Ayub 23:10

23:10 But he knows the pathway that I take; ¹ 

if he tested me, I would come forth like gold. ² 

Ayub 31:6

31:6 let him ³  weigh me with honest ⁴  scales;

then God will discover ⁵  my integrity.

Ayub 31:14

31:14 then what will I do when God confronts me in judgment; ⁶ 

when he intervenes, ⁷ 

how will I respond to him?

Ayub 31:35

Job’s Appeal

31:35 “If only I had ⁸  someone to hear me!

Here is my signature – ⁹ 

let the Almighty answer me!

If only I had an indictment ¹⁰ 

that my accuser had written. ¹¹ 

Ayub 42:7

VII. The Epilogue (42:7-17)

42:7 After the Lord had spoken these things to Job, he ¹²  said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is stirred up ¹³  against you and your two friends, because you have not spoken about me what is right, ¹⁴  as my servant Job has.

Mazmur 1:6

1:6 Certainly ¹⁵  the Lord guards the way of the godly, ¹⁶ 

but the way of the wicked ends in destruction. ¹⁷ 

Mazmur 7:3

7:3 O Lord my God, if I have done what they say, ¹⁸ 

or am guilty of unjust actions, ¹⁹ 

Mazmur 7:8-9

7:8 The Lord judges the nations. ²⁰ 

Vindicate me, Lord, because I am innocent, ²¹ 

because I am blameless, ²²  O Exalted One! ²³ 

7:9 May the evil deeds of the wicked ²⁴  come to an end! ²⁵ 

But make the innocent ²⁶  secure, ²⁷ 

O righteous God,

you who examine ²⁸  inner thoughts and motives! ²⁹ 

Mazmur 17:3

17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; ³⁰ 

you have examined me during the night. ³¹ 

You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.

I am determined I will say nothing sinful. ³² 

Mazmur 26:1-5

Psalm 26 ³³ 

By David.

26:1 Vindicate me, O Lord,

for I have integrity, ³⁴ 

and I trust in the Lord without wavering.

26:2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me!

Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives! ³⁵ 

26:3 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness, ³⁶ 

and your loyalty continually motivates me. ³⁷ 

26:4 I do not associate ³⁸  with deceitful men,

or consort ³⁹  with those who are dishonest. ⁴⁰ 

26:5 I hate the mob ⁴¹  of evil men,

and do not associate ⁴²  with the wicked.

Mazmur 139:1-2

Psalm 139 ⁴³ 

For the music director, a psalm of David.

139:1 O Lord, you examine me ⁴⁴  and know.

139:2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;

even from far away you understand my motives.

Mazmur 139:21-24

139:21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,

and despise those who oppose you? ⁴⁵ 

139:22 I absolutely hate them, ⁴⁶ 

they have become my enemies!

139:23 Examine me, and probe my thoughts! ⁴⁷ 

Test me, and know my concerns! ⁴⁸ 

139:24 See if there is any idolatrous tendency ⁴⁹  in me,

and lead me in the reliable ancient path! ⁵⁰ 

Yohanes 21:17

21:17 Jesus ⁵¹  said ⁵²  a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed ⁵³  that Jesus ⁵⁴  asked ⁵⁵  him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, ⁵⁶  “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus ⁵⁷  replied, ⁵⁸  “Feed my sheep.

Yohanes 21:2

21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas ⁵⁹  (called Didymus), ⁶⁰  Nathanael ⁶¹  (who was from Cana ⁶²  in Galilee), the sons ⁶³  of Zebedee, ⁶⁴  and two other disciples ⁶⁵  of his were together.

Kolose 1:12

1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share ⁶⁶  in the saints’ ⁶⁷  inheritance in the light.

Kolose 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁶⁸  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Kolose 2:10

2:10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

[23:10]  ¹ tn The expression דֶּרֶךְ עִמָּדִי (derekh ’immadi) means “the way with me,” i.e., “the way that I take.” The Syriac has “my way and my standing.” Several commentators prefer “the way of my standing,” meaning where to look for me. J. Reider offers “the way of my life” (“Some notes to the text of the scriptures,” HUCA 3 [1926]: 115). Whatever the precise wording, Job knows that God can always find him.

[23:10]  ² tn There is a perfect verb followed by an imperfect in this clause with the protasis and apodosis relationship (see GKC 493 §159.b).

[31:6]  ³ tn “God” is undoubtedly the understood subject of this jussive. However, “him” is retained in the translation at this point to avoid redundancy since “God” occurs in the second half of the verse.

[31:6]  ⁴ tn The word צֶדֶךְ (tsedeq, “righteousness”) forms a fitting genitive for the scales used in trade or justice. The “scales of righteousness” are scales that conform to the standard (see the illustration in Deut 25:13-15). They must be honest scales to make just decisions.

[31:6]  ⁵ tn The verb is וְיֵדַע (vÿyeda’, “and [then] he [God] will know”). The verb could also be subordinated to the preceding jussive, “so that God may know.” The meaning of “to know” here has more the idea of “to come to know; to discover.”

[31:14]  ⁶ tn Heb “arises.” The LXX reads “takes vengeance,” an interpretation that is somewhat correct but unnecessary. The verb “to rise” would mean “to confront in judgment.”

[31:14]  ⁷ tn The verb פָקַד (paqad) means “to visit,” but with God as the subject it means any divine intervention for blessing or cursing, anything God does that changes a person’s life. Here it is “visit to judge.”

[31:35]  ⁸ tn The optative is again introduced with “who will give to me hearing me? – O that someone would listen to me!”

[31:35]  ⁹ tn Heb “here is my ‘tav’” (הֵן תָּוִי, hen tavi). The letter ת (tav) is the last letter of the alphabet in Hebrew. In paleo-Hebrew the letter was in the form of a cross or an “X,” and so used for one making a mark or a signature. In this case Job has signed his statement and delivered it to the court – but he has yet to be charged. Kissane thought that this being the last letter of the alphabet, Job was saying, “This is my last word.” Others take the word to mean “desire” – “this is my desire, that God would answer me” (see E. F. Sutcliffe, “Notes on Job, textual and exegetical,” Bib 30 [1949]: 71-72; G. R. Driver, AJSL 3 [1935/36]: 166; P. P. Saydon, “Philological and Textual Notes to the Maltese Translation of the Old Testament,” CBQ 23 [1961]: 252). R. Gordis (Job, 355) also argues strongly for this view.

[31:35]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “a scroll,” in the context referring to a scroll containing the accusations of Job’s legal adversary (see the next line).

[31:35]  ¹¹ tn The last line is very difficult; it simply says, “a scroll [that] my [legal] adversary had written.” The simplest way to handle this is to see it as a continuation of the optative (RSV).

[42:7]  ¹² tn Heb “the Lord.” The title has been replaced by the pronoun (“he”) in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[42:7]  ¹³ tn Heb “is kindled.”

[42:7]  ¹⁴ tn The form נְכוֹנָה (nÿkhonah) is from כּוּן (kun, “to be firm; to be fixed; to be established”). Here it means “the right thing” or “truth.” The Akkadian word kenu (from כּוּן, kun) connotes justice and truth.

[1:6]  ¹⁵ tn The translation understands כי as asseverative. Another option is to translate “for,” understanding v. 6 as a theological explanation for vv. 3-5, which contrasts the respective destinies of the godly and the wicked.

[1:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the Lord knows the way of the righteous.” To “know a way” means, in its most basic sense, “to recognize/acknowledge a pathway, route, or prescribed way of life” (see Josh 3:4; Job 21:14; Ps 67:2; Isa 42:16; Jer 5:4-5). Here it could refer to the Lord recognizing the behavior of the godly and, by metonymy, rewarding their godliness with security and prosperity (resulting in the translation, “the Lord rewards the behavior of the godly”). The present translation takes the verb in the sense of “mark out” (cf. Job 23:10), which metonymically could mean “watch over, protect, guard.” In this case the “way of the godly” is not their behavior, but their course of life or destiny; a translation reflecting this would be “the Lord protects the lives of the godly” or “the Lord watches over the destiny of the godly” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV). The Hebrew active participle יוֹדֵעַ (yodea’, “knows”) has here a characteristic durative force.

[1:6]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “but the way of the wicked perishes.” The “way of the wicked” may refer to their course of life (Ps 146:9; Prov 4:19; Jer 12:1) or their sinful behavior (Prov 12:26; 15:9). The Hebrew imperfect verbal form probably describes here what typically happens, though one could take the form as indicating what will happen (“will perish”).

[7:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “if I have done this.”

[7:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “if there is injustice in my hands.” The “hands” figuratively suggest deeds or actions.

[7:8]  ²⁰ sn The Lord judges the nations. In hyperbolic fashion the psalmist pictures the nations assembled around the divine throne (v. 7a). He urges God to take his rightful place on the throne (v. 7b) and then pictures him making judicial decisions that vindicate the innocent (see vv. 8-16).

[7:8]  ²¹ tn Heb “judge me, O Lord, according to my innocence.”

[7:8]  ²² tn Heb “according to my blamelessness.” The imperative verb translated “vindicate” governs the second line as well.

[7:8]  ²³ tn The Hebrew form עָלָי (’alay) has been traditionally understood as the preposition עַל (’al, “over”) with a first person suffix. But this is syntactically awkward and meaningless. The form is probably a divine title derived from the verbal root עָלָה (’alah, “ascend”). This relatively rare title appears elsewhere in the OT (see HALOT 824-25 s.v. I עַל, though this text is not listed) and in Ugaritic as an epithet for Baal (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 98). See M. Dahood, Psalms (AB), 1:44-45, and P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 98.

[7:9]  ²⁴ tn In the psalms the Hebrew term רְשָׁעִים (rÿsha’im, “wicked”) describes people who are proud, practical atheists (Ps 10:2, 4, 11) who hate God’s commands, commit sinful deeds, speak lies and slander (Ps 50:16-20), and cheat others (Ps 37:21). They oppose God and his people.

[7:9]  ²⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is a jussive, expressing an imprecation here.

[7:9]  ²⁶ tn Or “the godly” (see Ps 5:12). The singular form is collective (see the plural “upright in heart” in v. 10), though it may reflect the personal focus of the psalmist in this context.

[7:9]  ²⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form expresses the psalmist’s prayer or wish.

[7:9]  ²⁸ tn For other uses of the verb in this sense, see Job 7:18; Pss 11:4; 26:2; 139:23.

[7:9]  ²⁹ tn Heb “and [the one who] tests hearts and kidneys, just God.” The translation inverts the word order to improve the English style. The heart and kidneys were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.

[17:3]  ³⁰ tn Heb “you tested my heart.”

[17:3]  ³¹ tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”

[17:3]  ³² tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammotiy) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmatiy, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.

[26:1]  ³³ sn Psalm 26. The author invites the Lord to test his integrity, asserts his innocence and declares his loyalty to God.

[26:1]  ³⁴ tn Heb “for I in my integrity walk.”

[26:2]  ³⁵ tn Heb “evaluate my kidneys and my heart.” The kidneys and heart were viewed as the seat of one’s volition, conscience, and moral character.

[26:3]  ³⁶ tn Heb “for your faithfulness [is] before my eyes.”

[26:3]  ³⁷ tn Heb “and I walk about in your loyalty.”

[26:3]  sn The psalmist’s awareness of the Lord’s faithfulness and…loyalty toward him motivates him to remain loyal to the Lord and to maintain his moral purity.

[26:4]  ³⁸ tn Heb “sit.”

[26:4]  ³⁹ tn Heb “go.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.

[26:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “[those who] conceal themselves.”

[26:5]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “assembly, company.”

[26:5]  ⁴² tn Heb “sit.” The psalmist uses the imperfect form of the verb to emphasize that he does not make a practice of associating with such people.

[139:1]  ⁴³ sn Psalm 139. The psalmist acknowledges that God, who created him, is aware of his every action and thought. He invites God to examine his motives, for he is confident they are pure.

[139:1]  ⁴⁴ tn The statement is understood as generalizing – the psalmist describes what God typically does.

[139:21]  ⁴⁵ tc Heb “who raise themselves up against you.” The form וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvitqomÿmekha) should be emended to וּבְמִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ (uvÿmitqomÿmekha), a Hitpolel participle (the prefixed mem [מ] of the participle is accidentally omitted in the MT, though a few medieval Hebrew mss have it).

[139:22]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “[with] completeness of hatred I hate them.”

[139:23]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “and know my heart.”

[139:23]  ⁴⁸ tn The Hebrew noun שַׂרְעַפַּי (sar’apay, “concerns”) is used of “worries” in Ps 94:19.

[139:24]  ⁴⁹ tn Many understand the Hebrew term עֹצֶב (’otsev) as a noun meaning “pain,” and translate the phrase דֶּרֶךְ עֹצֶב (derekh ’otsev) as “of pain,” but this makes little sense here. (Some interpret it to refer to actions which bring pain to others.) It is preferable to take עֹצֶב as “idol” (see HALOT 865 s.v. I עֹצֶב) and understand “way of an idol” to refer to idolatrous actions or tendency. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 253.

[139:24]  ⁵⁰ tn Heb “in the path of antiquity.” This probably refers to the moral path prescribed by the Lord at the beginning of Israel’s history. See Jer 6:16; 18:15, as well as L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 253.

[21:17]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:17]  ⁵² tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.

[21:17]  ⁵³ tn Or “was sad.”

[21:17]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:17]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “said to.”

[21:17]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “and said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.

[21:17]  ⁵⁷ tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially later ones (A Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï), read ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsou", “Jesus”) here, while B C have ᾿Ιησοῦς without the article and א D W ˹ 33 565 al lat lack both. Because of the rapid verbal exchange in this pericope, “Jesus” is virtually required for clarity, providing a temptation to scribes to add the name. Further, the name normally occurs with the article. Although it is possible that B C accidentally omitted the article with the name, it is just as likely that they added the simple name to the text for clarity’s sake, while other witnesses added the article as well. The omission of ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς thus seems most likely to be authentic. NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating some doubts as to their authenticity.

[21:17]  tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:17]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[21:2]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “and Thomas.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.

[21:2]  ⁶⁰ sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[21:2]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “and Nathanael.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.

[21:2]  ⁶² map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[21:2]  ⁶³ tn Grk “and the sons.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.

[21:2]  ⁶⁴ sn The sons of Zebedee were James and John.

[21:2]  ⁶⁵ sn The two other disciples who are not named may have been Andrew and Philip, who are mentioned together in John 6:7-8 and 12:22.

[1:12]  ⁶⁶ tn BDAG 473 s.v. ἱκανόω states, “τινὰ εἴς τι someone for someth. Col 1:12.” The point of the text is that God has qualified the saints for a “share” or “portion” in the inheritance of the saints.

[1:12]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “the inheritance of the saints.” The genitive noun τῶν ἁγίων (twn Jagiwn) is a possessive genitive: “the saints’ inheritance.”

[1:1]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.