Job 31:15-23

31:15 Did not the one who made me in the womb make them? ¹ 

Did not the same one form us in the womb?

31:16 If I have refused to give the poor what they desired, ² 

or caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

31:17 If I ate my morsel of bread myself,

and did not share any of it with orphans ³  –

31:18 but from my youth I raised the orphan ⁴  like a father,

and from my mother’s womb ⁵ 

I guided the widow! ⁶ 

31:19 If I have seen anyone about to perish for lack of clothing,

or a poor man without a coat,

31:20 whose heart did not bless me ⁷ 

as he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep, ⁸ 

31:21 if I have raised my hand ⁹  to vote against the orphan,

when I saw my support in the court, ¹⁰ 

31:22 then ¹¹  let my arm fall from the shoulder, ¹² 

let my arm be broken off at the socket. ¹³ 

31:23 For the calamity from God was a terror to me, ¹⁴ 

and by reason of his majesty ¹⁵  I was powerless.

Isaiah 58:7

58:7 I want you ¹⁶  to share your food with the hungry

and to provide shelter for homeless, oppressed people. ¹⁷ 

When you see someone naked, clothe him!

Don’t turn your back on your own flesh and blood! ¹⁸ 

Matthew 25:35-45

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, ¹⁹  ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When ²⁰  did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When ²¹  did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, ²²  ‘I tell you the truth, ²³  just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters ²⁴  of mine, you did it for me.’

25:41 “Then he will say ²⁵  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, ²⁶  ‘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, ²⁷  ‘I tell you the truth, ²⁸  just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’

Acts 9:39

9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and ²⁹  when he arrived ³⁰  they brought him to the upper room. All ³¹  the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him ³²  the tunics ³³  and other clothing ³⁴  Dorcas used to make ³⁵  while she was with them.

Acts 9:1

The Conversion of Saul

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ³⁶  to murder ³⁷  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest

Acts 5:10

5:10 At once ³⁸  she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

James 2:15-16

2:15 If a brother or sister ³⁹  is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, 2:16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, ⁴⁰  what good is it?

James 2:1

Prejudice and the Law of Love

2:1 My brothers and sisters, ⁴¹  do not show prejudice ⁴²  if you possess faith ⁴³  in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴⁴ 

James 3:17-18

3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, ⁴⁵  full of mercy and good fruit, ⁴⁶  impartial, and not hypocritical. ⁴⁷  3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness ⁴⁸  is planted ⁴⁹  in peace among ⁵⁰  those who make peace.

[31:15]  ¹ tn Heb “him,” but the plural pronoun has been used in the translation to indicate that the referent is the servants mentioned in v. 13 (since the previous “him” in v. 14 refers to God).

[31:16]  ² tn Heb “kept the poor from [their] desire.”

[31:17]  ³ tn Heb “and an orphan did not eat from it.”

[31:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “he grew up with me.” Several commentators have decided to change the pronoun to “I,” and make it causative.

[31:18]  ⁵ tn The expression “from my mother’s womb” is obviously hyperbolic. It is a way of saying “all his life.”

[31:18]  ⁶ tn Heb “I guided her,” referring to the widow mentioned in v. 16.

[31:20]  ⁷ tn The MT has simply “if his loins did not bless me.” In the conditional clause this is another protasis. It means, “if I saw someone dying and if he did not thank me for clothing them.” It is Job’s way of saying that whenever he saw a need he met it, and he received his share of thanks – which prove his kindness. G. R. Driver has it “without his loins having blessed me,” taking “If…not” as an Aramaism, meaning “except” (AJSL 52 [1935/36]: 164f.).

[31:20]  ⁸ tn This clause is interpreted here as a subordinate clause to the first half of the verse. It could also be a separate clause: “was he not warmed…?”

[31:21]  ⁹ tn The expression “raised my hand” refers to a threatening manner or gesture in the court rather than a threat of physical violence in the street. Thus the words “to vote” are supplied in the translation to indicate the setting.

[31:21]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “gate,” referring to the city gate where judicial decisions were rendered in the culture of the time. The translation uses the word “court” to indicate this to the modern reader, who might not associate a city gate complex with judicial functions.

[31:22]  ¹¹ sn Here is the apodosis, the imprecation Job pronounces on himself if he has done any of these things just listed.

[31:22]  ¹² tn The point is that if he has raised his arm against the oppressed it should be ripped off at the joint. The MT has “let fall my shoulder [כְּתֵפִי, kÿtefi] from the nape of the neck [or shoulder blade (מִשִּׁכְמָה, mishikhmah)].”

[31:22]  ¹³ tn The word קָנֶה (qaneh) is “reed; shaft; beam,” and here “shoulder joint.” All the commentaries try to explain how “reed” became “socket; joint.” This is the only place that it is used in such a sense. Whatever the exact explanation – and there seems to be no convincing view – the point of the verse is nonetheless clear.

[31:23]  ¹⁴ tc The LXX has “For the terror of God restrained me.” Several commentators changed it to “came upon me.” Driver had “The fear of God was burdensome.” I. Eitan suggested “The terror of God was mighty upon me” (“Two unknown verbs: etymological studies,” JBL 42 [1923]: 22-28). But the MT makes clear sense as it stands.

[31:23]  ¹⁵ tn The form is וּמִשְּׂאֵתוֹ (umissÿ’eto); the preposition is causal. The form, from the verb נָשָׂא (nasa’, “to raise; to lift high”), refers to God’s exalted person, his majesty (see Job 13:11).

[58:7]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “Is it not?” The rhetorical question here expects a positive answer, “It is!”

[58:7]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “and afflicted [ones], homeless [ones] you should bring [into] a house.” On the meaning of מְרוּדִים (mÿrudim, “homeless”) see HALOT 633 s.v. *מָרוּד.

[58:7]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and from your flesh do not hide yourself.”

[25:37]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[25:38]  ²⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:39]  ²¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:40]  ²² tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:40]  ²³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[25:40]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:44]  ²⁶ tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[25:45]  ²⁷ tn Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[25:45]  ²⁸ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[9:39]  ²⁹ tn Grk “who.” The relative clause makes for awkward English style here, so the following clause was made coordinate with the conjunction “and” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun.

[9:39]  ³⁰ tn The participle παραγενόμενον (paragenomenon) is taken temporally.

[9:39]  ³¹ tn Grk “and all.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:39]  ³² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[9:39]  ³³ tn Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

[9:39]  ³⁴ tn Grk “and garments,” referring here to other types of clothing besides the tunics just mentioned.

[9:39]  ³⁵ tn The verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a customary imperfect.

[9:1]  ³⁶ tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”

[9:1]  ³⁷ tn The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.

[5:10]  ³⁸ tn Grk “And at once.” 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.

[2:15]  ³⁹ tn It is important to note that the words ἀδελφός (adelfos) and ἀδελφή (adelfh) both occur in the Greek text at this point, confirming that the author intended to refer to both men and women. See the note on “someone” in 2:2.

[2:16]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “what is necessary for the body.”

[2:1]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:1]  ⁴² tn Or “partiality.”

[2:1]  ⁴³ tn Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.

[2:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[3:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”

[3:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”

[3:17]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “sincere.”

[3:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “the fruit of righteousness,” meaning righteous living as a fruit, as the thing produced.

[3:18]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “is sown.”

[3:18]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “for,” or possibly “by.”