chevron-left All Reading Plans / M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan / Family: 2 Chronicles 31; Revelation 17. Secret: Zechariah 13:2–9; John 16. (New English Translation)
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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)
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2 Chronicles 31

31 When all this was over, the Israelites[a] who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished[b] all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.[c] Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities.[d]

The People Contribute to the Temple

2 Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks[e]—to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary.[f]

3 The king contributed[g] some of what he owned for burnt sacrifices, including the morning and evening burnt sacrifices and the burnt sacrifices made on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other appointed times prescribed[h] in the law of the Lord. 4 He ordered[i] the people living in Jerusalem to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests and Levites so they might be obedient[j] to the law of the Lord. 5 When the edict was issued,[k] the Israelites freely contributed[l] the initial portion of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a tenth of everything, which added up to a huge amount. 6 The Israelites and people of Judah[m] who lived in the cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the Lord their God. They brought them and placed them in many heaps.[n] 7 In the third month they began piling their contributions in heaps[o] and finished in the seventh month. 8 When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and pronounced blessings on his people Israel.[p]

9 When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, 10 Azariah, the head priest from the family of Zadok, said to him, “Since the contributions began arriving in the Lord’s temple, we have had plenty to eat and have a large quantity left over. For the Lord has blessed his people, and this large amount remains.” 11 Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Lord’s temple. When this was done,[q] 12 they brought in the contributions, tithes,[r] and consecrated items that had been offered.[s] Konaniah, a Levite, was in charge of all this, assisted by his brother Shimei. 13 Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah worked under the supervision of Konaniah and his brother Shimei, as directed by King Hezekiah and Azariah, the supervisor of God’s temple.

14 Kore son of Imnah, a Levite and the guard on the east side, was in charge of the voluntary offerings made to God and disbursed the contributions made to the Lord and the consecrated items. 15 In the cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their fellow priests[t] according to their divisions, regardless of age.[u] 16 They made disbursements to all the males three years old and up who were listed in the genealogical records—to all who would enter the Lord’s temple to serve on a daily basis and fulfill their duties as assigned to their divisions.[v] 17 They made disbursements to the priests listed in the genealogical records by their families, and to the Levites twenty years old and up, according to their duties as assigned to their divisions, 18 and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they faithfully consecrated themselves. 19 As for the descendants of Aaron, the priests who lived in the outskirts of all their cities,[w] men were assigned[x] to disburse portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.

20 This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the Lord his God considered good and right and faithful. 21 He wholeheartedly and successfully reinstituted service in God’s temple and obedience to the law, in order to follow his God.[y]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “all Israel.”
  2. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Or “tore down.”
  3. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and in Manasseh until finished.”
  4. 2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession to their cities.”
  5. 2 Chronicles 31:2 tn Heb “and Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each in accordance with his service for the priests and for the Levites.”
  6. 2 Chronicles 31:2 tn Heb “in the gates of the encampments of the Lord.”
  7. 2 Chronicles 31:3 tn Heb “the portion of the king [was].”
  8. 2 Chronicles 31:3 tn Heb “festivals, as written.”
  9. 2 Chronicles 31:4 tn Heb “said to.”
  10. 2 Chronicles 31:4 tn Heb “might hold firmly.”
  11. 2 Chronicles 31:5 tn Heb “and when the word spread out.”
  12. 2 Chronicles 31:5 tn Heb “the sons of Israel multiplied.”
  13. 2 Chronicles 31:6 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel and Judah.”
  14. 2 Chronicles 31:6 tn Heb “heaps, heaps.” Repetition of the noun draws attention to the large number of heaps.
  15. 2 Chronicles 31:7 tn Heb “they began the heaps to establish.”
  16. 2 Chronicles 31:8 tn Heb “they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.”
  17. 2 Chronicles 31:11 tn Heb “and they prepared.”
  18. 2 Chronicles 31:12 tn Heb “tenth.”
  19. 2 Chronicles 31:12 tn Heb “and holy things in faithfulness.”
  20. 2 Chronicles 31:15 tn Heb “to their brothers.”
  21. 2 Chronicles 31:15 tn Heb “like great, like small” (i.e., old and young alike).
  22. 2 Chronicles 31:16 tn Heb “in addition enrolling them by males from a son of three years and upwards, to everyone who enters the house of the Lord for a matter of a day in its day, for their service by their duties according to their divisions.”
  23. 2 Chronicles 31:19 tn Heb “the priests in the fields of the pastureland of their cities in every city and city.”
  24. 2 Chronicles 31:19 tn Heb “designated by names.”
  25. 2 Chronicles 31:21 tn Heb “and in all the work which he began with regard to the service of the house of God and with respect to the law and with respect to the commandment, to seek his God; with all his heart he acted and he succeeded.”
Revelation 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

17 Then[a] one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me.[b] “Come,” he said, “I will show you the condemnation and punishment[c] of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed sexual immorality and the earth’s inhabitants got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”[d] 3 So[e] he carried me away in the Spirit[f] to a wilderness,[g] and there[h] I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 Now[i] the woman was dressed in purple and scarlet clothing,[j] and adorned with gold,[k] precious stones, and pearls. She held[l] in her hand a golden cup filled with detestable things and unclean things from her sexual immorality.[m] 5 On[n] her forehead was written a name, a mystery:[o] “Babylon the Great, the Mother of prostitutes and of the detestable things of the earth.” 6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those who testified to Jesus.[p] I[q] was greatly astounded[r] when I saw her. 7 But[s] the angel said to me, “Why are you astounded? I will interpret[t] for you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss[u] and then go to destruction. The[v] inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that[w] the beast was, and is not, but is to come. 9 (This requires[x] a mind that has wisdom.) The seven heads are seven mountains[y] the woman sits on. They are also seven kings: 10 five have fallen; one is,[z] and the other has not yet come, but whenever he does come, he must remain for only a brief time. 11 The[aa] beast that was, and is not, is himself an eighth king and yet is one of the seven, and is going to destruction. 12 The[ab] ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but will receive ruling authority[ac] as kings with the beast for one hour. 13 These kings[ad] have a single intent, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying[ae] the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”

15 Then[af] the angel[ag] said to me, “The waters you saw (where the prostitute is seated) are peoples, multitudes,[ah] nations, and languages. 16 The[ai] ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and naked. They[aj] will consume her flesh and burn her up with fire.[ak] 17 For God has put into their minds[al] to carry out his purpose[am] by making[an] a decision[ao] to give their royal power[ap] to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled.[aq] 18 As for[ar] the woman you saw, she is the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.”

Footnotes

  1. Revelation 17:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  2. Revelation 17:1 tn Grk “with me.” The translation “with me” implies that John was engaged in a dialogue with the one speaking to him (e.g., Jesus or an angel) when in reality it was a one-sided conversation, with John doing all the listening. For this reason, μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ (met’ emou, “with me”) was translated as “to me.”
  3. Revelation 17:1 tn Here one Greek term, κρίμα (krima), has been translated by the two English terms “condemnation” and “punishment.” See BDAG 567 s.v. 4.b, “mostly in an unfavorable sense, of the condemnatory verdict and sometimes the subsequent punishment itself 2 Pt 2:3; Jd 4…τὸ κ. τῆς πόρνης the condemnation and punishment of the prostitute Rv 17:1.”
  4. Revelation 17:2 tn This is a cognate noun of the verb translated “sexual immorality” earlier in the verse, but here the qualifier “sexual” has not been repeated for stylistic reasons.
  5. Revelation 17:3 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s invitation to witness the fate of the prostitute.
  6. Revelation 17:3 tn Or “in the spirit.” “Spirit” could refer either to the Holy Spirit or the human spirit, but in either case John was in “a state of spiritual exaltation best described as a trance” (R. H. Mounce, Revelation [NICNT], 75).
  7. Revelation 17:3 tn Or “desert.”
  8. Revelation 17:3 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for stylistic reasons.
  9. Revelation 17:4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the detailed description of the woman, which is somewhat parenthetical in nature.
  10. Revelation 17:4 tn The word “clothing” is supplied to clarify that the words “purple” and “scarlet” refer to cloth or garments rather than colors.
  11. Revelation 17:4 tn Grk “gilded with gold” (an instance of semantic reinforcement, see L&N 49.29).
  12. Revelation 17:4 tn Grk “pearls, having in her hand.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  13. Revelation 17:4 tc Several mss (including 1611 1854 2053 MK) read “sexual immorality on/of the earth” (πορνείας τῆς γῆς, porneias tēs gēs) instead of “her sexual immorality.” Other mss (א syh** [co]) read “her sexual immorality and the earth’s” (πορνείας αὐτῆς καὶ τῆς γῆς, porneias autēs kai tēs gēs). The translation is a rendering of πορνείας αὐτῆς, found in A 1006 2344 al. It seems that the first reading “sexuality immorality on/of the earth” was a scribal mistake in which letters may have been confused (auths would have been read as thsghs), or was perhaps influenced by the presence of “of the world” (τῆς γῆς) at the end of v. 5. The earliest wording seems to be “her sexual immorality”; codex א has conflated the two readings.
  14. Revelation 17:5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  15. Revelation 17:5 tn Some translations consider the word μυστήριον (mustērion, “mystery”) a part of the name written (“Mystery Babylon the Great,” so KJV, NIV), but the gender of both ὄνομα (onoma, “name”) and μυστήριον are neuter, while the gender of “Babylon” is feminine. This strongly suggests that μυστήριον should be understood as an appositive to ὄνομα (“a name, i.e., a mystery”).
  16. Revelation 17:6 tn Or “of the witnesses to Jesus.” Here the genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Iēsou) is taken as an objective genitive; Jesus is the object of their testimony.
  17. Revelation 17:6 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  18. Revelation 17:6 tn Grk “I marveled a great marvel” (an idiom for great astonishment).
  19. Revelation 17:7 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  20. Revelation 17:7 tn Grk “I will tell you,” but since what follows is the angel’s interpretation of the vision, “interpret for you” is the preferred translation here.
  21. Revelation 17:8 tn On this term BDAG 2 s.v. ἄβυσσος 2 states, “netherworld, abyss, esp. the abode of the dead Ro 10:7 (Ps 106:26) and of demons Lk 8:31; dungeon where the devil is kept Rv 20:3; abode of the θηρίον, the Antichrist 11:7; 17:8; of ᾿Αβαδδών (q.v.), the angel of the underworld 9:11…φρέαρ τῆς ἀ. 9:1f; capable of being sealed 9:1; 20:1, 3.”
  22. Revelation 17:8 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  23. Revelation 17:8 tn Some translations take the ὅτι (hoti) here as causal: “because he was, and is not, but is to come” (so NIV, NRSV), but it is much more likely that the subject of the ὅτι clause has been assimilated into the main clause: “when they see the beast, that he was…” = “when they see that the beast was” (so BDAG 732 s.v. ὅτι 1.f, where Rev 17:8 is listed).
  24. Revelation 17:9 tn Grk “Here is the mind that has wisdom.”
  25. Revelation 17:9 tn It is important to note that the height of “mountains” versus “hills” or other topographical terms is somewhat relative. In terms of Palestinian topography, Mount Tabor (traditionally regarded as the mount of transfiguration) is some 1,800 ft (550 m) above sea level, while the Mount of Olives is only some 100 ft (30 m) higher than Jerusalem.
  26. Revelation 17:10 tn That is, one currently reigns.
  27. Revelation 17:11 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  28. Revelation 17:12 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  29. Revelation 17:12 tn For the translation “ruling authority” for ἐξουσία (exousia) see L&N 37.35.
  30. Revelation 17:13 tn The word “kings” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the referent.
  31. Revelation 17:14 tn See BDAG 636 s.v. μετά A.2.a.α.
  32. Revelation 17:15 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.
  33. Revelation 17:15 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. Revelation 17:15 tn Grk “and multitudes,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here and before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
  35. Revelation 17:16 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  36. Revelation 17:16 tn A new sentence was started here in the translation. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
  37. Revelation 17:16 tn The final clause could also be turned into an adverbial clause of means: “They will consume her flesh by burning her with fire.”
  38. Revelation 17:17 tn Grk “hearts.”
  39. Revelation 17:17 tn Or “his intent.”
  40. Revelation 17:17 tn The infinitive ποιῆσαι (poiēsai) was translated here as giving the logical means by which God’s purpose was carried out.
  41. Revelation 17:17 tn On this term BDAG 203 s.v. γνώμη 4 states, “declaration, decision, resolution…of God Rv 17:17.”
  42. Revelation 17:17 tn For this translation see BDAG 168 s.v. βασιλεία 1.a, “kingship, royal power, royal rule.”
  43. Revelation 17:17 tn Or “completed.”
  44. Revelation 17:18 tn Grk “And.” Because this remark is somewhat resumptive in nature, “as for” is used in the translation.
Zechariah 13:2-9

2 And also on that day,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will remove[a] the names of the idols from the land and they will never again be remembered. Moreover, I will remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land. 3 Then, if anyone prophesies in spite of this, his father and mother to whom he was born will say to him, ‘You cannot live, for you lie in the name of the Lord.’ Then his father and mother to whom he was born will run him through with a sword when he prophesies.[b]

4 “Therefore, on that day each prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies and will no longer wear the hairy garment[c] of a prophet to deceive the people.[d] 5 Instead he will say, ‘I am no prophet; indeed, I am a farmer, for a man has made me his indentured servant since my youth.’[e] 6 Then someone will ask him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’[f] and he will answer, ‘Some that I received in the house of my friends.’

7 “Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,”
says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“Strike the shepherd that the flock may be scattered;[g]
I will turn my hand against the insignificant ones.
8 It will happen in all the land,” says the Lord,
“that two-thirds of the people[h] in it will be cut off and die,
but one-third will be left in it.[i]
9 Then I will bring the remaining third into the fire;
I will refine them like silver is refined
and will test them like gold is tested.
They will call on my name and I will answer;
I will say, ‘These are my people,’
and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”[j]

Footnotes

  1. Zechariah 13:2 tn Heb “cut off” (so NRSV); NAB “destroy”; NIV “banish.”
  2. Zechariah 13:3 sn Death (in this case being run…through with a sword) was the penalty required in the OT for prophesying falsely (Deut 13:6-11; 18:20-22).
  3. Zechariah 13:4 tn The “hairy garment of a prophet” (אַדֶּרֶת שֵׁעָר, ʾadderet sheʿar) was the rough clothing of Elijah (1 Kgs 19:13), Elisha (1 Kgs 19:19; 2 Kgs 2:14), and even John the Baptist (Matt 3:4). Yet אַדֶּרֶת alone suggests something of beauty and honor (Josh 7:21). The prophet’s attire may have been simple; the image it conveyed was one of great dignity.
  4. Zechariah 13:4 tn The words “the people” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation from context (cf. NCV, TEV, NLT).
  5. Zechariah 13:5 tn Or perhaps “for the land has been my possession since my youth” (so NRSV; similar NAB).
  6. Zechariah 13:6 tn Heb “wounds between your hands.” Cf. NIV “wounds on your body”; KJV makes this more specific: “wounds in thine hands.”sn These wounds on your chest. Pagan prophets were often self-lacerated (Lev 19:28; Deut 14:1; 1 Kgs 18:28) for reasons not entirely clear, so this false prophet betrays himself as such by these graphic and ineradicable marks.
  7. Zechariah 13:7 sn Despite the NT use of this text to speak of the scattering of the disciples following Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 26:31; Mark 14:27), the immediate context of Zechariah suggests that unfaithful shepherds (kings) will be punished by the Lord precisely so their flocks (disobedient Israel) can be scattered (cf. Zech 11:6, 8, 9, 16). It is likely that Jesus drew on this passage merely to make the point that whenever shepherds are incapacitated, sheep will scatter. Thus he was not identifying himself with the shepherd in this text (the shepherd in the Zechariah text is a character who is portrayed negatively).
  8. Zechariah 13:8 tn The words “of the people” are supplied in the translation for clarity (cf. NCV, TEV, NLT).
  9. Zechariah 13:8 sn The fractions mentioned here call to mind the affliction of God’s people described by Ezekiel, though Ezekiel referred to his own times whereas Zechariah is looking forward to a future eschatological age. Ezekiel spoke of cutting his hair at God’s command (Ezek 5:1-4) and then of burning a third of it, striking a third with a sword, and scattering the rest. From this last third a few hairs would survive to become the nucleus of a new Israel. It is this “third” Zechariah speaks of (v. 9), the remnant who will be purified and reclaimed as God’s covenant people.
  10. Zechariah 13:9 sn The expression I will say ‘It is my people,’ and they will say ‘the Lord is our God’ is reminiscent of the restoration of Israel predicted by Hosea, who said that those who had been rejected as God’s people would be reclaimed and once more become his sons and daughters (Hos 2:23).
John 16

16 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.[a] 2 They will put you out of[b] the synagogue,[c] yet a time[d] is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.[e] 3 They[f] will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.[g] 4 But I have told you these things[h] so that when their time[i] comes, you will remember that I told you about them.[j]

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.[k] 5 But now I am going to the one who sent me,[l] and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’[m] 6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness[n] because I have said these things to you. 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate[o] will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he[p] comes, he will prove the world wrong[q] concerning sin and[r] righteousness and[s] judgment— 9 concerning sin, because[t] they do not believe in me;[u] 10 concerning righteousness,[v] because[w] I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 and concerning judgment,[x] because[y] the ruler of this world[z] has been condemned.[aa]

12 “I have many more things to say to you,[ab] but you cannot bear[ac] them now. 13 But when he,[ad] the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide[ae] you into all truth.[af] For he will not speak on his own authority,[ag] but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you[ah] what is to come.[ai] 14 He[aj] will glorify me,[ak] because he will receive[al] from me what is mine[am] and will tell it to you.[an] 15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit[ao] will receive from me what is mine[ap] and will tell it to you.[aq] 16 In a little while you[ar] will see me no longer; again after a little while, you[as] will see me.”[at]

17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying,[au] ‘In a little while you[av] will not see me; again after a little while, you[aw] will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?”[ax] 18 So they kept on repeating,[ay] “What is the meaning of what he says,[az] ‘In a little while’?[ba] We do not understand[bb] what he is talking about.”[bc]

19 Jesus could see[bd] that they wanted to ask him about these things,[be] so[bf] he said to them, “Are you asking[bg] each other about this—that I said, ‘In a little while you[bh] will not see me; again after a little while, you[bi] will see me’? 20 I tell you the solemn truth,[bj] you will weep[bk] and wail,[bl] but the world will rejoice; you will be sad,[bm] but your sadness will turn into[bn] joy. 21 When a woman gives birth, she has distress[bo] because her time[bp] has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being[bq] has been born into the world.[br] 22 So also you have sorrow[bs] now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.[bt] 23 At that time[bu] you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth,[bv] whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.[bw] 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it,[bx] so that your joy may be complete.

25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech;[by] a time[bz] is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you[ca] plainly[cb] about the Father. 26 At that time[cc] you will ask in my name, and I do not say[cd] that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.[ce] 28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn,[cf] I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”[cg]

29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly[ch] and not in obscure figures of speech![ci] 30 Now we know that you know everything[cj] and do not need anyone[ck] to ask you anything.[cl] Because of this[cm] we believe that you have come from God.”

31 Jesus replied,[cn] “Do you now believe? 32 Look, a time[co] is coming—and has come—when you will be scattered, each one to his own home,[cp] and I will be left alone.[cq] Yet[cr] I am not alone, because my Father[cs] is with me. 33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering,[ct] but take courage[cu]—I have conquered the world.”[cv]

Footnotes

  1. John 16:1 tn Grk “so that you will not be caused to stumble.” sn In Johannine thought the verb σκανδαλίζω (skandalizō) means to trip up disciples and cause them to fall away from Jesus’ company (John 6:61, 1 John 2:10). Similar usage is found in Didache 16:5, an early Christian writing from around the beginning of the 2nd century a.d. An example of a disciple who falls away is Judas Iscariot. Here and again in 16:4 Jesus gives the purpose for his telling the disciples about coming persecution: He informs them so that when it happens, the disciples will not fall away, which in this context would refer to the confusion and doubt which they would certainly experience when such persecution began. There may have been a tendency for the disciples to expect immediately after Jesus’ victory over death the institution of the messianic kingdom, particularly in light of the turn of events recorded in the early chapters of Acts. Jesus here forestalls such disillusionment for the disciples by letting them know in advance that they will face persecution and even martyrdom as they seek to carry on his mission in the world after his departure. This material has parallels in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25) and the synoptic parallels.
  2. John 16:2 tn Or “expel you from.”
  3. John 16:2 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
  4. John 16:2 tn Grk “an hour.”
  5. John 16:2 sn Jesus now refers not to the time of his return to the Father, as he has frequently done up to this point, but to the disciples’ time of persecution. They will be excommunicated from Jewish synagogues. There will even be a time when those who kill Jesus’ disciples will think that they are offering service to God by putting the disciples to death. Because of the reference to service offered to God, it is almost certain that Jewish opposition is intended here in both cases rather than Jewish opposition in the first instance (putting the disciples out of synagogues) and Roman opposition in the second (putting the disciples to death). Such opposition materializes later and is recorded in Acts: The stoning of Stephen in 7:58-60 and the slaying of James the brother of John by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:2-3 are notable examples.
  6. John 16:3 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
  7. John 16:3 sn Ignorance of Jesus and ignorance of the Father are also linked in 8:19; to know Jesus would be to know the Father also, but since the world does not know Jesus, neither does it know his Father. The world’s ignorance of the Father is also mentioned in 8:55; 15:21, and 17:25.
  8. John 16:4 tn The first half of v. 4 resumes the statement of 16:1, ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν (tauta lelalēka humin), in a somewhat more positive fashion, omitting the reference to the disciples being caused to stumble.
  9. John 16:4 tn Grk “their hour.”
  10. John 16:4 tn The words “about them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
  11. John 16:4 sn This verse serves as a transition between the preceding discussion of the persecutions the disciples will face in the world after the departure of Jesus, and the following discussion concerning the departure of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit-Paraclete. Jesus had not told the disciples these things from the beginning because he was with them.
  12. John 16:5 sn Now the theme of Jesus’ impending departure is resumed (I am going to the one who sent me). It will also be mentioned in 16:10, 17, and 28. Jesus had said to his opponents in 7:33 that he was going to the one who sent him; in 13:33 he had spoken of going where the disciples could not come. At that point Peter had inquired where he was going, but it appears that Peter did not understand Jesus’ reply at that time and did not persist in further questioning. In 14:5 Thomas had asked Jesus where he was going.
  13. John 16:5 sn Now none of the disciples asks Jesus where he is going, and the reason is given in the following verse: They have been overcome with sadness as a result of the predictions of coming persecution that Jesus has just spoken to them in 15:18-25 and 16:1-4a. Their shock at Jesus’ revelation of coming persecution is so great that none of them thinks to ask him where it is that he is going.
  14. John 16:6 tn Or “distress” or “grief.”
  15. John 16:7 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklētos). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.
  16. John 16:8 tn Grk “when that one.”
  17. John 16:8 tn Or “will convict the world,” or “will expose the world.” The preposition περί (peri) is used in 16:8-11 in the sense of “concerning” or “with respect to.” But what about the verb ἐλέγχω (elenchō)? The basic meanings possible for this word are (1) “to convict or convince someone of something”; (2) “to bring to light or expose something; and (3) “to correct or punish someone.” The third possibility may be ruled out in these verses on contextual grounds since punishment is not implied. The meaning is often understood to be that the Paraclete will “convince” the world of its error, so that some at least will repent. But S. Mowinckel (“Die Vorstellungen des Spätjudentums vom heiligen Geist als Fürsprecher und der johanneische Paraklet,” ZNW 32 [1933]: 97-130) demonstrated that the verb ἐλέγχω did not necessarily imply the conversion or reform of the guilty party. This means it is far more likely that conviction in something of a legal sense is intended here (as in a trial). The only certainty is that the accused party is indeed proven guilty (not that they will acknowledge their guilt). Further confirmation of this interpretation is seen in John 14:17 where the world cannot receive the Paraclete and in John 3:20, where the evildoer deliberately refuses to come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed for what they really are (significantly, the verb in John 3:20 is also ἐλέγχω). However, if one wishes to adopt the meaning “prove guilty” for the use of ἐλέγχω in John 16:8 a difficulty still remains: While this meaning fits the first statement in 16:9—the world is ‘proven guilty’ concerning its sin of refusing to believe in Jesus—it does not fit so well the second and third assertions in vv. 10-11. Thus R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:705) suggests the more general meaning “prove wrong” which would fit in all three cases. This may be so, but there may also be a developmental aspect to the meaning, which would then shift from v. 9 to v. 10 to v. 11.
  18. John 16:8 tn Grk “and concerning.”
  19. John 16:8 tn Grk “and concerning.”
  20. John 16:9 tn Or “that.” It is very difficult to determine whether ὅτι (hoti; 3 times in 16:9, 10, 11) should be understood as causal or appositional/explanatory: Brown and Bultmann favor appositional or explanatory, while Barrett and Morris prefer a causal sense. A causal idea is preferable here, since it also fits the parallel statements in vv. 10-11 better than an appositional or explanatory use would. In this case Jesus is stating in each instance the reason why the world is proven guilty or wrong by the Spirit-Paraclete.
  21. John 16:9 sn Here (v. 9) the world is proven guilty concerning sin, and the reason given is their refusal to believe in Jesus. In 3:19 the effect of Jesus coming into the world as the Light of the world was to provoke judgment, by forcing people to choose up sides for or against him, and they chose darkness rather than light. In 12:37, at the very end of Jesus’ public ministry in John’s Gospel, people were still refusing to believe in him.
  22. John 16:10 tn There are two questions that need to be answered: (1) what is the meaning of δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosunē) in this context, and (2) to whom does it pertain—to the world, or to someone else? (1) The word δικαιοσύνη occurs in the Gospel of John only here and in v. 8. It is often assumed that it refers to forensic justification, as it does so often in Paul’s writings. Thus the answer to question (2) would be that it refers to the world. L. Morris states, “The Spirit shows men (and no-one else can do this) that their righteousness before God depends not on their own efforts but on Christ’s atoning work for them” (John [NICNT], 699). Since the word occurs so infrequently in the Fourth Gospel, however, the context must be examined very carefully. The ὅτι (hoti) clause which follows provides an important clue: The righteousness in view here has to do with Jesus’ return to the Father and his absence from the disciples. It is true that in the Fourth Gospel part of what is involved in Jesus’ return to the Father is the cross, and it is through his substitutionary death that people are justified, so that Morris’ understanding of righteousness here is possible. But more basic than this is the idea that Jesus’ return to the Father constitutes his own δικαιοσύνη in the sense of vindication rather than forensic justification. Jesus had repeatedly claimed oneness with the Father, and his opponents had repeatedly rejected this and labeled him a deceiver, a sinner, and a blasphemer (John 5:18; 7:12; 9:24; 10:33, etc.). But Jesus, by his glorification through his return to the Father, is vindicated in his claims in spite of his opponents. In his vindication his followers are also vindicated as well, but their vindication derives from his. Thus one would answer question (1) by saying that in context δικαιοσύνης (dikaiosunēs) refers not to forensic justification but vindication, and question (2) by referring this justification/vindication not to the world or even to Christians directly, but to Jesus himself. Finally, how does Jesus’ last statement in v. 10, that the disciples will see him no more, contribute to this? It is probably best taken as a reference to the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, who cannot come until Jesus has departed (16:7). The meaning of v. 10 is thus: When the Spirit-Paraclete comes he will prove the world wrong concerning the subject of righteousness, namely, Jesus’ righteousness which is demonstrated when he is glorified in his return to the Father and the disciples see him no more (but they will have instead the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, whom the world is not able to receive).
  23. John 16:10 tn Or “that.”
  24. John 16:11 sn The world is proven wrong concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Jesus’ righteousness before the Father, as proven by his return to the Father, his glorification, constitutes a judgment against Satan. This is parallel to the judgment of the world which Jesus provokes in 3:19-21: Jesus’ presence in the world as the Light of the world provokes the judgment of those in the world, because as they respond to the light (either coming to Jesus or rejecting him) so are they judged. That judgment is in a sense already realized. So it is here, where the judgment of Satan is already realized in Jesus’ glorification. This does not mean that Satan does not continue to be active in the world, and to exercise some power over it, just as in 3:19-21 the people in the world who have rejected Jesus and thus incurred judgment continue on in their opposition to Jesus for a time. In both cases the judgment is not immediately executed. But it is certain.
  25. John 16:11 tn Or “that.”
  26. John 16:11 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
  27. John 16:11 tn Or “judged.”
  28. John 16:12 sn In what sense does Jesus have many more things to say to the disciples? Does this imply the continuation of revelation after his departure? This is probably the case, especially in light of v. 13 and following, which describe the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding the disciples into all truth. Thus Jesus was saying that he would continue to speak (to the twelve, at least) after his return to the Father. He would do this through the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. It is possible that an audience broader than the twelve is addressed, and in the Johannine tradition there is evidence that later other Christians (or perhaps, professed Christians) claimed to be recipients of revelation through the Spirit-Paraclete (1 John 4:1-6).
  29. John 16:12 tn Or (perhaps) “you cannot accept.”
  30. John 16:13 tn Grk “that one.”
  31. John 16:13 tn Or “will lead.”
  32. John 16:13 sn Three important points must be noted here. (1) When the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide the disciples into all truth. What Jesus had said in 8:31-32, “If you continue to follow my teaching you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” will ultimately be realized in the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit to the disciples after Jesus’ departure. (2) The things the Holy Spirit speaks to them will not be things which originate from himself (he will not speak on his own authority), but things he has heard. This could be taken to mean that no new revelation is involved, as R. E. Brown does (John [AB], 2:714-15). This is a possible but not a necessary inference. The point here concerns the source of the things the Spirit will say to the disciples and does not specifically exclude originality of content. (3) Part at least of what the Holy Spirit will reveal to the disciples will concern what is to come, not just fuller implications of previous sayings of Jesus and the like. This does seem to indicate that at least some new revelation is involved. But the Spirit is not the source or originator of these things—Jesus is the source, and he will continue to speak to his disciples through the Spirit who has come to indwell them. This does not answer the question, however, whether these words are addressed to all followers of Jesus, or only to his apostles. Different modern commentators will answer this question differently. Since in the context of the Farewell Discourse Jesus is preparing the twelve to carry on his ministry after his departure, it is probably best to take these statements as specifically related only to the twelve. Some of this the Holy Spirit does directly for all believers today; other parts of this statement are fulfilled through the apostles (e.g., in giving the Book of Revelation the Spirit speaks through the apostles to the church today of things to come). One of the implications of this is that a doctrine does not have to be traced back to an explicit teaching of Jesus to be authentic; all that is required is apostolic authority.
  33. John 16:13 tn Grk “speak from himself.”
  34. John 16:13 tn Or will announce to you.”
  35. John 16:13 tn Grk “will tell you the things to come.”
  36. John 16:14 tn Grk “That one.”
  37. John 16:14 tn Or “will honor me.”
  38. John 16:14 tn Or “he will take.”
  39. John 16:14 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  40. John 16:14 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
  41. John 16:15 tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  42. John 16:15 tn The words “what is mine” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  43. John 16:15 tn Or “will announce it to you.”
  44. John 16:16 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
  45. John 16:16 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
  46. John 16:16 sn The phrase after a little while, you will see me is sometimes taken to refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus departs, but (as at 14:19) it is much more probable that it refers to the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. There is no indication in the context that the disciples will see Jesus only with “spiritual” sight, as would be the case if the coming of the Spirit is in view.
  47. John 16:17 tn Grk “What is this that he is saying to us.”
  48. John 16:17 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
  49. John 16:17 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
  50. John 16:17 sn These fragmentary quotations of Jesus’ statements are from 16:16 and 16:10, and indicate that the disciples heard only part of what Jesus had to say to them on this occasion.
  51. John 16:18 tn Grk “they kept on saying.”
  52. John 16:18 tn Grk “What is this that he says.”
  53. John 16:18 tn Grk “A little while.” Although the phrase τὸ μικρόν (to mikron) in John 16:18 could be translated simply “a little while,” it was translated “in a little while” to maintain the connection to John 16:16, where it has the latter meaning in context.
  54. John 16:18 tn Or “we do not know.”
  55. John 16:18 tn Grk “what he is speaking.”
  56. John 16:19 tn Grk “knew.”sn Jesus could see. Supernatural knowledge of what the disciples were thinking is not necessarily in view here. Given the disciples’ confused statements in the preceding verses, it was probably obvious to Jesus that they wanted to ask what he meant.
  57. John 16:19 tn The words “about these things” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  58. John 16:19 tn Καί (kai) has been translated as “so” here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus’ observation in v. 19a.
  59. John 16:19 tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”
  60. John 16:19 tn Grk “A little while, and you.”
  61. John 16:19 tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”
  62. John 16:20 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  63. John 16:20 tn Or “wail,” “cry.”
  64. John 16:20 tn Or “lament.”
  65. John 16:20 tn Or “sorrowful.”
  66. John 16:20 tn Grk “will become.”
  67. John 16:21 sn The same word translated distress here has been translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).
  68. John 16:21 tn Grk “her hour.”
  69. John 16:21 tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).
  70. John 16:21 sn Jesus now compares the situation of the disciples to a woman in childbirth. Just as the woman in the delivery of her child experiences real pain and anguish (has distress), so the disciples will also undergo real anguish at the crucifixion of Jesus. But once the child has been born, the mother’s anguish is turned into joy, and she forgets the past suffering. The same will be true of the disciples, who after Jesus’ resurrection and reappearance to them will forget the anguish they suffered at his death on account of their joy.
  71. John 16:22 tn Or “distress.”
  72. John 16:22 sn An allusion to Isa 66:14 LXX, which reads: “Then you will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like the new grass; and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, but he will be indignant toward his enemies.” The change from “you will see [me]” to I will see you places more emphasis on Jesus as the one who reinitiates the relationship with the disciples after his resurrection, but v. 16 (you will see me) is more like Isa 66:14. Further support for seeing this allusion as intentional is found in Isa 66:7, which uses the same imagery of the woman giving birth found in John 16:21. In the context of Isa 66 the passages refer to the institution of the messianic kingdom, and in fact the last clause of 66:14 along with the following verses (15-17) have yet to be fulfilled. This is part of the tension of present and future eschatological fulfillment that runs throughout the NT, by virtue of the fact that there are two advents. Some prophecies are fulfilled or partially fulfilled at the first advent, while other prophecies or parts of prophecies await fulfillment at the second.
  73. John 16:23 tn Grk “And in that day.”
  74. John 16:23 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  75. John 16:23 sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.
  76. John 16:24 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  77. John 16:25 tn Or “in parables”; or “in metaphors.” There is some difficulty in defining παροιμίαις (paroimiais) precisely: A translation like “parables” does not convey accurately the meaning. BDAG 779-80 s.v. παροιμία suggests in general “proverb, saw, maxim,” but for Johannine usage “veiled saying, figure of speech, in which esp. lofty ideas are concealed.” In the preceding context of the Farewell Discourse, Jesus has certainly used obscure language and imagery at times: John 13:8-11; 13:16; 15:1-17; and 16:21 could all be given as examples. In the LXX this word is used to translate the Hebrew mashal which covers a wide range of figurative speech, often containing obscure or enigmatic elements.
  78. John 16:25 tn Grk “an hour.”
  79. John 16:25 tn Or “inform you.”
  80. John 16:25 tn Or “openly.”
  81. John 16:26 tn Grk “In that day.”
  82. John 16:26 tn Grk “I do not say to you.”
  83. John 16:27 tc A number of early mss (א1 B C* D L co) read πατρός (patros, “Father”) here instead of θεοῦ (theou, “God”; found in P5 א*,2 A C3 W Θ Ψ 33 ƒ1,13 M). Although externally πατρός has relatively strong support, it is evidently an assimilation to “I came from the Father” at the beginning of v. 28, or more generally to the consistent mention of God as Father throughout this chapter (πατήρ [patēr, “Father”] occurs eleven times in this chapter, while θεός [theos, “God”] occurs only two other times [16:2, 30]).
  84. John 16:28 tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.
  85. John 16:28 sn The statement I am leaving the world and going to the Father is a summary of the entire Gospel of John. It summarizes the earthly career of the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, on his mission from the Father to be the Savior of the world, beginning with his entry into the world as he came forth from God and concluding with his departure from the world as he returned to the Father.
  86. John 16:29 tn Or “openly.”
  87. John 16:29 tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”sn How is the disciples’ reply to Jesus now you are speaking plainly and not in obscure figures of speech to be understood? Their claim to understand seems a bit impulsive. It is difficult to believe that the disciples have really understood the full implications of Jesus’ words, although it is true that he spoke to them plainly and not figuratively in 16:26-28. The disciples will not fully understand all that Jesus has said to them until after his resurrection, when the Holy Spirit will give them insight and understanding (16:13).
  88. John 16:30 tn Grk “all things.”
  89. John 16:30 tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”
  90. John 16:30 tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  91. John 16:30 tn Or “By this.”
  92. John 16:31 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
  93. John 16:32 tn Grk “an hour.”
  94. John 16:32 tn Grk “each one to his own”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The phrase “each one to his own” may be completed in a number of different ways: “each one to his own property”; “each one to his own family”; or “each one to his own home.” The last option seems to fit most easily into the context and so is used in the translation.
  95. John 16:32 sn The proof of Jesus’ negative evaluation of the disciples’ faith is now given: Jesus foretells their abandonment of him at his arrest, trials, and crucifixion (I will be left alone). This parallels the synoptic accounts in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27 when Jesus, after the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane, foretold the desertion of the disciples as a fulfillment of Zech 13:7: “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.” Yet although the disciples would abandon Jesus, he reaffirmed that he was not alone, because the Father was still with him.
  96. John 16:32 tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).
  97. John 16:32 tn Grk “the Father.”
  98. John 16:33 tn The one Greek term θλῖψις (thlipsis) has been translated by an English hendiadys (two terms that combine for one meaning) “trouble and suffering.” For modern English readers “tribulation” is no longer clearly understandable.
  99. John 16:33 tn Or “but be courageous.”
  100. John 16:33 tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”sn The Farewell Discourse proper closes on the triumphant note I have conquered the world, which recalls 1:5 (in the prologue): “the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it.” Jesus’ words which follow in chap. 17 are addressed not to the disciples but to his Father, as he prays for the consecration of the disciples.
New English Translation (NET)

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