#english standard version

[lost-onpurpose]

I find it kind of funny that the same people who stood outside of our local planned parenthood and called everyone entering the parking lot a murderer are the same ones supporting the slaughter of children in their homes and in the streets of their home country.

"Oh but Jasper doesn't the Bible say you're supposed to stand with the nation of Israel? So you're not being a very good Christian to say they're wrong for their actions."

"Hence, the Hebrew term for “nation” (pronounced something like “ahm”) is linguistically related to the preposition meaning “with,” and a verb form meaning “to be associated with,” “to belong to.” The Israelites understood themselves to have originated from a common set of ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 11-35)."

Definition from Bible Odyssey

Nations in the Bible were not the physical locations or governments in control of the land. The nations are the people. And governments are run by people and people are not perfect, far from it. People in power are easily swayed and pressured to perform in ways to showcase their power and control of everything and everyone around them. This often comes at the expense of innocent people.

"But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" Matthew 5:44 ESV

My heart and soul just want to see an end to the violence for everyone's sake. There are innocent people being injured and killed and families are being torn apart for no reason.

"Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword." Matthew 26:52 ESV

Anyone guilty of war crimes or crimes against humanity should be held accountable for their actions.

[justalowlyservant]

My Thoughts on: Leviticus

Okay, finished with Leviticus, so here are my thoughts on the book overall.

Leviticus is a book primarily about setting up the laws and customs for God's people, the Hebrews, to follow going forwards. As far as I can see, all of these laws and customs can be sorted into three broad categories: How to Honor the Lord and Atone for Sin, Ritual Cleanliness and Health, and Moral/Cultural Laws.

For the first category, we naturally have things like the various kinds of offerings to be given to the Lord at various points of time, as a way of atoning for sin, or simply to honor God by sacrificing something of value. We also have the various festivals that God has set up for His people to keep when they enter the Promised Land. It is primarily through these laws that the Hebrews are able to have a relationship with God, to appease Him and make up for their sinfulness.

The next category, Ritual Cleanliness and Health, has to do with exactly what it sounds like. It handles situations like bodily discharges, skin diseases, mold in houses, but also things like touching dead animals, menstruation, not eating certain things, and all of that. Some of these laws are specifically to ensure the continued healthiness of God's people, while others seem to be about setting up a standard to set the Hebrews apart from others, giving them an aura of sacredness. The way you behave on a daily basis can absolutely impact your mental state and the way you think, and I believe that's what God was going for with a lot of the laws in Leviticus. Helping the Hebrews to see themselves as God's Chosen People, as something different from the pagan cultures around them. And of course, a part of that is making sure they aren't dying of all kinds of diseases.

Finally, we have the Moral/Cultural laws. They deal with issues of unnatural sexual relations, fairness in judgement, property rights, and so on and so forth. I find that this is where most of the modern controversy with Leviticus come from. I think it's important to consider that the laws laid out here are not God's perfect moral standard, merely a way to set the Hebrews on the right track for what he would later have planned for them. While there are verses about proper treatment and handling of slaves, we shouldn't take that to mean that God approves of slavery. Merely that he was making a compromise with the culture of the time in order to set them onto a path that would one day lead to abolition of such an institution. Even in these laws, we see the beginnings of what Jesus Christ and then Jesus through Paul would later elaborate on thousands of years later: the importance of loving your neighbor, not engaging in sexual immorality or treating foreigners in your land as one of your own. There's still a lot of important things to consider in Leviticus in our modern Christian lives, even if some of them may be uncomfortable to think about in the current cultural/political climate.

Alright, that's about it for now, though maybe I'll think of more to talk about later. Next up, of course, is the Book of Numbers. That'll probably take a few weeks to get through. I hope you found something in this post interesting!

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. — Genesis 25:19-34 | English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Cross References: Genesis 10:9; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 22:23; Genesis 24:15; Genesis 27:1; Genesis 27:3; Genesis 27:11; Genesis 27:32; Genesis 27:36; Genesis 32:3; Genesis 36:1; Genesis 38:27; Deuteronomy 21:16-17; Deuteronomy 23:7; 1 Samuel 1:17; 1 Samuel 9:9; 1 Samuel 10:22; 2 Kings 4:38-39; Matthew 1:2; Acts 7:8; Romans 9:10; Romans 9:12; Hebrews 11:9; Hebrews 12:16

[quotesfromscripture]

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.

Matthew 11:19 ESV (2016)

[deremerstudios]

CHRONOLOGICAL CHRISTMAS

Our Advent gift to you - A Chronological Reading of the Christmas Story Scriptures, set to beautiful music and drone footage.

A Chronological Reading of the Christmas Story Scriptures Last year we had the honor of putting together this chronological reading of the advent narrative for the youth of our church. For many years, the church’s youth pastor had red this account to our youth at the annual Christmas party and we wanted to carry on this wonderful tradition. So, I spent some time finding just the right music,…

[christianity-crucible]

Hoping to find an article I had but lost track of talking about how messed up the evangelical-favored English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible is, especially compared to the version it was cribbed from, the Revised Standard Version (RSV), which at least according to one telling tried to make it translation as accurate as possible. By contrast, the changes made in the English Standard Version were very political and were LESS linguistically accurate, though more political convenient for evangelicalism.

If I can find that article again, I'll post a link here.

[goodjohnjr]

Reading An English Standard Version (ESV) Bible | Playing Soccer & Basketball & Necklaces

Silver Rope Chain Initial Necklaces For Men Letter Pendant Initial Necklace For Men Boys Women Chunky Initial Necklaces For Mens Jewelry Mens Gifts Dream 1 All that I can remember of this dream is that I was reading a large print Bible (Christian Bible) in the English Standard Version (ESV) translation. The Hope and Purpose of the ESV Translation Even though I have not read from this bible…

[kellyis4jc]

ESV Preaching Bible!!!

We need to encourage our pastors to become stronger preachers. We can do this by giving them the "ESV Preaching Bible" which will show them how to speak God's truth in a biblical way. Give your pastor a preaching Bible they can rely on when they preach!!!

In the Body of Christ today, we need to look up to our pastors for preaching the Word of God and seeing people get saved through the power of Jesus. As we look up to our pastors, we need to show them how much we appreciate them. To show them our appreciation, we can give them the “ESV Preaching Bible” to help them become stronger preachers of the Word of God. The “ESV Preaching Bible” gives…

[kakashi-fangirl-ita-blog]

Zosan headcanon (set either after Whole Cake Island or during one of the pre-timeskip arcs)

One night Sanji has a bad dream (about his childhood, his trauma, his fears...) and suddenly wakes up gasping and heavy breathing.

He doesn't want to wake up his crewmates, so he just gets up from the floor where he usually sleeps and leaves the room. But Zoro is on lookout that night and sees Sanji running into the kitchen (his comfort place). He knows that something isn't right by how panicked his breathing sounded and how confused he looked around, so he decides to check on him.

He finds Sanji in the darkness, sitting on the floor, with his back leaning on the counter, covering his head with his arms and sobbing like he never heard him do. (In his own mind, it that moment Sanji is still a child, left alone crying in the darkness by his father).

Sanji sees Zoro on the doorsteps, lit by the moonlight. Because of his pride and his rivalry with the swordsman, he doesn't want Zoro to see him while he is so vulnerable and tells him to go away, but of course Zoro is way too stubborn to do what he tells him to and wants to know why he's crying.

Sanji thinks that he wants to make fun of him, so he just stays silent, suffocating his sobs, waiting for an insult or a joke. But instead Zoro sits next to him and tells him that he envies him, because he's able to let all his emotions out and to cry freely without feeling judged (by his own self) or "less masculine".

Sanji is obviously surprised by that glimpse of Zoro's sincerity, but doesn't want to tell him why he's crying. He doesn't want to burden him with his story. In that moment, he just knows that Zoro's company is comforting. Their shoulders slightly brushing while sitting next to each other in the darkness, Zoro's slow breathing, the warmth of his body... Everything about that makes Sanji cry even more. He isn't alone anymore. He doesn't have to bear all his sufferings by himself in a loop of poisonous thoughts.

Without even realising it, he finds himself leaning his head on Zoro's shoulder, feeling the tears running down his cheeks and soaking Zoro's shirt. He quickly starts sobbing again, covering his face with his hand. Zoro wraps his arm around him and pulls him closer, letting Sanji bury his head on his chest.

Zoro patiently waits, while Sanji cries until he's too tired to even let out a single hiccup and they both fall asleep holding each other.

[umunschaas]

Aaaaaaah. Just arrived today. It's so pretty!!!

And yes I've read the extra scenes and Jeod's letter. It's all not that long, I think all together it’s 14 pages. No spoilers but... ooooooh?!?!?! Also yes. SCENES. It's not only the conversation between Eragon and Murtagh that is an extra scene. There are a few other very short ones.

One tiny bit that isn't really a spoiler and made me cackle for some reason: Murtagh describing Eragon’s hair as badly cut xDD

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Cave In • The Bird And The Worm • Hello Seattle • Umbrella Beach • The Saltwater Room • Dental Care • Meteor Shower • On The Wing • Fireflies • The Tip Of The Iceberg • Vanilla Twilight • Tidal Wave • Hot Air Balloon • Butterfly Wings • Rugs From Me To You • Sunburn • Hello Seattle - Remix • If My Heart Was a House • Strawberry Avalanche

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[awkward-teabag]

I have to wonder how many people celebrating AI translation also complain about "broken English" and how obvious it is something was Google translated from another language without a fluent English speaker involved to properly clean up the translation/grammar.

Because I bet it's a lot.

I know why execs are all for it—AI is the new buzzword and it lets them cut jobs thus "save" money and not have to worry about pesky labour laws when one employs humans—but everyone else?

There was some outcry when Crunchyroll fired many of their translators in favour of AI translation (with some people to "clean up the AI's work") but I can't help but think that was in part because it was Japanese-to-English and personally affected them. Same when Duolingo fired many of their translators in favour of LLM translation. Meanwhile companies are firing staff when it's English to another language and there's this idea that that's fine or not as big a deal because English is "easy" to translate and/or because people don't think of how it will impact people in non-English countries.

Also it doesn't affect native English speakers so it doesn't get much headway in the news cycle or online anyway because so much of the dominant media is from English-speaking countries and English-speakers dominate social media.

But different languages have different grammar structures that LLMs don't do, and I grew up on "jokes" about people speaking in "broken English" and mocking people who use the wrong word when it was clearly a literal translation but the meaning was obvious long before LLMs were a thing, too. In fact, the specific way a character spoke broken English has been a way to denote their native tongue for decades, usually in a racist way.

Then Google translate came out and "Google-translated English" became an insult for people and criticism of companies because it was clearly wonky to native speakers. Even now, LLMs—which are heavily trained on English compared to other languages—don't have a natural output so native English speakers can clock LLM-generated text if it's longer than a sentence or two.

But, for whatever reason, it's not seen as a problem when it goes the other way because fuck non-English readers or people who want to read in their native tongue I guess.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Hezekiah Receives a Gift

At that time Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick. — 2 Kings 20:12 | English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Cross References: 2 Chronicles 32:31; Isaiah 39:1

[nonokoko13]

If I see someone else trying to defend Kalim/Jamil by attacking the other or their enjoyers and misreading and boiling down their characters by saying Kalim is stupid or how Jamil is the only one at fault in their situation I'll be the one overblotting. Why you pit two victims of an awful hierarchy system they weren't asked to be stuck with. Why you have to treat people who respectfully disagrees with you in something like a series or a character interpretation like they're criminals who must be shamed or punished with death. How do you play a game that relies on narrative without actually reading. Why can't you use the block/mute button instead of engaging in a conversation you know it will be unpleasant for all parts to make it a fight you want to win. And why I see so many mysoginy/misandry in a game that it's about a lot of male characters with a main character who can be the gender you imagine them to be

[quotesfromscripture]

'But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins' -- he said to the man who was paralyzed -- 'I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.' And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God.

Luke 5:24-25 ESV (2016)

[tovaicas]

anyways my friends activated my conlang brain and I've made smth insane as usual

red is influences, blue is Elezen-family languages, green is like a mix bc I see the Alliance cities as having a trade language (that critically is limited to them).

I see Duskwight as a separate language from Black Shroud Elezen (but sharing a lot - easy enough to learn for those speakers). Coerthan and all its derivatives are a whole different language under the Elezen umbrella and isn't mutually intelligible with BSE. Because they split so early, they probably don't share much more than root words and etymologies; within the same family so not difficult to learn for other speakers of Elezen languages, but very distinctly different.

(also I'm not listing them but the branches extend to include other diaspora Elezen languages)