First Nations Version
Page 82
16. 4:1 Lit. no different from a household slave
17. 4:5 Lit. purchase the freedom of
18. 4:8 Lit. those who by nature are not gods
19. 4:27 Isaiah 54:1
20. 4:30 Genesis 21:10
21. 5:14 Leviticus 19:18
22. 6:5 The Apache and some of the other southwestern tribes have burden baskets. They are often used in a coming-of-age ceremony in which the new generation accepts the responsibility to carry the burden for its generation.
SMALL MAN TO THE SACRED FAMILY IN VILLAGE OF DESIRE
1. 1:22 Lit. head
2. 2:11 Lit. Gentiles in the flesh
3. 2:11 Lit. the uncircumcision, a way to say non-Jews
4. 2:11 Lit. the circumcision, a way to say Jews
5. 4:5 Baptism
6. 4:7 The headdress was worn among many tribes to represent victory in battle and good deeds accomplished. Here it is used as a metaphor of the Chosen One’s victory.
7. 4:8 Psalm 68:18
8. 4:13 The faith
9. 4:27 Psalm 4:4
10. 4:30 The day of redemption or restoration
11. 5:31 Genesis 2:24
12. 6:3 Deuteronomy 5:16
13. 6:11 The devil
SMALL MAN TO THE SACRED FAMILY IN VILLAGE OF GIANTS
1. 1:2 Lit. brothers
2. 1:18 Lit. firstborn
3. 1:24 Lit. flesh
4. 2:8 Lit. elemental spirits or principles of this world
5. 2:11 Lit. the flesh
6. 2:12 Baptism
7. 3:5 Lit. which is idolatry
8. 3:11 Lit. Jews or Greeks
9. 3:11 Lit. Scythian, a people group known to be barbaric and uncivilized
10. 4:12 Lit. one of you
FIRST LETTER FROM SMALL MAN TO THE SACRED FAMILY IN VILLAGE OF FALSE VICTORY
1. 3:2, 10 Lit. your faith
2. 3:5, 6 Lit. our faith
3. 4:16 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
SECOND LETTER FROM SMALL MAN TO THE SACRED FAMILY IN VILLAGE OF FALSE VICTORY
1. 3:2 Lit. the faith
FIRST LETTER FROM SMALL MAN TO HE GIVES HONOR
1. 1:7 Luke 5:17; Acts 5:34
2. 3:2 Lit. the husband of one wife
3. 3:9 Lit. mystery of the faith
4. 3:11 Or the women helpers
5. 3:12 Lit. husbands of one wife
6. 5:8 Lit. our faith
7. 5:9 Lit. a wife of one man
8. 5:10 John 13:14
9. 5:18 Deuteronomy 25:4; 1 Corinthians 9:9
10. 5:18 Leviticus 19:13
11. 5:21 Lit. chosen
12. 6:19 Matthew 6:19-21
SECOND LETTER FROM SMALL MAN TO HE GIVES HONOR
1. 1:8 Lit. be ashamed
2. 3:8 Exodus 7:11
3. 3:8 Lit. the faith
4. 4:7 Lit. the faith
5. 4:17 “Mouth of the lion” is a possible reference to death at the hands of the Roman Empire.
6. 4:19 Lit. Prisca, which was probably a nickname for Priscilla. See Acts 18:1-3.
SMALL MAN TO BIG MAN
1. 1:4 Lit. the faith
2. 1:6 Lit. the husband of one wife
3. 1:13 Lit. the faith
4. 3:15 Lit. the faith
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE TRIBES OF WRESTLES WITH CREATOR
1. 1:5 Psalm 2:7
2. 1:5 2 Samuel 7:14
3. 1:6 Lit. firstborn Son. In the Jewish culture of that day, the firstborn son was honored as the head of the family.
4. 1:7 Psalm 104:4
5. 1:9 Psalm 45:6-7
6. 1:11-12 Psalm 102:25-27
7. 1:13 Psalm 110:1
8. 2:8 Psalm 8:4-6
9. 2:12 Psalm 22:22
10. 2:13 Isaiah 8:17-18
11. 2:17 Exodus 25:17-20
12. 3:5 Hebrews 1:1-2
13. 3:11 Psalm 95:7-11
14. 4:3 Psalm 95:11, also in verse 5
15. 5:5 Psalm 2:7
16. 5:6 Psalm 110:4
17. 6:14 Genesis 22:17
18. 7:1 Genesis 14:17-20
19. 7:17, 20-21 Psalm 110:4
20. 8:5 Exodus 25:40
21. 8:12 Jeremiah 31:34
22. 9:4 The ark or box was made of acacia wood. We use cedar here because many Native Americans use a cedar box to hold ceremonial items.
23. 9:4 Lit. manna, meaning “what is it?” A mysterious food. See Exodus 16:33; John 6:32-33, 48-51.
24. 9:16-17 Similar to a last will and testament
25. 9:19 An herbal plant with long stems. Used ceremonially to sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice. See Psalm 51:7.
26. 9:20 Exodus 24:8
27. 10:13 Psalm 110:1
28. 10:16 Jeremiah 31:33
29. 10:17 Jeremiah 31:34
30. 10:30 Deuteronomy 32:35
31. 10:30 Deuteronomy 32:36
32. 10:38 Habakkuk 2:3-4
33. 11:4 Genesis 4:4-5
34. 11:5 Genesis 5:21-24
35. 11:28 Exodus 12:21-30
36. 11:29 Exodus 14:21-31
37. 12:2 Lit. our faith
38. 12:6 Proverbs 3:11-12
39. 12:18 See Exodus 19.
40. 12:19 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
41. 12:20 Exodus 19:12-13
42. 12:26 Haggai 2:6
43. 13:5 Deuteronomy 31:6
44. 13:6 Psalm 118:6
45. 13:10 Lit. eat from
46. 13:14 Revelation 21:2
HE LEADS THE WAY TO THE SCATTERED TRIBES
1. 2:8 Leviticus 19:18; Romans 13:10
2. 2:11 Exodus 20:13
3. 2:11 Deuteronomy 5:17
4. 2:18 Lit. You have faith and I have good deeds
5. 2:21 See Genesis 22:1-15.
6. 3:6 See glossary of biblical terms.
7. 4:6 Proverbs 3:34
8. 4:7 The devil
9. 5:5 Lit. your hearts
10. 5:12 Matthew 5:34-37
11. 5:14 Lit. anoint them with oil
FIRST LETTER FROM STANDS ON THE ROCK
1. 1:16 Leviticus 19:2
2. 2:4 Lit. the living Stone
3. 2:5 Lit. living stones
4. 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
5. 2:7 Psalm 118:22
6. 2:8 Lit. rock
7. 2:8 Isaiah 8:14
8. 2:10 Hosea 1:10
9. 2:22 Isaiah 53:9
10. 3:12 Psalm 34:12-16
11. 3:20 Genesis 6–9; Hebrews 11:7
12. 3:21 Baptism
13. 5:5 Proverbs 3:34
14. 5:8 The devil
15. 5:13 Lit. She
SECOND LETTER FROM STANDS ON THE ROCK
1. 1:18 Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35
2. 1:21 Lit. will
3. 2:22 Proverbs 26:11
4. 3:10 Some manuscripts read burned up.
FIRST LETTER FROM HE SHOWS GOODWILL
1. 2:7 Instruction or commandment
2. 2:9 Lit. brother. Also in verses 10-11.
3. 2:18 Lit. the last hour
4. 2:18 Lit. the last hour
5. 3:9 Lit. seed. See Matthew 13:18-23.
6. 4:4 Lit. one
THIRD LETTER FROM HE SHOWS GOODWILL
1. 1:7 Lit. from the Gentiles
STRONG OF HEART
1. 1:3 Ephesians 6:10-17
2. 1:8 Jeremiah 23:25-27
3. 1:11 Genesis 4:1-8
4. 1:11 Numbers 22–24
5. 1:11 Numbers 16:1-2
6. 1:20 Lit. your most holy faith
BOOK OF THE GREAT REVEALING
1. 1:7 Zechariah 12:10
2. 1:8 Alpha and omega are the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, the language of the New Testament.
3. 1:10 Lit.
trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
4. 1:13 Daniel 7:13
5. 1:14 Lit. white like wool
6. 1:18 Lit. keys
7. 2:17 Lit. manna, meaning “what is it?” A mysterious food. See Exodus 16:33; John 6:32-33, 48-51.
8. 2:26-27 Psalm 2:9
9. 3:7 Lit. key
10. 4:1 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
11. 4:3 Lit. jasper and carnelian, which are crystalline jewels. Carnelian is clear and sometimes has a red cast. Jasper is red.
12. 4:3 Lit. like an emerald, a clear, green-colored jewel
13. 6:6 Lit. a liter of wheat
14. 6:6 Lit. barley
15. 7:1 Ezekiel 7:2
16. 7:2 Lit. seal
17. 7:3 Ezekiel 9:4
18. 8:2 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
19. 8:6 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
20. 8:13 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
21. 9:1 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
22. 9:1 Lit. key
23. 9:11 Hebrew
24. 9:11 Greek
25. 9:13 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
26. 10:7 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
27. 11:3 Lit. sackcloth
28. 11:15 Lit. trumpet, or in Hebrew shofar, meaning “ram’s horn”
29. 12:14 Meaning three and a half years, which is the same as 1,260 days or forty-two moons
30. 13:8 1 Peter 1:19-20
31. 13:10 Matthew 26:52
32. 15:4 Psalm 86:9-10
33. 15:5 Acts 7:44
34. 16:15 Matthew 24:42-44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2
35. 16:16 Hebrew
36. 17:2 Isaiah 1:21
37. 18:17, 19 Lit. one hour
38. 18:21 Lit. a millstone
39. 18:21 Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2
40. 18:22 Lit. the sound of trumpeters
41. 18:22 Lit. the sound of a millstone
42. 18:24 Luke 11:49-50
43. 19:8 Lit. fine linen
44. 19:9 Revelation 17:1
45. 19:13 John 1:1
46. 20:1 Lit. key
47. 20:8 Gog and Magog are enemy nations of Creator and his people. See Ezekiel 38–39.
48. 21:6 Alpha and omega are the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, the language of the New Testament.
49. 21:16 A stadia is equal to about six hundred feet. Twelve thousand stadia would be about fourteen hundred miles.
50. 21:17 A cubit is the distance from elbow to fingertip, or about eighteen inches. The wall would be about two hundred feet thick.
51. 21:20 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain.
52. 22:13 Alpha and omega are the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet, the language of the New Testament.
GLOSSARY OF BIBLICAL TERMS
1. George E. Tinker, Spirit and Resistance (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2004), 91-99.
PRAISE FOR FIRST NATIONS VERSION
“Reading the First Nations Version of the New Testament is like listening to a wise elder pass down ancient teachings. Its oral cadences give the Scriptures new room to breathe. While contemporary translations focus on updating language in a modern mode, the FNV recaptures the sense of tradition that binds faithful readers to our past and to the story that tells us who we are. It is a good gift to everyone who walks the Jesus Way.”
L. Daniel Hawk, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Ashland Theological Seminary
“I’ve often wondered what it might look like if Jesus incarnated within another culture. Jesus, a first-century Jewish teacher in a corner of Rome’s empire, lived, died, and rose as a human being within a specific time and place. What I love about the First Nations Version is how it translates this gospel story into a language of another context: First Nations! So get swept away into the story of the Great Spirit as he invites us to the blessing way of the good road. Read this beautiful retelling of the Scriptures that is not only beneficial for First Nations communities but for all who desire to allow the Great Spirit to transform their imaginations!”
Kurt Willems, pastor and author of Echoing Hope: How the Humanity of Jesus Redeems our Pain
“From the beginning, the story of Jesus has been a translated story. Jesus spoke in Aramaic, but Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote their Gospels in Greek. The story of Jesus is intended to be translated to every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. That translation is intended, not just permitted, serves to show how we must resist any cultural domination of the gospel. Terry Wildman has done a masterful job of rendering the New Testament into the storytelling motif characteristic of Native Americans. It should tell us something important when we realize how beautifully the story of Jesus can be adapted to the style and vocabulary of indigenous people. I deeply appreciate Terry Wildman’s retelling of the story of Jesus for First Nations people. I believe the Great Spirit is pleased.”
Brian Zahnd, pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, and author of Beauty Will Save the World
“The First Nations Version (FNV) has quickly become a go-to resource for Native InterVarsity across the nation. We are using it in our small group Bible studies, and it is influencing the words we choose when we invite students to the full life that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) offers. The word choices of the FNV not only resonate with Native students but are also offering a fresh hearing of Scripture for non-Natives. For example, when we talk about sin, defenses and blinders go up immediately. But when the FNV talks about ‘bad hearts’ and ‘broken ways,’ people can see that in themselves and others. I would recommend the FNV to any Native person who wants to learn more about Jesus and any non-Native person who longs to be able to read Scripture with new eyes.”
Megan Murdock Krischke, national director, Native InterVarsity
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Terry M. Wildman (Ojibwe and Yaqui) is the lead translator, general editor, and project manager of the First Nations Version. He serves as the director of spiritual growth and leadership development for Native InterVarsity. He is also the founder of Rain Ministries and has previously served as a pastor and worship leader. He and his wife, Darlene, live in Arizona.
Please visit us at ivpress.com for more information about Terry M. Wildman
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