From the Greek Septuagint text as was used by First Century Christians

Chapter 1

¹ These are the things that the Prophet HabakKuk saw:

² How long, O Lord, must I cry out, as You don’t listen [to me]? How long should I yell to You over wrong, and You refuse to bring us salvation? ³ Why have You shown toil and trouble to me, as you look upon misery and irreverence? Right opposite me there’s judging going on, but it’s the judge who carries away! ⁴ Because of this, the Law has been shaken, and there is no justice in the end; for the godless tyrannize those who are righteous… the justice that comes is perverted!

⁵ ‘Look, O you who despise; gaze and wonder at wonders then vanish! For, I’ll do a work in your days, which you’ll not believe and none can describe. ⁶ For, {Look!} I’ll awaken the Chaldeans; a nations that’s bitter and quick; he who goes ‘cross the width of the earth, to inherit tents that aren’t his.

⁷ ‘He is known to be fearsome, and he [creates] his own justice, for his concern is just for himself. ⁸ His horses leap higher than leopards, and [their teeth] are sharper than those, of Arabian wolves. His horsemen ride and make great advances; they spread [their wings] like an eagle, that is eager for something to eat.

⁹ ‘Upon the godless will come consumption (upon all who stand and oppose him), and [he’ll carry them off] like the sand. ¹⁰ Then among all the kings he will revel… the sovereigns will all be his playthings. He will mock every fortress… he’ll throw up a siege mound and take it.

¹¹ ‘Thereafter, his spirit will change; he will repent and then say, This strength has come from my God!’

¹² O Jehovah; Are You not from days of long ago,? Aren’t You my God and my Holy One? There’s no way, O Lord, that we should die. Yet, You have ordered up justice, and for discipline and correction You have shaped me.

¹³ Your eyes are too pure to see bad things, and You’re unable to look upon evil. So, why should You look upon those who disdain You? Should You be silent as You see the righteous, being swallowed down by the impius? ¹⁴ Will You leave men men to be like the fish in the sea, or like things that crawl [on the ground], where no one is taking the lead?

¹⁵ [Babylon’s king] caught destruction, and pulled it up with a hook; he drew it in with his casting net, and pulled it in with his dragnets. This is why he’s glad and rejoices; ¹⁶ so to his dragnet he’ll now sacrifice, and to it he’ll burn incense. For, by it he’s fattened his portion, and it provided choice food. ¹⁷ But will he keep casting his net, to always kill nations… not spare them?

Chapter 2

¹ Upon my watch I will stand; I’ll climb on the rocks to [stand guard], in order to see what He’ll say to me, so I’ll know what to reply, when I am being corrected.

² Then to me Jehovah replied. He said: ‘Clearly write down this vision, so those who read may be able to soar. ³ For, the vision is of [future] times, and it will surely happen in the end. If it [seems to be] late, [you should] wait upon it, for it will surely arrive, and no way will its coming be late.

⁴ ‘If there is one who holds back, My life finds no favor in him; for by their faith the righteous will live! ⁵ But those who are arrogant and hateful, and any man who’s a braggart, will not achieve anything… for he widens his soul like the grave, and like death he’s never filled.

⁶ ‘If he should assemble all nations, and gather all of their peoples to himself, wouldn’t they speak a parable against him, and take up this riddle as his story (for they’d say):

‘Woe to him who takes what’s not his.
How long [can he stand] all the pressure?
⁷ For, suddenly there’ll come those who bite him…
Yes those who plot against him will awaken,
And they will saw him in half.

⁸ ‘For, many nations you’ve ravaged,
So, those who remain will now ravage you,
Because of the [shed] blood of men,
And what you did to their cities and land,
And to all of those who once lived there.

⁹ ‘O you who’ve desire such wealth;
Evil will come to your house.
Yes, you who’ve arranged your nest in the heights,
And rooted up evil with your hands.

¹⁰ ‘You’ve brought shame to your house.
For, your life has been led into sin,
And you’ve brought an end to many [great] peoples.

¹¹ ‘So, from the stone wall I will yell this,
And the beetles in the woods will repeat its sounds:
¹² Woe to those who build cities on blood…
And arrange their citie with what is unrighteous.

¹³ ‘Is it not from Jehovah the Almighty,
That people have fallen in the fire,
And nations have been so faint-hearted?
¹⁴ Yet, with the knowledge and the glory of Jehovah,
All the earth will be filled…
As the waters that cover the seas.

¹⁵ ‘O you who’d give his neighbor a drink,
Of something intoxicating and cloudy,
So that you could gaze upon his private parts;
¹⁶ Drink deeply to the glory of dishonor,
And then get extremely excited!

‘But, the cup in Jehovah’s right hand,
Has you completely surrounded,
And it will dishonor your glory.

¹⁷ ‘By the irreverence of Lebanon you will be covered,
And the misery of wild beasts will terrify you,
Because of the shed blood of men,
And all the [bad] deeds of [your] city and land,
As well as of all those who dwell there.

¹⁸ ‘What good are the idols that they’ve carved?
For, from molten castings they shaped them,
As false things they can see.
So, a man now relies on things he has shaped,
Yet, the idols that he’s made cannot talk!

¹⁹ ‘So, woe to those who say to the wood,
[It’s time to] awaken and rise!
And to the stone, Become great!
For, they are just things to look at – hammered things of silver and gold –
Within which there’s no breath at all.

²⁰ ‘But Jehovah is in His Holy Temple,
So, bow low before Him all the earth!’

Chapter 3

¹ The prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet in song.

² O Lord; I heard Your report and I was afraid.
O Jehovah; I thought of your works and was shaken.

You stand between the two beasts,
And in years that come all will know You…
In the time now at hand You’ll be seen.

When my life is disturbed ([in times of] great wrath),
You’ll think of [me] and show mercy.
³ For, God will come out of Teman…
From Mount Paran’s shadow the Holy One comes.

PAUSE

His virtues cover the skies.
His praises fill the [whole] earth.
⁴ His brightness is like the light;
There’ll be a horn in His hands;
And in His strength He’ll bring love.

⁵ From His face, a word will go forth,
Which will travel from there to the plains.
⁶ And where His feet stand, the [whole] earth will shake;
When He looks at them, the nations will melt.
By [His] force the mountains will break,
And the hills of the ages will melt.

⁷ I saw Ethiopian tents in distress,
And the tents of Midia were disturbed.
⁸ Were You provoked at the rivers, O Lord,
Did the rivers make You enraged…
So, against the sea You were moved to take action?

You are the One riding horses,
And when You ride there’s salvation.
⁹ For, Jehovah [gives orders to] ‘Stretch out…
Against their tents stretch your bows!’

PAUSE

You’ll divide the earth up with rivers!
¹⁰ They’ll see You and they will have birth pangs.
Then their waters You’ll disperse.

The abyss will shout aloud to the heights,
At [the sign] of His coming.
¹¹ The sun will arise and the moon will stand still.
But they’ll move with the light of Your arrows,
For, Your weapons are like flashes of lightning.

¹² When You threaten, You’ll leave few on the earth,
For, in Your rage You’ll break nations.
¹³ But, You’ll come for the salvation of Your people,
And to save Your anointed.

On the heads of the lawless You’ll bring death;
Shackles You’ll put on their necks ‘til You’re done.
The mighty will be astonished and shaken,
And then You’ll cut off their heads.

PAUSE

¹⁴ You’ll split the heads of the mighty,
And You will cause them to shake.
Then they’ll let down their bridles,
And hide to eat like the poor.

¹⁵ You led Your horses into the sea,
Causing commotion in its waters,
And as I watched I was frightened.
¹⁶ The sound of a prayer was on my lips;
Trembling entered my bones and my backside,
For all my ways were disturbed.

But, I will find rest in the day of distress,
When I leave the people to whom I was sent.

¹⁷ Fig trees will bear fruit no longer;
There’ll be no grapes on the grapevines;
The olives will also be gone,
And the fields will not produce crops.

There’ll be no [grass] for the sheep,
And there’ll be no oxen in the stables.
¹⁸ Yet, joyfully I’ll shout to Jehovah;
I’ll rejoice over my Savior God!

¹⁹ For, Jehovah God is my power,
And straight paths He’s set for my feet.
Upon on high places He’ll set me,
As by His song I will conquer.

Notes

Soul

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine thereafter crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. Therefore, the later teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. For the word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche or soul). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person (soul) and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal in this instance, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT) and the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In the beginning, God created the sky and the ground.’

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above him, and the waters or seas over there. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time! However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, in order for readers to grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to the portion of the heavens that are close to the earth… to the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting ‘the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth,’ we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground. However, the words land and ground are equally correct.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’

Also, in the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

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Hades: Hell or the Grave?

The Greek word Hades (they pronounced it hah-des) has been translated both as Hell (which is thought of as a place of torture) and as the Grave in other Bible versions (such as the King James). Since one word can’t mean two very different things, which translation is correct?

Hades (like the English word Hell) actually means the place of the dead. However, as pagan Greek philosophy started to develop and creep into Christianity, the later-day Greek view of Hades (a place of torture) was applied to it. Was this a correct application?

An insight into how the ancient Hebrews and the early Christians understood the word can be gained by looking at how it was applied in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (the ‘Old Testament’ Bible of Jesus’ day). There, the Hebrew word Sheol is translated into Greek as Hades in every instance; yet in each case, these are obvious references to the grave (the place of the dead), not to a place of conscious torture (see Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).

Another revealing application of the word Hades is found at Revelation the 20:13. It says there, ‘The sea (gr. he thalassa) gave up its dead, death and the grave (gr. thanatos kai ho hades) gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

So, notice that those who die at sea are differentiated from those who are buried in graves (Hades) and in other places (thanatos). Therefore, Hades is better translated as grave.

In the book of Job, another word that is used once in the Christian-era Scriptures and often translated as Hell, is found in two places. That Greek word is Tartarus, which refers to the place where evil gods or angels are sent. For more information, see the linked document, Is There a Burning Hell?

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Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).

Where the plural form of the word (aionion) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: ‘Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or system of things), not aionos.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never expire.’

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be ‘wrapped up and repaired,’ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

The problem with most Bible translations is that; when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have life in this age… he won’t have to be judged, for he has crossed over from death to life!’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, for has crossed over from death to life.’

So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current lifetime would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath’ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though; what God was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and gave up the breath’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to ‘the breath of life,’ or that force which gave him life as a human.

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