Psalms 92:13-14

92:13 Planted in the Lord’s house,

they grow in the courts of our God.

92:14 They bear fruit even when they are old;

they are filled with vitality and have many leaves. ¹ 

Psalms 125:5

125:5 As for those who are bent on traveling a sinful path, ² 

may the Lord remove them, ³  along with those who behave wickedly! ⁴ 

May Israel experience peace! ⁵ 

Ezekiel 18:26

18:26 When a righteous person turns back from his righteousness and practices wrongdoing, he will die for it; ⁶  because of the wrongdoing he has done, he will die.

Hosea 6:3-4

6:3 So let us acknowledge him! ⁷ 

Let us seek ⁸  to acknowledge ⁹  the Lord!

He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn,

as certainly as the winter rain comes,

as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”

Transitory Faithfulness and Imminent Judgment

6:4 What am I going to do with you, O Ephraim?

What am I going to do with you, O Judah?

For ¹⁰  your faithfulness is as fleeting as the morning mist; ¹¹ 

it disappears as quickly as dawn’s dew! ¹² 

Zephaniah 1:6

1:6 and those who turn their backs on ¹³  the Lord

and do not want the Lord’s help or guidance.” ¹⁴ 

Matthew 24:13

24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁵ 

Luke 8:13-15

8:13 Those ¹⁶  on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, ¹⁷  but ¹⁸  in a time of testing ¹⁹  fall away. ²⁰  8:14 As for the seed that ²¹  fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but ²²  as they go on their way they are choked ²³  by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, ²⁴  and their fruit does not mature. ²⁵  8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing ²⁶  the word, cling to it ²⁷  with an honest and good ²⁸  heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. ²⁹ 

Luke 22:32

22:32 but I have prayed for you, Simon, ³⁰  that your faith may not fail. ³¹  When ³²  you have turned back, ³³  strengthen ³⁴  your brothers.”

John 8:30-32

8:30 While he was saying these things, many people ³⁵  believed in him.

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ³⁶  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ³⁷  you are really ³⁸  my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ³⁹ 

John 15:9-10

15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain ⁴⁰  in my love. 15:10 If you obey ⁴¹  my commandments, you will remain ⁴²  in my love, just as I have obeyed ⁴³  my Father’s commandments and remain ⁴⁴  in his love.

Acts 11:23

11:23 When ⁴⁵  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ⁴⁶  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ⁴⁷ 

Acts 14:22

14:22 They strengthened ⁴⁸  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ⁴⁹  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ⁵⁰  of God through many persecutions.” ⁵¹ 

Romans 2:7

2:7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality,

Galatians 4:11

4:11 I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain.

Galatians 5:7

5:7 You were running well; who prevented you from obeying ⁵²  the truth?

Galatians 6:9

6:9 So we must not grow weary ⁵³  in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. ⁵⁴ 

Galatians 6:1

Support One Another

6:1 Brothers and sisters, ⁵⁵  if a person ⁵⁶  is discovered in some sin, ⁵⁷  you who are spiritual ⁵⁸  restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. ⁵⁹  Pay close attention ⁶⁰  to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

Galatians 3:5

3:5 Does God then give ⁶¹  you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law ⁶²  or by your believing what you heard? ⁶³ 

Hebrews 3:6

3:6 But Christ ⁶⁴  is faithful as a son over God’s ⁶⁵  house. We are of his house, ⁶⁶  if in fact we hold firmly ⁶⁷  to our confidence and the hope we take pride in. ⁶⁸ 

Hebrews 3:14

3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence ⁶⁹  firm until the end.

Hebrews 4:14

Jesus Our Compassionate High Priest

4:14 Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession.

Hebrews 10:38

10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith, and if he shrinks back, I ⁷⁰  take no pleasure in him. ⁷¹ 

Hebrews 10:1

Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted

10:1 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. ⁷² 

Hebrews 1:5

The Son Is Superior to Angels

1:5 For to which of the angels did God ⁷³  ever say, “You are my son! Today I have fathered you”? ⁷⁴  And in another place ⁷⁵  he says, ⁷⁶  “I will be his father and he will be my son.” ⁷⁷ 

Hebrews 1:2

1:2 in these last days he has spoken to us in a son, ⁷⁸  whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he created the world. ⁷⁹ 

Hebrews 2:18

2:18 For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.

Hebrews 2:1

Warning Against Drifting Away

2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Hebrews 2:1

Warning Against Drifting Away

2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

Revelation 2:10

2:10 Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown ⁸⁰  into prison so you may be tested, ⁸¹  and you will experience suffering ⁸²  for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself. ⁸³ 

[92:14]  ¹ tn Heb “they are juicy and fresh.”

[125:5]  ² tn Heb “and the ones making their paths twisted.” A sinful lifestyle is compared to a twisting, winding road.

[125:5]  ³ tn Heb “lead them away.” The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer here (note the prayers directly before and after this). Another option is to translate, “the Lord will remove them” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[125:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “the workers of wickedness.”

[125:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “peace [be] upon Israel.” The statement is understood as a prayer (see Ps 122:8 for a similar prayer for peace).

[18:26]  ⁶ tn Heb “for them” or “because of them.”

[6:3]  ⁷ tn The object (“him”) is omitted in the Hebrew text, but supplied in the translation for clarity.

[6:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “let us pursue in order to know.” The Hebrew term רָדַף (radaf, “to pursue”) is used figuratively: “to aim to secure” (BDB 923 s.v. רָדַף 2). It describes the pursuit of a moral goal: “Do not pervert justice…nor accept a bribe…pursue [רָדַף] justice” (Deut 16:20); “those who pursue [רָדַף] righteousness and who seek [בָּקַשׁ, baqash] the Lord” (Isa 51:1); “He who pursues [רָדַף] righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor” (Prov 21:20); “Seek [בָּקַשׁ] peace and pursue [רָדַף] it” (Ps 34:15); “they slander me when I pursue [רָדַף] good” (Ps 38:21).

[6:3]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew infinitive construct with לְ (lamed) denotes purpose: “to know” (לָדַעַת, lada’at).

[6:4]  ¹⁰ tn The vav prefixed to וְחַסְדְּכֶם (vÿkhasdÿkhem, “your faithfulness”) functions in an explanatory sense (“For”).

[6:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your faithfulness [so NCV; NASB “your loyalty”; NIV, NRSV, NLT “your love”] is like a morning cloud” (וְחַסְדְּכֶם כַּעֲנַן־בֹּקֶר, vÿkhasdÿkhem ka’anan-boqer).

[6:4]  ¹² tn Heb “the dew departing early” (BDB 1014 s.v. שָׁכַם); cf. NRSV “the dew that goes away early.” The Hiphil participle מַשְׁכִּים (mashkim) means “to depart early” (Gen 19:27; Josh 8:14; Judg 19:9). The idiom means “early morning” (1 Sam 17:16).

[1:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “turn back from [following] after.”

[1:6]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “who do not seek the Lord and do not inquire of him.” The present translation assumes the first verb refers to praying for divine help and the second to seeking his revealed will through an oracle. Note the usage of the two verbs in 2 Chr 20:3-4.

[24:13]  ¹⁵ sn But the person who endures to the end will be saved. Jesus was not claiming here that salvation is by works. He was simply arguing that genuine faith evidences itself in persistence through even the worst of trials.

[8:13]  ¹⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:13]  ¹⁷ sn This time of temporary faith represented by the description believe for a while is presented rather tragically in the passage. The seed does not get a chance to do all it can.

[8:13]  ¹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:13]  ¹⁹ tn Traditionally, “temptation.” Such a translation puts the emphasis on temptation to sin rather than testing of faith, which is what the context seems to indicate.

[8:13]  ²⁰ sn Fall away. On the idea of falling away and the warnings against it, see 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 3:12; Jer 3:14; Dan 9:9.

[8:14]  ²¹ tn Grk “What”; the referent (the seed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:14]  ²² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:14]  ²³ sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.

[8:14]  ²⁴ sn On warnings about the dangers of excessive material attachments, described here as the worries and riches and pleasures of life, see Luke 12:12-21; 16:19-31.

[8:14]  ²⁵ tn The verb τελεσφορέω (telesforew) means “to produce mature or ripe fruit” (L&N 23.203). Once again the seed does not reach its goal.

[8:15]  ²⁶ tn The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.

[8:15]  ²⁷ sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.

[8:15]  ²⁸ sn In an ancient context, the qualifier good described the ethical person who possessed integrity. Here it is integrity concerning God’s revelation through Jesus.

[8:15]  ²⁹ sn Given the pressures noted in the previous soils, bearing fruit takes time (steadfast endurance), just as it does for the farmer. See Jas 1:2-4.

[22:32]  ³⁰ sn Here and in the remainder of the verse the second person pronouns are singular, so only Peter is in view. The name “Simon” has been supplied as a form of direct address to make this clear in English.

[22:32]  ³¹ sn That your faith may not fail. Note that Peter’s denials are pictured here as lapses, not as a total absence of faith.

[22:32]  ³² tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[22:32]  ³³ tn Or “turned around.”

[22:32]  ³⁴ sn Strengthen your brothers refers to Peter helping to strengthen their faith. Jesus quite graciously restores Peter “in advance,” even with the knowledge of his approaching denials.

[8:30]  ³⁵ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.

[8:31]  ³⁶ tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).

[8:31]  ³⁷ tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”

[8:31]  ³⁸ tn Or “truly.”

[8:32]  ³⁹ tn Or “the truth will release you.” The translation “set you free” or “release you” (unlike the more traditional “make you free”) conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea.

[15:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ⁴¹ tn Or “keep.”

[15:10]  ⁴² tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ⁴³ tn Or “kept.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “reside.”

[11:23]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “Antioch, who when.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:23]  ⁴⁶ tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσμένω 1.a.β has “remain true to the Lord” for προσμένειν (prosmenein) in this verse.

[11:23]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “with purpose of heart”; BDAG 869 s.v. πρόθεσις 2.a translates this phrase “purpose of heart, i.e. devotion” here.

[14:22]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “to Antioch, strengthening.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was started here. This participle (ἐπιστηρίζοντες, episthrizonte") and the following one (παρακαλοῦντες, parakalounte") have been translated as finite verbs connected by the coordinating conjunction “and.”

[14:22]  ⁴⁹ sn And encouraged them to continue. The exhortations are like those noted in Acts 11:23; 13:43. An example of such a speech is found in Acts 20:18-35. Christianity is now characterized as “the faith.”

[14:22]  ⁵⁰ sn This reference to the kingdom of God clearly refers to its future arrival.

[14:22]  ⁵¹ tn Or “sufferings.”

[5:7]  ⁵² tn Or “following.” BDAG 792 s.v. πείθω 3.b states, “obey, follow w. dat. of the pers. or thing…Gal 3:1 v.l.; 5:7.”

[6:9]  ⁵³ tn Or “not become discouraged,” “not lose heart” (L&N 25.288).

[6:9]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “if we do not become extremely weary,” “if we do not give out,” “if we do not faint from exhaustion” (L&N 23.79).

[6:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[6:1]  ⁵⁶ tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used in a generic sense, referring to both men and women.

[6:1]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “some transgression” (L&N 88.297).

[6:1]  ⁵⁸ sn Who are spiritual refers to people who are controlled and directed by God’s Spirit.

[6:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “with a gentle spirit” or “gently.”

[6:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “taking careful notice.”

[3:5]  ⁶¹ tn Or “provide.”

[3:5]  ⁶² tn Grk “by [the] works of [the] law” (the same phrase as in v. 2).

[3:5]  ⁶³ tn Grk “by [the] hearing of faith” (the same phrase as in v. 2).

[3:6]  ⁶⁴ sn The Greek makes the contrast between v. 5 and v. 6a more emphatic and explicit than is easily done in English.

[3:6]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “his”; in the translation the referent (God) has been specified for clarity.

[3:6]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “whose house we are,” continuing the previous sentence.

[3:6]  ⁶⁷ tc The reading adopted by the translation is found in Ì^13,46 B sa, while the vast majority of mss (א A C D Ψ 0243 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï latt) add μέχρι τέλους βεβαίαν (mecri telou" bebaian, “secure until the end”). The external evidence for the omission, though minimal, has excellent credentials. Considering the internal factors, B. M. Metzger (TCGNT 595) finds it surprising that the feminine adjective βεβαίαν should modify the neuter noun καύχημα (kauchma, here translated “we take pride”), a fact that suggests that even the form of the word was borrowed from another place. Since the same phrase occurs at Heb 3:14, it is likely that later scribes added it here at Heb 3:6 in anticipation of Heb 3:14. While these words belong at 3:14, they seem foreign to 3:6.

[3:6]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “the pride of our hope.”

[3:14]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “the beginning of the confidence.”

[10:38]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “my soul.”

[10:38]  ⁷¹ sn A quotation from Hab 2:4.

[10:1]  ⁷² tn Grk “those who approach.”

[1:5]  ⁷³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:5]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “I have begotten you.”

[1:5]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “And again,” quoting another OT passage.

[1:5]  ⁷⁶ tn The words “he says” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to make a complete English sentence. In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but English does not normally employ such long and complex sentences.

[1:5]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to me.”

[1:2]  ⁷⁸ tn The Greek puts an emphasis on the quality of God’s final revelation. As such, it is more than an indefinite notion (“a son”) though less than a definite one (“the son”), for this final revelation is not just through any son of God, nor is the emphasis specifically on the person himself. Rather, the focus here is on the nature of the vehicle of God’s revelation: He is no mere spokesman (or prophet) for God, nor is he merely a heavenly messenger (or angel); instead, this final revelation comes through one who is intimately acquainted with the heavenly Father in a way that only a family member could be. There is, however, no exact equivalent in English (“in son” is hardly good English style).

[1:2]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “the ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 11:3 for the same usage.

[2:10]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “is about to throw some of you,” but the force is causative in context.

[2:10]  ⁸¹ tn Or “tempted.”

[2:10]  ⁸² tn Or “experience persecution,” “will be in distress” (see L&N 22.2).

[2:10]  ⁸³ tn Grk “crown of life,” with the genitive “of life” (τῆς ζωῆς, th" zwh") functioning in apposition to “crown” (στέφανον, stefanon): “the crown that consists of life.”