chevron-left All Reading Plans / M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan / Family: Deuteronomy 19; Psalm 106. Secret: Isaiah 46; Revelation 16. (New English Translation)
Print Print Page Options Settings
Previous Prev Day
June 14, 2016 Use the calendar to view readings from this plan.
Next DayNext

M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The classic M'Cheyne plan--read the Old Testament, New Testament, and Psalms or Gospels every day.
Duration: 365 days
New English Translation (NET)
Version
Deuteronomy 19

Laws Concerning Manslaughter

19 When the Lord your God destroys the nations whose land he[a] is about to give you and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and houses, 2 you must set apart for yourselves three cities[b] in the middle of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession. 3 You shall build a roadway and divide into thirds the whole extent[c] of your land that the Lord your God is providing as your inheritance; anyone who kills another person should flee to the closest of these cities. 4 Now this is the law pertaining to one who flees there in order to live,[d] if he has accidentally killed another[e] without hating him at the time of the accident.[f] 5 Suppose he goes with someone else[g] to the forest to cut wood and when he raises the ax[h] to cut the tree, the ax head flies loose[i] from the handle and strikes[j] his fellow worker[k] so hard that he dies. The person responsible[l] may then flee to one of these cities to save himself.[m] 6 Otherwise the blood avenger will chase after the killer in the heat of his anger, eventually overtake him,[n] and kill him,[o] though this is not a capital case[p] since he did not hate him at the time of the accident. 7 Therefore, I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities. 8 If the Lord your God enlarges your borders as he promised your ancestors[q] and gives you all the land he pledged to them,[r] 9 and then you are careful to observe all these commandments[s] I am giving[t] you today (namely, to love the Lord your God and to always walk in his ways), then you must add three more cities[u] to these three. 10 You must not shed innocent blood[v] in your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, for that would make you guilty.[w] 11 However, suppose a person hates someone else[x] and stalks him, attacks him, kills him,[y] and then flees to one of these cities. 12 The elders of his own city must send for him and remove him from there to deliver him over to the blood avenger[z] to die. 13 You must not pity him, but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood,[aa] so that it may go well with you.

Laws Concerning Witnesses

14 You must not encroach on your neighbor’s property,[ab] which will have been defined[ac] in the inheritance you will obtain in the land the Lord your God is giving you.[ad]

15 A single witness may not testify[ae] against another person for any trespass or sin that he commits. A matter may be legally established[af] only on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 16 If a false[ag] witness testifies against another person and accuses him of a crime,[ah] 17 then both parties to the controversy must stand before the Lord, that is, before the priests and judges[ai] who will be in office in those days. 18 The judges will thoroughly investigate the matter, and if the witness should prove to be false and to have given false testimony against the accused,[aj] 19 you must do to him what he had intended to do to the accused. In this way you will purge[ak] the evil from among you. 20 The rest of the people will hear and become afraid to keep doing such evil among you. 21 You must not show pity; the principle will be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot.[al]

Footnotes

  1. Deuteronomy 19:1 tn Heb “the Lord your God.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.
  2. Deuteronomy 19:2 sn These three cities, later designated by Joshua, were Kedesh of Galilee, Shechem, and Hebron (Josh 20:7-9).
  3. Deuteronomy 19:3 tn Heb “border.”
  4. Deuteronomy 19:4 tn Heb “and this is the word pertaining to the one who kills who flees there and lives.”
  5. Deuteronomy 19:4 tn Heb “who strikes his neighbor without knowledge.”
  6. Deuteronomy 19:4 tn Heb “yesterday and a third (day)” (likewise in v. 6). The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing. Cf. NAB “had previously borne no malice”; NRSV “had not been at enmity before.”
  7. Deuteronomy 19:5 tn Heb “his neighbor” (so NAB, NIV); NASB “his friend.”
  8. Deuteronomy 19:5 tn Heb “and he raises his hand with the iron.”
  9. Deuteronomy 19:5 tn Heb “the iron slips off.”
  10. Deuteronomy 19:5 tn Heb “finds.”
  11. Deuteronomy 19:5 tn Heb “his neighbor.”
  12. Deuteronomy 19:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the person responsible for his friend’s death) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. Deuteronomy 19:5 tn Heb “and live.”
  14. Deuteronomy 19:6 tn Heb “and overtake him, for the road is long.”
  15. Deuteronomy 19:6 tn Heb “smite with respect to life,” that is, fatally.
  16. Deuteronomy 19:6 tn Heb “no judgment of death.”
  17. Deuteronomy 19:8 tn Heb “fathers.”
  18. Deuteronomy 19:8 tn Heb “he said to give to your ancestors.” The pronoun has been used in the translation instead for stylistic reasons.
  19. Deuteronomy 19:9 tn Heb “all this commandment.” This refers here to the entire covenant agreement of the Book of Deuteronomy as encapsulated in the Shema (Deut 6:4-5).
  20. Deuteronomy 19:9 tn Heb “commanding”; NAB “which I enjoin on you today.”
  21. Deuteronomy 19:9 sn You will add three more cities. Since these are alluded to nowhere else and thus were probably never added, this must be a provision for other cities of refuge should they be needed (cf. v. 8). See P. C. Craigie, Deuteronomy (NICOT), 267.
  22. Deuteronomy 19:10 tn Heb “innocent blood must not be shed.” The Hebrew phrase דָּם נָקִי (dam naqi) means the blood of a person to whom no culpability or responsibility adheres because what he did was without malice aforethought (HALOT 224 s.v דָּם 4.b).
  23. Deuteronomy 19:10 tn Heb “and blood will be upon you” (cf. KJV, ASV); NRSV “thereby bringing bloodguilt upon you.”
  24. Deuteronomy 19:11 tn Heb “his neighbor.”
  25. Deuteronomy 19:11 tn Heb “rises against him and strikes him fatally.”
  26. Deuteronomy 19:12 tn The גֹאֵל הַדָּם (goʾel haddam, “avenger of blood”) would ordinarily be a member of the victim’s family who, after due process of law, was invited to initiate the process of execution (cf. Num 35:16-28). See R. Hubbard, NIDOTTE 1:789-94.
  27. Deuteronomy 19:13 sn Purge out the blood of the innocent. Because of the corporate nature of Israel’s community life, the whole community shared in the guilt of unavenged murder unless and until vengeance occurred. Only this would restore spiritual and moral equilibrium (Num 35:33).
  28. Deuteronomy 19:14 tn Heb “border.” Cf. NRSV “You must not move your neighbor’s boundary marker.”
  29. Deuteronomy 19:14 tn Heb “which they set off from the beginning.”
  30. Deuteronomy 19:14 tn The Hebrew text includes “to possess it.” This phrase has been left untranslated to avoid redundancy.
  31. Deuteronomy 19:15 tn Heb “rise up” (likewise in v. 16).
  32. Deuteronomy 19:15 tn Heb “may stand.”
  33. Deuteronomy 19:16 tn Heb “violent” (חָמָס, khamas). This is a witness whose motivation from the beginning is to do harm to the accused and who, therefore, resorts to calumny and deceit. See I. Swart and C. VanDam, NIDOTTE 2:177-80.
  34. Deuteronomy 19:16 tn Or “rebellion.” Rebellion against God’s law is in view (cf. NAB “of a defection from the law”).
  35. Deuteronomy 19:17 tn The appositional construction (“before the Lord, that is, before the priests and judges”) indicates that these human agents represented the Lord himself, that is, they stood in his place (cf. Deut 16:18-20; 17:8-9).
  36. Deuteronomy 19:18 tn Heb “his brother” (also in the following verse).
  37. Deuteronomy 19:19 tn Heb “you will burn out” (בִּעַרְתָּ, biʿarta). Like a cancer, unavenged sin would infect the whole community. It must, therefore, be excised by the purging out of its perpetrators who, presumably, remained unrepentant (cf. Deut 13:6; 17:7, 12; 21:21; 22:21-22, 24; 24:7).
  38. Deuteronomy 19:21 sn This kind of justice is commonly called lex talionis or “measure for measure” (cf. Exod 21:23-25; Lev 24:19-20). It is likely that it is the principle that is important and not always a strict application. That is, the punishment should fit the crime and it may do so by the payment of fines or other suitable and equitable compensation (cf. Exod 22:21; Num 35:31). See T. S. Frymer-Kensky, “Tit for Tat: The Principle of Equal Retribution in Near Eastern and Biblical Law,” BA 43 (1980): 230-34.
Psalm 106

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.
13 They quickly forgot what he had done;[q]
they did not wait for his instructions.[r]
14 In the wilderness they had an insatiable craving[s] for meat;[t]
they challenged God[u] in the wastelands.
15 He granted their request,
then struck them with a disease.[v]
16 In the camp they resented[w] Moses,
and Aaron, the Lord’s holy priest.[x]
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it engulfed[y] the group led by Abiram.[z]
18 Fire burned their group;
the flames scorched the wicked.[aa]
19 They made an image of a calf at Horeb,
and worshiped a metal idol.
20 They traded their majestic God[ab]
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They rejected[ac] the God who delivered them,
the one who performed great deeds in Egypt,
22 amazing feats in the land of Ham,
mighty acts[ad] by the Red Sea.
23 He threatened[ae] to destroy them,
but[af] Moses, his chosen one, interceded with him[ag]
and turned back his destructive anger.[ah]
24 They rejected the fruitful land;[ai]
they did not believe his promise.[aj]
25 They grumbled in their tents;[ak]
they did not obey[al] the Lord.
26 So he made a solemn vow[am]
that he would make them die[an] in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants[ao] die[ap] among the nations,
and scatter them among foreign lands.[aq]
28 They worshiped[ar] Baal of Peor,
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.[as]
29 They made the Lord angry[at] by their actions,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 Phinehas took a stand and intervened,[au]
and the plague subsided.
31 This was credited to Phinehas as a righteous act
for all generations to come.[av]
32 They made him angry by the waters of Meribah,
and Moses suffered[aw] because of them,
33 for they aroused[ax] his temper,[ay]
and he spoke rashly.[az]
34 They did not destroy the nations,[ba]
as the Lord had commanded them to do.
35 They mixed in with the nations
and learned their ways.[bb]
36 They worshiped[bc] their idols,
which became a snare to them.[bd]
37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.[be]
38 They shed innocent blood—
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.
The land was polluted by bloodshed.[bf]
39 They were defiled by their deeds,
and unfaithful in their actions.[bg]
40 So the Lord was angry with his people[bh]
and despised the people who belonged to him.[bi]
41 He handed them over to[bj] the nations,
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them;
they were subject to their authority.[bk]
43 Many times he delivered[bl] them,
but they had a rebellious attitude,[bm]
and degraded themselves[bn] by their sin.
44 Yet he took notice of their distress,
when he heard their cry for help.
45 He remembered his covenant with them,
and relented[bo] because of his great loyal love.
46 He caused all their conquerors[bp]
to have pity on them.
47 Deliver us, O Lord, our God.
Gather us from among the nations.
Then we will give thanks[bq] to your holy name,
and boast about your praiseworthy deeds.[br]
48 The Lord God of Israel deserves praise,[bs]
in the future and forevermore.[bt]
Let all the people say, “We agree![bu] Praise the Lord!”[bv]

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.”
  17. Psalm 106:13 tn Heb “his works.”
  18. Psalm 106:13 tn Heb “his counsel.”
  19. Psalm 106:14 sn They had an insatiable craving. This is described in Num 11:4-35.
  20. Psalm 106:14 tn Heb “they craved [with] a craving.”
  21. Psalm 106:14 tn Heb “they tested God.”
  22. Psalm 106:15 tn Heb “and he sent leanness into their being.”sn Disease. See Num 11:33-34, where this plague is described.
  23. Psalm 106:16 tn Or “envied.”
  24. Psalm 106:16 tn Heb “the holy one of the Lord.”
  25. Psalm 106:17 tn Or “covered.”
  26. Psalm 106:17 tn Or “the assembly of Abiram.”
  27. Psalm 106:18 sn Verses 16-18 describe the events of Num 16:1-40.
  28. Psalm 106:20 tn Heb “their glory.” According to an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition, the text originally read “his glory” or “my glory.” In Jer 2:11 the Lord states that his people (Israel) exchanged “their glory” (a reference to the Lord) for worthless idols.
  29. Psalm 106:21 tn Heb “forgot.”
  30. Psalm 106:22 tn Or “awe-inspiring acts.”
  31. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “and he said.”
  32. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “if not,” that is, “[and would have] if [Moses] had not.”
  33. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “stood in the gap before him.”
  34. Psalm 106:23 tn Heb “to turn back his anger from destroying.”sn Verses 19-23 describe the events of Exod 32:1-35.
  35. Psalm 106:24 tn Heb “a land of delight” (see also Jer 3:19; Zech 7:14).
  36. Psalm 106:24 tn Heb “his word.”
  37. Psalm 106:25 sn They grumbled in their tents. See Deut 1:27.
  38. Psalm 106:25 tn Heb “did not listen to the voice of.”
  39. Psalm 106:26 tn Heb “and he lifted his hand to [or “concerning”] them.” The idiom “to lift a hand” here refers to swearing an oath. One would sometimes solemnly lift one’s hand when making such a vow (see Ezek 20:5-6, 15).
  40. Psalm 106:26 tn Heb “to cause them to fall.”
  41. Psalm 106:27 tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”
  42. Psalm 106:27 tn Heb “and to cause their offspring to fall.” Some emend the verb to “scatter” to form tighter parallelism with the following line (cf. NRSV “disperse”).
  43. Psalm 106:27 tn Heb “among the lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
  44. Psalm 106:28 tn Heb “joined themselves to.”sn They worshiped Baal of Peor. See Num 25:3, 5. Baal of Peor was a local manifestation of the Canaanite deity Baal located at Peor.
  45. Psalm 106:28 tn Here “the dead” may refer to deceased ancestors (see Deut 26:14). Another option is to understand the term as a derogatory reference to the various deities which the Israelites worshiped at Peor along with Baal (see Num 25:2 and L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 49).
  46. Psalm 106:29 tn Heb “They made angry [him].” The pronominal suffix is omitted here, but does appear in a few medieval Hebrew mss. Perhaps it was accidentally left off, an original וַיַּכְעִיסוּהוּ (vayyakhʿisuhu) being misread as וַיַּכְעִיסוּ (vayyakhʿisu). In the translation the referent of the pronominal suffix (the Lord) has been specified for clarity to avoid confusion with Baal of Peor (mentioned in the previous verse).
  47. Psalm 106:30 sn The intervention of Phinehas is recounted in Num 25:7-8.
  48. Psalm 106:31 tn Heb “and it was reckoned to him for righteousness, to a generation and a generation forever.” The verb חָשַׁב (khashav, “to reckon”) is collocated with צְדָקָה (tsedaqah, “righteousness”) only in Ps 106:31 and Gen 15:6, where God credits Abram’s faith as righteousness.
  49. Psalm 106:32 tn Heb “there was harm to Moses.”
  50. Psalm 106:33 tn The Hebrew text vocalizes the form as הִמְרוּ (himru), a Hiphil from מָרָה (marah, “to behave rebelliously”), but the verb fits better with the object (“his spirit”) if it is revocalized as הֵמֵרוּ (hemeru), a Hiphil from מָרַר (marar, “to be bitter”). The Israelites “embittered” Moses’ “spirit” in the sense that they aroused his temper with their complaints.
  51. Psalm 106:33 tn Heb “his spirit.”
  52. Psalm 106:33 tn The Hebrew text adds “with his lips,” but this has not been included in the translation for stylistic reasons.sn Verses 32-33 allude to the events of Num 20:1-13.
  53. Psalm 106:34 tn That is, the nations of Canaan.
  54. Psalm 106:35 tn Heb “their deeds.”
  55. Psalm 106:36 tn Or “served.”
  56. Psalm 106:36 sn Became a snare. See Exod 23:33; Judg 2:3.
  57. Psalm 106:37 tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.
  58. Psalm 106:38 sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.
  59. Psalm 106:39 tn Heb “and they committed adultery in their actions.” This means that they were unfaithful to the Lord (see Ps 73:27).
  60. Psalm 106:40 tn Heb “the anger of the Lord burned against his people.”
  61. Psalm 106:40 tn Heb “his inheritance.”
  62. Psalm 106:41 tn Heb “gave them into the hand of.”
  63. Psalm 106:42 tn Heb “they were subdued under their hand.”
  64. Psalm 106:43 tn The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“he would deliver”).
  65. Psalm 106:43 tn Heb “but they rebelled in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite or imperfect, in which case it is customary, describing repeated action in past time (“they would have a rebellious attitude”).
  66. Psalm 106:43 tn Heb “they sank down.” The Hebrew verb מָכַךְ (makhakh, “to lower; to sink”) occurs only here in the Qal.
  67. Psalm 106:45 tn The Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) refers here to God relenting from a punishment already underway.
  68. Psalm 106:46 tn Or “captors.”
  69. Psalm 106:47 tn Heb “to give thanks.” The infinitive construct indicates result after the imperative.
  70. Psalm 106:47 tn Heb “to boast in your praise.”
  71. Psalm 106:48 tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21.
  72. Psalm 106:48 tn Heb “from everlasting to everlasting.”
  73. Psalm 106:48 tn Heb “surely” (אָמֵן,ʾamen), traditionally transliterated “amen.”
  74. Psalm 106:48 sn The final verse (v. 48) is a conclusion to this fourth “book” (or major editorial division) of the Psalter. Similar statements appear at or near the end of each of the first, second and third “books” of the Psalter (see Pss 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52, respectively).
Isaiah 46

The Lord Carries His People

46 Bel[a] kneels down,
Nebo[b] bends low.
Their images weigh down animals and beasts.[c]
Your heavy images are burdensome to tired animals.[d]
2 Together they bend low and kneel down;
they are unable to rescue the images;[e]
they themselves[f] head off into captivity.[g]
3 “Listen to me, O family of Jacob,[h]
all you who are left from the family of Israel,[i]
you who have been carried from birth,[j]
you who have been supported from the time you left the womb.[k]
4 Even when you are old, I will take care of you,[l]
even when you have gray hair, I will carry you.
I made you and I will support you;
I will carry you and rescue you.[m]
5 To whom can you compare and liken me?
Tell me whom you think I resemble, so we can be compared!
6 Those who empty out gold from a purse
and weigh out silver on the scale[n]
hire a metalsmith, who makes it into a god.
They then bow down and worship it.
7 They put it on their shoulder and carry it;
they put it in its place and it just stands there;
it does not[o] move from its place.
Even when someone cries out to it, it does not reply;
it does not deliver him from his distress.
8 Remember this, so you can be brave.[p]
Think about it, you rebels![q]
9 Remember what I accomplished in antiquity.[r]
Truly I am God, I have no peer;[s]
I am God, and there is none like me,
10 who announces the end from the beginning
and reveals beforehand[t] what has not yet occurred;
who says, ‘My plan will be realized,
I will accomplish what I desire;’
11 who summons an eagle[u] from the east,
from a distant land, one who carries out my plan.
Yes, I have decreed,[v]
yes, I will bring it to pass;
I have formulated a plan,
yes, I will carry it out.
12 Listen to me, you stubborn people,[w]
you who distance yourselves from doing what is right.[x]
13 I am bringing my deliverance near, it is not far away;
I am bringing my salvation near,[y] it does not wait.
I will save Zion;[z]
I will adorn Israel with my splendor.[aa]

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 46:1 sn Bel was the name of a Babylonian god. The name was originally associated with Enlil, but later was applied to Marduk. See HALOT 132 s.v. בֵּל.
  2. Isaiah 46:1 sn Nebo is a variation of the name of the Babylonian god Nabu.
  3. Isaiah 46:1 tn Heb “their images belong to animals and beasts”; NIV “their idols are borne by beasts of burden”; NLT “are being hauled away.”
  4. Isaiah 46:1 tn Heb “your loads are carried [as] a burden by a weary [animal].”
  5. Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “[the] burden,” i.e., their images, the heavy burden carried by the animals.
  6. Isaiah 46:2 tn Heb “Their soul/life has gone into captivity.
  7. Isaiah 46:2 sn The downfall of Babylon is depicted here. The idols are carried off by the victorious enemy; the gods are likened to defeated captives who cower before the enemy and are taken into exile.
  8. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “house of Jacob”; TEV “descendants of Jacob.”
  9. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “and all the remnant of the house of Israel.”
  10. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “from the womb” (so NRSV); KJV “from the belly”; NAB “from your infancy.”
  11. Isaiah 46:3 tn Heb “who have been lifted up from the womb.”
  12. Isaiah 46:4 tn Heb “until old age, I am he” (NRSV similar); NLT “I will be your God throughout your lifetime.”
  13. Isaiah 46:4 sn Unlike the weary idol gods, whose images must be carried by animals, the Lord carries his weary people.
  14. Isaiah 46:6 tn Heb “the reed,” probably referring to the beam of a scales. See BDB 889 s.v. קָנֶה 4.c.
  15. Isaiah 46:7 tn Or perhaps, “cannot,” here and in the following two lines. The imperfect forms can indicate capability.
  16. Isaiah 46:8 tn The meaning of the verb אָשַׁשׁ (ʾashash, which appears here in the Hitpolel stem) is uncertain. BDB 84 s.v. אשׁשׁ relates it to a root meaning “found, establish” in Arabic; HALOT 100 s.v. II אשׁשׁ gives the meaning “pluck up courage.” The imperative with vav (ו) may indicate purpose following the preceding imperative.
  17. Isaiah 46:8 tn Heb “return [it], rebels, to heart”; NRSV “recall it to mind, you transgressors.”
  18. Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “remember the former things, from antiquity”; KJV, ASV “the former things of old.”
  19. Isaiah 46:9 tn Heb “and there is no other” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV).
  20. Isaiah 46:10 tn Or “from long ago”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV “from ancient times.”
  21. Isaiah 46:11 tn Or, more generally, “a bird of prey” (so NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV; see 18:6).
  22. Isaiah 46:11 tn Heb “spoken”; KJV “I have spoken it.”
  23. Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “strong of heart [or, mind]”; KJV “stouthearted”; NAB “fainthearted”; NIV “stubborn-hearted.”
  24. Isaiah 46:12 tn Heb “who are far from righteousness [or perhaps, “deliverance”].”
  25. Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “my salvation.” The verb “I am bringing near” is understood by ellipsis (note the previous line).
  26. Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “I will place in Zion salvation”; NASB “I will grant salvation in Zion.”
  27. Isaiah 46:13 tn Heb “to Israel my splendor”; KJV, ASV “for Israel my glory.”
Revelation 16

The Bowls of God’s Wrath

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Footnotes

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

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

Prev Day Prev Day
Top
Next Day Next Day