Mazmur 119:46

119:46 I will speak ¹  about your regulations before kings

and not be ashamed.

Yeremia 26:12-16

26:12 Then Jeremiah made his defense before all the officials and all the people. ²  “The Lord sent me to prophesy everything you have heard me say against this temple and against this city. 26:13 But correct the way you have been living and do what is right. ³  Obey the Lord your God. If you do, the Lord will forgo destroying you as he threatened he would. ⁴  26:14 As to my case, I am in your power. ⁵  Do to me what you deem fair and proper. 26:15 But you should take careful note of this: If you put me to death, you will bring on yourselves and this city and those who live in it the guilt of murdering an innocent man. For the Lord has sent me to speak all this where you can hear it. That is the truth!” ⁶ 

26:16 Then the officials and all the people rendered their verdict to the priests and the prophets. They said, ⁷  “This man should not be condemned to die. ⁸  For he has spoken to us under the authority of the Lord our God.” ⁹ 

Daniel 3:16-18

3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to King Nebuchadnezzar, ¹⁰  “We do not need to give you a reply ¹¹  concerning this. 3:17 If ¹²  our God whom we are serving exists, ¹³  he is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and he will rescue us, O king, from your power as well. 3:18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we don’t serve your gods, and we will not pay homage to the golden statue that you have erected.”

Amos 7:14-17

7:14 Amos replied ¹⁴  to Amaziah, “I was not a prophet by profession. ¹⁵  No, ¹⁶  I was a herdsman who also took care of ¹⁷  sycamore fig trees. ¹⁸  7:15 Then the Lord took me from tending ¹⁹  flocks and gave me this commission, ²⁰  ‘Go! Prophesy to my people Israel!’ 7:16 So now listen to the Lord’s message! You say, ‘Don’t prophesy against Israel! Don’t preach ²¹  against the family of Isaac!’

7:17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

‘Your wife will become a prostitute in the streets ²² 

and your sons and daughters will die violently. ²³ 

Your land will be given to others ²⁴ 

and you will die in a foreign ²⁵  land.

Israel will certainly be carried into exile ²⁶  away from its land.’”

Matius 10:18-20

10:18 And you will be brought before governors and kings ²⁷  because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles. 10:19 Whenever ²⁸  they hand you over for trial, do not worry about how to speak or what to say, ²⁹  for what you should say will be given to you at that time. ³⁰  10:20 For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Lukas 21:14-15

21:14 Therefore be resolved ³¹  not to rehearse ³²  ahead of time how to make your defense. 21:15 For I will give you the words ³³  along with the wisdom ³⁴  that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

Kisah Para Rasul 4:8-12

4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ³⁵  replied, ³⁶  “Rulers of the people and elders, ³⁷  4:9 if ³⁸  we are being examined ³⁹  today for a good deed ⁴⁰  done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed ⁴¹  – 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ ⁴²  the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. 4:11 This Jesus ⁴³  is the stone that was rejected by you, ⁴⁴  the builders, that has become the cornerstone. ⁴⁵  4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people ⁴⁶  by which we must ⁴⁷  be saved.”

Kisah Para Rasul 5:29-31

5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, ⁴⁸  “We must obey ⁴⁹  God rather than people. ⁵⁰  5:30 The God of our forefathers ⁵¹  raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. ⁵²  5:31 God exalted him ⁵³  to his right hand as Leader ⁵⁴  and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ⁵⁵ 

Kisah Para Rasul 21:39--22:5

21:39 Paul answered, ⁵⁶  “I am a Jew ⁵⁷  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ⁵⁸  Please ⁵⁹  allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer ⁶⁰  had given him permission, ⁶¹  Paul stood ⁶²  on the steps and gestured ⁶³  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ⁶⁴  he addressed ⁶⁵  them in Aramaic, ⁶⁶ 

Paul’s Defense

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense ⁶⁷  that I now ⁶⁸  make to you.” 22:2 (When they heard ⁶⁹  that he was addressing ⁷⁰  them in Aramaic, ⁷¹  they became even ⁷²  quieter.) ⁷³  Then ⁷⁴  Paul said, 22:3 “I am a Jew, ⁷⁵  born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up ⁷⁶  in this city, educated with strictness ⁷⁷  under ⁷⁸  Gamaliel ⁷⁹  according to the law of our ancestors, ⁸⁰  and was ⁸¹  zealous ⁸²  for God just as all of you are today. 22:4 I ⁸³  persecuted this Way ⁸⁴  even to the point of death, ⁸⁵  tying up ⁸⁶  both men and women and putting ⁸⁷  them in prison, 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ⁸⁸  can testify about me. From them ⁸⁹  I also received ⁹⁰  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ⁹¹  to make arrests there and bring ⁹²  the prisoners ⁹³  to Jerusalem ⁹⁴  to be punished.

Kolose 4:6

4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.

Kolose 4:2

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

4:2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.

Titus 2:1

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ⁹⁵  sound teaching.

[119:46]  ¹ tn The series of four cohortatives with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive in vv. 46-48 list further consequences of the anticipated positive divine response to the request made in v. 43.

[26:12]  ² tn Heb “Jeremiah said to all the leaders and all the people….” See the note on the word “said” in the preceding verse.

[26:13]  ³ tn Heb “Make good your ways and your actions.” For the same expression see 7:3, 5; 18:11.

[26:13]  ⁴ tn For the idiom and translation of terms involved here see 18:8 and the translator’s note there.

[26:13]  sn The Lord is being consistent in the application of the principle laid down in Jer 18:7-8 that reformation of character will result in the withdrawal of the punishment of “uprooting, tearing down, destroying.” His prophecies of doom are conditional threats, open to change with change in behavior.

[26:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “And I, behold I am in your hand.” Hand is quite commonly used for “power” or “control” in biblical contexts.

[26:15]  ⁶ tn Heb “For in truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak in your ears all these words/things.”

[26:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets…”

[26:16]  ⁸ sn Contrast v. 11.

[26:16]  ⁹ tn Heb “For in the name of the Lord our God he has spoken to us.” The emphasis is on “in the name of…”

[26:16]  sn The priests and false prophets claimed that they were speaking in the Lord’s name (i.e., as his representatives and with his authority [see 1 Sam 25:9; 1 Kgs 21:8 and cf. the study note on Jer 23:27]) and felt that Jeremiah’s claims to be doing so were false (see v. 9). Jeremiah (and the Lord) charged that the opposite was the case (cf. 14:14-15; 23:21). The officials and the people, at least at this time, accepted his claims that the Lord had sent him (vv. 12, 15).

[3:16]  ¹⁰ tc In the MT this word is understood to begin the following address (“answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar’”). However, it seems unlikely that Nebuchadnezzar’s subordinates would address the king in such a familiar way, particularly in light of the danger that they now found themselves in. The present translation implies moving the atnach from “king” to “Nebuchadnezzar.”

[3:16]  ¹¹ tn Aram “to return a word to you.”

[3:17]  ¹² tc The ancient versions typically avoid the conditional element of v. 17.

[3:17]  ¹³ tn The Aramaic expression used here is very difficult to interpret. The question concerns the meaning and syntax of אִיתַי (’itay, “is” or “exist”). There are several possibilities. (1) Some interpreters take this word closely with the participle later in the verse יָכִל (yakhil, “able”), understanding the two words to form a periphrastic construction (“if our God is…able”; cf. H. Bauer and P. Leander, Grammatik des Biblisch-Aramäischen, 365, §111b). But the separation of the two elements from one another is not an argument in favor of this understanding. (2) Other interpreters take the first part of v. 17 to mean “If it is so, then our God will deliver us” (cf. KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB). However, the normal sense of ’itay is existence; on this point see F. Rosenthal, Grammar, 45, §95. The present translation maintains the sense of existence for the verb (“If our God…exists”), even though the statement is admittedly difficult to understand in this light. The statement may be an implicit reference back to Nebuchadnezzar’s comment in v. 15, which denies the existence of a god capable of delivering from the king’s power.

[7:14]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “replied and said.” The phrase “and said” is pleonastic (redundant) and has not been included in the translation.

[7:14]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “I was not a prophet nor was I the son of a prophet.” The phrase “son of a prophet” refers to one who was trained in a prophetic guild. Since there is no equative verb present in the Hebrew text, another option is to translate with the present tense, “I am not a prophet by profession.” In this case Amos, though now carrying out a prophetic ministry (v. 15), denies any official or professional prophetic status. Modern English versions are divided about whether to understand the past (JB, NIV, NKJV) or present tense (NASB, NEB, NRSV, NJPS) here.

[7:14]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “for.”

[7:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “gashed”; or “pierced.”

[7:14]  sn For a discussion of the agricultural background, see O. Borowski, Agriculture in Iron Age Israel, 128-29.

[7:14]  ¹⁸ sn It is possible that herdsmen agreed to care for sycamore fig trees in exchange for grazing rights. See P. King, Amos, Hosea, Micah, 116-17. Since these trees do not grow around Tekoa but rather in the lowlands, another option is that Amos owned other property outside his hometown. In this case, this verse demonstrates his relative wealth and is his response to Amaziah; he did not depend on prophecy as a profession (v. 13).

[7:15]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “from [following] after.”

[7:15]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and the Lord said to me.”

[7:16]  ²¹ tn The verb, which literally means “to drip,” appears to be a synonym of “to prophesy,” but it might carry a derogatory tone here, perhaps alluding to the impassioned, frenzied way in which prophets sometimes delivered their messages. If so, one could translate, “to drivel; to foam at the mouth” (see HALOT 694 s.v. נטף).

[7:17]  ²² tn Heb “in the city,” that is, “in public.”

[7:17]  ²³ tn Heb “will fall by the sword.”

[7:17]  ²⁴ tn Heb “will be divided up with a [surveyor’s] measuring line.”

[7:17]  ²⁵ tn Heb “[an] unclean”; or “[an] impure.” This fate would be especially humiliating for a priest, who was to distinguish between the ritually clean and unclean (see Lev 10:10).

[7:17]  ²⁶ tn See the note on the word “exile” in 5:5.

[10:18]  ²⁷ sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of courts and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.

[10:19]  ²⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:19]  ²⁹ tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”

[10:19]  ³⁰ tn Grk “in that hour.”

[21:14]  ³¹ tn Grk “determine in your hearts.”

[21:14]  ³² tn This term could refer to rehearsing a speech or a dance. On its syntax, see BDF §392.2.

[21:15]  ³³ tn Grk “a mouth.” It is a metonymy and refers to the reply the Lord will give to them.

[21:15]  ³⁴ tn Grk “and wisdom.”

[4:8]  ³⁵ sn Filled with the Holy Spirit. The narrator’s remark about the Holy Spirit indicates that Peter speaks as directed by God and for God. This fulfills Luke 12:11-12 (1 Pet 3:15).

[4:8]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Spirit, said to them.”

[4:8]  ³⁷ tc The Western and Byzantine texts, as well as one or two Alexandrian witnesses, read τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (tou Israhl, “of Israel”) after πρεσβύτεροι (presbuteroi, “elders”; so D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï it), while most of the better witnesses, chiefly Alexandrian (Ì⁷⁴ א A B 0165 1175 vg sa bo), lack this modifier. The longer reading was most likely added by scribes to give literary balance to the addressees in that “Rulers” already had an adjunct while “elders” was left absolute.

[4:9]  ³⁸ tn This clause is a first class condition. It assumes for the sake of argument that this is what they were being questioned about.

[4:9]  ³⁹ tn Or “questioned.” The Greek term ἀνακρίνω (anakrinw) points to an examination similar to a legal one.

[4:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “for an act of kindness.”

[4:9]  ⁴¹ tn Or “delivered” (σέσωται [seswtai], from σώζω [swzw]). See 4:12.

[4:10]  ⁴² tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[4:11]  ⁴³ tn Grk “This one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:11]  ⁴⁴ tn The word “you” is inserted into the quotation because Peter is making a direct application of Ps 118:22 to his hearers. Because it is not in the OT, it has been left as normal type (rather than bold italic). The remarks are like Acts 2:22-24 and 3:12-15.

[4:11]  ⁴⁵ sn A quotation from Ps 118:22 which combines the theme of rejection with the theme of God’s vindication/exaltation.

[4:12]  ⁴⁶ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[4:12]  ⁴⁷ sn Must be saved. The term used here (δεῖ, dei, “it is necessary”) reflects the necessity set up by God’s directive plan.

[5:29]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”

[5:29]  ⁴⁹ sn Obey. See 4:19. This response has Jewish roots (Dan 3:16-18; 2 Macc 7:2; Josephus, Ant. 17.6.3 [17.159].

[5:29]  ⁵⁰ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[5:30]  ⁵¹ tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”

[5:30]  ⁵² tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the first century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.

[5:31]  ⁵³ tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).

[5:31]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).

[5:31]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”

[21:39]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “said.”

[21:39]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[21:39]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “of a not insignificant city.” The double negative, common in Greek, is awkward in English and has been replaced by a corresponding positive expression (BDAG 142 s.v. ἄσημος 1).

[21:39]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “I beg you.”

[21:40]  ⁶⁰ tn The referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[21:40]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “Giving him permission.” The participle ἐπιτρέψαντος (epitreyanto") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40]  ⁶² tn Grk “standing.” The participle ἑστώς (Jestws) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40]  ⁶³ tn Or “motioned.”

[21:40]  ⁶⁴ tn γενομένης (genomenhs) has been taken temporally. BDAG 922 s.v. σιγή has “πολλῆς σιγῆς γενομένης when a great silence had fallen = when they had become silent Ac 21:40.”

[21:40]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[21:40]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “in the Hebrew dialect, saying.” This refers to the Aramaic spoken in Palestine in the 1st century (BDAG 270 s.v. ῾Εβραΐς). The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[22:1]  ⁶⁷ sn Listen to my defense. This is the first of several speeches Paul would make in his own defense: Acts 24:10ff.; 25:8, 16; and 26:1ff. For the use of such a speech (“apologia”) in Greek, see Josephus, Ag. Ap. 2.15 [2.147]; Wis 6:10.

[22:1]  ⁶⁸ tn The adverb νυνί (nuni, “now”) is connected with the phrase τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας (th" pro" Juma" nuni apologia") rather than the verb ἀκούσατε (akousate), and the entire construction (prepositional phrase plus adverb) is in first attributive position and thus translated into English by a relative clause.

[22:2]  ⁶⁹ tn ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[22:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[22:2]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See the note on “Aramaic” in 21:40.

[22:2]  ⁷² tn BDAG 613-14 s.v. μᾶλλον 1 “Abs. μ. can mean to a greater degree (than before), even more, now more than ever Lk 5:15; Jn 5:18; 19:8; Ac 5:14; 22:2; 2 Cor 7:7.”

[22:2]  ⁷³ tn BDAG 440 s.v. ἡσυχία 2 has “παρέχειν ἡσυχίαν quiet down, give a hearing…Ac 22:2.”

[22:2]  sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.

[22:2]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “and.” Since this represents a continuation of the speech begun in v. 1, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[22:3]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[22:3]  ⁷⁶ tn BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b has “of mental and spiritual nurture bring up, rear, train…ἀνατεθραμμένος ἐν τ. πόλει ταύτῃ 22:3.”

[22:3]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “with precision.” Although often translated “strictly” this can be misunderstood for “solely” in English. BDAG 39 s.v. ἀκρίβεια gives the meaning as “exactness, precision.” To avoid the potential misunderstanding the translation “with strictness” is used, although it is slightly more awkward than “strictly.”

[22:3]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “strictly at the feet of” (an idiom).

[22:3]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “brought up in this city under Gamaliel, educated with strictness…” The phrase παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιὴλ (para tou" poda" Gamalihl) could be understood with what precedes or with what follows. The punctuation of NA²⁷ and UBS⁴, which place a comma after ταύτῃ (tauth), has been followed in the translation.

[22:3]  sn Gamaliel was a famous Jewish scholar and teacher mentioned here and in Acts 5:34. He had a grandson of the same name and is referred to as “Gamaliel the Elder” to avoid confusion. He is quoted a number of times in the Mishnah, was given the highest possible title for Jewish teachers, Rabba (cf. John 20:16), and was highly regarded in later rabbinic tradition.

[22:3]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “our forefathers.”

[22:3]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “ancestors, being.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:3]  ⁸² tn BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.α has “of pers. …ζ. τοῦ θεοῦ one who is loyal to God Ac 22:3.”

[22:4]  ⁸³ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the first person pronoun (“I”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:4]  ⁸⁴ sn That is, persecuted the Christian movement (Christianity). The Way is also used as a description of the Christian faith in Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22).

[22:4]  ⁸⁵ tn BDAG 442-43 s.v. θάνατος 1.a has “διώκειν ἄχρι θανάτου persecute even to death Ac 22:4.”

[22:4]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “binding.” See Acts 8:3.

[22:4]  ⁸⁷ tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “W. local εἰς…εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3; cp. 22:4.”

[22:5]  ⁸⁸ tn That is, the whole Sanhedrin. BDAG 861 s.v. πρεσβυτέριον has “an administrative group concerned with the interests of a specific community, council of elders – a. of the highest Judean council in Jerusalem, in our lit. usu. called συνέδριον…ὁ ἀρχιερεύς καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρ. Ac 22:5.”

[22:5]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “from whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:5]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “receiving.” The participle δεξάμενος (dexameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:5]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “letters to the brothers, [and] I was going to Damascus.” Such a translation, however, might be confusing since the term “brother” is frequently used of a fellow Christian. In this context, Paul is speaking about fellow Jews.

[22:5]  ⁹² tn Grk “even there and bring…” or “there and even bring…” The ascensive καί (kai) shows that Paul was fervent in his zeal against Christians, but it is difficult to translate for it really belongs with the entire idea of arresting and bringing back the prisoners.

[22:5]  ⁹³ tn BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b has “δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά bring someone as prisoner…Ac 9:2, 21; 22:5.”

[22:5]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “I was going…to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners that they might be punished.”

[22:5]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:1]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).