« | Hebrews 3 | » |
1 Therefore, holy "brothers," sharing in a heavenly calling, reflect on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
2 who was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was "faithful in (all) his house."
3 But he is worthy of more "glory" than Moses, as the founder of a house has more "honor" than the house itself.
4 Every house is founded by someone, but the founder of all is God.
5 Moses was "faithful in all his house" as a "servant" to testify to what would be spoken,
6 but Christ was faithful as a son placed over his house. We are his house, if (only) we hold fast to our confidence and pride in our hope.
7 Therefore, as the holy Spirit says: "Oh, that today you would hear his voice,
8 'Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion in the day of testing in the desert,
9 where your ancestors tested and tried me and saw my works
10 for forty years. Because of this I was provoked with that generation and I said, "They have always been of erring heart, and they do not know my ways."
11 As I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter into my rest."'"
12 Take care, brothers, that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God.
13 Encourage yourselves daily while it is still "today," so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin.
14 We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end,
15 for it is said: "Oh, that today you would hear his voice: 'Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.'"
16 Who were those who rebelled when they heard? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt under Moses?
17 With whom was he "provoked for forty years"? Was it not those who had sinned, whose corpses fell in the desert?
18 And to whom did he "swear that they should not enter into his rest," if not to those who were disobedient?
19 And we see that they could not enter for lack of faith.
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.