Old/New Testament
Warnings to Israel
28 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] Samaria [C the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel], the pride of ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s] drunken people!
That beautiful ·crown [wreath; garland] of flowers is ·just a dying plant [fading]
set on ·a hill above [L the head of] a rich valley ·where drunkards live [of those overcome with wine].
2 Look, the Lord has someone who is strong and powerful.
Like a storm of hail and ·strong [destructive] wind,
like a sudden flood of water pouring over the country,
he will throw Samaria down to the ground [L with his hand].
3 That city, the pride of ·Israel’s [L Ephraim’s] drunken people,
will be trampled underfoot.
4 That beautiful ·crown [wreath; garland] of flowers is ·just a dying plant [fading]
set on ·a hill above [L the head of] a rich valley.
That city will be like the first ripe fig of summer.
Anyone who sees it
quickly ·picks it [takes it in hand] and ·eats [swallows] it.
5 ·At that time [L In that day] the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]
·will be like [L will be] a beautiful crown,
·like a wonderful [a beautiful] ·crown of flowers [wreath; garland; diadem]
for ·his people who are left alive [the remnant of his people].
6 Then he will give ·wisdom [a spirit of justice/judgment] to ·the judges who must decide cases [L those who sit in judgment]
and strength to those who battle at the city gate.
7 But now those leaders ·are drunk [reel] with wine;
they ·stumble [stagger] from drinking too much ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain].
The priests and prophets ·are drunk [stagger] with ·beer [T strong drink]
and are ·filled with [swallowed by; or confused because of] wine.
They stumble from too much ·beer [T strong drink].
·The prophets [L They] ·are drunk [stagger] when they see their visions;
·the judges [they] stumble ·when they make their decisions [in judgment].
8 Every table is covered with vomit,
so there is not a clean place anywhere.
9 ·The Lord is trying to teach the people a lesson [L Who is he teaching knowledge?];
·he is trying to make them understand his teachings [L To whom is he explaining the message?].
·But the people are like babies too old for breast milk [Those weaned from milk?],
·like those who no longer nurse at their mother’s breast [Those taken from the breast?].
10 So ·they make fun of the Lord’s prophet and say [or the Lord must repeat himself again and again; L For it is]:
“·A command here, a command there [T Precept upon precept, precept upon precept].
·A rule here, a rule there [T Line upon line, line upon line; C Hebrew: tsav latsav tsav latsav / kav lakav kav lakav; it may be the people mocking the words of the prophets as nonsense; or it may refer to God repeating himself because the people will not listen].
A little lesson here, a little lesson there [L A little there, a little there].”
11 So the Lord will use ·strange words [mocking/stammering lips] and foreign ·languages [tongues]
to speak to these people.
12 God said to them,
“Here is a place of rest;
let the ·tired people [weary] come and rest.
This is the place of peace.”
But the people would not listen.
13 So the words of the Lord will be,
“·A command here, a command there [T Precept upon precept, precept upon precept].
·A rule here, a rule there [T Line upon line, line upon line].
·A little lesson here, a little lesson there [L A little there, a little there; C see v. 10; God now uses the same words to mimic the foreign language of the Assyrian invaders].”
They will fall back and be ·defeated [broken];
they will be ·trapped and captured [snared and taken].
14 So listen to the Lord’s message, you who ·brag [mock; scoff; Prov. 1:22; 9:7, 8, 12; 13:1],
you ·leaders [L who rule this people] in Jerusalem.
15 You say, “We have made an ·agreement [treaty; covenant] with death;
we have a ·contract [agreement; pact] with ·death [or the grave; L Sheol].
When ·terrible punishment [an overwhelming scourge/flood] passes by,
it won’t ·hurt [touch; reach] us.
Our lies ·will keep us safe [L are our refuge],
and ·our tricks [falsehood] ·will hide us [is our refuge/shelter].”
16 Because of these things, this is what the Lord God says:
“I will ·put [lay; establish] a stone in the ground in ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple],
a tested stone.
·Everything will be built on this important and precious rock [L …a precious cornerstone for a firm foundation].
Anyone who trusts in it will never ·be disappointed [or panic; waver; be shaken; Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:6].
17 I will use justice as a measuring line
and ·goodness [righteousness] as the ·standard [plumb line].
The lies you ·hide behind [take refuge in] will be ·destroyed [swept away] as if by hail.
·They [Your hiding place/shelter] will be washed away as if in a flood.
18 Your ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with death will be ·erased [annulled];
your contract with ·death [or the grave; L Sheol] will not ·help you [stand; last].
When ·terrible punishment [overwhelming scourge/flood] comes,
you will be ·crushed [beaten down] by it.
19 Whenever ·punishment [L it] comes, it will take you away.
It will come morning after morning;
it will ·defeat you [sweep through] by day and by night.
Those who understand this punishment will be terrified.”
20 ·You will be like the person who tried to sleep
on a bed that was too short [L For the bed is too short to stretch out on]
and ·with a blanket that [L the blanket] was too narrow
to wrap around himself.
21 The Lord will ·fight [L rise up] as he did at Mount Perazim [2 Sam. 5:20].
He will be ·angry [rouse himself] as he was in the Valley of Gibeon [Josh. 10:10–14].
He will do his work, his ·strange [peculiar] work.
He will finish his job, his ·strange [unusual] job.
22 Now, ·you must not make fun of these things [do not mock; or stop your mocking],
or the ·ropes [or chains; bonds] around you will become ·tighter [or heavier].
The Lord God ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] has ·told me [decreed to me]
how the whole ·earth [land] will be destroyed.
The Lord Punishes Fairly
23 Listen closely to ·what I tell you [my voice];
·listen carefully to [pay attention to; heed] what I say.
24 ·A farmer does not [L Does the plower…?] plow his field all the time;
·he does not [L does he…?] go on working the soil.
25 ·He makes [Does he not make…?] the ground flat and smooth.
Then he plants the dill and scatters the cumin.
·He plants [Does he not plant…?] the wheat in rows,
the barley in its special place,
and other wheat as a border around the field.
26 His God ·teaches [instructs] him
and ·shows [teaches] him the right way.
27 A farmer doesn’t use ·heavy boards to crush [a sledge to thresh] dill;
he doesn’t use a wagon wheel to crush cumin.
He uses a small stick to break open the dill,
and with a ·stick [rod; flail] he opens the cumin.
28 The grain is ground to make bread.
People do not ruin it by ·crushing [threshing] it forever.
The farmer separates the wheat from the chaff with his cart,
but he does not let his horses ·grind [crush] it.
29 This lesson [C that the Lord’s punishment fits the sin] also comes from the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts],
who gives wonderful ·advice [counsel; 9:6], who ·is very wise [or gives excellent/great wisdom].
Warnings to Jerusalem
29 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] you, Ariel [C another name for Jerusalem, perhaps meaning either “lion” or “altar hearth”; v. 2],
the city where David ·camped [lived; settled; or besieged; C David first conquered, then lived in the city; 2 Sam. 5:6–9].
Your festivals have continued
year after year.
2 I will ·attack [threaten; bring distress to] ·Jerusalem [L Ariel; v. 1],
and that city will be filled with ·sadness [mourning] and ·crying [lamentation].
It will be like an ·altar [or altar hearth; C the Hebrew word sounds like Ariel, perhaps indicating that Jerusalem will burn like an altar] to me.
3 I will ·put armies all around you [encamp against/besiege you; C same word as in v. 1];
I will surround you with towers
and with ·devices to attack [siege works against] you.
4 You will be pulled down and will speak from the ground;
I will hear your voice rising from the ·ground [or underworld].
It will sound like the voice of a ghost;
your words will come like a whisper from the ·dirt [dust].
5 Your ·many [multitude of] enemies will become like fine dust;
the many ·cruel people [ruthless hordes] will be like chaff that is blown away.
·Everything will happen very quickly [L Suddenly, in an instant…; C this phrase may go with what comes before or after].
6 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] will come
with thunder, earthquakes, and great noises,
with ·storms [whirlwind], ·strong winds [tempest], and a fire that ·destroys [devours].
7 Then all the nations that fight against ·Jerusalem [L Ariel; v. 1]
will be like a dream;
all the nations that ·attack [besiege; bring distress to] her
will be like a vision in the night.
8 They will be like a hungry man who dreams he is eating,
but when he awakens, he is still hungry.
They will be like a thirsty man who dreams he is drinking,
but when he awakens, he is still weak and thirsty.
It will be the same way with ·all the [the multitude of] nations
who fight against Mount Zion.
9 ·Be surprised and amazed [Shock yourselves and be shocked].
Blind yourselves ·so that you cannot see [and be blind].
Become drunk, but not from wine.
Trip and fall, but not from ·beer [T strong drink; C alcoholic beverage made from grain].
10 The Lord has ·made you go into [L poured out on you] a deep sleep.
He has closed your eyes. (The prophets are your eyes.)
He has covered your heads. (The seers [C another name for prophets] are your heads.)
11 This vision is like the words of a ·book [scroll] that is closed and sealed. You may give the book to someone who can read and tell that person to read it. But he will say, “I can’t read the book, because it is sealed.” 12 Or you may give the book to someone who cannot read and tell him to read it. But he will say, “I don’t know how to read.”
13 The Lord says:
“These people ·worship me [L come near to me] with their mouths,
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their ·worship [awe; fear] is based on
nothing but human ·rules [L commandments that have been taught].
14 So [L look; T behold] I will continue to ·amaze [astound] these people
by doing more and more ·miracles [wonders].
·Their wise men will lose their wisdom [L The wisdom of the wise will perish];
·their wise men will not be able to understand [L the discernment of the discerning will disappear; 1 Cor. 1:19].”
Warnings About Other Nations
15 ·How terrible it will be for [L Woe to] those who ·try
to hide [deeply hide; or hide too deep to see] ·things [plans; counsel] from the Lord
and who do their work in darkness.
They ·think no one will see them or know what they do [L say, “Who sees us? Who knows us?”].
16 You ·are confused [L turn things upside down!].
You think the clay is equal to the potter.
·You think that an object can [or Should the thing formed…?] tell the one who made it,
“You didn’t make me [10:15; Rom. 9:20].”
This is like a pot telling ·its maker [the potter],
“You don’t ·know anything [understand].”
A Better Time Is Coming
17 In a very short time, Lebanon will become ·rich farmland [a fertile/fruitful field],
and the ·rich farmland [fertile/fruitful field] will seem like a forest.
18 ·At that time [L In that day] the deaf will hear the words in a ·book [scroll].
·Instead of having [L From; Out of] darkness and gloom, the blind will see.
19 The Lord will make the ·poor people [humble; lowly; meek] ·happy [rejoice];
·they [L the poor/needy] will ·rejoice [delight; exult] in the Holy One of Israel [1:4].
20 Then the ·people without mercy [ruthless; tyrants] will come to an end;
·those who do not respect God [the scoffer/mocker/arrogant] will disappear.
Those who ·enjoy [are intent on; have an eye for] doing evil will be ·gone [cut off/down]:
21 those who ·lie about others in court [bear false testimony; L make a person a sinner with a word],
those who trap ·people in court [L the arbiter at the city gate],
those who ·lie and [with false charges/testimony] take justice from innocent people in court.
22 This is what the Lord who ·set free [redeemed; rescued] Abraham says to the ·family [L house] of Jacob:
“Now ·the people of Jacob [L Jacob] will not be ashamed
or ·disgraced [L their faces turn pale] any longer.
23 When they see all their children,
the children I made with my hands,
they will ·say my name is holy [honor/sanctify my name].
They will ·agree [recognize; acknowledge] that the Holy One of Jacob [1:4] is holy,
and they will ·respect [stand in awe of; fear] the God of Israel.
24 People who ·do wrong [wander/err in spirit] will now understand.
Those who complain will accept ·being taught [insight; instruction].”
The Importance of Christ
3 [Furthermore, or Finally,] My brothers and sisters, ·be full of joy [rejoice] in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it ·will help you to be more ready [L is a safeguard/protection for you]. 2 ·Watch out for [Beware] those who do evil, ·who are like dogs [L beware the dogs; C a derogatory reference to Paul’s opponents], ·who demand to cut the body [L beware the mutilation; C a mocking reference to those who demand circumcision of Gentile believers]. 3 [L For] We are the ·ones who are truly circumcised [L (true) circumcision]. We ·worship [serve] God ·through [or in] his Spirit, and ·our pride is [we boast/glory] in Christ Jesus. We do not put ·trust [reliance; confidence] in ·ourselves or anything we can do [human ability/effort; T the flesh], 4 although I might be able to put ·trust [reliance; confidence] in ·myself [human ability/effort; T the flesh]. If anyone thinks he has a reason to ·trust [rely; have confidence] in ·himself [human ability/effort; T the flesh], he should know that I have greater reason. 5 I was circumcised eight days after my birth [Gen. 17:12; Lev. 12:3]. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a ·Hebrew, and my parents were Hebrews [or true Hebrew; Hebrew through and through; L Hebrew of Hebrews]. With regard to the ·law of Moses [L law], I was a Pharisee [C Pharisees strictly followed the OT law and expanded on it with many traditions]. 6 ·I was so enthusiastic [L With regard to (religious) zeal,] I persecuted the church. With regard to ·obedience to the law of Moses [L righteousness based on the law] I was ·faultless [blameless]. 7 Those things were ·important [valuable; or assets] to me, but now I think they are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; L a loss] because of Christ. 8 Not only those things, but I think that all things are ·worth nothing [or liabilities; L a loss] ·compared with [or because of] the ·greatness [superior/supreme value] of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and now I ·know they are [consider them] ·worthless trash [garbage; refuse; excrement]. ·This allows me to have [L …so that I may gain] Christ 9 and to ·belong to [be united with; L be found in] him. ·Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law [L …not having my own righteousness from the law], but because ·I believed in Christ [of faith in Christ; or of the faithfulness of Christ]. This is the ·right relationship with [or righteousness of/from] God that comes through ·faith [or the faithfulness (of Christ)]. 10 I want to know Christ and the power ·that raised him from the dead [L of his resurrection]. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. 11 ·Then I have hope that [L …if somehow] I myself will ·be raised [reach/attain to the resurrection] from the dead.
Continuing Toward Our Goal
12 ·I do not mean [L Not] that I have already ·achieved [obtained; taken hold of] it or have already ·been perfected [become mature; or reached the goal]. But I keep ·trying [pressing forward; striving; pursuing] to ·take hold of that for which [or make it my own because] Christ ·took hold of me [or made me his own]. 13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I have not ·yet reached that goal [taken hold of it], but there is one thing I always do. Forgetting the ·past [L things that are behind] and ·straining toward [stretching/reaching forward to] what is ahead, 14 I keep ·trying to reach [pursuing; chasing] the goal and get the prize for which God called me ·to the life above [heavenward; L upward] ·through [or in] Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are ·spiritually mature [perfect; complete] should think this way, too. And if there are things you ·do not agree with [L think differently about], God will ·make them clear [or reveal this] to you. 16 But we should ·continue following the truth [or live up to the standard] we already have.
17 Brothers and sisters, ·all of you should try to follow my example [L become imitators of me] and ·to copy [L watch closely; pay attention to] those who ·live [walk] the way we ·showed [modeled it for] you. 18 [L For] Many people ·live [walk] like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them, and ·it makes me cry to [L with tears I] tell you about them now. 19 ·In the end, they will be destroyed [Their end/destiny is destruction]. ·They do whatever their bodies want [L Their god is their stomach/belly], ·they are proud of their shameful acts [L their glory is in their shame], and they think only about earthly things. 20 But our ·homeland [or citizenship] is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 By his power to ·rule [L subject to himself] all things, he will ·change [transform; transfigure] our humble bodies and make them like his own glorious body.
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