Daniel 6:12-13

6:12 So they approached the king and said to him, ¹  “Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?” The king replied, “That is correct, ²  according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.” 6:13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the captives ³  from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.” ⁴ 

Ezra 4:12-16

4:12 Now ⁵  let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. ⁶  They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations. 4:13 Let the king also be aware that if this city is built and its walls are completed, no more tax, custom, or toll will be paid, and the royal treasury ⁷  will suffer loss. 4:14 In light of the fact that we are loyal to the king, ⁸  and since it does not seem appropriate to us that the king should sustain damage, ⁹  we are sending the king this information ¹⁰  4:15 so that he may initiate a search of the records ¹¹  of his predecessors ¹²  and discover in those records ¹³  that this city is rebellious ¹⁴  and injurious to both kings and provinces, producing internal revolts ¹⁵  from long ago. ¹⁶  It is for this very reason that this city was destroyed. 4:16 We therefore are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, you will not retain control ¹⁷  of this portion of Trans-Euphrates.”

Esther 3:6

3:6 But the thought of striking out against ¹⁸  Mordecai alone was repugnant to him, for he had been informed ¹⁹  of the identity of Mordecai’s people. ²⁰  So Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (that is, the people of Mordecai) ²¹  who were in all the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

Esther 3:8-9

3:8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a particular people ²²  that is dispersed and spread among the inhabitants ²³  throughout all the provinces of your kingdom whose laws differ from those of all other peoples. Furthermore, they do not observe the king’s laws. It is not appropriate for the king to provide a haven for them. ²⁴  3:9 If the king is so inclined, ²⁵  let an edict be issued ²⁶  to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver ²⁷  to be conveyed to the king’s treasuries for the officials who carry out this business.”

Acts 16:20-22

16:20 When ²⁸  they had brought them ²⁹  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ³⁰  They are ³¹  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ³²  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ³³  or practice, ³⁴  since we are ³⁵  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ³⁶  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ³⁷  off Paul and Silas ³⁸  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ³⁹ 

Acts 17:6-8

17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ⁴⁰  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ⁴¹  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ⁴²  throughout the world ⁴³  have come here too, 17:7 and ⁴⁴  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ⁴⁵  are all acting against Caesar’s ⁴⁶  decrees, saying there is another king named ⁴⁷  Jesus!” ⁴⁸  17:8 They caused confusion among ⁴⁹  the crowd and the city officials ⁵⁰  who heard these things.

Acts 28:22

28:22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know ⁵¹  that people ⁵²  everywhere speak against ⁵³  it.”

Acts 28:1

Paul on Malta

28:1 After we had safely reached shore, ⁵⁴  we learned that the island was called Malta. ⁵⁵ 

Acts 4:3-4

4:3 So ⁵⁶  they seized ⁵⁷  them and put them in jail ⁵⁸  until the next day (for it was already evening). 4:4 But many of those who had listened to ⁵⁹  the message ⁶⁰  believed, and the number of the men ⁶¹  came to about five thousand.

[6:12]  ¹ tc The MT also has “about the edict of the king,” but this phrase is absent in the LXX and the Syriac. The present translation deletes the expression.

[6:12]  ² tn Aram “the word is true.”

[6:13]  ³ tn Aram “from the sons of the captivity [of].”

[6:13]  ⁴ tn Aram “prays his prayer.”

[4:12]  ⁵ tn The MT takes this word with the latter part of v. 11, but in English style it fits better with v. 12.

[4:12]  ⁶ sn Management of the provinces that were distantly removed from the capital was difficult, and insurrection in such places was a perennial problem. The language used in this report about Jerusalem (i.e., “rebellious,” “odious”) is intentionally inflammatory. It is calculated to draw immediate attention to the perceived problem.

[4:13]  ⁷ tn Aram “the treasury of kings.” The plural “kings” is Hebrew, not Aramaic. If the plural is intended in a numerical sense the reference is not just to Artaxerxes but to his successors as well. Some scholars understand this to be the plural of majesty, referring to Artaxerxes. See F. C. Fensham, Ezra and Nehemiah (NICOT), 74.

[4:14]  ⁸ tn Aram “we eat the salt of the palace.”

[4:14]  ⁹ tn Aram “the dishonor of the king is not fitting for us to see.”

[4:14]  ¹⁰ tn Aram “and we have made known.”

[4:15]  ¹¹ tn Aram “the book of the minutes.”

[4:15]  ¹² tn Aram “of your fathers.”

[4:15]  ¹³ tn Aram “discover…and learn.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a single concept.

[4:15]  ¹⁴ tn Aram “is a rebellious city.”

[4:15]  ¹⁵ tn Aram “revolts they are making in its midst.”

[4:15]  ¹⁶ tn Aram “from olden days.” So also in v. 19.

[4:16]  ¹⁷ tn Aram “will not be to you.”

[3:6]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “to send a hand against”; KJV, NRSV “to lay hands on.”

[3:6]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “they had related to him.” For stylistic reasons this has been translated as a passive construction.

[3:6]  ²⁰ tc The entire first half of the verse is not included in the LXX.

[3:6]  ²¹ tc This parenthetical phrase is not included in the LXX. Some scholars emend the MT reading עַם (’am, “people”) to עִם (’im, “with”), arguing that the phrase is awkwardly placed and syntactically inappropriate. While there is some truth to their complaint, the MT makes sufficient sense to be acceptable here, and is followed by most English versions.

[3:8]  ²² tn Heb “one people.” Note the subtle absence at this point of a specific mention of the Jewish people by name.

[3:8]  ²³ tn Heb “peoples” (so NASB, NIV); NAB “nations”

[3:8]  ²⁴ tn Heb “to cause them to rest”; NASB “to let them remain”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “to tolerate them.”

[3:9]  ²⁵ tn Heb “If upon the king it is good”; KJV “If it please the king.”

[3:9]  ²⁶ tn Heb “let it be written” (so KJV, ASV); NASB “let it be decreed.”

[3:9]  ²⁷ sn The enormity of the monetary sum referred to here can be grasped by comparing this amount (10,000 talents of silver) to the annual income of the empire, which according to Herodotus (Histories 3.95) was 14,500 Euboic talents. In other words Haman is offering the king a bribe equal to two-thirds of the royal income. Doubtless this huge sum of money was to come (in large measure) from the anticipated confiscation of Jewish property and assets once the Jews had been destroyed. That such a large sum of money is mentioned may indicate something of the economic standing of the Jewish population in the empire of King Ahasuerus.

[16:20]  ²⁸ tn Grk “And when.” 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.

[16:20]  ²⁹ tn Grk “having brought them.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been taken temporally. It is also possible in English to translate this participle as a finite verb: “they brought them before the magistrates and said.”

[16:20]  ³⁰ tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.

[16:20]  ³¹ tn Grk “being Jews, and they are proclaiming.” The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:21]  ³² tn Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.

[16:21]  ³³ tn Or “acknowledge.”

[16:21]  ³⁴ sn Customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice. Ironically, the charges are similar to those made against Jesus in Luke 23:2, where Jews argued he was “twisting” their customs. The charge has three elements: (1) a racial element (Jewish); (2) a social element (unlawful); and (3) a traditional element (not their customs).

[16:21]  ³⁵ tn Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[16:22]  ³⁶ tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepesth) in this verse.

[16:22]  ³⁷ tn Grk “tearing the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirhxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).

[16:22]  ³⁸ tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:22]  ³⁹ tn The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rJabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed to fists or clubs, BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω).

[17:6]  ⁴⁰ tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).

[17:6]  ⁴¹ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).

[17:6]  ⁴² tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.

[17:6]  ⁴³ tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).

[17:7]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.

[17:7]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[17:7]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[17:7]  ⁴⁷ tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.

[17:7]  ⁴⁸ sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.

[17:8]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.

[17:8]  ⁵⁰ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official.’”

[28:22]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “regarding this sect it is known to us.” The passive construction “it is known to us” has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.

[28:22]  ⁵² tn Grk “that everywhere it is spoken against.” To simplify the translation the passive construction “it is spoken against” has been converted to an active one with the subject “people” supplied.

[28:22]  ⁵³ tn On the term translated “speak against,” see BDAG 89 s.v. ἀντιλέγω 1.

[28:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “We having been brought safely through” [to land] (same verb as 27:44). The word “shore” is implied, and the slight variations in translation from 27:44 have been made to avoid redundancy in English. The participle διασωθέντες (diaswqente") has been taken temporally.

[28:1]  ⁵⁵ sn Malta is an island (known by the same name today) in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily. The ship had traveled 625 mi (1,000 km) in the storm.

[4:3]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “And” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the logical sequence of events.

[4:3]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “they arrested”; Grk “they laid hands on.”

[4:3]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “prison,” “custody.”

[4:4]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “had heard.”

[4:4]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “word.”

[4:4]  ⁶¹ tn In the historical setting it is likely that only men are referred to here. The Greek term ἀνήρ (anhr) usually refers to males or husbands rather than people in general. Thus to translate “of the people” would give a false impression of the number, since any women and children were apparently not included in the count.