Deuteronomy 32:20

32:20 He said, “I will reject them, ¹ 

I will see what will happen to them;

for they are a perverse generation,

children ²  who show no loyalty.

Matthew 17:17

17:17 Jesus answered, ³  “You ⁴  unbelieving ⁵  and perverse generation! How much longer ⁶  must I be with you? How much longer must I endure ⁷  you? ⁸  Bring him here to me.”

Matthew 23:23

23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law ⁹  and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth ¹⁰  of mint, dill, and cumin, ¹¹  yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You ¹²  should have done these things without neglecting the others.

Luke 18:8

18:8 I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. ¹³  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith ¹⁴  on earth?”

John 2:23-25

Jesus at the Passover Feast

2:23 Now while Jesus ¹⁵  was in Jerusalem ¹⁶  at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ¹⁷  2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. ¹⁸  2:25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, ¹⁹  for he knew what was in man. ²⁰ 

Acts 13:45

13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ²¹  and they began to contradict ²²  what Paul was saying ²³  by reviling him. ²⁴ 

Acts 13:50

13:50 But the Jews incited ²⁵  the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out ²⁶  of their region.

Acts 14:2

14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe ²⁷  stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds ²⁸  against the brothers.

Acts 17:5

17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ²⁹  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ³⁰  they formed a mob ³¹  and set the city in an uproar. ³²  They attacked Jason’s house, ³³  trying to find Paul and Silas ³⁴  to bring them out to the assembly. ³⁵ 

Acts 28:24

28:24 Some were convinced ³⁶  by what he said, ³⁷  but others refused ³⁸  to believe.

Romans 10:16

10:16 But not all have obeyed the good news, for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” ³⁹ 

Romans 10:2

10:2 For I can testify that they are zealous for God, ⁴⁰  but their zeal is not in line with the truth. ⁴¹ 

Colossians 4:3-4

4:3 At the same time pray ⁴²  for us too, that ⁴³  God may open a door for the message ⁴⁴  so that we may proclaim ⁴⁵  the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴⁶  4:4 Pray that I may make it known as I should. ⁴⁷ 

[32:20]  ¹ tn Heb “I will hide my face from them.”

[32:20]  ² tn Heb “sons” (so NAB, NASB); TEV “unfaithful people.”

[17:17]  ³ tn Grk “And answering, Jesus said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[17:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “O.” The marker of direct address, ὦ (w), is functionally equivalent to a vocative and is represented in the translation by “you.”

[17:17]  ⁵ tn Or “faithless.”

[17:17]  ⁶ tn Grk “how long.”

[17:17]  ⁷ tn Or “put up with.” See Num 11:12; Isa 46:4.

[17:17]  ⁸ sn The pronouns you…you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual.

[23:23]  ⁵ tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[23:23]  ⁶ tn Or “you tithe mint.”

[23:23]  ⁷ sn Cumin (alternately spelled cummin) was an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region. Its seeds were used for seasoning.

[23:23]  ⁸ tc ‡ Many witnesses (B C K L W Δ 0102 33 565 892 pm) have δέ (de, “but”) after ταῦτα (tauta, “these things”), while many others lack it (א D Γ Θ Ë^1,13 579 700 1241 1424 pm). Since asyndeton was relatively rare in Koine Greek, the conjunction may be an intentional alteration, and is thus omitted from the present translation. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[18:8]  ⁷ tn Some argue this should be translated “suddenly.” When vindication comes it will be quick. But the more natural meaning is “soon.” God will not forget his elect and will respond to them. It may be that this verse has a prophetic perspective. In light of the eternity that comes, vindication is soon.

[18:8]  ⁸ sn Will he find faith on earth? The Son of Man is looking for those who continue to believe in him, despite the wait.

[2:23]  ⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ¹¹ sn Because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. The issue here is not whether their faith was genuine or not, but what its object was. These individuals, after seeing the miracles, believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They most likely saw in him a political-eschatological figure of some sort. That does not, however, mean that their concept of “Messiah” was the same as Jesus’ own, or the author’s.

[2:24]  ¹¹ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” has been supplied for clarity, since the Greek word πάντας (pantas) is masculine plural (thus indicating people rather than things).

[2:25]  ¹³ tn The masculine form has been retained here in the translation to maintain the connection with “a man of the Pharisees” in 3:1, with the understanding that the reference is to people of both genders.

[2:25]  ¹⁴ tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.

[13:45]  ¹⁵ sn They were filled with jealousy. Their foolish response to the gospel is noted again (see Acts 5:17). The same verb is used in Acts 7:9; 17:5.

[13:45]  ¹⁶ tn The imperfect verb ἀντέλεγον (antelegon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect in the logical sequence of events: After they were filled with jealousy, the Jewish opponents began to contradict what Paul said.

[13:45]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “the things being said by Paul.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.

[13:45]  ¹⁸ tn The participle βλασφημοῦντες (blasfhmounte") has been regarded as indicating the means of the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as a finite verb (“and reviled him”) in keeping with contemporary English style. The direct object (“him”) is implied rather than expressed and could be impersonal (“it,” referring to what Paul was saying rather than Paul himself), but the verb occurs more often in contexts involving defamation or slander against personal beings (not always God). For a very similar context to this one, compare Acts 18:6. The translation “blaspheme” is not used because in contemporary English its meaning is more narrowly defined and normally refers to blasphemy against God (not what Paul’s opponents were doing here). The modern term “slandering” comes close to what was being done to Paul here.

[13:50]  ¹⁷ tn For the translation of παρώτρυναν (parwtrunan) as “incited” see BDAG 780 s.v. παροτρύνω.

[13:50]  ¹⁸ tn BDAG 299 s.v. ἐκβάλλω 1 has “throw out.” Once again, many Jews reacted to the message (Acts 5:17, 33; 6:11; 13:45).

[14:2]  ¹⁹ tn Or “who would not believe.”

[14:2]  ²⁰ tn Or “embittered their minds” (Grk “their souls”). BDAG 502 s.v. κακόω 2 has “make angry, embitter τὰς ψυχάς τινων κατά τινος poison the minds of some persons against another Ac 14:2.”

[17:5]  ²¹ tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

[17:5]  ²² tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

[17:5]  ²³ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5]  ²⁴ tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

[17:5]  ²⁵ sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5]  ²⁶ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5]  ²⁷ tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

[28:24]  ²³ tn Or “persuaded.”

[28:24]  ²⁴ tn Grk “by the things spoken.”

[28:24]  ²⁵ sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).

[10:16]  ²⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[10:2]  ²⁷ tn Grk “they have a zeal for God.”

[10:2]  ²⁸ tn Grk “in accord with knowledge.”

[4:3]  ²⁹ tn Though προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) is an adverbial participle related to the previous imperative, προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite), it is here translated as an independent clause due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:3]  ³⁰ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been rendered as substantival here, indicating the content of the prayer rather than the purpose for it. These two ideas are very similar and difficult to differentiate in this passage, but the conjunction ἵνα following a verb of praying is generally regarded as giving the content of the prayer.

[4:3]  ³¹ tn Grk “that God may open for us a door of the word to speak the mystery of Christ.” The construction in Greek is somewhat awkward in this clause. The translation attempts to simplify this structure somewhat and yet communicate exactly what Paul is asking for.

[4:3]  ³² tn Or “so that we may speak.”

[4:3]  ³³ tn Or “in prison.”

[4:4]  ³¹ tn The phrase begins with the ἵνα (Jina) clause and is subordinate to the imperative προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite) in v. 2. The reference to the idea that Paul must make it known indicates that this clause is probably best viewed as purpose and not content, like the ἵνα of v. 3. It is the second purpose stated in the context; the first is expressed through the infinitive λαλῆσαι (lalhsai) in v. 3. The term “pray” at the beginning of the sentence is intended to pick up the imperative of v. 3.