that he compares his time of suffering to the uncomfortable and oppressive heat of summer.
- Psalm 32:5 tn The Hiphil of ידה normally means “give thanks, praise,” but here, as in Prov 28:13, it means “confess.”
- Psalm 32:5 tn Heb “the wrongdoing of my sin.” By joining synonyms for “sin” in this way, the psalmist may be emphasizing the degree of his wrongdoing.
Lamentations 3:40
New English Translation
נ (Nun)
40 Let us carefully examine our ways,[a]
and let us return to the Lord.
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- Lamentations 3:40 tn Heb “Let us test our ways and examine.” The two verbs וְנַחְקֹרָה…נַחְפְּשָׂה (nakhpesah…venakhqorah, “Let us test and let us examine”) form a verbal hendiadys in which the first functions adverbially and the second retains its full verbal force: “Let us carefully examine our ways.”
Luke 15:17-20
New English Translation
17 But when he came to his senses[a] he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food[b] enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned[c] against heaven[d] and against[e] you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me[f] like one of your hired workers.”’ 20 So[g] he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home[h] his father saw him, and his heart went out to him;[i] he ran and hugged[j] his son[k] and kissed him.
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- Luke 15:17 tn Grk “came to himself” (an idiom).
- Luke 15:17 tn Grk “bread,” but used figuratively for food of any kind (L&N 5.1).
- Luke 15:18 sn In the confession “I have sinned” there is a recognition of wrong that pictures the penitent coming home and “being found.”
- Luke 15:18 sn The phrase against heaven is a circumlocution for God.
- Luke 15:18 tn According to BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνωπιον 4.a, “in relation to ἁμαρτάνειν ἐ. τινος sin against someone Lk 15:18, 21 (cp. Jdth 5:17; 1 Km 7:6; 20:1).”
- Luke 15:19 tn Or “make me.” Here is a sign of total humility.
- Luke 15:20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the son’s decision to return home. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.
- Luke 15:20 tn Grk “a long way off from [home].” The word “home” is implied (L&N 85.16).
- Luke 15:20 tn Or “felt great affection for him,” “felt great pity for him.”sn The major figure of the parable, the forgiving father, represents God the Father and his compassionate response. God is ready with open arms to welcome the sinner who comes back to him.
- Luke 15:20 tn Grk “he fell on his neck,” an idiom for showing special affection for someone by throwing one’s arms around them. The picture is of the father hanging on the son’s neck in welcome.
- Luke 15:20 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the son) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
Acts 19:18
New English Translation
18 Many of those who had believed came forward,[a] confessing and making their deeds known.[b]
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- Acts 19:18 tn Grk “came”; the word “forward” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning and to conform to the contemporary English idiom.
- Acts 19:18 tn Or “confessing and disclosing their deeds.” BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναγγέλλω 2 has “W. ἐξομολογεῖσθαι: ἀ. τὰς πράξεις αὐτὸν make their deeds known Ac 19:18.”sn Making their deeds known. Ephesus was a major pagan religious center with much syncretistic “magical” practice. Coming to Jesus changed the lives and attitudes of these believers, creating a social impact.
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