2 Chronicles 33:12-24

33:12 In his pain ¹  Manasseh ²  asked the Lord his God for mercy ³  and truly ⁴  humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. ⁵  33:13 When he prayed to the Lord, ⁶  the Lord ⁷  responded to him ⁸  and answered favorably ⁹  his cry for mercy. The Lord ¹⁰  brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God.

33:14 After this Manasseh ¹¹  built up the outer wall of the City of David ¹²  on the west side of the Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate and all around the terrace; he made it much higher. He placed army officers in all the fortified cities in Judah.

33:15 He removed the foreign gods and images from the Lord’s temple and all the altars he had built on the hill of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem; he threw them outside the city. 33:16 He erected the altar of the Lord and offered on it peace offerings and thank offerings. He told the people of ¹³  Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 33:17 The people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

33:18 The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the prophets ¹⁴  spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are recorded ¹⁵  in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. 33:19 The Annals of the Prophets include his prayer, give an account of how the Lord responded to it, record all his sins and unfaithful acts, and identify the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself. ¹⁶  33:20 Manasseh passed away ¹⁷  and was buried in his palace. His son Amon replaced him as king.

Amon’s Reign

33:21 Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. ¹⁸  33:22 He did evil in the sight of ¹⁹  the Lord, just like his father Manasseh had done. He offered sacrifices to all the idols his father Manasseh had made, and worshiped ²⁰  them. 33:23 He did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done. ²¹  Amon was guilty of great sin. ²²  33:24 His servants conspired against him and killed him in his palace.

Luke 17:34-37

17:34 I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. ²³  17:35 There will be two women grinding grain together; ²⁴  one will be taken and the other left.”

17:36 [[EMPTY]] ²⁵ 

17:37 Then ²⁶  the disciples ²⁷  said ²⁸  to him, “Where, ²⁹  Lord?” He replied to them, “Where the dead body ³⁰  is, there the vultures ³¹  will gather.” ³² 

Luke 23:39-43

23:39 One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t ³³  you the Christ? ³⁴  Save yourself and us!” 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ³⁵  “Don’t ³⁶  you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ³⁷  23:41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing ³⁸  wrong.” 23:42 Then ³⁹  he said, “Jesus, remember me ⁴⁰  when you come in ⁴¹  your kingdom.” 23:43 And Jesus ⁴²  said to him, “I tell you the truth, ⁴³  today ⁴⁴  you will be with me in paradise.” ⁴⁵ 

Luke 23:1

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

23:1 Then ⁴⁶  the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus ⁴⁷  before Pilate. ⁴⁸ 

Colossians 4:7

Personal Greetings and Instructions

4:7 Tychicus, a dear brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave ⁴⁹  in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ⁵⁰ 

Colossians 4:2

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

4:2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:5

2:5 For though ⁵¹  I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see ⁵²  your morale ⁵³  and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Colossians 2:7-9

2:7 rooted ⁵⁴  and built up in him and firm ⁵⁵  in your ⁵⁶  faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 2:8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you ⁵⁷  through an empty, deceitful philosophy ⁵⁸  that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits ⁵⁹  of the world, and not according to Christ. 2:9 For in him all the fullness of deity lives ⁶⁰  in bodily form,

[33:12]  ¹ tn Or “distress.”

[33:12]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ³ tn Heb “appeased the face of the Lord his God.”

[33:12]  ⁴ tn Or “greatly.”

[33:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “fathers.”

[33:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “was entreated by him,” or “allowed himself to be entreated by him.”

[33:13]  ⁹ tn Heb “heard.”

[33:13]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:14]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:14]  ¹² sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.

[33:16]  ¹³ tn Heb “told Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.

[33:18]  ¹⁴ tn Or “seers.”

[33:18]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “look, they are.”

[33:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and his prayer and being entreated by him, and all his sin and his unfaithfulness and the places where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself – behold, they are written on the words of his seers.”

[33:20]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

[33:21]  ¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[33:22]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “in the eyes of.”

[33:22]  ²⁰ tn Or “served.”

[33:23]  ²¹ tn Heb “as Manasseh his father had humbled himself.”

[33:23]  ²² tn Heb “for he, Amon, multiplied guilt.”

[17:34]  ²³ sn There is debate among commentators and scholars over the phrase one will be taken and the other left about whether one is taken for judgment or for salvation. If the imagery is patterned after the rescue of Noah from the flood and Lot from Sodom, as some suggest, the ones taken are the saved (as Noah and Lot were) andthose left behind are judged. The imagery, however, is not directly tied to theidentification of the two groups. Its primary purposein context is topicture the sudden, surprisingseparation of the righteous and the judged (i.e., condemned) at the return of the Son of Man.

[17:35]  ²⁴ tn Grk “at the same place.” According to L&N 46.16, this refers to a hand mill normally operated by two women.

[17:36]  ²⁵ tc Several mss (D ˹³ [579] 700 al lat sy) add (with several variations among these witnesses) 17:36 “There will be two in the field; one will be taken and the other left.” It is not well enough attested to be original. Further, it is an assimilation to the parallel in Matt 24:40, which marks the addition as secondary. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[17:37]  ²⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[17:37]  ²⁷ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the disciples, v. 22) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:37]  ²⁸ tn Grk “answering, they said to him.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:37]  ²⁹ sn The question “Where, Lord?” means, “Where will the judgment take place?”

[17:37]  ³⁰ tn Or “corpse.”

[17:37]  ³¹ tn The same Greek term can refer to “eagles” or “vultures” (L&N 4.42; BDAG 22 s.v. ἀετός), but in this context it must mean vultures, because the gruesome image is one of dead bodies being consumed by scavengers.

[17:37]  ³² tn Grk “will be gathered.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in English.

[23:39]  ³³ tc Most mss (A C³ W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) read εἰ σὺ εἶ (ei su ei, “If you are”) here, while οὐχὶ σὺ εἶ (ouci su ei, “Are you not”) is found in overall better and earlier witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א B C* L 070 1241 pc it). The “if” clause reading creates a parallel with the earlier taunts (vv. 35, 37), and thus is most likely a motivated reading.

[23:39]  ³⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[23:40]  ³⁵ tn Grk “But answering, the other rebuking him, said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[23:40]  ³⁶ tn The particle used here (οὐδέ, oude), which expects a positive reply, makes this a rebuke – “You should fear God and not speak!”

[23:40]  ³⁷ tn The words “of condemnation” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[23:41]  ³⁸ sn This man has done nothing wrong is yet another declaration that Jesus was innocent of any crime.

[23:42]  ³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:42]  ⁴⁰ sn Jesus, remember me is a statement of faith from the cross, as Jesus saves another even while he himself is dying. This man’s faith had shown itself when he rebuked the other thief. He hoped to be with Jesus sometime in the future in the kingdom.

[23:42]  ⁴¹ tc ‡ The alternate readings of some mss make the reference to Jesus’ coming clearer. “Into your kingdom” – with εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν (ei" thn basileian), read by Ì⁷⁵ B L – is a reference to his entering into God’s presence at the right hand. “In your kingdom” – with ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ (en th basileia), read by א A C*^,2 W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy – looks at his return. It could be argued that the reading with εἰς is more in keeping with Luke’s theology elsewhere, but the contrast with Jesus’ reply, “Today,” slightly favors the reading “in your kingdom.” Codex Bezae (D), in place of this short interchange between the criminal and Jesus, reads “Then he turned to the Lord and said to him, ‘Remember me in the day of your coming.’ Then the Lord said in reply to [him], ‘Take courage; today you will be with me in paradise.’” This reading emphasizes the future aspect of the coming of Christ; it has virtually no support in any other mss.

[23:43]  ⁴² tn Grk “he.”

[23:43]  ⁴³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:43]  ⁴⁴ sn Jesus gives more than the criminal asked for, because the blessing will come today, not in the future. He will be among the righteous. See the note on today in 2:11.

[23:43]  ⁴⁵ sn In the NT, paradise is mentioned three times. Here it refers to the abode of the righteous dead. In Rev 2:7 it refers to the restoration of Edenic paradise predicted in Isa 51:3 and Ezek 36:35. In 2 Cor 12:4 it probably refers to the “third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2) as the place where God dwells.

[23:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:1]  ⁴⁸ sn Pilate was the Roman prefect (procurator) in charge of collecting taxes and keeping the peace. His immediate superior was the Roman governor (proconsul) of Syria, although the exact nature of this administrative relationship is unknown. Pilate’s relations with the Jews had been rocky (v. 12). Here he is especially sensitive to them.

[4:7]  ⁴⁹ tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

[4:7]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “all things according to me.”

[2:5]  ⁵¹ tn The conditional particle εἰ (ei) together with καί (kai) here indicates a first class condition in Greek and carries a concessive force, especially when seen in contrast to the following phrase which begins with ἀλλά (alla).

[2:5]  ⁵² tn Grk “rejoicing and seeing.”

[2:5]  ⁵³ tn The Greek word τάξις can mean “order,” “discipline,” or even “unbroken ranks” (REB).

[2:7]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “having been rooted.”

[2:7]  ⁵⁵ sn The three participles rooted, built up, and firm belong together and reflect three different metaphors. The first participle “rooted” (perfect tense) indicates a settled condition on the part of the Colossian believers and refers to horticulture. The second participle “built up” (present passive) comes from the world of architecture. The third participle “firm [established]” (present passive) comes from the law courts. With these three metaphors (as well as the following comment on thankfulness) Paul explains what he means when he commands them to continue to live their lives in Christ. The use of the passive probably reflects God’s activity among them. It was he who had rooted them, had been building them up, and had established them in the faith (cf. 1 Cor 3:5-15 for the use of mixed metaphors).

[2:7]  ⁵⁶ tn The Greek text has the article τῇ (th), not the possessive pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn), but the article often functions as a possessive pronoun and was translated as such here (ExSyn 215).

[2:8]  ⁵⁷ tn The Greek construction here is somewhat difficult and can be literally rendered “Be careful, lest someone shall be the one who takes you captive.”

[2:8]  ⁵⁸ tn The Greek reads τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης (th" filosofia" kai kenh" apath"). The two nouns φιλοσοφίας and κενῆς are joined by one article and probably form a hendiadys. Thus the second noun was taken as modifying the first, as the translation shows.

[2:8]  ⁵⁹ tn The phrase κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (kata ta stoiceia tou kosmou) is difficult to translate because of problems surrounding the precise meaning of στοιχεῖα in this context. Originally it referred to the letters of the alphabet, with the idea at its root of “things in a row”; see C. Vaughn, “Colossians,” EBC 11:198. M. J. Harris (Colossians and Philemon [EGGNT], 93) outlines three probable options: (1) the material elements which comprise the physical world; (2) the elementary teachings of the world (so NEB, NASB, NIV); (3) the elemental spirits of the world (so NEB, RSV). The first option is highly unlikely because Paul is not concerned here with the physical elements, e.g., carbon or nitrogen. The last two options are both possible. Though the Gnostic-like heresy at Colossae would undoubtedly have been regarded by Paul as an “elementary teaching” at best, because the idea of “spirits” played such a role in Gnostic thought, he may very well have had in mind elemental spirits that operated in the world or controlled the world (i.e., under God’s authority and permission).

[2:9]  ⁶⁰ sn In him all the fullness of deity lives. The present tense in this verse (“lives”) is significant. Again, as was stated in the note on 1:19, this is not a temporary dwelling, but a permanent one. Paul’s point is polemical against the idea that the fullness of God dwells anywhere else, as the Gnostics believed, except in Christ alone. At the incarnation, the second person of the Trinity assumed humanity, and is forever the God-man.