Ecclesiastes 11:9

Enjoy Life to the Fullest under the Fear of God

11:9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young, ¹ 

and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.

Follow the impulses ²  of your heart and the desires ³  of your eyes,

but know that God will judge your motives and actions. ⁴ 

Psalms 96:13

96:13 before the Lord, for he comes!

For he comes to judge the earth!

He judges the world fairly, ⁵ 

and the nations in accordance with his justice. ⁶ 

Matthew 12:36

12:36 I ⁷  tell you that on the day of judgment, people will give an account for every worthless word they speak.

Matthew 25:31-46

The Judgment

25:31 “When ⁸  the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All ⁹  the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He ¹⁰  will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, ¹¹  ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When ¹²  did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When ¹³  did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, ¹⁴  ‘I tell you the truth, ¹⁵  just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters ¹⁶  of mine, you did it for me.’

25:41 “Then he will say ¹⁷  to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 25:44 Then they too will answer, ¹⁸  ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them, ¹⁹  ‘I tell you the truth, ²⁰  just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Luke 12:1-2

Fear God, Not People

12:1 Meanwhile, ²¹  when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus ²²  began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against ²³  the yeast of the Pharisees, ²⁴  which is hypocrisy. ²⁵  12:2 Nothing is hidden ²⁶  that will not be revealed, ²⁷  and nothing is secret that will not be made known.

John 5:29

5:29 and will come out – the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. ²⁸ 

Acts 17:30-31

17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ²⁹  such times of ignorance, ³⁰  he now commands all people ³¹  everywhere to repent, ³²  17:31 because he has set ³³  a day on which he is going to judge the world ³⁴  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ³⁵  having provided proof to everyone by raising ³⁶  him from the dead.”

Romans 2:16

2:16 on the day when God will judge ³⁷  the secrets of human hearts, ³⁸  according to my gospel ³⁹  through Christ Jesus.

Romans 14:10-12

14:10 But you who eat vegetables only – why do you judge your brother or sister? ⁴⁰  And you who eat everything – why do you despise your brother or sister? ⁴¹  For we will all stand before the judgment seat ⁴²  of God. 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.” ⁴³  14:12 Therefore, each of us will give an account of himself to God. ⁴⁴ 

Romans 14:1

Exhortation to Mutual Forbearance

14:1 Now receive the one who is weak in the faith, and do not have disputes over differing opinions. ⁴⁵ 

Colossians 4:5

4:5 Conduct yourselves ⁴⁶  with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities.

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 1:10

1:10 so that you may live ⁴⁷  worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects ⁴⁸  – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God,

Revelation 20:11-15

The Great White Throne

20:11 Then ⁴⁹  I saw a large ⁵⁰  white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven ⁵¹  fled ⁵²  from his presence, and no place was found for them. 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then ⁵³  books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. ⁵⁴  So ⁵⁵  the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. ⁵⁶  20:13 The ⁵⁷  sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death ⁵⁸  and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged according to his deeds. 20:14 Then ⁵⁹  Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. 20:15 If ⁶⁰  anyone’s name ⁶¹  was not found written in the book of life, that person ⁶²  was thrown into the lake of fire.

[11:9]  ¹ tn Heb “in your youth”; or “in your childhood.”

[11:9]  ² tn Heb “walk in the ways of your heart.”

[11:9]  ³ tn Heb “the sight.”

[11:9]  ⁴ tn Heb “and know that concerning all these God will bring you into judgment.” The point is not that following one’s impulses and desires is inherently bad and will bring condemnation from God. Rather the point seems to be: As you follow your impulses and desires, realize that all you think and do will eventually be evaluated by God. So one must seek joy within the boundaries of God’s moral standards.

[96:13]  ⁵ tn The verbal forms in v. 13 probably describe God’s typical, characteristic behavior, though they may depict in dramatic fashion the outworking of divine judgment or anticipate a future judgment of worldwide proportions, in which case they could be translated “will judge the world.”

[96:13]  ⁶ tn Heb “and the nations with his integrity.”

[12:36]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:31]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:32]  ⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:33]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:37]  ¹¹ tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[25:38]  ¹² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:39]  ¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:40]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:40]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[25:40]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.

[25:41]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:44]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[25:45]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[25:45]  ²⁰ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[12:1]  ²¹ tn The phrase ἐν οἷς (en Jois) can be translated “meanwhile.”

[12:1]  ²² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:1]  ²³ tn According to L&N 27.59, “to pay attention to, to keep on the lookout for, to be alert for, to be on your guard against.” This is another Lukan present imperative calling for constant vigilance.

[12:1]  ²⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 5:17.

[12:1]  ²⁵ sn The pursuit of popularity can lead to hypocrisy, if one is not careful.

[12:2]  ²⁶ tn Or “concealed.”

[12:2]  ²⁷ sn I.e., be revealed by God. The passive voice verbs here (“be revealed,” be made known”) see the revelation as coming from God. The text is both a warning about bad things being revealed and an encouragement that good things will be made known, though the stress with the images of darkness and what is hidden in vv. 2-3 is on the attempt to conceal.

[5:29]  ²⁸ tn Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”

[17:30]  ²⁹ tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.”

[17:30]  ³⁰ tn Or “times when people did not know.”

[17:30]  ³¹ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[17:30]  ³² sn He now commands all people everywhere to repent. God was now asking all mankind to turn to him. No nation or race was excluded.

[17:31]  ³³ tn Or “fixed.”

[17:31]  ³⁴ sn The world refers to the whole inhabited earth.

[17:31]  ³⁵ tn Or “appointed.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “of persons appoint, designate, declare: God judges the world ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν through a man whom he has appointed Ac 17:31.”

[17:31]  ³⁶ tn The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") indicates means here.

[2:16]  ³⁷ tn The form of the Greek word is either present or future, but it is best to translate in future because of the context of future judgment.

[2:16]  ³⁸ tn Grk “of people.”

[2:16]  ³⁹ sn On my gospel cf. Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8.

[14:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “But why do you judge your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “weak” Christian who eats only vegetables (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “Or again, why do you despise your brother?” The introductory phrase has been supplied in the translation to clarify whom Paul is addressing, i.e., the “strong” Christian who eats everything (see vv. 2-3). The author uses the singular pronoun here to rhetorically address one person, but the plural has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[14:10]  ⁴² sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.

[14:11]  ⁴³ sn A quotation from Isa 45:23.

[14:12]  ⁴⁴ tc ‡ The words “to God” are absent from some mss (B F G 6 630 1739 1881 pc) but are found in א A C D Ψ 0209 33 Ï lat sy co. External evidence somewhat favors their inclusion since Alexandrian, Western, and Byzantine mss are well represented. From an internal standpoint, however, it is easy to see the words as a scribal gloss intended to clarify the referent, especially as a reinforcement to the quotation of Isa 45:23 in v. 11. Not only that, but the abrupt ending of the verse without “to God” is harsh, both in Greek and in English. In this instance, the internal considerations seem overwhelming on the side of the omission. At the same time, English stylistic needs require the words and they have been put into the translation, even though they are most likely not original. NA²⁷ places the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

[14:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “over opinions.” The qualifier “differing” has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

[4:5]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “walk.” The verb περιπατέω (peripatew) is a common NT idiom for one’s lifestyle, behavior, or manner of conduct (L&N 41.11).

[1:10]  ⁴⁷ tn The infinitive περιπατῆσαι (peripathsai, “to walk, to live, to live one’s life”) is best taken as an infinitive of purpose related to “praying” (προσευχόμενοι, proseucomenoi) and “asking” (αἰτούμενοι, aitoumenoi) in v. 9 and is thus translated as “that you may live.”

[1:10]  ⁴⁸ tn BDAG 129 s.v. ἀρεσκεία states that ἀρεσκείαν (areskeian) refers to a “desire to please εἰς πᾶσαν ἀ. to please (the Lord) in all respects Col 1:10.”

[20:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:11]  ⁵⁰ tn Traditionally, “great,” but μέγας (megas) here refers to size rather than importance.

[20:11]  ⁵¹ tn Or “and the sky.” The same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky,” and context usually determines which is meant. In this apocalyptic scene, however, it is difficult to be sure what referent to assign the term.

[20:11]  ⁵² tn Or “vanished.”

[20:12]  ⁵³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[20:12]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “another book was opened, which is of life.”

[20:12]  ⁵⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the books being opened.

[20:12]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “from the things written in the books according to their works.”

[20:13]  ⁵⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:13]  ⁵⁸ sn Here Death is personified (cf. 1 Cor 15:55).

[20:14]  ⁵⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[20:15]  ⁶⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[20:15]  ⁶¹ tn The word “name” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[20:15]  ⁶² tn Grk “he”; the pronoun has been intensified by translating as “that person.”