#Literal Emphasis Bible Translation

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

A Gentle Answer Turns Away Wrath

1 A soft answer turneth away fury; but a grievous word stirreth up anger.

2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright; but the mouth of the foolish poureth out folly.

3 The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

4 Gentleness of tongue is a tree of life; but crookedness therein is a breaking of the spirit.

5 A fool despiseth his father's instruction; but he that regardeth reproof becometh prudent.

6 In the house of a righteous man is much treasure; but in the revenue of a wicked man is disturbance.

7 The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but not so the heart of the foolish.

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah; but the prayer of the upright is his delight.

9 The way of a wicked man is an abomination to Jehovah; but him that pursueth righteousness he loveth.

10 Grievous correction is for him that forsaketh the path; he that hateth reproof shall die.

11 Sheol and destruction are before Jehovah; how much more then the hearts of the children of men!

12 A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him; he will not go unto the wise.

13 A joyful heart maketh a cheerful countenance; but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.

14 The heart of an intelligent man seeketh knowledge; but the mouth of the foolish feedeth on folly.

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil; but a cheerful heart is a continual feast.

16 Better is little with the fear of Jehovah than great store and disquietude therewith.

17 Better is a meal of herbs where love is, than a fatted ox and hatred therewith.

18 A furious man stirreth up contention; but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

19 The way of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns; but the path of the upright is made plain.

20 A wise son maketh a glad father; but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

21 Folly is joy to him that is void of sense; but a man of understanding regulateth his walk.

22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed; but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.

23 A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth; and a word in its season, how good is it!

24 The path of life is upwards for the wise, that he may depart from Sheol beneath.

25 Jehovah plucketh up the house of the proud; but he establisheth the boundary of the widow.

26 The thoughts of the evil man are an abomination to Jehovah; but pure words are pleasant.

27 He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.

28 The heart of a righteous man studieth to answer; but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

29 Jehovah is far from the wicked; but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

30 That which enlighteneth the eyes rejoiceth the heart; good tidings make the bones fat.

31 The ear that heareth the reproof of life shall abide among the wise.

32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul; but he that heareth reproof getteth sense.

33 The fear of Jehovah is the discipline of wisdom, and before honour goeth humility. — Proverbs 15 | Literal Emphasis Translation (LET) The Literal Emphasis Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 13:8; Leviticus 7:18; Deuteronomy 19:14; Deuteronomy 32:22; Judges 8:1; 1 Kings 1:12; Nehemiah 2:2; Psalm 59:7; Proverbs 1:2; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 1:25; Proverbs 8:21; Proverbs 9:7-8; Proverbs 10:1; Proverbs 12:14; Proverbs 13:18; Proverbs 13:20; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 18:15; Proverbs 22:5; Proverbs 25:25; Matthew 22:4; John 9:31; Acts 1:24; Ephesians 5:15; 1 Timothy 6:6; 1 Timothy 6:9; 1 Timothy 6:11; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Peter 3:15; Revelation 2:7

[heyftinally]

Swifties do love setting Taylor up.

Just what I saw on Twitter Yesterday:

1989 is a pop Bible that everybody knows. - Well if it's trash maybe.

Reputation is hip hop ??? - What?

Reputation is goth Rock ?? - Lol

That Reputation is also supposed to be R&nB - like where?? wtf?

And her new album the Treacherous Dead Poets Default is an album with a new sound.

Or this yt lady on tt that was claiming that no other artists has transcended genres as successfully as taylor did. 😭 And she mentions Rock? Girl where? And literally there are tons of artists who did it way better than her.

Or that one video which they have now deleted bc taylor was getting dragged. It was a video of her just walking on stage and singing (not live) and the caption was like: I can't believe she was doing that for the first time. ' - Some small part of me does feel sorry for these delusional fanbase. Cause she has the highest grossing tour right now. Big emphasis on right now cause that record is not forever. Anyways they can not post much about her performance anywhere without people using it to drag her. Cause let's face it. She can't perform. She's not serving. She's giving nothing. Her dancers slay more than she does.

Pffffft Taylor went from pop country to pop and never changed again. Slightly different vibes? Sure. Still pop. She wouldn't know rock if it smacked her in the head.

Missy Elliott is hip hop. Early P!nk (ie Most Girls) is R&B. Sumo Cyco is goth rock (+ others, but still). Taylor Swift wouldn't touch any of those genres with a 10ft pole, and quite frankly she'd suck at them if she tried lol.

She doesn't "transcend genres", and considering she can't even make different versions of pop sound good, I think we know why.

And no, she can't perform. Let me flex my expertise here: I'm a trained dancer. Specifically with 26 years of training in tap, jazz, ballet, theater, and contemporary, with additional training in commercial/street jazz (aka music video and tour choreography) and various other styles in sporadic classes. I've literally been choreographing since I was about seven years old, and have been analyzing commercial choreography since I was 15.

That said,

Her performances are not only weak, but they show me that her tour choreographer either

Doesn't exist and she created all of her own "dancing" herself

Doesn't know how to adapt choreography for someone with virtually no dance technique

Actively has something out for Taylor and is trying to make her look bad

I'm going to reference "Look What You Made Me Do" from the Eras tour, because that's the most recent and clearest to illustrate my point

A video of the performance in question, for reference.

Okay, first off, right off the bat, her hand floating on her hip looks awkward and uncomfortable. It's giving "over-excited 8yo at recital". For someone with as much experience as she has performing, I'd expect her to look more settled in her beginning pose. She looks like she's overthinking, and thus it looks under rehearsed.

Then we have that flexed hand - yes it's a nit pick, but that pose belongs very few places outside of a 6yo's tap dance.

Movibg on, her robotic movements look messy as fuck. Sharp isolations like that are HARD. A lot of dancers with years of training struggle with getting the kind of sharpness you would expect to see from that choreography. And on the scale of a stadium like she's in, everything is amplified. If it's messy, it's going to look five times as messy as it might on a smaller scale, because the further away the audience is, the more detail gets lost. So you're movements need to be SHARP in order to translate to the audience. Add to that that this is clearly filmed professionally/intentionally, and it really just looks unprofessional/poorly planned.

Meanwhile the things like the "don't like you" scolding (besides looking childish) are so small that you wouldn't see them beyond the front row. When you're choreographing even for a normal stage, the #1 rule is make everything BIG and intentional. If you're kicking, you're hitting AT LEAST a 45° angle, and with the force of trying to kick the winning soccer (football) goal. Taylor doesn't do that. Those movements are small, sad, and weak, and it honestly looks lazy. I know a 10yo currently doing a competitive dance solo to this song, and I shit you not that 10yo is 50x more interesting to watch perform than Taylor.

So yeah, her music has been one note since Fearless one note (uninspired pop), and her "stage presence" is about on par with an 8yo who doesn't want to be here.

[misc-obeyme]

🐆 I will write the name as we know it- how its written in Hebrew- how it pronounced (only if it is any different)- the meaning. Hope you like it and it makes it more fun to understand for you! Lucifer- לוציפר- technically came from the Christian interpretation of a quote from the bible that said something about the falling morning star. It was probably said as a proverb at the time, but got translated to an actual person lol and here we are. The falling morning star was written הילל בן שחר- Hilel Ben Shahar, I can go for hours on the different meanings it can be.

Mammon- ממון- pretty old word, not being as used, means some kind of wealth. If it's an actual used word, usually only in very official documents to describe monetary value or extreme wealth.

Leviathan- לוויתן- it is written the same in terms of pronunciation, but sounds different. You can copy how I wrote it in Hebrew and listen in google translate. Everyday word, literally means whale.

Satan- שטן- written the same, pronounced slightly differently. Means the devil. Demons by the way are called שדים- shedim, but if you say only demon- שד in a slightly different emphasis on a letter and its a boob. Just a fun fact

Asmodeus- אשמדאי- Ashmedai He doesn't really come from the Jewish bible but as far as I remember was described in different writings and then later added to the inscription. Supposed to be at some point the kind of demons, and was controlled for a period by king Solomon. There's no specific meaning in the name in Hebrew.

Beelzebub- בעל זבוב- Baal Zvuv Literally means owner of flies, or controller of flies in some cases, he was described in some parts in the bible, usually to mock the god of Pegan religion nearby, or to describe priests who came to shoo away the flies from an upcoming sacrifice? Baal is also often refers to a husband, btw.

Belphegor- בעל פעור- Baal Paur Now this is an interesting one, since if pronounced as it is written in English, Phegor can mean carcass which is a bit more related to Beel's name. But in the bible Baal Paur was described to be one of the Pagan gods who had a disgusting job I refuse to describe. Simeon- שמעון- Shimon a commonly used name, less nowadays though. In my opinion, in Hebrew it's one of the least sexiest name since it's very throaty. But that's my taste. The meaning is from the word "Shama שמע" which means heard, heard by god in the way they referred it to. Shimon was one of the kids of a famous figure in the bible.

Solomon- שלמה- Shlomo Everyone probably know the name of king Solom the wise. Very common name for what now is the middle-aged generation, the rural you go in Israel the more common the name is lol. My opinion of it is the same as Shimon.

Raphael and Michael are both known too, and pronounced pretty much the same, though Michael is more like Mikhael, מיכאל, his name means high praise to the god. Raphael sounds the same, written רפאל, Rafael, Rafa usually means healing. For all the angels that have "EL" in the end- El means god. So it's healing from god, protection from god and so on. Luke is from the Christian version, so I leave it be. Barbatos, Mephisto, Diavolo, don't really have relation from what I can remember to the Jewish bible or Hebrew nor do they have a translation into any specific words. The more I think about the more it makes me appreciate how well they have written the story, only the angels and the fallen ones have names that has a meaning in Hebrew while the demons retain their original form... Or maybe I am reading too much to it... Anyway I had fun thinking about all of this and writing this, and hope you enjoy it too. I presume the water has already been consumed. yes? :)

Woahhhh so much I didn't know about this stuff!

Lucifer our fallen morning star... there's something so poetic about that, even if it is a mistranslation and it was never meant to be an actual being.

Also Belphegor I mean Belphie can be like a carcass when he's dead asleep, right?? LOL.

I wonder why they chose the name Simeon? Heard by god, but is he? I'm always hesitant to think they've got any deeper meanings to these things just because this game is not exactly known for that kind of thing. But I can't help but wonder about it.

Huh that's super interesting that the demons that have always been demons don't have the same origin as the angels or fallen angels. I mean, maybe they didn't do that on purpose, but it's cool either way! I've always loved that Diavolo is just devil in Italian! I can't remember about Mephisto aside from Faust, like I don't know if he's in something else Bible adjacent or not. Barbatos is in the Ars Goetia but that's all I know about that lol. I know very little about these things in general.

Thank you so much for writing this and sharing it with me! I'm always interested in this kind of stuff!

And um yes water, right. I am gonna go do that... right... nooooow lol.

[lesbianrobin]

about to say something So reddit-y i'm sorry but. people who take the bible/christianity like Seriously are so scary. they will say shit that is just fully disconnected from reality and we all have to roll with it. they will tell CHILDREN that they'll go to hell and be tortured for eternity if they sin or doubt the church's teachings or question the existence of god. and you can't tell that poor terrified kid that nobody really knows if god is real, or you're undermining their parents and disrespecting their faith.

and it's all so ARBITRARY like if a mormon or jehovah's witness tries to recruit you to their church you're allowed to laugh it off and be like haha those guys are weirdos! but if an evangelical tries to recruit you then you have to be nice because they're well intentioned and they're trying to save you blah blah like fuck OFF you ALL suck granted in different ways and to different degrees but OVERALL YOU ARE ALL LETTING YOURSELVES BE MANIPULATED AND IN TURN YOU ARE MANIPULATING OTHERS. and i hate you. and your pastor is probably an evil cunt. and basing your literal entire life around one of many translations of a variable collection of 3,000 year old texts is unbelievably stupid. and it's like insanely deeply sad how entrenched people become in self-deprecating or hateful thought patterns as a result of the christian church.

and i absolutely understand people enjoying faith and traditions and community but to act as if christianity and faith in the bible is the only or the superior way to have these things in your life is ridiculous. and megachurches are fucking weird. and the emphasis that many christians place on serving and obeying the lord fosters an environment where children are encouraged to blindly obey authority and discouraged from forming their own thoughts and listening to their instincts which i personally believe contributes to the widespread abuse seen across various christian denominations. and sending children to christian schools and church camps and youth groups is literally indoctrination but you can't call it that bc it's disrespectful. and i could literally go on forever and i know i will lose followers for posting this and i probably shouldn't post it at all but i simply do not care anymore and this is my blog to rant about dumb shit as i please. anyway i'm gonna have some candied cashews love you all ✌🏻

[faeriefully]

“Understand you contribute nothing to your salvation but the sin that made it necessary.” Don’t understand this. Don’t you contribute by accepting Jesus (and all that entails, just simplifying a bit here)? Are you referencing you can’t “good works” your way into heaven? Or do you subscribe to predestination (as in are you a Calvinist)? Sorry I’m just wondering what you meant

I mean… my bio does say “reformed Christian”…. And since you asked— let’s go!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬ (emphasis added)

I would hope every Christian subscribes to predestination. It’s in the Bible.

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬ (emphasis added)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30 (emphasis added)

That being said:

You contribute nothing to your salvation but the sin that made it necessary.

“None is righteous, no, not one;     no one understands;     no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;     no one does good,     not even one.”

Romans 3:10-12 (emphasis added)

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws* him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

John 6:44 ESV (*the literal Greek translation is the word drags)

You also did not choose to follow Christ out of your own initiation. Jesus says so:

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

John 15:16 ESV (emphasis added)

The Bible tells us that we are Dead in in. Dead.

Dead people can't choose anything. Dead people can't contribute anything. Dead people are dead.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV (emphasis added)

No, you didn't contribute by accepting Jesus. That's a boast. I accepted Jesus, now I'm saved. NO.

You were dead.

God saved you.

[bngrc]

[source] Note, this source link goes to a screen capture. The original tweet is no longer online due to account suspension. The OP has a new twitter: @thegates0fmel

Original tweet:

"Some women use birth control for…" I use it for sex. A human activity. Idgaf if you don't think I should be having sex. I use it because I want sex and don't want kids. Die mad about it.

Chinese translation:

“有些女人吃避孕药用以…” 我吃它来性交。这是一个常人做的活动。我一点不在乎你是否觉得我应该性交。我吃避孕药是因为我想性交而不想孩子。你们含怒到坟墓，好吗？

.

I realized these tweet translations would probably be more interesting to people if I explained my translation process, so here's the literal English translation of my Chinese translation:

Some women take (lit. eat) birth control medicine in order to..." I take it to have sex. This is an activity regular people do. I don't care a bit whether you think I should have sex. I take birth control medicine because I want sex and don't want kids. Carry your anger to the grave, why don't you?

I spent most of my time thinking about how to translate the final line: "Die mad about it." That is, of course, the most memorable part of the tweet.

At first I thought to go with a simple 要气死 / "Die mad (imperative)", or a more flippant 气死吧 / "Die mad (suggestion)" but Chinese speakers use 死 for emphasis so casually that it kind of loses its meaning.

I wanted a translation with a bit more gravitas.

I decided to go with the more formal, "Carry your anger to the grave." Of course there are several words that mean "carry/hold on to" and several words that mean "anger/rage" and several words that mean "grave/coffin." I wasn't sure what vocabulary was best.

Then I had a lightbulb.

I could find a bible quote that talks about "carrying anger."

A bible quote would have the necessary gravitas, and more importantly, it's really easy to find good, professional translations of individual lines from the Christian bible online, in pretty much any language. Every sentence has its own number designation. Not a lot of texts make it that easy to find line-by-line translations, besides Shakespeare's plays/sonnets, maybe.

I'm not Christian myself, but the Christian bible has its uses when it comes to language study.

So I looked up "carry anger bible quote" which pointed me to Ephesians 4:26:

In English (New International Version):

In your anger do not sin; Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry

In Mandarin ( Chinese Union Version):

生氣卻不要犯罪；不可含怒到日落

含怒

含 hán - to keep, to contain, to hold in the mouth (to nurse on)

怒 nù - anger, fury, rage

.

I went with the translation 坟墓 fénmù for "grave" because I liked that it kinda rhymed with 含怒 hánnù.

.

At this point I had 你们含怒到坟墓, which is more of a declarative statement. I wanted to clearly indicate that this was either an imperative or a suggestion, but it didn't seem quite right to use 要 or 吧. The word 要 felt like it went a step too far, like saying "kill yourself." Given the formality of the rest of the sentence, 吧 felt grammatically incorrect.

I decided to go with the slightly more formal suggestion tag 好吗？which is like saying, "Sound good to you?" I think it gives the sentence a more sarcastic edge.

.

Anyway, I hope this translation makes sense and doesn't sound too weird.

Please feel free to suggest tweets for translation or correct my grammar in the notes!

[bunnygirl678]

Story Time!

Y'all wanna hear about the time I had a "demon" exorcism?

No? Then don't click read more lmao

So back when I was a middle schooler (like 11-13ish i think) my dad had us going to a "Spirit-filled" or "Charismatic" church, which really translates to a bunch of people who had mental health issues who were not being medicated (seriously they looked for that dopamine hit with the church i realize this as an adult)

Anyway, services lasted anywhere from 4-8 hours, I had already decided it was all BS (actually I wasn't sure where I stood on my faith, I've since figured it out), so I started reading during it, during middle school I was really really into Meg Cabot (She wrote the princess diaries and a ton of other stuff), I was reading one of the books from the boy series (romance stuff which makes a lot of sense if you know that i'm an absolute hopeless romantic, emphasis on the hopeless lmao)

The pastor and my father decided that because i wasn't paying attention to their 2 hour singing and dancing (remember i also had undiagnosed adhd so focusing in general was horrible) and speaking in "tongues" (if you want a theological debate feel free, i've read the passage about it in the bible it's not some bs angel language, the holy spirit just allowed them to know other languages without learning them), so they brought me to the front. Now at this point I was also going through my Emo-lite phase, I was exploring fashion, and I'd read that one scott westerfield book about starting fashions (i have no clue which one it's been like 15 years) so i was dressed a little wild, you know like your average nerdy 13 year old.

Anyway i sat at the front on a weird stool and all of the church members came up and put their hands all over me and started spouting gibberish while the pastor told the demon to leave me. And i wish so bad that i would have fucked with them like started shaking and speaking what little latin i knew, or saying bs like 'the time is near we will rise' just for funsies, but i'm a lot more creative as an adult lol.

they did that for like 30 minutes, then they were all crying and said the demon was gone, i walked back to my seat and picked up my book and went back to where i was.

like these people were unhinged lmao

another time the pastor was giving out prophesies to everyone and they made me get one, the pastor knew i was in trying out for volleyball because my dad and him talked constantly and we had to get lunch with them every week.

Anyway the pastor says, "you will be the star, the power of the holy spirit will be with you, you will be the best at volleyball" or something my dad still has the recording on cassette lmao

So when it came for volleyball in school, i sucked ass (this had nothing to do with the prophecy i have zero hand eye coordination, i can literally only run and play golf haha) i ended up sucking so bad i made C team (we were a small school so everyone got to do something) there was A team then B team, two separate teams, then there was C team, which only got to play on B team when there were home games. Like the only reason i was there was because the coach felt bad and didn't want to cut anyone hahahaha

Long story short, I spent a few years with some deep seeded hatred of religion, I've since worked it out, but still damn

[moonjxsung]

(🪲)

FINALLY FINISHED READING YOUR CHAN FIC AND THERES SO MUCH I WANNA SAY RAHHHHHH

ugh i adored it so so much i can’t even find the words to express it, but you’re hands down my favorite writer probably ever. the way you tell the story in a way that i can just perfectly picture the scene, the way you portray the very real struggle of opening up to someone else and being vulnerable, the way the reader helps him overcome the fear of losing in her own way, the way he actually SMILES when he’s lost — i was completely in love with everything about it.

also, i got so pissed when all these extremely personal clips of him and his mom was aired. as someone who’s had to deal with invasions of privacy a lot throughout the course of my life, there’s nothing i hate more than having something personal of mine being aired out without my consent. and i understand that they’re doing their job as journalists and a lot of the times the lines between okay to publish and not okay to publish often blur or simply doesn’t exist for some of them but still. at the very least, they could’ve offered y/n or chan a heads up.

anyway, i’m still glad it worked out in the end. ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE SHOWER SCENE HELLO??? FILLING UP HER MOUTH WITH WATER ONLY FOR HIM TO JUST THRUST IN LIKE DID WE WANT HER TO CHOKE BECAUSE THAT WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT LMFAO 😭😭😭 i would’ve been so unsexy if that was done to me i’m too sensitive to react the way she did but it was so so so hot and what’s even hotter is helping chan relax 👀🫦 like she got on her knees after he cried and got very vulnerable and honestly girl ME TOO 💀🙏 but on a side note i was lowkey panicking thinking like what if she didn’t properly turn off the camera and now there’s footage of her blowing her video subject like oof 🥴

ANYWAY i love you star your writing is literally god’s work (who are we kidding, god could never and the bible is proof of that) and i’m so happy you’ve decided to share this masterpiece with us ily ily ily MUAH

RAHHHHHH OH MY GOD the excitement I got reading this entire message. I LOVE YOU??????

Hearing literally anybody say I’m their favorite author on here is so incomprehensible to me but every single time I am BEYOND flattered that you guys even care enough to wait on my stories and read them so thoroughly 😭 I really wanted this one to be a slower writing process and to take my time w it considering I know nothing about boxing and I wanted to capture the very real struggles that must come with a career that places such heavy emphasis on “being a man” and just….. winning matches as much as you can. I’m so glad I was finally able to deliver for the Channie fans out there, and it not only made me have even greater love for Channie (if that was possible????) but also just greater respect for boxing as a sport. Who wants to come w me to watch a live boxing match RAHHHHH

I’ve always thought to myself I can’t imagine how people are able to stomach being in the middle of something so televised and to make your pain such a focal point of the entertainment. It’s really not far off from being an idol in certain ways, so I feel like the fears of one career are easily translated to another. But watching actual matches really helped put it into perspective for me too! I watched one between these 2 guys that actually succeeded a short series about each of their lives and it was just fascinating to see their upbringings, practice runs, etc. Like to see so many fans garnered for such personal glimpses into their lives was just mind blowing !!!

ALSO SHOWER SCENE 🙂‍↕️ I’M SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED JSKDJKDKEIRKRKRKR it was some of the most fun I’ve had writing a smut scene in a long time and shower sex Chan lives in my head rent free RAHHHH I need him…….

ANYWAYS THANK YOU FOR THIS LIFE CHANGING FEEDBACK I am so so glad you enjoyed and I hope to have more stuff up very soon. also your bible comment made me physically CHOKE on my salad HELPPDJDJDKSKEKFKFKFJF I love u I love u !!!!!!!!!!!! SENDING U ALL MY LOVE RAHHHHH 💝🩷💖💓🫶✨🤞💘

[spiritsoulandbody]

#DailyDevotion It Is Important To Keep God's Word In Front Of Us

#DailyDevotion It Is Important To Keep God's Word In Front Of Us Psalm 119 49Remember Your promise (dabar) to Your servant for by it You have given me hope. 50This is my comfort in my misery: that Your word (imrah) gives me life. 51Proud men bitterly scorn me, but I don't turn away from Your teaching (torah). 52O LORD, I remember Your righteous acts (misphat) of long ago and am comforted. 53The wicked, who forsake Your teaching (torah), make me hot with anger. 54Your laws (choq) have been my songs here where I'm a stranger. 55At night I think of Your name, O LORD, and I carefully do what you teach (torah). 56It is good for me to follow the way (piqqud) you want me to live. Verses 49 and 50 run parallel to one another using as synonymns dabar and imrah. Dabar is heavy on the emphasis of the written word while imrah is emphasis on the spoken word. The promises of the LORD either written or spoken are the hope of all His people. In that word we have divine promises. The LORD never reneges on His promises. They always come to pass. Asking God to remember His promises is not for His sake but for ours. He doesn't forget. By asking Him to remember, we ourselves are strengthened by them and they give us hope in God. His promises are our comfort when we are in our misery. Heb. 13 gives us the comfort of the LORD when he reminds us, “I will never leave you or desert you.” We have John 6 which says, "37All the Father gives Me will come to Me, and anyone who comes to Me I will never turn away..." The word that gives life, Jesus says in John 3, "everyone who believes in Him has everlasting life. 16God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life." Verses 51-53 have a theme, opposition from the wicked. We can see these words particularly in the mouth of Jesus as he deals with those who oppose Him, His teaching, His works and His reign and rule. Despite this opposition, Jesus does not turn away from His Father's teaching/torah. He teaches exactly what the Father has given Him to teach. The Holy Spirit then, in the life of the Church, handed and preserved that teaching in the writings of the holy apostles which we now have in the Bible. Despite whatever outside forces try to get us to turn from the teachings of Jesus, by man or demon, we must continually turn to His teachings and not to safety apart from His word. We join Jesus in remembering all of the LORD's righteous acts of old. We as Christians are not ambivalent to evil. When we see it, it does make us angry. The difference is how we deal with it individally. Many times we do not have the vocation to oppose it with force. Paul tells us to conquer evil with good. We are called to show love to those who hate us. We leave them in the hand of God who is all wise, just, wise, powerful and mighty. He can deal with them best. But we never love evil acts. We hate them right along with Jesus. Verses 54-56 also are a unit of this section of the psalm. The statutes of the LORD are our song. As the psalmist confesses, we are but strangers here in this world. The way of the LORD is our way as we pass through this age as aliens in it. We think on the name of the LORD. That is the name revealed in Ex. 34:6, “the LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to get angry, rich in love and faithfulness, 7continuing to show mercy to thousands, forgiving wrong, rebellion, and sin, without treating it as innocent, but disciplining children and children's children to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their fathers.” This Gospel name of the LORD is what moves us to carefully do all that He has taught us, as Jesus notes in Matt. 28, "...observe everything as I have commanded you..." Verse 56 is translated in a number of ways. Some of them have me scratching my head trying to figure out how they got there. Literally it says, "This becomes to me for your precepts I observe." In light of the translation, I hear this as Jesus says, "Anyone who hears my word and does them is like a man who builds his house upon a rock," or "If you love me, you will guard/keep/treasure my teachings/commandments." May His word so move us and conform us to guard, keep, treasure and do all Jesus teaches us. Heavenly Father, grant us Your Holy Spirit so we may treasure in our hearts all that You have taught us so we may do You will. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Read the full article

[orthodoxadventure]

Do you know why (genuinely curious, idk the answer) prayers in the Orthodox Church are in thee/thou language? I always found it interesting but also distancing and off-putting… On a sidenote, it’s extra interesting to think about because in the West we might automatically associate that kind of speech with the KJV, which is *definitely* Protestant, which the Orthodox Church is completely the opposite of. It also reminds me of traditional English “translations of the meaning” of the Qur’an, rendered in thee/thou language, especially since Islam seems to have been Orthodoxy’s most consistent sparring partner so to speak (compared to the Latin church and pagan polytheism) (which is a WHOLE other interesting topic in and of itself. Hence Eastern emphasis on Trinity vs Latin on unity. But I’ll digress lol).

A lot of Roman Catholic prayers also use Thee and Thou in their prayers, in fact I think most of the prayers I used to do when I was Catholic addressed God in this way lol. Part of this is purely because of when such prayers were translated into English (or when they were originally written and shared in English). Some people might want to modernise those prayers, while others might want to just use the language as it is to keep the tone and poeticism of the prayer. For some people, using Thee and Thou is a conscious decision to use archaic forms of formality.

Some of this might also be due to language translations. A lot of languages have formal and informal 'you' still in use (e.g. in Russian there is ты which is informal, singular you. And then there is вы/Вы which is formal and/or plural), and so some translators in an effort to convey that linguistical note might choose to translate it as 'thee'. It's also very helpful for conveying a sense of formality and seriousness and respect to and for God.

As much as the KJV might be considered 'protestant', Orthodox Christians in the English speaking west consider it completely fine to use KJV translations of the Bible. Although it's worth mentioning that the Orthodox Bible contains 76 books. The Orthodox Study Bible in English uses the NKJV translation for example. Russian Orthodox Christians often use old Church Slavonic in their prayers and in their liturgy. Greek Liturgies contain biblical Greek. But these are actually completely understood by the laity, so it's a bit different to the Latin versus local language arguments that Catholics have. So it's not considered odd or offputting to use more formal language that might not be in typical use today.

I don't think there's going to be a standard answer for why prayers are in a certain language. Translation and how best to translate (e.g translating more literally versus trying to translate the poeticism) is a whole minefield to navigate on its own. In part, prayers exist in the language they do because of the time they were written, the mindset of the writer, and the mindset of the translator (if there is one).

But I would see no reason why if someone were to be put off by thee/thou language that they couldn't just change the words to 'you'. The problem with modernising old prayers, is that the modern update of the prayer (so to speak) won't gain as much traction as the original prayer because more people will be looking at the source text.

[reedreadsgreek]

2 Corinthians 11:1–2

1 Ὄφελον ἀνείχεσθέ μου μικρόν τι ἀφροσύνης· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνέχεσθέ μου. 2 ζηλῶ γὰρ ὑμᾶς θεοῦ ζήλῳ, ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ· 

My translation:  1 O, how you ought to put up with me in a certain little senselessness; but indeed, put up with me. 2 For I am zealous for you with zeal of God, for I betrothed you to one man, a pure maiden to present to the Anointed;

Notes:

11:1 

The particle ὄφελον (4x), originally a participle from ὀφείλω with ἐστιν understood (lit. “it is obligated”), expresses a wish (similar to an optative; Zerwick §355), generally perceived as ‘unfulfilled or unattainable’ (ICC); BDAG: “O that”, “would that”; most translations: “I wish”; NIV: “I hope”. 

ἀνέχομαι (15x; 5x in this chapter) is, “I endure, bear with, put up with” (BDAG), from ἀνά + ἔχω; NET: “be patient”. BDAG lists the active form ἀνέχω, although the verb is only found in the middle in the Greek Bible. ἀνέχομαι takes the genitive of the party put up with (μου). Alternatively, ICC takes μου with ἀφροσύνης (“foolishness on my part”, despite the word order and even though in 1b μου does go with ἀνέχομαι). The construction with ὄφελον generally takes a past-tense verb (cf. 1 Cor. 4:8, Rev. 3:15), here the imperfect ἀνείχεσθέ, but with present/future sense. The adjective μικρόν here functions as an adverbial accusative of respect (most translations: “in a little foolishness”). τι modifies μικρόν, functioning to abate the term (“a little bit”), or τι could be the accusative of respect with μικρόν attributive (“a certain little”). 

ἡ ἀφροσύνη (4x, 3 of which in this chapter) is, “foolishness, lack of sense” (BDAG), from ἄφρων (11x) “senseless, foolish” (cf. v. 16, 19), itself from α + ἡ φρήν (2x) “mind, thought”. ἀφροσύνης is a partitive genitive after μικρόν τι (“a little bit of foolishness”). 

ἀλλὰ expresses strong contrast; if ἀνέχεσθέ (from ἀνέχομαι; see above) is a present indicative (e.g., NASB: “indeed you are bearing with me”; sim. NET), then the contrast is between the doubt expressed by ὄφελον and the reality that the Corinthians already put up with Paul; if ἀνέχεσθέ is a present imperative (e.g., NRSV: “Do bear with me!”; sim. HCSB, NIV), then ἀλλὰ contrasts the uncertainty of ὄφελον with the fact that Paul will nonetheless ask for it. CGT suggests that ἀλλὰ carries a stronger adversative sense if the verb is an indicative; but ICC points out that the context of 3–4 suggests an urgent plea here. μου is a genitive direct object after ἀνέχομαι. καὶ is intensive (“indeed”). 

11:2 

ζηλόω (12x) can mean, “I am jealous” (so most translations), although BDAG here takes the term to be similar to the use of ὁ ζῆλος earlier in the letter: “I strive, desire, exert myself earnestly, am dedicated”. “Jealous” does seem less fitting here, since the emphasis in the verse is how the Corinthians belong to Christ (not to Paul). ICC: “I am jealously concerned”. The direct object of the present ζηλῶ is ὑμᾶς. The dative ζήλῳ (“zeal”, or perhaps, “jealousy”; see note on 7:7) denotes manner. θεοῦ could be an attributive genitive (“godly jealousy”, most translations; “divine jealousy”, NRSV), a descriptive genitive (“a jealousy such as God has”,  NIGTC), possessive genitive (“God’s own ardour”, Zerwick), or perhaps a genitive of source (“zeal given by God”). 

The hapax legomenon ἁρμόζω is literally, “I join [together]”, from ὁ ἁρμός (1x) “a joint” (cf. English harmony); NASB, ESV: “I betrothed”; NRSV, HCSB, NET: “promised you in marriage”.

The direct object of the aorist middle ἡρμοσάμην is ὑμᾶς. ἀνδρὶ (here, “husband”), modified by attributive ἑνὶ, is the indirect object of the verb. BDAG says the middle-voice is used here with the sense of the active. NIGTC says that, with this imagery, Paul sees himself as the father of the bride. 

ἡ παρθένος (15x) refers to ‘a young woman of marriageable age, with or without focus on virginity’ (BDAG); most translations: “virgin”. ἁγνὴν (“pure”; see note on 7:11; NRSV: “chaste”), is attributive with παρθένον. An implied ὑμᾶς is probably to be understood as the direct object of the aorist infinitive παραστῆσαι (from παρίστημι “I present”), with παρθένον as a predicate accusative. The infinitive probably indicates purpose, with the betrothal lying in the past and the presentation of the bride lying in the future (NIGTC). τῷ Χριστῷ is the indirect object of the infinitive.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Sixth Day

26 And Elohim (God) said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.’ 27 And Elohim (God) prepared the man in His image; in the image of Elohim (God) He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them. 28 And Elohim (God) blessed them, and Elohim (God) said to them, ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.’ 29 And Elohim (God) said, ‘Lo, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which [is] the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food; 30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing on the earth, in which [is] breath of life, every green herb [is] for food:’ and it is so. 31 And Elohim (God) saw all that He hath done, and lo, very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning — the Sixth Day. — Genesis 1:26-31 | Literal Emphasis Translation (LET) The Literal Emphasis Bible is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 5:2; Genesis 6:21; Genesis 8:17; Exodus 31:17; Psalm 145:15-16; Psalm 147:9; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; 1 Corinthians 11:7; Ephesians 4:24; 1 Timothy 4:3,4 and 5

[kenkamishiro]

Lost in Translation: Choujin X chapter 1

Fun fact, I was planning to do fan translations for Choujin X with a scan group until it could get a simulpub release, though I didn’t expect it to get one from the very first chapter lol. I’m happy though since it means everyone can read it right away and it doesn’t mess up my schedule.

So instead I’ll be making comparison notes between the EN and JP text to supplement the official translation. I’m not doing this because the official TL is bad (I actually think it’s pretty solid and I hope it will maintain this quality) but because it’s inevitable for something to be lost in translation, and it’s nice to have that additional context for theory crafting and whatnot.

If you want to read it on Twitter instead, the original thread is here, but this is the proofread and way more detailed version 😄

This translation isn’t wrong, but there’s an emphasis on それ (which is TLed as ‘it’) that connotes a stronger, “other, that thing” feeling that isn’t present here. The general idea behind this sentence is: That [becoming a Choujin] resembles more of a disease [than a transformation].

Ely talks like a tomboy, she uses rougher speech patterns and the pronoun オラ (ora), a derivative of the masculine 'ore'. But it's a bit old-fashioned (eg. すまなんだ) which makes sense considering her upbringing with her grandfather on a farm. Hence her country bumpkin speech pattern in English.

Not sure if I should use Ellie or Ely? Ellie makes more sense based on the kana, but Ishida explicitly called her Ely so I might stick with Ely for now... (also istg that blond guy with the huge chin is a reference, I've seen him somewhere)

Tokio, I know your teacher is annoying, but it's rude to call her that lol. This is basically the oppai equivalent of paisen (senpai backwards, it’s slangier). Similar thing actually happened with Ely describing her dream hubby as Goldilocks instead of blond; ‘kinpatsu’ (blond hair) was inverted to become ‘patsukin’, hence the translation as Goldilocks.

Kurohara Tokio (黒原トキオ) and Higashi Azuma (東アヅマ). Kurohara is a common surname, means 'black fields'. Tokio is in katakana, so it’s hard to say what kanji it could be. 'Toki' could be 時 (time) or 外喜 (outside + delight). The 'o' can be the common male name suffix 男 (boy).

But when I think of Tokio, I think of TK's song called 'tokio'. You can read the translated lyrics here. If these lyrics end up being relevant to Tokio's character development I will eat my shoe lol.

Higashi means 'east'. Azuma (which can also be romanized as Aduma, it’s a softer ‘zu’ sound which is why Tokio called Azuma ‘Aju’ earlier in the chapter before correcting himself) is an archaic form of ‘east’. So...this guy is literally East East. The Choujin X equivalent of Moon Moon 😂

Someone also informed me that Higashi Azuma is a station in Tokyo, though the kana are slightly different (アヅマ／あづま vs. あずま). They effectively sound the same though nowadays, if I have to be honest. It’s like comparing the difference between 애 and 에 in Korean.

Tbh this is minor, but worth mentioning just cause it changes the meaning a bit. Tokio is saying something more like, “Why are we even talking about this [the roly-polies] again?”

I think I heard people talking about how the official TL doesn’t match the original text, but personally I really like how this was translated! Sis is using the expression  「爪の垢を煎じて飲む」, which literally means “boiling the dirt under someone’s fingernails and drinking it”. By taking the dirt/grime under the fingernails of someone that you admire, and boiling it and drinking it like a tea, you can become more like them.

But because idioms don’t tend to directly translate well between languages, translators often have to adapt it so that the meaning still remains the same. In English the closest idiom we have to this is “rubbing off on someone.” The “holding hands” bit was added to replace the physical aspect of “taking the dirt from someone’s fingernails” and also contribute to Sis’s sassy and very informal way of speaking.

So Sis is saying in JP (ignoring her personal speech style for now):

You should take the dirt from under [Azuma's] fingernails and boil it so you can be more like him.

And now in ENG it becomes:

You guys should hold hands or something, then maybe he’ll rub off on you.

It now sounds natural in English, still carries the same meaning as the original text, and also suits the character’s speech pattern.

Moving on, in that same panel the literal TL of Tokio’s dialogue is, “Policeman Azuma got dispatched again today,” emphasizing Azuma’s heroic deeds along with his family connections to the police. Another thing I want to note is that this is the second time Azuma has been called 偉い (erai) so far - noble, and now great guy. I’ll just dump the general English definition of 偉い from Jisho here so you get the general idea:

Great; excellent; admirable; remarkable; distinguished; important; celebrated; famous; eminent

But you can tell from how people describe Azuma as 偉い that others look up to him, think he’s a great person and Mr. Perfect. Always being placed on a pedestal by others. (What are the odds this will affect his mentality after the Choujin serum?)

The meaning is still pretty much the same, but I’ll offer a slightly different perspective. Sis mentions that if she were Tokio, she’d burst from the [Azuma] complex. (Clearly Tokio and Azuma's relationship is gonna crack at some point)

Tokio mentions an idiom about hawks (taka) before recalling his childhood memory about vultures. Vultures are called 'hagewashi', but in the chapter it mentions they can also be called 'hagetaka' (buzzard/condor, literally bald hawk).

The kids call him names like "Hagetaka Tokio" and "Hageo". But Hagetaka Tokio only really works in JP cause Hagetaka kinda mimics his last name (Buzzard Tokio doesn't give the same vibe). Same with Hageo. Hage-o = Bald-o = Baldy.

I also think Buzzard was chosen over another name for a vulture like Condor because Buzzard can pass off as an insult.

I would have translated this as, “I wanted to be a lion too...” but this is just personal preference.

A continuation of the 「爪の垢を煎じて飲む」 expression Sis used earlier. Without the adapted idiom the exchange goes something like this:

Tokio: My sister said I should bring home the dirt from under your nails. Can I have some?

Azuma: ...huh? What for, that’s scary. No way.

Tokio: I have to boil it and drink it, apparently.

Azuma: Don’t even think about boiling or drinking it.

But since the 「爪の垢を煎じて飲む」 expression was modified to make it sound natural in English, it means this conversation has to be modified too.

JP: My sister said I should bring home the dirt from under your nails. Can I have some?

EN: My sister says we should hold hands...so I can be more like you. What do you think?

The “dirt from under your nails” part got adapted to “holding hands”, hence how the 1st line from Tokio becomes, “My sister says we should hold hands...so I can be more like you.” “Can I have some?” makes no sense now in this context now, so it was changed to “What do you think?” as a question to Azuma to keep the similar conversation flow going.

JP: ...huh? What for, that’s scary. No way.

EN: Huh? What’re you talking about? No thanks.

Azuma’s next line is similar enough to the JP text except for the removal of “scary”. I think the reason it was most likely removed is because leaving it as it is could be constituted as homophobic (2 boys holding hands, absolutely nothing scary about it as bible thumpers would like people to believe).

JP: I have to boil it and drink it, apparently.

EN: She said to hold hands so you’ll rub off on me.

Tokio’s response to that is explaining what he meant by his proposal. In the original text he lays out the latter half of the idiom (he doesn’t even realize it’s an expression, poor boy), and in English he does something similar by going into why his sister said they should hold hands (so Azuma can rub off on Tokio).

JP: Don’t even think about boiling or drinking it.

EN: C’mon. That’s not how things work.

Azuma’s then rebuts Tokio’s proposal as ridiculous. In the original text he drops a typical straight man response (don’t do *insert whatever ridiculous thing the idiot suggested*). But since Tokio’s proposal in English isn’t as preposterous, his rebuttal is toned down in response by telling him not to take it literally.

Ultimately, even though a lot of this dialogue was changed, I still think it was successful in maintaining the original’s intent. Tokio takes his sister’s sarcastic suggestion literally and brings it up to Azuma, who dismisses it as silly. It would be nice if we could keep the expression as it was in Japanese, but in instances like this where it’s played off of in multiple lines, that’s easier said than done.

軟体 isn’t an actual word, it’s made up of the kanji soft + body. So kinda like Elastigirl, but Flexi was chosen instead. It doesn’t sound 100% right, but I don’t think I could come up with anything better.

Replacing the しい in 楽しい with the C plus that elongated pronunciation makes Johnny sound even more like a stereotypical Yankee, which is why he sounds like that in English 😂

Random but I found it interesting how Azuma called Johnny a youkai (妖怪) instead of something like bakemono (化け物) or obake (お化け) since they’re shapeshifting monsters.

Tokio is worried that if he doesn't do something right now, he's going to lose his friendship with Azuma. The sentence is fine as it is though.

Azuma’s line can also be worded as, "No hard feelings, okay?"

Bestial = 獣化 (juuka) = beast+change = beast transformation

That’s it from me, if you have questions about the TL feel free to send an ask or reply to this post, I promise I’ll check my inbox more often this time 😂

[reasonably-tattered]

I have always enjoyed Anathema’s name for its biblical-but-in-a-kinda-goth-way vibes. but today I happened upon a pamphlet by Parker Menzimer, A Brief History of Bookplates, and I nearly leapt out of my skin.

first, really quickly: anathema shows up in the New Testament in the work of the Apostle Paul—notably his Epistle to the Galatians. in short, some Galatian Christians decided to go off-script with Christian doctrine. Paul finds this upsetting, and he sends them what can perhaps best be described as a “strongly-worded note.” here’s a taste, from the 1599 Geneva Bible:

But though that we, or an Angel from heaven preach unto you otherwise than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [emphasis mine]

in other words, Paul is saying: “stick to the original teachings you received. if anyone tries to contradict or revise them—even an angel! seriously!—then I, for one, hope they meet with something very unpleasant!” and what English translations variously render as “accursed,” “condemned,” “damned,” is anathema.

the sense that Paul supplies is that of anathema as a safeguard: a curse laid up as comeuppance for those who impinge on the purity of the doctrine. (a curse that, he darkly hints, smacks of divine approval.) anathema serves as a ward for the protection and preservation of special information.

okay. what does this have to do with the Menzimer pamphlet? well, take a look:

here’s the section I find most interesting:

That books have a special vulnerability to circulating by means innocent or otherwise has long been noted. In the Middle Ages, when each book was necessarily copied out or typeset by hand, printers had a heightened sensitivity to where books ended up and by what means. Some employed an unusual security system: they added anathema, or curses, to their volumes. These anathema detailed, sometimes explicitly, what might befall a grifter should he opt to take a five-finger discount. One such curse can be found in a book of hours (an illuminated prayer book used in medieval Christian traditions) published by the Parisian printer Simon Vostre: “Whoever steals this Book of Prayer / May he be ripped apart by swine / His heart be splintered, this I swear / And his body dragged along the Rhine.” At a time when printing was an all-consuming labor, book theft was no joke! [emphasis mine]

Anathema Device, one-time professional descendant, is herself the one who keeps The Book intact. she holds onto the message—quite literally. Anathema is the safeguard—the bookplate. (and this makes her childhood scribbles in the cover of The Nice and Accurate Prophecies click for me, by the way.)

and when she does lose the book? it’s in no small part due to the interference of an angel. (one who does wind up inconveniently discorporated in connection with the not-really-stolen-but-yeah-kind-of-actually book in his possession.)

and finally, after the End of the World (That Wasn’t), Anathema gets to rewrite the script herself. she burns a book, and as such, she’s no longer a security measure, or a professional descendent, or anything of the sort. she gets to decide what goes up in flames; she gets to decide what she’ll be. and I think that’s neat.

[hiswordsarekisses]

I did a word study of traditions because it seemed to contradict where Jesus spoke negatively about traditions taught by men, and anytime something seems to contradict itself in the Bible it’s time to study, because the Bible does not contradict itself. Ever.

I found that when this was written, the “traditions” they taught were the same as what the scriptures taught, and they spread that teaching by word of mouth, and - thank God - by letter so that we have them now. The word is translated throughout scripture as teachings, always referring to the Word of God. It is also translated ordinances, instructions and the like, but this particular word always refers to the written Word of God.

If you are following someone who is not teaching scripture, you are probably being deceived. The most dangerous weapon our enemy has is to keep us from God’s Word. He replaces it with all kinds of wonderful sounding words that make us “feel good.” But I guarantee you that nothing in this world can make anyone feel better than the true Word of God.

The gradual moving away from the word of God has been a strategic and sneaky deception. To me it’s even sneakier than twisting scripture. There are many teachers who think if they teach scripture people won’t listen. I heard one very famous “preacher” - who you would know if I said his name - and someone I used to listen to - say that he can’t evangelize with the Bible so he doesn’t preach from it. What kind of crazy nonsense is that? And another preacher who has his own Bible - he literally preaches from a collection of his own “revelations” instead of the Bible. And then there’s the man who decided the Bible needed to sound prettier and not put so much emphasis on the truth, so he got an Angel named “Passion” to give him a new one. You can buy it right in the Christian bookstore and MANY people have it and have no idea that it is not a actual translation, but a “download” from an “Angel.” It’s so sneaky it got right into the store and even into my home until I investigated and I threw it out.

We must be praying for a love of the truth, and for discernment these days - and we must stay in the word and we must stay alert. It is crucial. The one who came to deceive is running rampant and hardly anyone pays attention to him anymore. But one day he will stand up and say he is God and many will follow him because, as this passage of scripture teaches - they had not received a love of the truth. The fruit of that was that they were deceived and took delight in unrighteousness. It says that God will give them over to it because they did not receive a love of the truth. So He is encouraging us here to stick to what the Bible has taught us. Anything that does not line up with it is a lie.

“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, concerning the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and our gathering together to Him, not to get shaken out of your mind or disturbed—either by a spirit or a word or a letter as if through us—as though the Day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way, for the Day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the one destined to be destroyed. He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in the Temple of God, proclaiming himself that he is God. Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I was telling you these things? And you know what now holds back, for him to be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already operating; only there is one who holds back just now, until he is taken out of the way. Then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Yeshua will slay him with the breath of His mouth and wipe him out with the appearance of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is connected to the activity of satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with every kind of wicked deception toward those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God sends them a delusional force, to lead them to believe what is false, so that they may be judged—all those who did not believe the truth but delighted in wickedness. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits for salvation through sanctification by the Ruach and belief in the truth. He called you to this salvation through our proclaiming the Good News, for you to gain the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold on to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by our letter. Now may our Lord Yeshua the Messiah Himself and God our Father, who loved us and by grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good deed and word.” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭2:1-17‬

[awanderingdeal]

Here's a tidbit I thought I'd add related to Judaism and queerness (as I am both). This is controversial-as analyzing the Torah/Bible always is. Judaism doesn't exactly have sins the same way Christianity does (okay, we do, but there's much more of an emphasis on doing the right things as opposed to not doing the wrong things, if that makes sense). We have mitzvot, which some people translate as "Good deed" but literally translates as "commandment" (b/c we're commanded to do the good deeds). 9!

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