Isaiah 26:20-21

26:20 Go, my people! Enter your inner rooms!

Close your doors behind you!

Hide for a little while,

until his angry judgment is over! ¹ 

26:21 For look, the Lord is coming out of the place where he lives, ² 

to punish the sin of those who live on the earth.

The earth will display the blood shed on it;

it will no longer cover up its slain. ³ 

Ecclesiastes 8:12

8:12 Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes ⁴  and still live a long time, ⁵ 

yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people ⁶  – for they stand in fear ⁷  before him.

Jeremiah 15:11

15:11 The Lord said,

“Jerusalem, ⁸  I will surely send you away for your own good.

I will surely ⁹  bring the enemy upon you in a time of trouble and distress.

Ezekiel 9:4

9:4 The Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem ¹⁰  and put a mark ¹¹  on the foreheads of the people who moan and groan over all the abominations practiced in it.”

Ezekiel 18:9-19

18:9 and follows my statutes and observes my regulations by carrying them out. ¹²  That man ¹³  is righteous; he will certainly live, ¹⁴  declares the sovereign Lord.

18:10 “Suppose such a man has ¹⁵  a violent son who sheds blood and does any of these things ¹⁶  mentioned previously 18:11 (though the father did not do any of them). ¹⁷  He eats pagan sacrifices on the mountains, ¹⁸  defiles his neighbor’s wife, 18:12 oppresses the poor and the needy, ¹⁹  commits robbery, does not give back what was given in pledge, prays to ²⁰  idols, performs abominable acts, 18:13 engages in usury and charges interest. Will he live? He will not! Because he has done all these abominable deeds he will certainly die. ²¹  He will bear the responsibility for his own death. ²² 

18:14 “But suppose he in turn has a son who notices all the sins his father commits, considers them, and does not follow his father’s example. ²³  18:15 He does not eat pagan sacrifices on the mountains, does not pray to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, 18:16 does not oppress anyone or keep what has been given in pledge, does not commit robbery, gives his food to the hungry, and clothes the naked, 18:17 refrains from wrongdoing, ²⁴  does not engage in usury or charge interest, carries out my regulations and follows my statutes. He will not die for his father’s iniquity; ²⁵  he will surely live. 18:18 As for his father, because he practices extortion, robs his brother, and does what is not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity.

18:19 “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not suffer ²⁶  for his father’s iniquity?’ When the son does what is just and right, and observes all my statutes and carries them out, he will surely live.

Zephaniah 2:3

2:3 Seek the Lord’s favor, ²⁷  all you humble people ²⁸  of the land who have obeyed his commands! ²⁹ 

Strive to do what is right! ³⁰  Strive to be humble! ³¹ 

Maybe you will be protected ³²  on the day of the Lord’s angry judgment.

Malachi 3:18

3:18 Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between ³³  the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.

Romans 2:5-11

2:5 But because of your stubbornness ³⁴  and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! ³⁵  2:6 He ³⁶  will reward ³⁷  each one according to his works: ³⁸  2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, 2:8 but ³⁹  wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition ⁴⁰  and do not obey the truth but follow ⁴¹  unrighteousness. 2:9 There will be ⁴²  affliction and distress on everyone ⁴³  who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, ⁴⁴  2:10 but ⁴⁵  glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek. 2:11 For there is no partiality with God.

[26:20]  ¹ tn Heb “until anger passes by.”

[26:21]  ² tn Heb “out of his place” (so KJV, ASV).

[26:21]  ³ sn This implies that rampant bloodshed is one of the reasons for divine judgment. See the note at 24:5.

[8:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “does evil one hundred [times].”

[8:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “and prolongs his [life].”

[8:12]  ⁶ tn Heb “those who fear God.”

[8:12]  ⁷ tn Heb “they fear.”

[15:11]  ⁸ tn The word “Jerusalem” is not in the text. It is supplied in the translation for clarity to identify the referent of “you.” A comparison of three or four English versions will show how difficult this verse is to interpret. The primary difficulty is with the meaning of the verb rendered here as “I will surely send you out [שֵׁרִותִךָ, sherivtikha].” The text and the meaning of the word are debated (for a rather full discussion see W. L. Holladay, Jeremiah [Hermeneia], 1:446-47, n. b-b). Tied up with that is the meaning of the verb in the second line and the identification of who the speaker and addressee are. One of two approaches are usually followed. Some follow the Greek version which has Jeremiah speaking and supporting his complaint that he has been faithful. In this case the word “said” is left out, the difficult verb is taken to mean “I have served you” (שֵׁרַתִּיךָ [sheratikha] from שָׁרַת [sharat; BDB 1058 s.v. שָׁרַת]) and the parallel verb means “I have made intercession for my enemies.” The second tack is to suppose that God is speaking and is promising Jeremiah deliverance from his detractors. In this case the troublesome word is taken to mean “deliver” (cf. BDB 1056 s.v. I שָׁרָה), “strengthen” (see BDB’s discussion) or read as a noun “remnant” (שֵׁרִיתְךָ = שְׁאֵרִיתְךָ [sheritekha = shÿ’eritekha]; again see BDB’s discussion). In this case the parallel verb is taken to mean “I will cause your enemies to entreat you,” a meaning it has nowhere else. Both of these approaches are probably wrong. The Greek text is the only evidence for leaving out “said.” The problem with making Jeremiah the addressee is twofold. First, the word “enemy” is never used in the book of Jeremiah’s foes, always of political enemies. Second, and more troublesome, one must assume a shift in the addressee between v. 11 and vv.13-14 or assume that the whole is addressed. The latter would be odd if he is promised deliverance from his detractors only to be delivered to captivity. If, however, one assumes that the whole is addressed to Jerusalem, there is no such problem. A check of earlier chapters will show that the second masculine pronoun is used for Judah/Jerusalem in 2:28-29; 4:1-2; 5:17-18; 11:13. In 2:28-28 and 4:1-2 the same shift from second singular to second plural takes place as does here in vv. 13-14. Moreover, vv. 13-14 continue much of the same vocabulary and is addressed to Jerusalem. The approach followed here is similar to that taken in REB except “for good” is taken in the way it is always used rather to mean “utterly.” The nuance suggested by BDB 1056 s.v. I שָׁרָה is assumed and the meaning of the parallel verb is assumed to be similar to that in Isa 53:6 (see BDB 803 s.v. פָּגַע Hiph.1). The MT is retained with demonstrable meanings. For the concept of “for good” see Jer 24:5-6. This assumes that the ultimate goal of God’s discipline is here announced.

[15:11]  ⁹ tn “Surely” represents a construct in Hebrew that indicates a strong oath of affirmation. Cf. BDB 50 s.v. אִם 1.b(2) and compare usage in 2 Kgs 9:26.

[9:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem.”

[9:4]  ¹¹ tn The word translated “mark” is in Hebrew the letter ת (tav). Outside this context the only other occurrence of the word is in Job 31:35. In ancient Hebrew script this letter was written like the letter X.

[18:9]  ¹² tc The MT reads לַעֲשׂוֹת אֱמֶת (la’asot ’emet, “to do with integrity”), while the LXX reads “to do them,” presupposing לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתָם (la’asot ’otam). The ם (mem) and ת (tav) have been reversed in the MT. The LXX refelcts the original, supported by similar phrasing in Ezekiel 11:20; 20:19.

[18:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “he.”

[18:9]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “living, he will live.” The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verb for emphasis.

[18:10]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “begets.”

[18:10]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he does, a brother, from one of these.” If “brother” is retained, it may be an adverbial accusative, “against a brother” (i.e., fellow Israelite). But the form is likely dittographic (note the אח [aleph-heth] combination in the following form).

[18:11]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and he all of these did not do.” The parenthetical note refers back to the father described in the preceding verses.

[18:11]  ¹⁸ sn See note on “mountains” in v. 6.

[18:12]  ¹⁹ sn The poor and needy are often mentioned together in the OT (Deut 24:14; Jer 22:16; Ezek 14:69; Ps 12:6; 35:10; 37:14).

[18:12]  ²⁰ tn Heb “lifts up his eyes.”

[18:13]  ²¹ tn Heb “be put to death.” The translation follows an alternative reading that appears in several ancient textual witnesses.

[18:13]  ²² tn Heb “his blood will be upon him.”

[18:14]  ²³ tn Heb “and he sees and does not do likewise.”

[18:17]  ²⁴ tc This translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “restrains his hand from the poor,” which makes no sense here.

[18:17]  ²⁵ tn Or “in his father’s punishment.” The phrase “in/for [a person’s] iniquity/punishment” occurs fourteen times in Ezekiel: here and in vv. 18, 19, 20; 3:18, 19; 4:17; 7:13, 16; 24:23; 33:6, 8, 9; 39:23. The Hebrew word for “iniquity” may also mean the “punishment for iniquity.”

[18:19]  ²⁶ tn Heb “lift up, bear.”

[2:3]  ²⁷ tn Heb “seek the Lord,” but “favor” seems to be implied from the final line of the verse.

[2:3]  ²⁸ tn Or “poor.” The precise referent of this Hebrew term is unclear. The word may refer to the economically poor or to the spiritually humble.

[2:3]  ²⁹ tn The present translation assumes the Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) here refers to God’s covenantal requirements and is a synonym for the Law. The word can mean “justice” and could refer more specifically to the principles of justice contained in the Law. In this case the phrase could be translated, “who have promoted the justice God demands.”

[2:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “Seek what is right.”

[2:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “Seek humility.”

[2:3]  ³² tn Heb “hidden.” Cf. NEB “it may be that you will find shelter”; NRSV “perhaps you may be hidden.”

[3:18]  ³³ tn Heb “you will see between.” Cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT “see the difference.”

[2:5]  ³⁴ tn Grk “hardness.” Concerning this imagery, see Jer 4:4; Ezek 3:7; 1 En. 16:3.

[2:5]  ³⁵ tn Grk “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”

[2:6]  ³⁶ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:6]  ³⁷ tn Or “will render,” “will recompense.” In this context Paul is setting up a hypothetical situation, not stating that salvation is by works.

[2:6]  ³⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 62:12; Prov 24:12; a close approximation to Matt 16:27.

[2:8]  ³⁹ tn This contrast is clearer and stronger in Greek than can be easily expressed in English.

[2:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “those who [are] from selfish ambition.”

[2:8]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “are persuaded by, obey.”

[2:9]  ⁴² tn No verb is expressed in this verse, but the verb “to be” is implied by the Greek construction. Literally “suffering and distress on everyone…”

[2:9]  ⁴³ tn Grk “every soul of man.”

[2:9]  ⁴⁴ sn Paul uses the term Greek here and in v. 10 to refer to non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.

[2:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “but even,” to emphasize the contrast. The second word has been omitted since it is somewhat redundant in English idiom.