« | Acts 3 | » |
1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o'clock hour of prayer.
2 And a man crippled from birth was carried and placed at the gate of the temple called "the Beautiful Gate" every day to beg for alms from the people who entered the temple.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked for alms.
4 But Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us."
5 He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.
6 Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, (rise and) walk."
7 Then Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles grew strong.
8 He leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.
9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God,
10 they recognized him as the one who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with amazement and astonishment at what had happened to him.
11 As he clung to Peter and John, all the people hurried in amazement toward them in the portico called "Solomon's Portico."
12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people, "You Israelites, why are you amazed at this, and why do you look so intently at us as if we had made him walk by our own power or piety?
13 The God of Abraham, (the God) of Isaac, and (the God) of Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus whom you handed over and denied in Pilate's presence, when he had decided to release him.
14 You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.
15 The author of life you put to death, but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses.
16 And by faith in his name, this man, whom you see and know, his name has made strong, and the faith that comes through it has given him this perfect health, in the presence of all of you.
17 Now I know, brothers, that you acted out of ignorance, just as your leaders did;
18 but God has thus brought to fulfillment what he had announced beforehand through the mouth of all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer.
19 Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,
20 and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment and send you the Messiah already appointed for you, Jesus,
21 whom heaven must receive until the times of universal restoration of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.
22 For Moses said: 'A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kinsmen; to him you shall listen in all that he may say to you.
23 Everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be cut off from the people.'
24 Moreover, all the prophets who spoke, from Samuel and those afterwards, also announced these days.
25 You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he said to Abraham, 'In your offspring all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'
26 For you first, God raised up his servant and sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways."
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.