Acts 4:21

4:21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising ¹  God for what had happened.

Acts 11:18

11:18 When they heard this, ²  they ceased their objections ³  and praised ⁴  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ⁵  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ⁶ 

Psalms 22:23

22:23 You loyal followers of the Lord, ⁷  praise him!

All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

All you descendants of Israel, stand in awe of him! ⁸ 

Psalms 22:27

22:27 Let all the people of the earth acknowledge the Lord and turn to him! ⁹ 

Let all the nations ¹⁰  worship you! ¹¹ 

Psalms 72:17-19

72:17 May his fame endure! ¹² 

May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky! ¹³ 

May they use his name when they formulate their blessings! ¹⁴ 

May all nations consider him to be favored by God! ¹⁵ 

72:18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise! ¹⁶ 

He alone accomplishes amazing things! ¹⁷ 

72:19 His glorious name deserves praise ¹⁸  forevermore!

May his majestic splendor ¹⁹  fill the whole earth!

We agree! We agree! ²⁰ 

Psalms 98:1-3

Psalm 98 ²¹ 

A psalm.

98:1 Sing to the Lord a new song, ²² 

for he performs ²³  amazing deeds!

His right hand and his mighty arm

accomplish deliverance. ²⁴ 

98:2 The Lord demonstrates his power to deliver; ²⁵ 

in the sight of the nations he reveals his justice.

98:3 He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel. ²⁶ 

All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us. ²⁷ 

Isaiah 55:10-13

55:10 ²⁸ The rain and snow fall from the sky

and do not return,

but instead water the earth

and make it produce and yield crops,

and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.

55:11 In the same way, the promise that I make

does not return to me, having accomplished nothing. ²⁹ 

No, it is realized as I desire

and is fulfilled as I intend.” ³⁰ 

55:12 Indeed you will go out with joy;

you will be led along in peace;

the mountains and hills will give a joyful shout before you,

and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.

55:13 Evergreens will grow in place of thorn bushes,

firs will grow in place of nettles;

they will be a monument to the Lord, ³¹ 

a permanent reminder that will remain. ³² 

Isaiah 66:9-14

66:9 “Do I bring a baby to the birth opening and then not deliver it?”

asks the Lord.

“Or do I bring a baby to the point of delivery and then hold it back?”

asks your God. ³³ 

66:10 Be happy for Jerusalem

and rejoice with her, all you who love her!

Share in her great joy,

all you who have mourned over her!

66:11 For ³⁴  you will nurse from her satisfying breasts and be nourished; ³⁵ 

you will feed with joy from her milk-filled breasts. ³⁶ 

66:12 For this is what the Lord says:

“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,

the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. ³⁷ 

You will nurse from her breast ³⁸  and be carried at her side;

you will play on her knees.

66:13 As a mother consoles a child, ³⁹ 

so I will console you,

and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”

66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, ⁴⁰ 

and you will be revived. ⁴¹ 

The Lord will reveal his power to his servants

and his anger to his enemies. ⁴² 

Luke 15:3-10

15:3 So ⁴³  Jesus ⁴⁴  told them ⁴⁵  this parable: ⁴⁶  15:4 “Which one ⁴⁷  of you, if he has a hundred ⁴⁸  sheep and loses one of them, would not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture ⁴⁹  and go look for ⁵⁰  the one that is lost until he finds it? ⁵¹  15:5 Then ⁵²  when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 15:6 Returning ⁵³  home, he calls together ⁵⁴  his ⁵⁵  friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner ⁵⁶  who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people ⁵⁷  who have no need to repent. ⁵⁸ 

15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins ⁵⁹  and loses ⁶⁰  one of them, ⁶¹  does not light a lamp, sweep ⁶²  the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 15:9 Then ⁶³  when she has found it, she calls together her ⁶⁴  friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice ⁶⁵  with me, for I have found the coin ⁶⁶  that I had lost.’ 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels ⁶⁷  over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:32

15:32 It was appropriate ⁶⁸  to celebrate and be glad, for your brother ⁶⁹  was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’” ⁷⁰ 

Romans 15:6-7

15:6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Exhortation to Mutual Acceptance

15:7 Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory.

Romans 15:9-13

15:9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy. ⁷¹  As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.” ⁷²  15:10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” ⁷³  15:11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.” ⁷⁴  15:12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.” ⁷⁵  15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, ⁷⁶  so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 1:24

1:24 So ⁷⁷  they glorified God because of me. ⁷⁸ 

Galatians 1:2

1:2 and all the brothers with me, to the churches of Galatia.

Galatians 1:10

1:10 Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, ⁷⁹  or of God? Or am I trying to please people? ⁸⁰  If I were still trying to please ⁸¹  people, ⁸²  I would not be a slave ⁸³  of Christ!

Revelation 19:6-7

The Wedding Celebration of the Lamb

19:6 Then ⁸⁴  I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting: ⁸⁵ 

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God, ⁸⁶  the All-Powerful, ⁸⁷  reigns!

19:7 Let us rejoice ⁸⁸  and exult

and give him glory,

because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready.

[4:21]  ¹ tn Or “glorifying.”

[11:18]  ² tn Grk “these things.”

[11:18]  ³ tn Or “became silent,” but this would create an apparent contradiction with the subsequent action of praising God. The point, in context, is that they ceased objecting to what Peter had done.

[11:18]  ⁴ tn Or “glorified.”

[11:18]  ⁵ sn Here the summary phrase for responding to the gospel is the repentance that leads to life. Note how the presence of life is tied to the presence of the Spirit (cf. John 4:7-42; 7:37-39).

[11:18]  ⁶ sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position.

[22:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “[you] fearers of the Lord.” See Ps 15:4.

[22:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “fear him.”

[22:27]  ⁹ tn Heb “may all the ends of the earth remember and turn to the Lord.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 27 are understood as jussives (cf. NEB). Another option (cf. NIV, NRSV) is to take the forms as imperfects and translate, “all the people of the earth will acknowledge and turn…and worship.” See vv. 29-32.

[22:27]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “families of the nations.”

[22:27]  ¹¹ tn Heb “before you.”

[72:17]  ¹² tn Heb “may his name [be] permanent.” The prefixed verbal form is jussive, not imperfect.

[72:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “before the sun may his name increase.” The Kethib (consonantal text) assumes יָנִין (yanin; a Hiphil of the verbal root נִין, nin) or יְנַיֵן (yÿnayen; a Piel form), while the Qere (marginal reading) assumes יִנּוֹן (yinnon; a Niphal form). The verb נִין occurs only here, though a derived noun, meaning “offspring,” appears elsewhere (see Isa 14:22). The verb appears to mean “propagate, increase” (BDB 630 s.v. נוּן, נִין) or “produce shoots, get descendants” (HALOT 696 s.v. נין). In this context this appears to be a prayer for a lasting dynasty that will keep the king’s name and memory alive.

[72:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “may they bless one another by him,” that is, use the king’s name in their blessing formulae because he is a prime example of one blessed by God (for examples of such blessing formulae, see Gen 48:20 and Ruth 4:11). There is some debate on whether the Hitpael form of בָּרַךְ (barakh, “bless”) is reflexive-reciprocal (as assumed in the present translation) or passive. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ occurs in five other passages, including the hotly debated Gen 22:18 and 26:4. In these two texts one could understand the verb form as passive and translate, “all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,” or one could take the Hitpael as reflexive or reciprocal and translate, “all the nations of the earth will pronounce blessings [i.e., on themselves or one another] by your offspring.” In the first instance Abraham’s (or Isaac’s) offspring are viewed as a channel of divine blessing. In the second instance they are viewed as a prime example of blessing that will appear as part of the nations’ blessing formulae, but not necessarily as a channel of blessing to the nations. In Deut 29:18 one reads: “When one hears the words of this covenant [or “oath”] and invokes a blessing on himself (Hitpael of בָּרַךְ) in his heart, saying: ‘I will have peace, even though I walk with a rebellious heart.’” In this case the Hitpael is clearly reflexive, as the phrases “in his heart” and “I will have peace” indicate. The Hitpael of בָּרַךְ appears twice in Isaiah 65:16: “The one who invokes a blessing on himself (see Deut 9:18) in the land will invoke that blessing by the God of truth; and the one who makes an oath in the land will make that oath by the God of truth.” A passive nuance does not fit here. The parallel line, which mentions making an oath, suggests that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. Both pronouncements of blessing and oaths will appeal to God as the one who rewards and judges, respectively. Jer 4:2 states: “If you swear, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ with truth, integrity, and honesty, then the nations will pronounce blessings by him and boast in him.” A passive nuance might work (“the nations will be blessed”), but the context refers to verbal pronouncements (swearing an oath, boasting), suggesting that the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ refers here to invoking a blessing. The logic of the verse seems to be as follows: If Israel conducts its affairs with integrity, the nation will be favored by the Lord, which will in turn attract the surrounding nations to Israel’s God. To summarize, while the evidence might leave the door open for a passive interpretation, there is no clear cut passive use. Usage favors a reflexive or reciprocal understanding of the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ. In Ps 72:17 the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ is followed by the prepositional phrase בוֹ (vo, “by him”). The verb could theoretically be taken as passive, “may all the nations be blessed through him” (cf. NIV, NRSV), because the preceding context describes the positive effects of this king’s rule on the inhabitants of the earth. But the parallel line, which employs the Piel of אָשַׁר (’ashar) in a factitive/declarative sense, “regard as happy, fortunate,” suggests a reflexive or reciprocal nuance for the Hitpael of בָּרַךְ here. If the nations regard the ideal king as a prime example of one who is fortunate or blessed, it is understandable that they would use his name in their pronouncements of blessing.

[72:17]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “all the nations, may they regard him as happy.” The Piel is used here in a delocutive sense (“regard as”).

[72:18]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[be] blessed.” See Pss 18:46; 28:6; 31:21; 41:13.

[72:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “[the] one who does amazing things by himself.”

[72:19]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “[be] blessed.”

[72:19]  ¹⁹ tn Or “glory.”

[72:19]  ²⁰ tn Heb “surely and surely” (אָמֵן וְאָמֵן [’amen vÿ’amen], i.e., “Amen and amen”). This is probably a congregational response of agreement to the immediately preceding statement about the propriety of praising God.

[98:1]  ²¹ sn Psalm 98. The psalmist summons the whole earth to praise God because he reveals his justice and delivers Israel.

[98:1]  ²² sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See Ps 96:1.

[98:1]  ²³ tn The perfect verbal forms in vv. 1-3 are understood here as describing characteristic divine activities. Another option is to translate them as present perfects, “has performed…has accomplished deliverance, etc.” referring to completed actions that have continuing results.

[98:1]  ²⁴ tn Heb “his right hand delivers for him and his holy arm.” The right hand and arm symbolize his power as a warrior-king (see Isa 52:10). His arm is “holy” in the sense that it is in a category of its own; God’s power is incomparable.

[98:2]  ²⁵ tn Heb “makes known his deliverance.”

[98:3]  ²⁶ tn Heb “he remembers his loyal love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel.”

[98:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “the deliverance of our God,” with “God” being a subjective genitive (= God delivers).

[55:10]  ²⁸ tn This verse begins in the Hebrew text with כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר (ki ka’asher, “for, just as”), which is completed by כֵּן (ken, “so, in the same way”) at the beginning of v. 11. For stylistic reasons, this lengthy sentence is divided up into separate sentences in the translation.

[55:11]  ²⁹ tn Heb “so is the word which goes out from my mouth, it does not return to empty.” “Word” refers here to divine promises, like the ones made just prior to and after this (see vv. 7b, 12-13).

[55:11]  ³⁰ tn Heb “but it accomplishes what I desire, and succeeds [on the mission] which I send it.”

[55:13]  ³¹ tn Heb “to the Lord for a name.” For שֵׁם (shem) used in the sense of “monument,” see also 56:5, where it stands parallel to יָד (yad).

[55:13]  ³² tn Or, more literally, “a permanent sign that will not be cut off.”

[66:9]  ³³ sn The rhetorical questions expect the answer, “Of course not!”

[66:11]  ³⁴ tn Or “in order that”; ASV, NRSV “that.”

[66:11]  ³⁵ tn Heb “you will suck and be satisfied, from her comforting breast.”

[66:11]  ³⁶ tn Heb “you will slurp and refresh yourselves from her heavy breast.”

[66:12]  ³⁷ tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”

[66:12]  ³⁸ tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).

[66:13]  ³⁹ tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”

[66:14]  ⁴⁰ tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”

[66:14]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”

[66:14]  ⁴² tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”

[15:3]  ⁴³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate that Jesus’ telling of the parable is in response to the complaints of the Pharisees and experts in the law.

[15:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:3]  ⁴⁵ sn Them means at the minimum the parable is for the leadership, but probably also for those people Jesus accepted, but the leaders regarded as outcasts.

[15:3]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “parable, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:4]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “What man.” The Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used here in a somewhat generic sense.

[15:4]  ⁴⁸ sn This individual with a hundred sheep is a shepherd of modest means, as flocks often had up to two hundred head of sheep.

[15:4]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “desert,” but here such a translation might suggest neglect of the 99 sheep left behind.

[15:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “go after,” but in contemporary English the idiom “to look for” is used to express this.

[15:4]  ⁵¹ sn Until he finds it. The parable pictures God’s pursuit of the sinner. On the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, see John 10:1-18.

[15:5]  ⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:6]  ⁵³ tn Grk “And coming into his…” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[15:6]  ⁵⁴ sn A touch of drama may be present, as the term calls together can mean a formal celebration (1 Kgs 1:9-10).

[15:6]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215). It occurs before “neighbors” as well (“his friends and his neighbors”) but has not been translated the second time because of English style.

[15:7]  ⁵⁶ sn There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The pursuit of the sinner is a priority in spite of the presence of others who are doing well (see also Luke 5:32; 19:10). The theme of repentance, a major Lukan theme, is again emphasized.

[15:7]  ⁵⁷ tn Here δικαίοις (dikaioi") is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”

[15:7]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”

[15:8]  ⁵⁹ sn This silver coin is a drachma, equal to a denarius, that is, a day’s pay for the average laborer.

[15:8]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “What woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses.” The initial participle ἔχουσα (ecousa) has been translated as a finite verb parallel to ἀπολέσῃ (apolesh) in the conditional clause to improve the English style.

[15:8]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “one coin.”

[15:8]  ⁶² tn Grk “and sweep,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[15:9]  ⁶³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:9]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[15:9]  ⁶⁵ sn Rejoice. Besides the theme of pursuing the lost, the other theme of the parable is the joy of finding them.

[15:9]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “drachma.”

[15:10]  ⁶⁷ sn The whole of heaven is said to rejoice. Joy in the presence of God’s angels is a way of referring to God’s joy as well without having to name him explicitly. Contemporary Judaism tended to refer to God indirectly where possible out of reverence or respect for the divine name.

[15:32]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “necessary.”

[15:32]  ⁶⁹ sn By referring to him as your brother, the father reminded the older brother that the younger brother was part of the family.

[15:32]  ⁷⁰ sn The theme he was lost and is found is repeated from v. 24. The conclusion is open-ended. The reader is left to ponder with the older son (who pictures the scribes and Pharisees) what the response will be. The parable does not reveal the ultimate response of the older brother. Jesus argued that sinners should be pursued and received back warmly when they returned.

[15:9]  ⁷¹ tn There are two major syntactical alternatives which are both awkward: (1) One could make “glorify” dependent on “Christ has become a minister” and coordinate with “to confirm” and the result would be rendered “Christ has become a minister of circumcision to confirm the promises…and so that the Gentiles might glorify God.” (2) One could make “glorify” dependent on “I tell you” and coordinate with “Christ has become a minister” and the result would be rendered “I tell you that Christ has become a minister of circumcision…and that the Gentiles glorify God.” The second rendering is preferred.

[15:9]  ⁷² sn A quotation from Ps 18:49.

[15:10]  ⁷³ sn A quotation from Deut 32:43.

[15:11]  ⁷⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 117:1.

[15:12]  ⁷⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 11:10.

[15:13]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “in the believing” or “as [you] believe,” with the object “him” supplied from the context. The referent could be God (15:13a) or Christ (15:12).

[1:24]  ⁷⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the report about Paul’s conversion.

[1:24]  ⁷⁸ tn The prepositional phrase ἐν εμοί (en emoi) has been translated with a causal force.

[1:10]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “of men”; but here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ⁸¹ tn The imperfect verb has been translated conatively (ExSyn 550).

[1:10]  ⁸² tn Grk “men”; but here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used in a generic sense of both men and women.

[1:10]  ⁸³ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[19:6]  ⁸⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[19:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “like the voice of a large crowd…saying.” Because of the complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the words “They were.”

[19:6]  ⁸⁶ tc Several mss (א² P 1611 2053 2344 pc Ï^K lat ) read “the Lord our God” (κύριος ὁ θεός ἡμῶν, kurio" Jo qeo" Jhmwn). Other important mss (A 1006 1841 pc), however, omit the “our” (ἡμῶν). Further, certain mss (051 Ï^A) omit “Lord” (κύριος), while others (including א*) change the order of the statement to “God our Lord” (ὁ θεός ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν). The expression “the Lord God, the All-Powerful” occurs in 6 other places in Revelation (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22) and the pronoun “our” is never used. Scribes familiar with the expression in this book, and especially with the frequent κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ (kurio" Jo qeo" Jo pantokratwr; “the Lord God, the All-Powerful”) in the OT Prophets (LXX; cf. Jer 39:19; Hos 12:6; Amos 3:13; 4:13; 5:8, 14, 15, 16, 27; 9:5, 6, 15; Nah 3:5; Zech 10:3), would naturally omit the pronoun. Its presence may have arisen due to liturgical motivations or to conform to the expression “our God” in 19:1, 5, but this seems much less likely than an aversion to using the pronoun here and only here in the Greek Bible in the fuller title κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ.

[19:6]  ⁸⁷ 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…κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ π. Rv 19:6.”

[19:7]  ⁸⁸ tn This verb and the next two verbs are hortatory subjunctives (giving exhortations).