Tuesday, February 28, 2017

GN-DBRP_060 LEV.15 LEV.16 PSA.18 LUK.12.1-32


LEVITICUS 15-16:
Yesterday we heard about sacrifices following the healing of skin diseases and after getting rid of house mildew. Chapter 15 is about defiling bodily discharges. Chapter 16 is about the Day of Atonement, and the chapter contains a translation problem in the word or name ‘azazel’. If you are interested in this problem, see the Translate notes in today’s episode notes.

PSALM 18:
This poem reveals David’s intimacy with God. Even though he frequently refers to himself, we see that God— and not himself, is the center of his spiritual life.

LUKE 12a:
Jesus definitely gained enemies by his teaching at the end of chapter 11, which was against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and religious experts.

GNT Translation notes:
15:5 Anyone who touches his bed 6 or sits on anything the man has sat on must wash his clothes and take a bath, and [that person//he] remains unclean until evening.
15:7 Anyone who touches the man with the discharge must wash his clothes and take a bath, and [that person//he] remains unclean until evening. [Similarly in v8, 10]
16:8 There he shall draw lots, using two stones, one marked “for the Lord” and the other [to be driven away out into the desert and abandoned to its fate.//“for Azazel.”]
10 The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the Lord and sent off into the desert to Azazel, in order to take away the sins of the people.  
17 From the time Aaron enters the Most Holy Place to perform the ritual of purification until he comes out, there must be no one [else] in the Tent. When he has performed the ritual for himself, his family, and the whole community,
20 When Aaron has finished performing the ritual to purify the Most Holy Place, the rest of the Tent of the Lord's presence, and the altar, he shall present to the Lord the live goat chosen for Azazel.  
26 The man who drove the goat [bearing sins] into the desert [to be abandoned to its fate//to Azazel] must wash his clothes and take a bath before he comes back into camp.
[For those of you interested in this translation problem, see the footnote in the NET at this place. The truth is that we don’t know what ‘azazel’ means. We don’t even know if it was a name. Linguistic clues cannot give certainty. In a case like this, I think it is better to render the term in a generic way, rather than being too specific.]
====
Ps. 18:41 They cry for help, but no one saves them;

they call to [You//the] Lord, but [You don’t//he does not] answer.
46 [You, my Lord, live!//The Lord lives!] [I praise//Praise] my defender!
[I] Proclaim the greatness of the God who saves me.
47 [You give//He gives] me victory over my enemies;
[You subdue//he subdues] the nations under me
48 and saves me from my foes.
====
Luk. 12:8 “I assure you that those who declare publicly that they belong to me, [I,] the Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. 9 But those who reject me publicly, [I,] the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God.
10 “Whoever says a word against [Me,] the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
28 It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? [How little you believe in God!//What little faith you have!]
29“So don't be all upset, always concerned about what you will eat and drink. 30(For the [ungodly peoples//pagans] of this world are always concerned about all these things.) Your Father knows that you need these things.
[Nowadays, there are people who call themselves ‘pagans’, and the term is a name for a religion (and one of the very worst kind). The Greek here means ‘ethnic groups’. It is often translated as ‘nations’, but has nothing to do with governments, and is a derogatory term. At one time the word ‘pagan’ was such a derogatory word.]

NLT Translation notes:
Ps. 18:34 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm [so that I can draw back a
bronze bow of bronze//to draw a bronze bow.]
41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to [you, LORD, but you//the LORD, but he] refused to answer.
====
Luk. 12:6 “What is the price of five sparrows— [maybe/0] two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.
8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who [says publicly here on earth 'I am a follower of Jesus', I, the Son of Manc will also acknowledge them as my followers in the presence of God’s angels.//acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.]
9 But [those who deny me here on earth, saying they are not my disciple, I will also say that they are not my disciples in the presence of God’s angels.//anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.]
10 Anyone who speaks against [me,/0] the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a [very/0] fertile farm that produced fine crops. “[You lucky guy//My friend], you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you have [hoarded up for yourself/worked for]?’
[See the footnote in the NET for this verse.]
28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you [— you my friends with so little faith!!//Why do you have so little faith?]
[Here I let the word ‘faith’ stand. Maybe like this, following my normal pattern: “— you my friends who so weakly believe that the Father will help you.” Note that using ‘believe’ kind of requires that the translator add an object. Some readers will feel that this is going too far, but translators routinely do this in languages which don’t have any abstract nouns, or in situations like this for languages like Indonesian and English.
40 You also must be ready all the time, for [I—/0] the Son of Man, will come when least expected.”
46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut [that evil//the] servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. [As the Scripture says,//0]
54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a [rain/0]  shower.’ And you are right.
56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, [so why can't you figure out how to interpret the signs of the present time?!//but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.]


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_060 LEV.15 LEV.16 PSA.18 LUK.12.1-32


LEVITICUS 15-16:
Yesterday we heard about sacrifices following the healing of skin diseases and after getting rid of house mildew. Chapter 15 is about defiling bodily discharges. Chapter 16 is about the Day of Atonement, and the chapter contains a translation problem in the word or name ‘azazel’. If you are interested in this problem, see the Translate notes in today’s episode notes.

PSALM 18:
This poem reveals David’s intimacy with God. Even though he frequently refers to himself, we see that God— and not himself, is the center of his spiritual life.

LUKE 12a:
Jesus definitely gained enemies by his teaching at the end of chapter 11, which was against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and religious experts.

GNT Translation notes:
15:5 Anyone who touches his bed 6 or sits on anything the man has sat on must wash his clothes and take a bath, and [that person//he] remains unclean until evening.
15:7 Anyone who touches the man with the discharge must wash his clothes and take a bath, and [that person//he] remains unclean until evening. [Similarly in v8, 10]
16:8 There he shall draw lots, using two stones, one marked “for the Lord” and the other [to be driven away out into the desert and abandoned to its fate.//“for Azazel.”]
10 The goat chosen for Azazel shall be presented alive to the Lord and sent off into the desert to Azazel, in order to take away the sins of the people.  
17 From the time Aaron enters the Most Holy Place to perform the ritual of purification until he comes out, there must be no one [else] in the Tent. When he has performed the ritual for himself, his family, and the whole community,
20 When Aaron has finished performing the ritual to purify the Most Holy Place, the rest of the Tent of the Lord's presence, and the altar, he shall present to the Lord the live goat chosen for Azazel.  
26 The man who drove the goat [bearing sins] into the desert [to be abandoned to its fate//to Azazel] must wash his clothes and take a bath before he comes back into camp.
[For those of you interested in this translation problem, see the footnote in the NET at this place. The truth is that we don’t know what ‘azazel’ means. We don’t even know if it was a name. Linguistic clues cannot give certainty. In a case like this, I think it is better to render the term in a generic way, rather than being too specific.]
====
Ps. 18:41 They cry for help, but no one saves them;

they call to [You//the] Lord, but [You don’t//he does not] answer.
46 [You, my Lord, live!//The Lord lives!] [I praise//Praise] my defender!
[I] Proclaim the greatness of the God who saves me.
47 [You give//He gives] me victory over my enemies;
[You subdue//he subdues] the nations under me
48 and saves me from my foes.
====
Luk. 12:8 “I assure you that those who declare publicly that they belong to me, [I,] the Son of Man will do the same for them before the angels of God. 9 But those who reject me publicly, [I,] the Son of Man will also reject them before the angels of God.
10 “Whoever says a word against [Me,] the Son of Man can be forgiven; but whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
28 It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? [How little you believe in God!//What little faith you have!]
29“So don't be all upset, always concerned about what you will eat and drink. 30(For the [ungodly peoples//pagans] of this world are always concerned about all these things.) Your Father knows that you need these things.
[Nowadays, there are people who call themselves ‘pagans’, and the term is a name for a religion (and one of the very worst kind). The Greek here means ‘ethnic groups’. It is often translated as ‘nations’, but has nothing to do with governments, and is a derogatory term. At one time the word ‘pagan’ was such a derogatory word.]

NLT Translation notes:
Ps. 18:34 He trains my hands for battle;
he strengthens my arm [so that I can draw back a
bronze bow of bronze//to draw a bronze bow.]
41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
They even cried to [you, LORD, but you//the LORD, but he] refused to answer.
====
Luk. 12:6 “What is the price of five sparrows— [maybe/0] two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them.
8 “I tell you the truth, everyone who [says publicly here on earth 'I am a follower of Jesus', I, the Son of Manc will also acknowledge them as my followers in the presence of God’s angels.//acknowledges me publicly here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.]
9 But [those who deny me here on earth, saying they are not my disciple, I will also say that they are not my disciples in the presence of God’s angels.//anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.]
10 Anyone who speaks against [me,/0] the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
16 Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a [very/0] fertile farm that produced fine crops. “[You lucky guy//My friend], you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you have [hoarded up for yourself/worked for]?’
[See the footnote in the NET for this verse.]
28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you [— you my friends with so little faith!!//Why do you have so little faith?]
[Here I let the word ‘faith’ stand. Maybe like this, following my normal pattern: “— you my friends who so weakly believe that the Father will help you.” Note that using ‘believe’ kind of requires that the translator add an object. Some readers will feel that this is going too far, but translators routinely do this in languages which don’t have any abstract nouns, or in situations like this for languages like Indonesian and English.
40 You also must be ready all the time, for [I—/0] the Son of Man, will come when least expected.”
46 The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut [that evil//the] servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
52 From now on families will be split apart, three in favor of me, and two against—or two in favor and three against. [As the Scripture says,//0]
54 Then Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “When you see clouds beginning to form in the west, you say, ‘Here comes a [rain/0]  shower.’ And you are right.
56 You fools! You know how to interpret the weather signs of the earth and sky, [so why can't you figure out how to interpret the signs of the present time?!//but you don’t know how to interpret the present times.]


Check out this episode!

Monday, February 27, 2017

GN-DBRP_059 LEV.14 PSA.17 LUK.11.29-54


LEVITICUS 14:
After hearing about the serious skin diseases yesterday, today we hear of the regulations if someone is healed from one. Note that these regulations were probably almost never done— until perhaps when Jesus caused a wave of men who had been healed to come with offerings.

Note that our modern translations use either ‘serious skin disease’ or ‘contagious skin disease’ instead of calling these ‘leprosy’ as in older translations. Leprosy— also called Hanson’s Disease, is a very different disease from the ones described in Scripture.

PSALM 17:
This is one of David’s poems. Olsen quotes Spurgeon commenting on this psalm: “David would never have been [called] a man after God's own heart if he had not been a man of prayer. He was a master in the sacred art of supplication.”

LUKE 11b:
Yesterday in the first half of Luke 11, Jesus taught about prayer, and persistence in prayer, and taught refuting those who slandered him saying that he worked by the power of Satan. Jesus also taught that demons can leave on their own, but spiritual vacuum will result in more demons than before.

GNT Translation notes:
Luk. 11:30 In the same way that the prophet Jonah was a sign for the people of Nineveh, so [I,] the Son of Man[,] will be a sign for the people of this day.
38 The Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus had not washed [according to their customs] before eating.
“How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the [other virtues//others].

NLT Translation notes:
Luk. 11:2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray
“Father, [PET: Our Father, may everyone honor You as the Holy God.//may your name be kept You always be regarded as holy.]
May your Kingdom come soon.
[As in many other places, 'name' is a metonymy for all of God. It is not just the name of God that Jesus wants us to hold as holy, but the whole Person of God as well.]
21-22 [PET: “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will. //21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings. ]
44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.” [So also your defiling corruption is hidden and contagious.//0]


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_059 LEV.14 PSA.17 LUK.11.29-54


LEVITICUS 14:
After hearing about the serious skin diseases yesterday, today we hear of the regulations if someone is healed from one. Note that these regulations were probably almost never done— until perhaps when Jesus caused a wave of men who had been healed to come with offerings.

Note that our modern translations use either ‘serious skin disease’ or ‘contagious skin disease’ instead of calling these ‘leprosy’ as in older translations. Leprosy— also called Hanson’s Disease, is a very different disease from the ones described in Scripture.

PSALM 17:
This is one of David’s poems. Olsen quotes Spurgeon commenting on this psalm: “David would never have been [called] a man after God's own heart if he had not been a man of prayer. He was a master in the sacred art of supplication.”

LUKE 11b:
Yesterday in the first half of Luke 11, Jesus taught about prayer, and persistence in prayer, and taught refuting those who slandered him saying that he worked by the power of Satan. Jesus also taught that demons can leave on their own, but spiritual vacuum will result in more demons than before.

GNT Translation notes:
Luk. 11:30 In the same way that the prophet Jonah was a sign for the people of Nineveh, so [I,] the Son of Man[,] will be a sign for the people of this day.
38 The Pharisee was surprised when he noticed that Jesus had not washed [according to their customs] before eating.
“How terrible for you Pharisees! You give to God one tenth of the seasoning herbs, such as mint and rue and all the other herbs, but you neglect justice and love for God. These you should practice, without neglecting the [other virtues//others].

NLT Translation notes:
Luk. 11:2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray
“Father, [PET: Our Father, may everyone honor You as the Holy God.//may your name be kept You always be regarded as holy.]
May your Kingdom come soon.
[As in many other places, 'name' is a metonymy for all of God. It is not just the name of God that Jesus wants us to hold as holy, but the whole Person of God as well.]
21-22 [PET: “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will. //21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings. ]
44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.” [So also your defiling corruption is hidden and contagious.//0]


Check out this episode!

Sunday, February 26, 2017

GN-DBRP_058 LEV.13 PSA.16 LUK.11.1-28


LEVITICUS 13:
Yesterday in Lev. 11-12, we learned the animals considered clean and edible, and those that were considered unclean and detestable. Then we heard about the sacrifices for purification after a woman gives birth.

PSALM 16:
E.C. Olsen says that the Old Testament is like a sundial. “It is not difficult to read the hour marks on a sundial. Anybody can read them and at any time, but one can only tell time when the sun shines upon the sundial. Thus, while the Bible is the Word of God and can be read by all at any time, only the man who has received the Lord Jesus Christ is able to tell divine time by the Bible. It is only as the “Son” shines upon the pages of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament, that we are able to understand, to see and to appreciate that Christ is to be found on every page of Scripture.” With the Son shining on it, we see that this is a Messianic psalm.

LUKE 11a:
Yesterday in 10b, Jesus agreed with a law expert in the most important commandments, but taught the man the meaning of who is one's neighbor. And Jesus visited Martha and Mary.

GNT Translation note:
Ps. 16:7 I praise [You//the] Lord, because [You guide//he guides] me, and in the night my conscience warns me.  
8 I am always aware of [your presence, Lord//the Lord's presence]; [You are//he is] near, and nothing can shake me.
====
Luk. 11:2 Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this: ‘Father: May your holy name be honored;
may [You come here to earth to reign as king.//your Kingdom come.]
21-22 “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will.  (PET)

NLT Translation notes:
Luk. 11:2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:
“Father, [PET: Our Father, may everyone honor You as the Holy God.//may your name be kept holy//may You always be regarded as holy.]
May your Kingdom come soon.
[As in many other places, 'name' is a metonymy for all of God. It is not just the name of God that Jesus wants us to hold as holy, but the whole Person of God as well.]
21-22 [PET: “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will. //21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.]
44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.” [So also your defiling corruption is hidden and contagious.//0]


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_058 LEV.13 PSA.16 LUK.11.1-28


LEVITICUS 13:
Yesterday in Lev. 11-12, we learned the animals considered clean and edible, and those that were considered unclean and detestable. Then we heard about the sacrifices for purification after a woman gives birth.

PSALM 16:
E.C. Olsen says that the Old Testament is like a sundial. “It is not difficult to read the hour marks on a sundial. Anybody can read them and at any time, but one can only tell time when the sun shines upon the sundial. Thus, while the Bible is the Word of God and can be read by all at any time, only the man who has received the Lord Jesus Christ is able to tell divine time by the Bible. It is only as the “Son” shines upon the pages of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament, that we are able to understand, to see and to appreciate that Christ is to be found on every page of Scripture.” With the Son shining on it, we see that this is a Messianic psalm.

LUKE 11a:
Yesterday in 10b, Jesus agreed with a law expert in the most important commandments, but taught the man the meaning of who is one's neighbor. And Jesus visited Martha and Mary.

GNT Translation note:
Ps. 16:7 I praise [You//the] Lord, because [You guide//he guides] me, and in the night my conscience warns me.  
8 I am always aware of [your presence, Lord//the Lord's presence]; [You are//he is] near, and nothing can shake me.
====
Luk. 11:2 Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this: ‘Father: May your holy name be honored;
may [You come here to earth to reign as king.//your Kingdom come.]
21-22 “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will.  (PET)

NLT Translation notes:
Luk. 11:2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:
“Father, [PET: Our Father, may everyone honor You as the Holy God.//may your name be kept holy//may You always be regarded as holy.]
May your Kingdom come soon.
[As in many other places, 'name' is a metonymy for all of God. It is not just the name of God that Jesus wants us to hold as holy, but the whole Person of God as well.]
21-22 [PET: “Satan can be illustrated as a strong home owner who— fully armed, always guards his house. He trusts in his weapons to keep all his possessions safe, and to defeat the One who opposes him— which is Me. But I'm stronger than he is! When I attack him, I will certainly defeat him, take all of his weapons, carry away his possessions and distribute them according to My will. //21 For when a strong man like Satan is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe—22 until someone even stronger attacks and overpowers him, strips him of his weapons, and carries off his belongings.]
44 Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on.” [So also your defiling corruption is hidden and contagious.//0]


Check out this episode!

DBRP_058NewNewsFromJakarta


Hi, Everyone!

Thanks for any of you who have prayed for me— in Indonesia, and for Gale who is at home in Arkansas.

Someone just asked me at church, “So how’s it going with that, uh, ya know— project you are doing?” I know by now that I have 2 minutes or less to answer such questions. And I’m sure that I do the same thing to others. I want to be friendly, so I ask How it’s going. But I don’t really have the time for a long answer. Although, I try very hard to not let my eyes glaze over when people answer my questions. The main thing I want people to know is that I am their brother and interested… well, at least in a limited way! For two minutes at least.

I am now 17 days into my trip here. We have just a little mopping up before declaring that our Edition 2.2 of the Plain Indonesian New Testament is ready to print. The printing should start on schedule in March.

One of the first things that I did when I arrived here was to go to meet with our translation coordinator— Balazi, in West Kalimantan. We had four intense days together, and almost got done with all our files of suggested revisions to the New Testament. We finished the last part by e-mail. There are times when a Bible translator knows that Someone is watching and helping with the work. I would never claim that we get everything perfect. But there are times when one knows for sure that the Lord wants a change to be made. One of those happened as we processed a suggestion to one of about 20-some verses where Jesus says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Since the verse happens so many times, I thought that our first edition text had to be OK. I had just said to Balazi, “Let’s move on. If we change this verse, I will have to change all the others.” I was already scanning the next verse when Balazi said, “Hold on! Was Jesus saying to listen to what he was about to say, or what he just said?” I answered, “To what he just said. This always comes at the end of something important.” By now you’ve guessed it. We had it wrong, so that it sounded like one should listen to the next thing Jesus was going to say. So now in the second edition Jesus gives a strong warning, “What are those ears of yours for?! Listen to that!” In Indonesian, if Jesus just says “Listen,” it points to something coming next. If he says, “Listen to that” it points back to what he just said. So in the end I was very happy to find all of the 20-some times Jesus said this and change them all!

If you scroll way down at our Digging Deeper Facebook group page, you’ll find all the pictures I have shared from this trip. They include pictures of Balazi and his new bride Tika, and pictures that deal with the other people I will share about here. Tika is just two months pregnant and is having very bad morning sickness. It’s not just in the morning. She is struggling daily against throwing up and finding it difficult to eat. Please pray for her.

The manager and prayer coordinator for our in-country non-profit organization is Daniel. We need to stop giving away expensive New Testaments each time he does a presentation. So I asked him to see what he could talk about if we gave people only a booklet containing Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians. He came to me just bubbling over about a page of verses he had collected. “Look how clear this is!” “Look how meaningful this is!” “Here’s something Indonesian believers don’t understand!” As he spoke, I could see that Daniel was not just going to be presenting about our New Testament translation, but about the way we can grow in the Lord. And he is passionate about the topic.

This is when I think: This is God’s Word, and I get to translate it!

Last week I travelled to Medan to see two people. One is Yuni, and let’s use the name Teddy for the man I met, due to the nature of the project we are embarking on together. Yuni is a Christian radio station DJ and talk show host whom I met on my last trip to Indonesia. I had the opportunity to be on one of her talk shows back then, one geared for youth. I won’t talk about that now, but that’s how we met. She accepted the challenge back then to become a friend of our Bible translation team— volunteering time to help in translating the Old Testament. So starting in November, Yuni worked hard to finish our online translation course. She has drafted about 30 chapters of Old Testament history books since starting in January. In our one day meeting, we covered a lot of ground, including a couple of hours talking about translating OT poetry. Daniel asked me by e-mail some time back, “Hey, don’t you think that we should pay Yuni something?” So I asked her by e-mail at that time, and again in person last week, “Hey, should we be paying you for all this?” “Oh no. This is for the Lord!” How often does this happen? This is priceless. I’ll travel anytime to meet with someone like that. Yuni’s job doesn’t pay much, and she is not rich. But she has something one cannot buy. It is called Joy.

Teddy is someone I “just happened” to meet in 2015 when giving a presentation in one of the seminaries in Medan. Actually, I have learned that such things don’t “just happen.” Teddy is a former seminary professor, and one of the subjects he used to teach is Greek. For about 20 years now, Teddy has devoted himself to reaching a very large distinct population in this country with the Gospel. Back in 2015, when listening to my presentation, he realized that our Plain Indonesian New Testament would be perfect for the population he and his teammates are reaching— if it could be adapted for them. Teddy is making great progress in our Bible translation course. In about 3 weeks to a month, he should be able to start adapting the Bible stories his organization most frequently use to share the Gospel. After that, he will work on the Gospel of Mark. I was moved when he opened his well-used copy of our New Testament as he was telling me how meaningful it is to him. So many pages had yellow highlights! Later, as he was taking me to catch the train that would take me to the airport, I said, “It wasn’t just by chance that we met a couple of years ago.” And he proceeded to tell me how his call to provide a Bible for that target population group was actually given to him ten years ago.

There are some things that God wants done before Jesus returns. He desires to work with us in those things. Just this morning I read wonderful promises in Luke 11:

“So I say to you, keep asking,    and it will be given to you. Keep searching,    and you will find. Keep knocking,    and the door will be opened to you.
Luke 11:9 HCSB

Our Father delights in giving things to us when we ask for things that glorify Christ. This is the true meaning of praying in Jesus’ name. It is not just tagging on “in Jesus name” at the end of our prayers. It is praying unselfishly and according to God’s will, and for things that will glorify Jesus. If we are uplifting the cause of Christ, we are praying in Jesus’ name— whether or not we say those words at the end of our prayer.

After asking, searching, and knocking, when God opens those doors, one thing we find is Joy.




Check out this episode!

Saturday, February 25, 2017

GN-DBRP_057 LEV.11 LEV.12 PSA.15 LUK.10.23-42


LEVITICUS 11-12:
Yesterday in Leviticus, Aaron and his sons started their work, and the glory of the Lord was revealed. But right after that Nadab and Abihu died because they offered an unauthorized kind of fire to the Lord.

PSALM 15:
This is a psalm showing the kind of people who will be welcomed into God's presence.

LUKE 10:
Yesterday in the first half of the chapter, Jesus sent the 72 disciples out ahead of Him with interesting instructions. A worker will be given his pay as he trusts in the Lord to provide it. And there were strong words for the villages which received most of Jesus' miracles.

GNT Translation notes:
Lev. 11:21 [However, there are some exceptions that you may eat. These include insects that jump with their hind legs://except those that hop.] [So ]
23 But all other small [creatures//things] that have wings and also crawl must be considered unclean.
====
Luk. 10:35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper[ with these words,//.] ‘Take care of him,’ [0//he told the innkeeper,] ‘and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.’”

NLT Translation notes:
3 Those who refuse to gossip or [to/0] harm their neighbors or [to/0] speak evil of their friends.
====
Luk. 10:5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are [people who desire God's peace//peaceful], the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.
23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are [your eyes because of what you have been allowed to see.// “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.]
24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you [have been seeing//see], but they didn’t [get to//0] see it. And they longed to hear what you [have been hearing//hear], but they didn’t [get to//0] hear it.”
29 The man wanted to justify his [life-style//actions], so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
36 “Now which of [those/these] three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who  showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now [you also//0] go and do the same.”


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_057 LEV.11 LEV.12 PSA.15 LUK.10.23-42


LEVITICUS 11-12:
Yesterday in Leviticus, Aaron and his sons started their work, and the glory of the Lord was revealed. But right after that Nadab and Abihu died because they offered an unauthorized kind of fire to the Lord.

PSALM 15:
This is a psalm showing the kind of people who will be welcomed into God's presence.

LUKE 10:
Yesterday in the first half of the chapter, Jesus sent the 72 disciples out ahead of Him with interesting instructions. A worker will be given his pay as he trusts in the Lord to provide it. And there were strong words for the villages which received most of Jesus' miracles.

GNT Translation notes:
Lev. 11:21 [However, there are some exceptions that you may eat. These include insects that jump with their hind legs://except those that hop.] [So ]
23 But all other small [creatures//things] that have wings and also crawl must be considered unclean.
====
Luk. 10:35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper[ with these words,//.] ‘Take care of him,’ [0//he told the innkeeper,] ‘and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.’”

NLT Translation notes:
3 Those who refuse to gossip or [to/0] harm their neighbors or [to/0] speak evil of their friends.
====
Luk. 10:5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are [people who desire God's peace//peaceful], the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.
23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are [your eyes because of what you have been allowed to see.// “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.]
24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you [have been seeing//see], but they didn’t [get to//0] see it. And they longed to hear what you [have been hearing//hear], but they didn’t [get to//0] hear it.”
29 The man wanted to justify his [life-style//actions], so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
36 “Now which of [those/these] three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who  showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now [you also//0] go and do the same.”


Check out this episode!

Friday, February 24, 2017

GN-DBRP_056 LEV.9 LEV.10 PSA.14 LUK.10.1-24


LEVITICUS 9-10:
Yesterday in Leviticus, we heard more regulations for the priests (mainly), and then heard the story of the ordination ceremony that Moses performed for Aaron and his sons.

PSALM 14:
Psalm 14 can be classed as a messianic psalm because of v7. (However that is made clearer in other translations.) David shows us what God sees when He looks at this world. And that is why Paul quoted from this psalm in Romans 3.

LUKE 10:
In the second half of Luke 9, Jesus came down from the mountain to find a crowd, and he healed a demon possessed boy. Jesus predicted his death, and talked about the cost of being his disciples.

GNT Translation notes:
Lev. 9:4 and a bull and a ram for a fellowship offering. They are to sacrifice them to [Me— the Lord,//the Lord] with the grain offering mixed with oil. They must do this because [I//the Lord] will appear to them today.”
11 But he [had one of the men burn//burned] the meat and the skin outside the camp.
====
Ps. 14:3 But [we//they] have all gone wrong; [we//they] are all equally bad. Not one of [us//them] does what is right, not a single one.
====
Luk. 10:4 Don't take a [wallet//purse] or a beggar's bag or shoes; don't stop to greet anyone on the road.
22 [And Jesus said to his disciples,] “My Father has given me all things. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

NLT Translation notes:
Ps. 14:7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
When the LORD restores his people,
Jacob['s people/0] will shout with joy, and all Israel will rejoice.
====
Luk. 10:5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are [people who desire God's peace//peaceful], the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.
23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are [your eyes because of what you have been allowed to see.// “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.]
24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you [have been seeing//see], but they didn’t [get to//0] see it. And they longed to hear what you [have been hearing//hear], but they didn’t [get to//0] hear it.”
29 The man wanted to justify his [life-style//actions], so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
36 “Now which of [those/these] three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who  showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now [you also//0] go and do the same.”


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_056 LEV.9 LEV.10 PSA.14 LUK.10.1-24


LEVITICUS 9-10:
Yesterday in Leviticus, we heard more regulations for the priests (mainly), and then heard the story of the ordination ceremony that Moses performed for Aaron and his sons.

PSALM 14:
Psalm 14 can be classed as a messianic psalm because of v7. (However that is made clearer in other translations.) David shows us what God sees when He looks at this world. And that is why Paul quoted from this psalm in Romans 3.

LUKE 10:
In the second half of Luke 9, Jesus came down from the mountain to find a crowd, and he healed a demon possessed boy. Jesus predicted his death, and talked about the cost of being his disciples.

GNT Translation notes:
Lev. 9:4 and a bull and a ram for a fellowship offering. They are to sacrifice them to [Me— the Lord,//the Lord] with the grain offering mixed with oil. They must do this because [I//the Lord] will appear to them today.”
11 But he [had one of the men burn//burned] the meat and the skin outside the camp.
====
Ps. 14:3 But [we//they] have all gone wrong; [we//they] are all equally bad. Not one of [us//them] does what is right, not a single one.
====
Luk. 10:4 Don't take a [wallet//purse] or a beggar's bag or shoes; don't stop to greet anyone on the road.
22 [And Jesus said to his disciples,] “My Father has given me all things. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

NLT Translation notes:
Ps. 14:7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
When the LORD restores his people,
Jacob['s people/0] will shout with joy, and all Israel will rejoice.
====
Luk. 10:5 “Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6 If those who live there are [people who desire God's peace//peaceful], the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you.
23 Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are [your eyes because of what you have been allowed to see.// “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen.]
24 I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you [have been seeing//see], but they didn’t [get to//0] see it. And they longed to hear what you [have been hearing//hear], but they didn’t [get to//0] hear it.”
29 The man wanted to justify his [life-style//actions], so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
36 “Now which of [those/these] three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
37 The man replied, “The one who  showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now [you also//0] go and do the same.”


Check out this episode!

Thursday, February 23, 2017

GN-DBRP_055 LEV.7 LEV.8 PSA.13 LUK.9.28-62


LEVITICUS 7:
Yesterday we heard about sin and guilt offerings and about the ordination offering for priests. In today’s reading, it sounds to me that for repayment offerings (repayment being a sin which would usually be intentional), the person offering the sacrifice would not be entitled to receive any of the meat.

PSALM 13:
David starts by crying out “How long?” and ends with a note of praise. We can be thankful for his difficult experiences which give us these Psalms.

LUKE 9b:
Yesterday we heard of Jesus sending out his disciples, and afterward the feeding of the 5,000. Peter rightly declared what position Jesus was filling. Jesus predicted his death. He said that some standing there would not die before seeing the Kingdom of God, and perhaps he meant his three disciples who saw the transfiguration, because His kingship was clearly foreshadowed there.

GNT Translation note:
Lev. 8:17 He took the rest of the bull, including its skin, flesh, and intestines, and [had it burned//burned it] outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded.
[There are many times in Scripture where it says that one leader or another performed some large work, but it is clear that they ordered that the work to be done. (example: King x built the city of x.) It takes a long time to burn up the things mentioned, and Moses could not have done this by himself.]
====
Ps. 13:3 [Turn and] Look at me, O Lord my God, and answer me.
Restore my strength; don't let me die.
6 I will sing to you, O Lord,
because you have been [so] good to me.
====
Luk 9:44 “Don't forget what I am about to tell you! [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be handed over to the power of human beings.”
51 As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he [firmly] made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem.
58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but [I,] the Son of Man[, have// has] no place to lie down and rest.”

NLT Translation notes:
Luk. 9:18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “[According to the crowds, whose position am I ministering in?”/ /According to what the people are saying, whose position am I apparently filling?”//Who do people say I am?”]
[In English, the answer to “Who do people say I am?” would be “Jesus”— his name. This is a case where one has to use more words than the original to capture the same intent.]
19 “Well,” they replied, “some say the position of John

the Baptist, some say [taking Elijah's place//Elijah], and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”

20 Then he asked them, “But [whose place do you say I am filling?”//who do you say I am?”]
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone [about this//who he was].
22 “[I, the//The] Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,”he said. “[I/He] will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. [I/He] will be killed, but on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “[PET  Everyone who wants to follow Me has to leave his own self interests and follow Me every day, thinking like this, I will keep following the Lord even to the point of death— even death by crucifixion!’//If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.]
44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be betrayed into the hands of [my/his] enemies.”
58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but [I,/0] the Son of Man, has no place even to lay [my/his] head.”


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_055 LEV.7 LEV.8 PSA.13 LUK.9.28-62


LEVITICUS 7:
Yesterday we heard about sin and guilt offerings and about the ordination offering for priests. In today’s reading, it sounds to me that for repayment offerings (repayment being a sin which would usually be intentional), the person offering the sacrifice would not be entitled to receive any of the meat.

PSALM 13:
David starts by crying out “How long?” and ends with a note of praise. We can be thankful for his difficult experiences which give us these Psalms.

LUKE 9b:
Yesterday we heard of Jesus sending out his disciples, and afterward the feeding of the 5,000. Peter rightly declared what position Jesus was filling. Jesus predicted his death. He said that some standing there would not die before seeing the Kingdom of God, and perhaps he meant his three disciples who saw the transfiguration, because His kingship was clearly foreshadowed there.

GNT Translation note:
Lev. 8:17 He took the rest of the bull, including its skin, flesh, and intestines, and [had it burned//burned it] outside the camp, just as the Lord had commanded.
[There are many times in Scripture where it says that one leader or another performed some large work, but it is clear that they ordered that the work to be done. (example: King x built the city of x.) It takes a long time to burn up the things mentioned, and Moses could not have done this by himself.]
====
Ps. 13:3 [Turn and] Look at me, O Lord my God, and answer me.
Restore my strength; don't let me die.
6 I will sing to you, O Lord,
because you have been [so] good to me.
====
Luk 9:44 “Don't forget what I am about to tell you! [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be handed over to the power of human beings.”
51 As the time drew near when Jesus would be taken up to heaven, he [firmly] made up his mind and set out on his way to Jerusalem.
58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but [I,] the Son of Man[, have// has] no place to lie down and rest.”

NLT Translation notes:
Luk. 9:18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “[According to the crowds, whose position am I ministering in?”/ /According to what the people are saying, whose position am I apparently filling?”//Who do people say I am?”]
[In English, the answer to “Who do people say I am?” would be “Jesus”— his name. This is a case where one has to use more words than the original to capture the same intent.]
19 “Well,” they replied, “some say the position of John

the Baptist, some say [taking Elijah's place//Elijah], and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”

20 Then he asked them, “But [whose place do you say I am filling?”//who do you say I am?”]
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone [about this//who he was].
22 “[I, the//The] Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,”he said. “[I/He] will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. [I/He] will be killed, but on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “[PET  Everyone who wants to follow Me has to leave his own self interests and follow Me every day, thinking like this, I will keep following the Lord even to the point of death— even death by crucifixion!’//If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.]
44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be betrayed into the hands of [my/his] enemies.”
58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but [I,/0] the Son of Man, has no place even to lay [my/his] head.”


Check out this episode!

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

GN-DBRP_054 LEV.5 LEV.6 PSA.12 LUK.9.1-36


LEVITICUS 5-6:
Yesterday we read about sacrifices given for unintentional sins and for peace offerings. And I said that we would hear about offerings for intentional sins today.

PSALM 12:
In Psalm 12, we hear of trusting in God's promises even in the midst of hard times.

LUKE 9a:
Yesterday to the woman healed of bleeding, Jesus said, “It is because you believe in me that you are healed.” And to Jairus, He said, “ Don’t be afraid. Just keep on believing in Me.”

GNT Translation note:
Ps. 12:6 The [words//promises] of the Lord can be trusted;
they are as genuine as silver
refined seven times in the furnace.
[The Hebrew word here is not specific to just promises. But on the other hand, in this context, this verse is responding to the Lord’s promise in verse 5. So GNT’s translation is fine. However one can see the influence of the GNT on other translations by looking at this verse.]
====
Mrk. 9:8 Others were saying that [the prophet] Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.
18 One day when Jesus was praying alone, the disciples came to him. “[What role do the crowds say that I am fulfilling?//Who do the crowds say I am?]” he asked them.
19 “Some say that you are [taking the role of] John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say that you are [taking the role of the prophet] Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “What about you?” he asked them. “[What do you say about me?//Who do you say I am?]”
Peter answered, “You are God's Messiah.”
22 He also told them, “[I, the//The Son] of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. [I//He] will be put to death, but three days later [I//he] will be raised to life.”
26 If you are ashamed of me[, the Son of Man,] and of my teaching, then [I//the Son of Man] will be ashamed of you when [I come in my//he comes in his] glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

NLT Translation notes:
Ps. 12:5 The LORD replies, “I have seen [your violence done against
the helpless,//violence done to the helpless,]
and I have heard the groans of the poor.
6 [Your promises, O LORD,//The LORD’s promises] are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace,
purified seven times over.
====
Mrk. 9:18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “[According to the crowds, whose position am I ministering in?”/ /According to what the people are saying, whose position am I apparently filling?”//Who do people say I am?”]
[In English, the answer to “Who do people say I am?” would be “Jesus”— his name. This is a case where one has to use more words than the original to capture the same intent.]
19 “Well,” they replied, “some say the position of John the Baptist, some say [taking Elijah's place//Elijah], and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
20 Then he asked them, “But [whose place do you say I am filling?”//who do you say I am?”]
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone [about this//who he was].
22 “[I, the//The] Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,”he said. “[I/He] will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. [I/He] will be killed, but on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “[PET  Everyone who wants to follow Me has to leave his own self interests and follow Me every day, thinking like this, I will keep following the Lord even to the point of death— even death by crucifixion!’//If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.]
44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be betrayed into the hands of [my/his] enemies.”
58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but [I,/0] the Son of Man, has no place even to lay [my/his] head.”


Check out this episode!

NL-DBRP_054 LEV.5 LEV.6 PSA.12 LUK.9.1-36


LEVITICUS 5-6:
Yesterday we read about sacrifices given for unintentional sins and for peace offerings. And I said that we would hear about offerings for intentional sins today.

PSALM 12:
In Psalm 12, we hear of trusting in God's promises even in the midst of hard times.

LUKE 9a:
Yesterday to the woman healed of bleeding, Jesus said, “It is because you believe in me that you are healed.” And to Jairus, He said, “ Don’t be afraid. Just keep on believing in Me.”

GNT Translation note:
Ps. 12:6 The [words//promises] of the Lord can be trusted;
they are as genuine as silver
refined seven times in the furnace.
[The Hebrew word here is not specific to just promises. But on the other hand, in this context, this verse is responding to the Lord’s promise in verse 5. So GNT’s translation is fine. However one can see the influence of the GNT on other translations by looking at this verse.]
====
Mrk. 9:8 Others were saying that [the prophet] Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life.
18 One day when Jesus was praying alone, the disciples came to him. “[What role do the crowds say that I am fulfilling?//Who do the crowds say I am?]” he asked them.
19 “Some say that you are [taking the role of] John the Baptist,” they answered. “Others say that you are [taking the role of the prophet] Elijah, while others say that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”
20 “What about you?” he asked them. “[What do you say about me?//Who do you say I am?]”
Peter answered, “You are God's Messiah.”
22 He also told them, “[I, the//The Son] of Man must suffer much and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law. [I//He] will be put to death, but three days later [I//he] will be raised to life.”
26 If you are ashamed of me[, the Son of Man,] and of my teaching, then [I//the Son of Man] will be ashamed of you when [I come in my//he comes in his] glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

NLT Translation notes:
Ps. 12:5 The LORD replies, “I have seen [your violence done against
the helpless,//violence done to the helpless,]
and I have heard the groans of the poor.
6 [Your promises, O LORD,//The LORD’s promises] are pure,
like silver refined in a furnace,
purified seven times over.
====
Mrk. 9:18 One day Jesus left the crowds to pray alone. Only his disciples were with him, and he asked them, “[According to the crowds, whose position am I ministering in?”/ /According to what the people are saying, whose position am I apparently filling?”//Who do people say I am?”]
[In English, the answer to “Who do people say I am?” would be “Jesus”— his name. This is a case where one has to use more words than the original to capture the same intent.]
19 “Well,” they replied, “some say the position of John the Baptist, some say [taking Elijah's place//Elijah], and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”
20 Then he asked them, “But [whose place do you say I am filling?”//who do you say I am?”]
21 Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone [about this//who he was].
22 “[I, the//The] Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,”he said. “[I/He] will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. [I/He] will be killed, but on the third day [I/he] will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “[PET  Everyone who wants to follow Me has to leave his own self interests and follow Me every day, thinking like this, I will keep following the Lord even to the point of death— even death by crucifixion!’//If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.]
44 “Listen to me and remember what I say. [I, the Son of Man am//The Son of Man is] going to be betrayed into the hands of [my/his] enemies.”
58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but [I,/0] the Son of Man, has no place even to lay [my/his] head.”


Check out this episode!