Isaiah 35:10

35:10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way. ¹ 

They will enter Zion with a happy shout.

Unending joy will crown them, ² 

happiness and joy will overwhelm ³  them;

grief and suffering will disappear. ⁴ 

Isaiah 44:23

44:23 Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes; ⁵ 

shout out, you subterranean regions ⁶  of the earth.

O mountains, give a joyful shout;

you too, O forest and all your trees! ⁷ 

For the Lord protects ⁸  Jacob;

he reveals his splendor through Israel. ⁹ 

Isaiah 48:20

48:20 Leave Babylon!

Flee from the Babylonians!

Announce it with a shout of joy!

Make this known!

Proclaim it throughout the earth! ¹⁰ 

Say, ‘The Lord protects ¹¹  his servant Jacob.

Isaiah 49:13

49:13 Shout for joy, O sky! ¹² 

Rejoice, O earth!

Let the mountains give a joyful shout!

For the Lord consoles his people

and shows compassion to the ¹³  oppressed.

Jeremiah 30:18-19

The Lord Will Restore Israel and Judah

30:18 The Lord says,

“I will restore the ruined houses of the descendants of Jacob.

I will show compassion on their ruined homes. ¹⁴ 

Every city will be rebuilt on its former ruins. ¹⁵ 

Every fortified dwelling will occupy its traditional site. ¹⁶ 

30:19 Out of those places you will hear songs of thanksgiving ¹⁷ 

and the sounds of laughter and merriment.

I will increase their number and they will not dwindle away. ¹⁸ 

I will bring them honor and they will no longer be despised.

Jeremiah 31:11-12

31:11 For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob.

He will secure their release ¹⁹  from those who had overpowered them. ²⁰ 

31:12 They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion.

They will be radiant with joy ²¹  over the good things the Lord provides,

the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil,

the young sheep and calves he has given to them.

They will be like a well-watered garden

and will not grow faint or weary any more.

Jeremiah 33:11

33:11 Once again there will be sounds ²²  of joy and gladness and the glad celebrations of brides and grooms. ²³  Once again people will bring their thank offerings to the temple of the Lord and will say, “Give thanks to the Lord who rules over all. For the Lord is good and his unfailing love lasts forever.” ²⁴  For I, the Lord, affirm ²⁵  that I will restore the land to what it was ²⁶  in days of old.’ ²⁷ 

Acts 2:41-47

2:41 So those who accepted ²⁸  his message ²⁹  were baptized, and that day about three thousand people ³⁰  were added. ³¹ 

The Fellowship of the Early Believers

2:42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, ³²  to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ³³  2:43 Reverential awe ³⁴  came over everyone, ³⁵  and many wonders and miraculous signs ³⁶  came about by the apostles. 2:44 All who believed were together and held ³⁷  everything in common, 2:45 and they began selling ³⁸  their property ³⁹  and possessions and distributing the proceeds ⁴⁰  to everyone, as anyone had need. 2:46 Every day ⁴¹  they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, ⁴²  breaking bread from ⁴³  house to house, sharing their food with glad ⁴⁴  and humble hearts, ⁴⁵  2:47 praising God and having the good will ⁴⁶  of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day ⁴⁷  those who were being saved.

Revelation 5:9-13

5:9 They were singing a new song: ⁴⁸ 

“You are worthy to take the scroll

and to open its seals

because you were killed, ⁴⁹ 

and at the cost of your own blood ⁵⁰  you have purchased ⁵¹  for God

persons ⁵²  from every tribe, language, ⁵³  people, and nation.

5:10 You have appointed ⁵⁴  them ⁵⁵  as a kingdom and priests ⁵⁶  to serve ⁵⁷  our God, and they will reign ⁵⁸  on the earth.”

5:11 Then ⁵⁹  I looked and heard the voice of many angels in a circle around the throne, as well as the living creatures and the elders. Their ⁶⁰  number was ten thousand times ten thousand ⁶¹  – thousands times thousands – 5:12 all of whom ⁶²  were singing ⁶³  in a loud voice:

“Worthy is the lamb who was killed ⁶⁴ 

to receive power and wealth

and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and praise!”

5:13 Then ⁶⁵  I heard every creature – in heaven, on earth, under the earth, in the sea, and all that is in them – singing: ⁶⁶ 

“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb

be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power ⁶⁷  forever and ever!”

Revelation 7:9-10

7:9 After these things I looked, and here was ⁶⁸  an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, ⁶⁹  people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. 7:10 They were shouting out in a loud voice,

“Salvation belongs to our God, ⁷⁰ 

to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Revelation 14:1-4

An Interlude: The Song of the 144,000

14:1 Then ⁷¹  I looked, and here was ⁷²  the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were one hundred and forty-four thousand, who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 14:2 I also heard a sound ⁷³  coming out of heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. Now ⁷⁴  the sound I heard was like that made by harpists playing their harps, 14:3 and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No ⁷⁵  one was able to learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth.

14:4 These are the ones who have not defiled themselves ⁷⁶  with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from humanity as firstfruits to God and to the Lamb,

Revelation 19:1-7

19:1 After these things I heard what sounded like the loud voice of a vast throng in heaven, saying,

“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,

19:2 because his judgments are true and just. ⁷⁷ 

For he has judged ⁷⁸  the great prostitute

who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality,

and has avenged the blood of his servants ⁷⁹  poured out by her own hands!” ⁸⁰ 

19:3 Then ⁸¹  a second time the crowd shouted, “Hallelujah!” The smoke rises from her forever and ever. ⁸²  19:4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures threw themselves to the ground ⁸³  and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne, saying: “Amen! Hallelujah!”

19:5 Then ⁸⁴  a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God

all you his servants,

and all you who fear Him,

both the small and the great!”

The Wedding Celebration of the Lamb

19:6 Then ⁸⁵  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: ⁸⁶ 

“Hallelujah!

For the Lord our God, ⁸⁷  the All-Powerful, ⁸⁸  reigns!

19:7 Let us rejoice ⁸⁹  and exult

and give him glory,

because the wedding celebration of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready.

[35:10]  ¹ tn Heb “and the redeemed will walk, the ransomed of the Lord will return.”

[35:10]  ² tn Heb “[will be] on their head[s].” “Joy” may be likened here to a crown (cf. 2 Sam 1:10). The statement may also be an ironic twist on the idiom “earth/dust on the head” (cf. 2 Sam 1:2; 13:19; 15:32; Job 2:12), referring to a mourning practice.

[35:10]  ³ tn Heb “will overtake” (NIV); NLT “they will be overcome with.”

[35:10]  ⁴ tn Heb “grief and groaning will flee”; KJV “sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

[44:23]  ⁵ tn Heb “acts”; NASB, NRSV “has done it”; NLT “has done this wondrous thing.”

[44:23]  ⁶ tn Heb “lower regions.” This refers to Sheol and forms a merism with “sky” in the previous line. See Pss 63:9; 71:20.

[44:23]  ⁷ tn Heb “O forest and all the trees in it”; NASB, NRSV “and every tree in it.”

[44:23]  ⁸ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[44:23]  ⁹ tn That is, by delivering Israel. Cf. NCV “showed his glory when he saved Israel”; TEV “has shown his greatness by saving his people Israel.”

[48:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “to the end of the earth” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV).

[48:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “redeems.” See the note at 41:14.

[49:13]  ¹³ tn Or “O heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heavens” or “sky” depending on the context.

[49:13]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “his” (so KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[30:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “I will restore the fortunes of the tents of Jacob and will have compassion on his habitations.” For the meaning of the idiom “restore the fortunes of” see the translator’s note on 29:14. The “tents of Jacob” refers to their homes or houses (see BDB 14 s.v. אֹהֶל 2 and compare usage in Judg 19:9; Mal 2:12). The word “ruined” has been supplied in the translation to show more clearly the idea of restoration of their houses on their former sites in conformity to the concepts in the latter half of the verse.

[30:18]  ¹⁸ sn Heb “on its tel.” A tel is a site where successive layers of occupation are built upon one another after the destruction or decay of the former city. The original site was not abandoned because it had been chosen for strategic purposes, such as proximity to water or ease of defense. Many modern archaeological sites have the designation “Tel” as a component of their name because of this practice.

[30:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “according to its custom [or plan].” Cf. BDB 1049 s.v. מִשְׁפָּט 6.d and compare usage in 1 Sam 27:11.

[30:19]  ²¹ tn Heb “Out of them will come thanksgiving and a sound of those who are playful.”

[30:19]  ²² sn Compare Jer 29:6.

[31:11]  ²⁵ sn Two rather theologically significant metaphors are used in this verse. The Hebrew word translated “will set…free” is a word used in the legal sphere for paying a redemption price to secure the freedom of a person or thing (see, e.g., Exod 13:13, 15). It is used metaphorically and theologically to refer to Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deut 15:15; Mic 6:4) and its deliverance from Babylonian exile (Isa 35:10). The word translated “secure their release” is a word used in the sphere of family responsibility where a person paid the price to free an indentured relative (Lev 25:48, 49) or paid the price to restore a relative’s property seized to pay a debt (Lev 25:25, 33). This word, too, was used to refer metaphorically and theologically to Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Exod 6:6) or release from Babylonian exile (Isa 43:1-4; 44:22). These words are traditionally translated “ransom” and “redeem” and are a part of traditional Jewish and Christian vocabulary for physical and spiritual deliverance.

[31:11]  ²⁶ tn Heb “from the hand/power of the one too strong for him.”

[31:12]  ²⁹ tn Reading a Qal perfect from the root II נָהַר (nahar; so KBL 509 s.v. and HALOT 639 s.v.) rather than I נָהַר (so BDB 625 s.v.).

[33:11]  ³³ tn Heb “33:10 Thus says the Lord, ‘There will again be heard in this place of which you are saying [masc. pl.], “It is a ruin without people and without animals,” [that is] in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem which are desolate without people and without inhabitants and without animals 33:11 the sound of….” The long run-on sentence in Hebrew has been broken down to better conform with contemporary English style.

[33:11]  ³⁴ sn What is predicted here is a reversal of the decimation caused by the Babylonian conquest that had been threatened in 7:34; 16:9; 25:10.

[33:11]  ³⁵ sn This is a common hymnic introduction to both individual songs of thanksgiving (e.g., Ps 118:1) and communal songs of thanksgiving (e.g., Ps 136 where it is a liturgical refrain accompanying a recital of Israel’s early history and of the Lord’s continuing providence).

[33:11]  ³⁶ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[33:11]  ³⁷ tn Or “I will restore the fortunes of the land.”

[33:11]  ³⁸ tn This phrase simply means “as formerly” (BDB 911 s.v. רִאשׁוֹן 3.a). The reference to the “as formerly” must be established from the context. See the usage in Judg 20:32; 1 Kgs 13:6; Isa 1:26.

[2:41]  ³⁷ tn Or “who acknowledged the truth of.”

[2:41]  ³⁸ tn Grk “word.”

[2:41]  ³⁹ tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).

[2:41]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “were won over.”

[2:42]  ⁴¹ sn Fellowship refers here to close association involving mutual involvement and relationships.

[2:42]  ⁴² tn Grk “prayers.” This word was translated as a collective singular in keeping with English style.

[2:43]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “Fear.”

[2:43]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “on every soul” (here “soul” is an idiom for the whole person).

[2:43]  ⁴⁷ tn In this context the miraculous nature of these signs is implied. Cf. BDAG 920 s.v. σημεῖον 2.a.

[2:44]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “had.”

[2:45]  ⁵³ tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive (“began…”). Since in context this is a description of the beginning of the community of believers, it is more likely that these statements refer to the start of various activities and practices that the early church continued for some time.

[2:45]  ⁵⁴ tn It is possible that the first term for property (κτήματα, kthmata) refers to real estate (as later usage seems to indicate) while the second term (ὑπάρξεις, Juparxeis) refers to possessions in general, but it may also be that the two terms are used together for emphasis, simply indicating that all kinds of possessions were being sold. However, if the first term is more specifically a reference to real estate, it foreshadows the incident with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11.

[2:45]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “distributing them” (αὐτά, auta). The referent (the proceeds of the sales) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:46]  ⁵⁷ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[2:46]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “in the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

[2:46]  ⁵⁹ tn Here κατά (kata) is used as a distributive (BDAG 512 s.v. B.1.d).

[2:46]  ⁶⁰ sn The term glad (Grk “gladness”) often refers to joy brought about by God’s saving acts (Luke 1:14, 44; also the related verb in 1:47; 10:21).

[2:46]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “with gladness and humbleness of hearts.” It is best to understand καρδίας (kardias) as an attributed genitive, with the two nouns it modifies actually listing attributes of the genitive noun which is related to them.

[2:47]  ⁶¹ tn Or “the favor.”

[2:47]  ⁶² tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[5:9]  ⁶⁵ tn The redundant participle λέγοντες (legontes) has not been translated here.

[5:9]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”

[5:9]  ⁶⁷ tn The preposition ἐν (en) is taken to indicate price here, like the Hebrew preposition ב (bet) does at times. BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 5.b states, “The ἐν which takes the place of the gen. of price is also instrumental ἠγόρασας ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου Rv 5:9 (cp. 1 Ch 21:24 ἀγοράζω ἐν ἀργυρίῳ).”

[5:9]  ⁶⁸ tc The Greek text as it stands above (i.e., the reading τῷ θεῷ [tw qew] alone) is found in codex A. א 2050 2344 Ï sy add the term “us” (ἡμᾶς, Jhmas), either before or after τῷ θεῷ, as an attempt to clarify the object of “purchased” (ἠγόρασας, hgorasa"). A few mss (1 vg^ms) delete the reference to God altogether and simply replace it with “us” (ἡμᾶς). This too is an attempt to remove ambiguity in the phrase and provide an object for “purchased.” The shorter reading, supported by the best witness for Revelation, best accounts for the other readings.

[5:9]  ⁶⁹ tn The word “persons” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[5:9]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “and language,” 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.

[5:10]  ⁶⁹ tn The verb ἐποίησας (epoihsas) is understood to mean “appointed” here. For an example of this use, see Mark 3:14.

[5:10]  ⁷⁰ tc The vast majority of witnesses have αὐτούς (autous, “them”) here, while the Textus Receptus reads ἡμᾶς (Jhmas, “us”) with insignificant support (pc gig vg^cl sa Prim Bea). There is no question that the original text read αὐτούς here.

[5:10]  ⁷¹ tn The reference to “kingdom and priests” may be a hendiadys: “priestly kingdom.”

[5:10]  ⁷² tn The words “to serve” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the word “priests.”

[5:10]  ⁷³ tc The textual problem here between the present tense βασιλεύουσιν (basileuousin, “they are reigning”; so A 1006 1611 Ï^K pc) and the future βασιλεύσουσιν (basileusousin, “they will reign”; so א 1854 2053 Ï^A pc lat co) is a difficult one. Both readings have excellent support. On the one hand, the present tense seems to be the harder reading in this context. On the other hand, codex A elsewhere mistakes the future for the present (20:6). Further, the lunar sigma in uncial script could have been overlooked by some scribes, resulting in the present tense. All things considered, there is a slight preference for the future.

[5:11]  ⁷³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[5:11]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “elders, and the number of them was.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[5:11]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “myriads of myriads.” Although μυριάς (murias) literally means “10,000,” the point of the combination here may simply be to indicate an incalculably huge number. See L&N 60.9.

[5:12]  ⁷⁷ tn The words “all of whom” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to indicate the resumption of the phrase “the voice of many angels” at the beginning of the verse.

[5:12]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “saying.”

[5:12]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “slaughtered”; traditionally, “slain.”

[5:13]  ⁸¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

[5:13]  ⁸² tn Grk “saying.”

[5:13]  ⁸³ tn Or “dominion.”

[7:9]  ⁸⁵ tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

[7:9]  ⁸⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[7:10]  ⁸⁹ tn The dative here has been translated as a dative of possession.

[14:1]  ⁹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[14:1]  ⁹⁴ tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

[14:2]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “a voice” (cf. Rev 1:15), but since in this context nothing is mentioned as the content of the voice, it is preferable to translate φωνή (fwnh) as “sound” here.

[14:2]  ⁹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new topic.

[14:3]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “elders, and no one.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but because of the length and complexity of the sentence a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[14:4]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The aorist passive verb is rendered as a reflexive (“defiled themselves”) by BDAG 657 s.v. μολύνω 2.

[19:2]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Compare the similar phrase in Rev 16:7.

[19:2]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “has punished.” See BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α, describing the OT background which involves both the vindication of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty.

[19:2]  ¹¹¹ tn See the note on the word “servants” in 1:1.

[19:2]  ¹¹² tn Grk “from her hand” (referring to her responsibility in causing the blood of God’s followers to be shed).

[19:3]  ¹¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[19:3]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “her smoke ascends forever and ever.”

[19:4]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “creatures fell down.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[19:5]  ¹²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[19:6]  ¹²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

[19:6]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ 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]  ¹²⁸ 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]  ¹²⁹ tn This verb and the next two verbs are hortatory subjunctives (giving exhortations).