Bible verses about "excuses" | JMNT

⁹ The Lord [= Yahweh] is not continually delaying the promise, as certain folks consider delay, but rather is constantly patient (long of emotion and slow in passion; long before rushing heatedly) unto you, constantly not intending any folks to be lost (or: to destroy themselves), but to the contrary, [for] all people to make room, allow space, give way and progress into a change of mind (or: = repentance and a return to God).

²¹ Now a different one of the disciples said to Him, "Master (Sir; Lord), permit me first to go off and to bury my father."

¹ Wherefore (or: Because of which) you continue to be without a defense or an excuse, O human – everyone continually judging (pronouncing a judgment; separating, evaluating and making decisions; determining) – for within that which you continue judging the other person (or: the different one), you are correspondingly evaluating (or: commensurately deciding about; condemning) yourself, since you who are continually judging are constantly performing (committing; practicing) the very same things! ² Now we have seen and thus know (or: are aware) that result of God’s judgment (decision rendered; separation; determination) is down from, in line with and accords to Truth and reality, [coming] upon those habitually performing or committing such things. ³ Yet you continue logically thinking (reckoning; counting on) this, O human – the one continuously judging those who are normally performing or committing such things, and yet are also a person habitually doing the same things – that you will proceed in making an escape out of the result of God’s judgment (the effect of a decision from God)? ⁴ Or, are you continually having a "down-oriented" frame of mind (or: despising; thinking down or with disrespect; or: = a negative disposition) concerning the riches (or: wealth) of His kind and gentle usefulness (benevolence with a sweet disposition; kindness), [His] delaying forbearance (the tolerant holding-back) and [His] patient longsuffering, constantly being ignorant that God’s kind and gentle usefulness (benevolence with a sweet disposition) is continuously leading you into a change of mind and purpose (a paradigm shift; or: = repentance with a change of heart and thinking, accompanied by a turn, or return, to God)?

⁶ Who will progressively award in each person (or: give back to each one; pay for each one) down from (in line with; in accord to; to the level of) his works (actions; deeds): ⁷ in those (to those; for those), on the one hand, in accord with [the] patient endurance (humbly remaining under for persistent support) of a good work (or: virtuous action) [who] are constantly seeking glory (a good reputation; a manifestation of that which calls forth praise) and honor (value; worth) and incorruptibility (or: incorruption) – life which belongs to, is connected with, and is proper to the Age (or: eonian life; the life of and for the ages).

⁹ pressure (affliction; trouble; tribulation; ordeal) and squeezed narrowness (tight restriction; distress; anguish) – upon every soul of mankind which is persistently in himself working down and effecting the bad (the ugly; the worthless; the evil; the injurious; the bad situation; the worthless quality; the malicious intent) – both of a Jew, first, and also of a Greek (or: one of the Hellenist culture); ¹⁰ but yet glory (a manifestation of that which calls forth praise; a credible reputation) and honor (value; worth) and peace (or: harmony; [=Shalom]) in, to, for and with everyone habitually working and accomplishing in himself the Good (or: the virtuous and excellent) both in, to, and for a Jew, first, and also in, to and for a Greek (or: Hellenist);

⁵ Yet down from your hardness (or: in line with and in accord to your obstinacy) and an unrepentant heart (= unchanged thinking and affection in the center of your being) you habitually collect and lay up stores of personal emotion in yourself (or: progressively treasure up to yourself inherent fervor, passionate impulse and a mental bent or a disposition; or: periodically bank for yourself anger, indignation or wrath) within a day of personal emotion (fervor; passion; anger; etc.) and of an unveiling of a decision of rightwising from God (or: of a revealing of God’s verdict regarding fair and equitable dealing; of an uncovering of a just judgment which is God; of a disclosure of a separation for a decision having the character of the Way pointed out from God; disclosure from God's right evaluation),

⁸ Yet, on the other hand, in those (to those; for those) out of a work for ambitious, factious or contentious purposes, and in (or: by) being continuously incompliant (disobedient; unwilling to be persuaded) to (or: by) the Truth (reality; veritable essence), but constantly compliant (obedient; persuaded) in, to, by and for the injustice (inequity; that which is not in accord with the Way pointed out), [there will be] personal emotion (or: inherent fervor; passionate impulse; anger; indignation; wrath; a habit of mind; a mental bent or disposition) and rushing of feelings (or: intense passion of the mind; violent breathing; glowing animation; turbulent commotion of the mind; or: rage; fury),

¹¹ for partiality (favoritism; receiving on the basis of faces, countenances or personalities) does not exist alongside of God (or: by God’s side; = with God or in His presence and dealings). ¹² For you see, as many as (or: however many) miss the goal (or: sin; fail; or: erred; missed the target due to lack of ability or through distraction) without (a) law [= Torah?], without (a) law will progressively lose and continue destroying themselves; and as many as (or: however many) within law (or: within [the] Law [= Torah]) miss the goal (sin; sinned; fail; deviated), through law (or: [the] Law) will be judged (separated, evaluated and decided upon), ¹³ for [it is] not the hearers of [the] Law (= the ones instructed in the Law, or who listen to the Torah) [that are] just ones (rightwised folks who are in right relationships in accord with the Way pointed out; fair and equitable ones) by God’s side (= with God and in His sight and presence), but rather the doers of [the] Law (= the folks performing deeds of the Torah, and producing the character and qualities of the Law) [who] will continue being made right and just (constituted in the Way pointed out; or: pronounced as being fair, equitable and in right relationship). ¹⁴ You see, whenever ethnic multitudes (or: [certain] Gentiles; or: [some] non-Israelite nations; = pagans) – those not having a law (or: [the] Law) by nature – may normally do the things of the Law (= Torah), these, [although] not having a law (or: [the] Law), are in and among themselves a law (or: continuously exist being a principle, or custom, for or to themselves), ¹⁵ which very ones continuously display (exhibit; show outward proof by demonstration) the work of the Law (or: action and conduct of that law and principle) written within their hearts, their conscience (the knowing with themselves; awareness; integrated recognition from what has been seen) continually bearing joint-testimony (giving confirming witness and evidence, together), and, in between each other’s calculations (or: logical thoughts), also constantly accusing (speaking down [against] in the assembly) or defending themselves (or: and in the mean time one another’s reasonings and reckonings constantly accusing, or even repeatedly excusing themselves), ¹⁶ within a day, when God is presently judging (or: continues deciding and is progressively separating off and evaluating; [some MSS: in which day God will continue judging]) hidden things of humanity (or: concealed things pertaining to people) – commensurate with my good news (or: according to and following the pattern of my message of goodness, ease and well-being) – through Jesus Christ [with other MSS: by means of Jesus [the] Anointed [= Messiah]). ¹⁷ So since (or: But if; [other MSS: Consider this,]) you yourself are habitually calling (naming; classifying) yourself a Jew and are continuing to rest (lean back) upon [the] Law (= Torah), and are even from time to time boasting (expressing pride) in God, ¹⁸ and you are progressively knowing the Will by personal experience and insight, and are constantly testing in order to prove (or: approve) the things that habitually carry through (i.e., the essential things which matter and are different in that they are of greater value), while being a person regularly undergoing oral instruction from out of the Law (= Torah), ¹⁹ [and] likewise (or: besides) you have confidence in yourself (or: you have persuaded yourself) to be a guide or an escort of blind folks on the way or in the path; a light within [the] darkness (obscurity of the shadow areas; dimness of the gloom), 20. a trainer (instructor; corrector; discipliner; educator) of senseless ones (folks without will, heart or guts; imprudent ones; foolish ones); a teacher of infants (ones not yet able to speak), while habitually having (or: holding) the outward form (rough sketch; outline; framework; semblance) of the experiential knowledge and of the truth (or: reality) within, or in union with, the Law (= Torah)...

²¹ You then, the one habitually teaching another (a different one), are not habitually teaching yourself! You, the one constantly preaching (proclaiming; heralding), “Do not steal,” are habitually stealing! ²² The person continually saying not to be committing adultery, you are habitually committing adultery! You, the one repeatedly detesting idols (responding to forms, shapes or concepts as an abomination, as something that is foul and stinks), are in the habit of robbing temples (despoiling or profaning the sanctuary)! [note: vss. 21-22 can also be rendered as questions] ²³ You who are boasting in law (or: [the] Law [= Torah]; or: a law), through the transgression of (stepping across the line of; stepping to the side of; deviating from) the Law, you are constantly dishonoring (devaluing) God, ²⁴ for according as it has been, and stands, written [in the Tanakh (Hebrew Scriptures)], "Because of you, God’s NAME [Yahweh?] is continuously being blasphemed (vilified; misrepresented; slandered; given a false image which hinders the Light) among the ethnic multitudes (nations; non-Jews; Gentiles)." [Isa. 52:5; Ezk. 36:20] ²⁵ Now you see, circumcision, indeed, continues being beneficial (continues to profit, to help), if you should continue practicing (or: observing) [the] Law (= Torah). But if you should be a transgressor (side-stepper; violator) of [the] Law, your circumcision (cutting around) has become uncircumcision (literally: the foreskin). ²⁶ Therefore, if the Uncircumcision (= non-Jews) should be habitually on watch to guard (have in keeping and maintain) the effects of justice and equity (the results of being pointed in the right direction; the fair and equitable dealings; the acts which result from what is right) of or from the Law (= customs from neighbor-based equity), will not his uncircumcision continue to be logically considered and accounted (reckoned; calculated) into circumcision (or: credited to his account for circumcision)? ²⁷ And so the Uncircumcision, out of natural instinct (out of nature or native conditions; = naturally) habitually bringing the law to its goal (or: completing or fulfilling the Law), will continue judging (or: making a decision and a separation regarding) you – the one [who] through Letter and Circumcision [are] a side-stepper (a transgressor; a violator) of [the] Law, ²⁸ for you see, the Jew is not the one in the visibly apparent or outwardly manifest (or: For not he in the outward appearance is a Jew), neither [is] circumcision that [which is] visibly apparent (outwardly manifest) in flesh (= in body), ²⁹ but rather, a Jew [is] the one within the hidden [place] (or: [that which is] in the concealed [realm]) and circumcision [is] of [the] heart (= core of our being) – in union with Breath-effect (or: within [the] spirit; in attitude), not in letter – whose praise (applause; full recommendation; [note play on words: Jew is a derivative of "Judah," which means "praise"]) [is] not from out of mankind (humanity), but rather from out of God.

²⁰ For you see, from [the] creation (framing; founding of order out of chaos; settling) of [the] ordered System (cosmos; universe; or: world of culture, religion and government) His invisible things (unseen [qualities and attributes]) – both His imperceptible (unobservable, but effecting-all) power, ability and capacity, as well as divinity (Godship; God-state) – are habitually seen down the line (or: are normally correspondingly perceived), being continually apprehended (grasped by the mind; mentally conceived) in the results and by the effects of things which are made or done, in order for them to be continuously defenseless (without an excuse),

¹ Wherefore (or: Because of which) you continue to be without a defense or an excuse, O human – everyone continually judging (pronouncing a judgment; separating, evaluating and making decisions; determining) – for within that which you continue judging the other person (or: the different one), you are correspondingly evaluating (or: commensurately deciding about; condemning) yourself, since you who are continually judging are constantly performing (committing; practicing) the very same things!

⁵⁹ Now He said to a different person, "Be habitually following Me." Yet the person says, "Master (or: Lord), allow (or: Permit) me first, after going away, to bury my father." ⁶⁰ But He said to him, "Let (or: Abandon and allow) the dead folks to bury their own dead people. Yet you, yourself, after going away, throughout [the land] and abroad be constantly announcing God's sovereign reign (or: kingdom)." ⁶¹ So a different person also said, "I will be following You, Lord, but first allow (or: permit) me to at once make arrangements (or: set things off in order) for myself, [going] unto my household so as to detach myself and say good-by to the people at home." ⁶² "But Jesus said to him, "No one, after thrusting [his] hand upon a plow and then looking into the things behind, is well-fitted for (or: well-placed in; thus: suitable or useful to) God's sovereign reign (or: kingdom; royal activities)."

¹⁸ "And then one by one (or: from one [mind or motive]) they all began to proceed in making excuses and to beg off with declining requests. The first one said to him, 'I just bought a field and I continue having necessity of going out to see it. I am now asking you, Have me excused.' ¹⁹ "And a different person said, 'I just bought five yokes (= pairs; teams) of oxen (or: cattle), and I am presently on my way to prove them (to examine and test them out), I am now asking you, Have me excused.' ²⁰ "Then still another person said, 'I just married a wife, and because of this, I am unable to come.'