Thanks a LOT!

joH'a' assigned wIj portion je wIj HIvje'. SoH chenmoHta' wIj lot secure.

The LORD assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure. Psalm 16:5

(click for podcast version)

What is your lot in life? Rich or poor is a matter of perspective across the years of one's life as our fortunes rise and fall. And you might consider yourself impoverished - yet to another in different circumstances you'd be wealthy. "LOT" - that's our Klingon word to consider today, though you'll note, it isn't one that is translated into Klingon in our text.

Sometimes you might hear successful people of faith, suggest that earthly success indicates divine approval. At its best this is a recognition of dependance - at its worst it can be a gross misunderstanding of scripture. And it ISN'T what King David is thinking in this verse from Psalm 16.

For our worldly good is not tied to a simple equation. "Comforters" like those who visited Job may know many words about God that they think point to a cause-and-effect system, but fail to bring help or hope to those dealing with disaster.

SoH chenmoHta' wIj lot secure.

You made my lot secure.

Since my Klingon Language Version merely does word-for-word replacements, there's plenty of places where it doesn't provide a translated word - and this is one of those cases.

The first problem is there are vastly different meanings of those three letters - in particular it's the NAME of Abraham's nephew - nearly a third of the occurences in the Bible. Obviously the mechanical process of generating the KLV yields odd "translations" but Lot's *name* is too familiar to translate it into a meaning (especially the wrong meaning).

"LOT" in this verse is the Hebrew word gowral (go-rawl), which means "pebble" and appears over 60 times in the Bible. The corresponding Greek word, kleros (klay'-ros) that appears over 10 times means "a break," a bit of wood, i.e. a die. The literal meaning is some small object used in making a random choice - like we might use dice today, or flipping a coin.

This is not an endorsement of gambling, but is seen across scriptures as one way that believers would use to make decisions - as one writer notes:

The lot was always resorted to by the Hebrews with strictest reference to the interposition of God, and as a method of ascertaining the divine will (Pr 16:33), and in serious cases of doubt (Es 3:7). (Easton's Bible Dictionary)

For a Klingon word - a literal translation of gowral might be naghHom - little rock. That doesn't tell us much. Better might be to come up with a phrase - maybe "SuD naghHom" - the stone gambles? Maybe you see why I opted NOT to translate this word.

joH'a' assigned wIj portion je wIj HIvje'. SoH chenmoHta' wIj lot secure.

The LORD assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure. Psalm 16:5

I bring up the word, and its meaning, because I like noting that when David talks about his portion he uses a word that suggests his fortune, his "lot" has an arbitrary aspect - something outside of his merit, his personal worth. I think David is reminding us of the action in his life of GRACE - God's unmerited favor. One more thing worth noting - the verse begins stating a fact, something impersonal, ABOUT God: The LORD assigned my portion and my cup.

But it ends with words of relationship, addressed to God: You made my lot secure.

I think this is what's missing when we start fooling ourselves into acting as if our LOT - our success or prosperity - is in something we did. For then we've lost the most important thing, the relationship with a God who loves us, who cares for us - not because we somehow proved we were worth it, but because he loves us better than we could ever hope or deserve.

joH'a' assigned wIj portion je wIj HIvje'. SoH chenmoHta' wIj lot secure.

The LORD assigned my portion and my cup. You made my lot secure. Psalm 16:5

What a great God!

Ewwww - Blood!

chaj QoSqu'ghachmey DIchDaq taH multiplied 'Iv nob gifts Daq another joH'a'. chaj tlhutlh nobmey vo' 'Iw jIH DichDaq ghobe' nob, ghobe' tlhap chaj pongmey Daq wIj wuSDu'.


Their sorrows shall be multiplied who give gifts to another god. Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, nor take their names on my lips. Psalm 16:4

(click for podcast)

This passage considers the sort of life David chooses to live, or more importantly: the kind of life he REJECTS. In it we also find an important Klingon word - one that will come naturally to humans, especially if they are squeamish - it's the word for blood - 'Iw.

If you're familiar with Klingon sayings you might recognize it from the toast:

"'IwlIj jachjaj" (May your blood scream)

Or the phrase uttered to a young Klingon going through the Rite of Ascension:
"'Iw bIQtqDaq bIlengjaj" (May you travel the river of blood)

In the KLV 'IW translates the Hebrew word dam (dawm) a word that occurs almost 300 times in the Bible. Does it stand for life, or death? Something like two thirds of the references in the Hebrew scriptures refer to death, though we also find in Leviticus 17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood" (vaD the yIn vo' the ghab ghaH Daq the 'Iw) - indeed the whole sacrificial system connects the blood of a sacrifice with new life and redemption.

And in their toasts, or advice to their young, Klingons make a point of connecting life with blood - some might see the "river of blood" to refer to blood shed in battle, but I think it means to live life fully - particularly as the word RIVER (bIQtIq) is a compound water (bIQ) heart (tIq). I think the thought is the wish that your "river of life" - your blood - will carry you on to honor and glory.

It's clear how David sees blood when he says:

chaj tlhutlh nobmey vo' 'Iw jIH DichDaq ghobe' nob
(Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer)

He may literally be rejecting sacrifices of blood to other gods, but I think the main point is this: HIS life, his BLOOD will not be poured out for mere idols - the false gods of his enemies. I like how this verse is translated by Eugene Peterson in "The Message" translation:

Don't just go shopping for a god.
Gods are not for sale.
I swear I'll never treat god-names
like brand-names.

For the question is this: the only real capital we have to spend is not our money, or our property - it's our blood - our LIFE. You can't buy it, you can't create it - it's the one bank account you can never add to, only spend. We need to listen to David and refuse to waste a drop of our limited days on counterfeit gods - whatever they may be earthly riches, position, fame, or whatever takes God's place in our lives.

Jeremiah cautions: Has a nation changed its gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. (Jeremiah 2:11)

Let us join David, and pour our lives for the God who IS truly God, spending our blood on lives of joy and service that will last not just for our earthly pilgramage - but pay dividends forever.

IN GOOD COMPANY

As vaD the le' ghotpu' 'Iv 'oH Daq the tera', chaH 'oH the excellent ones
Daq 'Iv ghaH Hoch wIj tIv.

As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in
whom is all my delight. {Psalm 16:3)



(podcast version)

In an episode of the Simpsons, the "Comic Book Guy", who is the
ultimate scifi fan is thrown out of a bar. Lying in the gutter, he
asks sadly:

"Is there a Klingon word for 'loneliness'?"

(pulls out dictionary)

"Ahh... 'G'arr D'aK!"

Now - *if* I were also a scifi geek, I might point out that there's no
real Klingon word for "loneliness." The closest equivalent would be
the phrase "jImobqu'" (pronounced jhi-mobe-koo-uh), which means "I'm
so alone!" Comic Book Guy's attempt of "ghardak" is
gibberish.

[I would also - IF I were such a geek - note that Vulcan does have a
word "sa'awek" for 'alone: being apart from others; solitary; being
without anyone or anything else', as does Romulan (Rihannsu): her'u -
lonely.]

Here in the third verse of Psalm 16, David turns in this verse from
his source of all the good in his life (God) to his companions "Daq
the tera'" / "in the earth," Calling them "saints" - "kadashim" in
Hebrew - they are the "holy" or "set-apart" ones.

The known Klingon dictionary is lacking - we don't have words for
"holy" or "saints." Digging in a bit we see the Hebrew word used
here, qadowsh (kaw-doshe'), appears over 100 times in the Bible and is
based on the word qadash (kaw-dash'), which appears over 150 times.
The idea of holiness is not is someone or something that is 'pure' or
'prim' but to be "special" and "set apart." It follows, I think, that
the Greek word for the assembly of believers is be ekklesia
(ek-klay-see'-ah), the called out ones. They are "set apart" - not by
some special merit, but being called out by God.

To supply Klingon words for the KLV lexicon I've used "le'" (be
special, exceptional) for "holy" and then translated saints as "le'
ghotpu'" - exceptional people.

One writer notes that David "acknowledges the worth and delights in
the faith of the saints ... the people set apart for God's
possession." [New Bible Commentary.]

This time of year, my commute to work consists of a walk of about a
mile (something less than 2 kilometers) to the bus that takes me to my
office. It can be a daunting slog through snowstorms, but most days
it is a pleasant hike - and not necessarily a solitary one. Though I
walk alone, I walk in good company. Thanks to a variety of podcasts,
I trek through the neighborhood accompanied by believers from
California, the Netherlands, Illinois, Florida and.. well, I'm not
even sure where they all come from. But, in my walk, I am able to
enjoy scripture readings, and reflections on the Word and life.


As vaD the le' ghotpu' 'Iv 'oH Daq the tera', chaH 'oH the excellent ones
Daq 'Iv ghaH Hoch wIj tIv.

As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in
whom is all my delight. {Psalm 16:3)



What we need to recognize here is this - whether we have technology
like podcasts or not - as believers WE DON'T WALK ALONE. We are part
of a good company that spreads across the world and the ages. We
sometimes get so focussed on our world of today that we lose sight of
all the faithful, what the letter to the Hebrews calls a "great a
cloud of witnesses" who accompany us in our life of faith. I
especially encourage you to take advantage of resources like the
CCEL.org library of "Classic Christian books in electronic format"
(free!) as well as NewAdvent.org, with its archive the writing of the
church fathers and more.

Whether or not Klingon, English, Vulcan or Romulan *has* a word for
loneliness - it is good to realize that no believer needs to be alone
in his or her daily walk. Our company is one of fellowship in
congregations, and with the historic witness of believers from
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, to Polycarp and Augustine, to
C.S. Lewis. It's a grand company! Come along as we trek together!


As vaD the le' ghotpu' 'Iv 'oH Daq the tera', chaH 'oH the excellent ones
Daq 'Iv ghaH Hoch wIj tIv.

As for the saints who are in the earth, they are the excellent ones in
whom is all my delight. {Psalm 16:3)

Things to think about.

(click for podcast)

Apart vo' SoH jIH ghaj ghobe' QaQ Doch.

Apart from you I have no good thing. Psalm 16:2b

"Doch" - is a great Klingon word. As a noun, it is the word for "thing," and joined with the all-purpose question word "nuq" (what?) you can use it to get by among Klingons. Simply point at things and say

"Dochvam nuq"

To find out what they are. It means "thing" (Doch) plus "this-one" (-vam), "what is it?" (nuq). That phrase - Dochvam nuq? - and a winning personality will get you far among Klingons. Oh, and if you don't manage it well, they'll use the word to describe you - as a verb, "Doch" means "be rude".

Apart vo' SoH jIH ghaj ghobe' QaQ Doch.

Apart from you I have no good thing.

It's a great word - but I have to mention.. it isn't exactly in this part of Psalm 16:2. And this is a good time to think about the problem of translating and how fluid language can be. For example, the Hebrew Psalm 23 starts with is a very terse "Adonai ro-ee, lo ecksahr" Only four words, which expand into the familiar nine of the King James version's

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want"

In this passage, the eight words:
Apart vo' SoH jIH ghaj ghobe' QaQ Doch.
or
"Apart from you I have no good thing."

Come from three Hebrew words: tovthi bel al-eyka. The KJV expands this to 6, perhaps not very clear words:

my goodness extendeth not to thee

We get a better idea of what, uh, things this verse communicates from some moder translations:

• New Living: All the good things I have are from you.
• Amplified: I have no good beside {or} beyond You.
• NASB: I have no good besides You.

The important word - in every translation is the word "good." It translates the common Hebrew word towb, which is seen over 500 times in the Bible. It's the same word in the expression "Mazel tov," and is translated with many different English words: glad, good, graciously, joyful, kindly, kindness, loving, merry, pleasant, precious, prosperity, sweet, wealth, and welfare, to name a few.

Apart vo' SoH jIH ghaj ghobe' QaQ Doch.

Apart from you I have no good thing.

What matters here is really not Dochmey, things, but QaQ - what is GOOD.

And, Jesus points out to us how to find the GOOD things we need:

He said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, don't be anxious for
your life, what you will eat, nor yet for your body, what you will
wear. ... Life is more than food, and the body is more than
clothing. Don't seek what you will eat or what you will drink;
neither be anxious. For the nations of the world seek after all of
these things, but your Father knows that you need these things. But
seek God's Kingdom, and all these things will be added to you. (Luke 12)

Dochmeyvam nuq? What are these things we should seek? God only knows - and when we seek after him... we will too.

Who's the Boss?

(click for podcast)

SoH 'oH wIj joH.
You are my Lord. Psalm 16:2a

Klingon command structure is not what we're used to on Earth. Often a commander is replaced, not through what we would regard as orderly promotion, but through dueling, or outright assassination. The assumption is that a leader unable to defend him or herself ought to be replaced.

This may be reflected in the Klingon theological claim "we killed our gods." How better to "promote" oneself to the God of the universe, but by first eliminating the competition?

SoH 'oH wIj joH.
You are my Lord.

I don't think the Klingons are alone. As far as I know, no humans claim outright to have assassinated the almighty - yet examine our lives and the day-to-day choices we make. Then, ask - is this the life of one who says to the God

SoH 'oH wIj joH.
You are my Lord.

or one who has decided to take God's place?

This verse addressess the almighty with the tetragrammaton, YHVH, translated often as LORD from the Jewish practice of reading the name as "adonai," Lord). The verse declares YHVH is lord (adonai). A number of modern translations (including the WEB) present this name as "Yahweh," though I generally use the older practice of "the LORD." The word "Jehovah" derives from a misreading of the Hebrew - the Jewish scholars inserted the vowels (ah-oh-a) for adonai in the tetragrammaton as a reminder to SAY 'adonai'; some early Christian monk, used those vowels and came up with ye-ho-vah, or Jehovah. The practice in Klingon translations has been to use joH'a' (great Lord) for God or Jehovah (which I think it resembles), though we now know there is a term, qun, for "god." In time this may be the more common term used in Klingon translations.


In the KJV and you can see both kinds of "LORD" in this psalm as it says

my soul , thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord

(this LORD/Lord parallel is also visible in Psalm 8's "O LORD our Lord")

Now, I don't think there is any Klingon or human cultural tendency or inclination to join David as he says.

SoH 'oH wIj joH.
You are my Lord.

We need - Klingon or Human - to learn this just as David did. In his struggle to become (and remain) King he learned there is a limit to his ascendancy, and we need to learn this too. We are NOT God. This is part of the Biblical advice:

The taHvIp vo' joH'a' ghaH the tagh vo' valtaHghach
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 110:10a)

This counsels not terror, but awe: the clear understanding that we must answer to our creator. In short, the question really is "who is the boss?" When we misplace ourselves as the center of the universe, we'll find sooner or later, to our regret, that we are NOT God. We need to humbler ourselves, and with David turn in faith and say

SoH 'oH wIj joH.
You are my Lord.

As this new year begins - lets look for ways to remind ourselves who is the boss.

reH DuSIgh vavlI'

pol jIH, joH'a', vaD Daq SoH ta' jIH tlhap lulIgh.
Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge. Psalm 16:1

(click for podcast)

reH DuSIgh vavlI' - (your father is part of you always) is a remark Worf once made to Lt. Commander Data, and I agree. I think of this as I begin these studies of Psalm 16, for I am certain that any Bible my father owned, or gave as a gift, will be found to have verses of Psalm 16 underlined (even the one he carried as a prisoner of war in WWII). One Bible of his even had the notation by this verse "my confession.

pol jIH, joH'a', vaD Daq SoH ta' jIH tlhap lulIgh.
Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge.

Do you find that you are drawn to that declaration? At least I know I am, and want to make that my confession as well. I know I need a refuge - to whom CAN we turn better than God? Turning to God for that refuge requires the will to depend on God.

I expect no one will have a short list of things we need a refuge *from*; daily life, if not the daily news, will give an ample supply. The word here, lulIgh, is a rare Klingon word for 'refuge' (it's in the dictionary, but there aren't any known canonical examples of using it in the Klingon literature), and translates the Hebrew word chacah (khaw-saw'), which shows up over 30 times in the Bible. "chacaw" carries the idea of "to-flee" - perhaps not a Klingon-sounding concept, but even the most valiant warrior must seek safety at times.

And the focus of the Psalm is not a negative (fear) but a a positive (serious devotion to God). One writer notes:

Almost every verse of this psalm speaks of some aspect of singlemindedness: i.e. throwing in one's lot with God in the realms of one's security(1), welfare(2), associates(3), worship(4) and ambitions,) [Tyndale OT Commentaries]

Preserve is rendered pol (keep) and comes from the Hebrew word (used more than 400 times) shamar, with the idea of a hedge, a fence to protect one. You might also use the Klingon word "shield" (yoD) or "forcefield" (botjan).

The idea of this hedge, this defense, around the believer calls to mind the words of another psalm

The Duy vo' joH'a' DabtaH around chaH 'Iv taHvIp ghaH, je delivers chaH.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. (Ps. 34.7)

What is your source of refuge - to whom, or what, do you turn? Here's a tip - if you have a Bible and a pencil handy: underline Psalm 16.1 and start making it your confession today.

pol jIH, joH'a', vaD Daq SoH ta' jIH tlhap lulIgh.
Preserve me, God, for in you do I take refuge. Psalm 16:1

reH 'eb tu'lu'

vaD everything jatlhpu' Sum joH'a' ghaH DuH.
For everything spoken by God is possible. Luke 1.37

(click for podcast)

This is a Biblical verse, appointed for the fourth Sunday of Advent, that would delight a Vulcan - pondering the logic of it is a tricky business, particularly if you look into the Greek text and realize that it says literally "nothing spoken by God is impossible. (I wonder if the translators who put it in the positive were trying to avoid the dreaded "double negative?")

However you put it, it has potential to fuel long debates along the lines of "can God make a rock so heavy he can't lift it?" And to do so would, I think, miss the point. The context for this passage is the angel Gabriel announcing the miraculous birth of Jesus to Mary. This is the angel's answer to Mary's objections:

vaD everything jatlhpu' Sum joH'a' ghaH DuH.
For everything spoken by God is possible. Luke 1.37

The key Greek word is adunateo ad-oo-nat-eh'-o - is only used twice in this form. It means "to be unable" (that is, impossible) and comes from the negative "a" plus "dunateo" to be able. The root of "dunateo" indicates power (to be able) and is heard in English words like "dynamic" or "dynamite." For the Klingon, I've used "DuH" (be possible). To say "impossible" it would be DuH plus the -Ha' suffix: DuHHa' - not-be-possible. So nothing - even a baby where none would or should be expected - nothing, God says is impossible.

It's worth noting, the other appearence of this word - when Jesus is explaining to the disciples
their failure in healing :

"He said to them, "Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." Mt 17:20

Not just for Mary - for all believers "impossible" is out of the vocabulary. What a challenge! And what a promise. It recalls a Klingon proverb: reH 'eb tu'lu' - there is always a chance. In other words, never give up.

I wish I could keep this foremost in my heart every day - and say "I believe, help my unbelief!" I need to write this in places that I'll see it every morning and every night: nothing God says is impossible! Oh, may we live by those words!

Keep On Praying!

tlhob Hutlh mevtaH.
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

(click for podcast)

This verse - part of the third Sunday in Advent readings - is another great entrant in the "short-easy-to-memorize-Bible-verses" list. In no more than NINE words, you can memorize this verse in THREE languages: Latin: sine intermissione orate English: Pray without ceasing and Klingon: tlhob Hutlh mevtaH. [You can even do it in fewer words. A more grammatical Klingon might be "reH yItlhobtaH" - always you-be-praying.]

The important word here is pray. In Greek it is proseuchomai (pros-yoo'-khom-ahee), from pros- (unto, toward), and euchomai (yoo'-khom-ahee, to ask) and it appears over 80 times in the Bible. For Klingon, I've used the word "tlhob," to ask.

This season, the season celebrated in churches as Advent, represents a time of anticipation for Christians who understand our moment in history as one of waiting. They prepare for the coming of Jesus - his advent - by recalling and reenacting in story and song, his arrival as a baby. Caught in this tension between remembering and longing for his return, we really do need Paul's advice:

tlhob Hutlh mevtaH.
Pray without ceasing.

The message of Advent and its completion in Christmas is Immanuel - God is with us.

This may sound simply like acknowledging the presence of God. The Vulcans have a word for that - a'tha. This is the Vulcan word for the experience, the knowledge of God's presence - something apparently present in ALL Vulcans from birth. This does not seem to be our human experience, nor the Klingon one judging by the Klingon claim to have "killed" their gods

But just knowing, even experiencing God's existence isn't enough though. As James notes: The demons also believe, and shudder. James 2:19

Here is where

tlhob Hutlh mevtaH.
Pray without ceasing.

is essential. A life of prayer - continuous prayer - is a life of relationship, not mere "fact." Praying links us closely to God - just as regular conversation with friends builds your relationship with them. After all, how much do you think about a friend you haven't talked to for years?

This time of year so often focuses on PRESENTS -and too often our prayers are like Janis Joplin's "Oh Lord, won't you give me a Mercedes Benz?" - mere Santa Claus lists. But if we live - continually in prayer it will be God's PRESENCE with that we seek. The gift I need to open and use are in these simple words:

tlhob Hutlh mevtaH.
Pray without ceasing.

These little ones....

'ach vaj 'oH ghaH ghobe' the DichDaq vo' lIj vav 'Iv ghaH Daq chal vetlh wa' vo' Dochvammey mach ones should chIlqu'.
Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

(click for podcast)

If you're a pastor, and looking for a way to quickly be driven out of your parish - I can't think of a better controversy to raise than.... a discussion about Santa Claus. I fear at times that the deepest beliefs of the Bible could be question without the kind of difficulties a preacher would meet if they weighed in on the reality of Kris Kringle.

Nor am I brave enough to tread on this legend - though I wonder what a Klingon would make of some of the stories? The Klingon dispostion toward things military lend to a tendency to be (shall we say?) paranoid. Imagine how they'd feel about a silent intruder who routinely slips in past all defenses to surprise the inhabitants! Motivated by generosity or not - I expect a Klingon hearing of such stealth would be more alarmed than happy.

But - maybe if they were introduced to the real Santa Claus - St Nicholas:

St. Nicholas, lover of the poor and patron saint of children, is a model of how Christians are meant to live. As priest and bishop, Nicholas put Jesus Christ at the center of his life and ministry. His concern for children and others in need or danger expressed a love for God which points toward Jesus, the source of true caring and compassion. Embracing St. Nicholas customs can help recover the true center of Christmas—the birth of Jesus.

Understanding St. Nicholas as the original and true holiday gift-giver also helps shift focus to giving rather than getting, compassion rather than consumption, need rather than greed. This can help restore balance to increasingly materialistic and stress-filled Advent and Christmas seasons.

St. Nicholas is beloved throughout the world and continues to be revered in Christian tradition, especially as protector and patron of children in the West and as Wonderworker in the East. The St. Nicholas Center aims to bring Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians together in common purpose—to help people understand and appreciate the original St. Nicholas, the only real Santa Claus.
[http://www.stnicholascenter.orgI encourage you to visit the site to learn more]

As a people - Klingons are depicted as fierce warriors - potent enemies in battle. But anyone who reads at all far in the lore of Star Trek will know how fiercely they honor and guard their family - they know the value of protecting children. They'd likely be impressed by the stories - some quite fantastic - of St. Nick's rescue of children. Or how he protected the honor of dowry-less girls by secretly presenting them with gifts of gold coins.

In the Bible Jesus says these words, used in the readings for the commemoration of St. Nicholas:

'ach vaj 'oH ghaH ghobe' the DichDaq vo' lIj vav 'Iv ghaH Daq chal vetlh wa' vo' Dochvammey mach ones should chIlqu'.
Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

The mach - little - ones matter. Not just to a saint like Nicholas, but to God. In this season we have many opportunities to be generous. What can we do to protect the neediest among us?

A tlhIngan Christmas?

" batlh Daq joH'a' Daq the highest, Daq tera' roj, QaQ DichDaq toward Hoch."

"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward all." Luke 2:14

click here for podcast

Picture this: Some December, oh, a few years from now, you find yourself wandering down a corridor in the Klingon section of Deep Space 9. Late at night, the lights are low and you hear a noise - a lot of noise! Spilling out into the hall is a crowd of boisterous tlhInganpu'. These Klingons are coming from the Klingon multifaith lalDan pa' (chapel). Of course! They just finished their Christmas Midnight service and they're off to celebrate. AND... they're heading your way.

What do you do? More importantly, what do you say?

• nuqneh?
  
  
• nuqDaq 'oH puchpa''e'?
  
  
• QISmaS petIv!
  
  
• toDwI'ma' qoS yItiv!
  

Well, of course the answer depends on many things, for one, whether you celebrate Christmas (many don't - even the early Christians were far more focussed on Easter as their celebration. Historically there have been times that Christians adamantly opposed the festivities). You might just call out the angels's song from Luke's gospel: "batlh Daq joH'a' Daq the highest" "glory to God in the highest." (though, by the time you're on such a space station, I hope you'll have a more grammatical translation than the Klingon Language Version - but it's a start.)

nuqneh?

This is the all purpose Klingon greeting - "what do you want," literally. That's an okay thing to say when meeting Klingons, though not quite in the spirit of the occasion.


nuqDaq 'oH puchpa''e'?

That would be fine - IF you're looking for the bathroom - otherwise, it might not make the best impression. While we're at it, one more "nuq" phrase - even more useful - is "nuqjatlh." It's the Klingon "hunh?" and means "what did you say?"

QISmaS petIv!

This gets more in the spirit of the celebration. The first word QISmaS is an attempt to transliterate "Christmas" into a Klingon spelling. After all, we don't translate "Christmas" into English - it's a word composed of Greek and Latin parts. It seems reasonable for Klingons to adopt this term to denote the celebration. The second word, petIv, is an imperative "all-of-you-enjoy-it!" You may decide to soften this with "botIvjaj" "may-you-enjoy-it" - or if you celebrate Christmas too, you could say QISmaS wItIvjaj "may we enjoy Christmas!"

toDwI'ma' qoS yItIv!

This is a phrase to indicate you, too, celebrate Jesus's birth. Literally "our-saviour's-birthday you-enjoy-it." Note here I said "yItIv," which is the singular "you" command "enjoy". You could also, as I noted earlier, say petIv or botIvjaj.


So - what would you choose to say? It's perhaps a fanciful question - after all I haven't quite built my spaceship to go off to Deep Space Nine. But it isn't hard to find people of many tongues celebrating this holiday. Nor is it hard to find places on the internet that provide Christmas greetings in every language from Afrikaans (een plesierige kerfees) to Yugoslavian (Cestitamo Bozic). As Christmas approaches this Advent - why not take a moment to learn a new way to call out with holiday cheer, so with the angels you too can say:

" batlh Daq joH'a' Daq the highest, Daq tera' roj, QaQ DichDaq toward Hoch."

"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward all." Luke 2:14

Celebrate!

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yItIv Daq the joH always! Again jIH DichDaq jatlh, yItIv!
Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

I may have mentioned before that I am a big fan of mnemonics, the science and study of memorization - exercising your mind by memorizing things: calendars, digits of pi (I once could rattle over 200), poems, and of course Bible verses.

People can be intimidated by such a challenge, though some will take a stab at it by finding short verses like John 11:35, "Jesus wept." This verse from Paul's letter to the Philippians would make another good candidate. Though longer, it has a nice redundancy that makes it an easy target to learn (there's even a song, but I won't share that now).

Having just finished Psalm 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible (another good memorization choice, that) with its cheer and exultation of the LORD, Paul's words make a good echo when he calls to us to

yItIv Daq the joH always! Again jIH DichDaq jatlh, yItIv!
Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Perhaps you don't think of Klingons as being a cheerful lot, and you're surprised they'd have a word for "rejoice." But tough as they seem, like most people's languages, their's prepares them to talk about happiness and enjoyment. The word I used here for "rejoice," yItIv, is an imperative form of the word tIv "to enjoy" - it's intended as a command to be happy. I've used the same expression in the phrase "yItIv QoSlIj" - Happy Birthday (literally your-birthday, you-enjoy-it!)

In the Greek here, the word is chairo, a primitive verb meaning to be "cheer"ful. It appears over 60 times in the Greek scriptures, as a greeting and expression of cheer. It shows up first in Matthew's gospel, telling of the first "star trek" as the magi follow the star to see Jesus -

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

Like those travelers, here in this verse, Paul directs us to rejoice. He repeats himself to emphasize what joy we should have. The Message translation puts it this way:

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!

This isn't just a duty - be happy or else. It is our privelege as believers. In Barnes' New Testament Notes, we read this rejoicing shouldn't be:

at certain periods and at distant intervals, but at all times they may rejoice that there is a God and Saviour; they may rejoice in the character, law, and government of God--in his promises, and in communion with him.

The reason is, as we noted in Psalm 117, God's care and love for us is enduring:

If everything else changes, yet the Lord does not change; if the sources of all other joy are dried up, yet this is not; and there is not a moment of a Christian's life in which he may not find joy in the character, law, and promises of God.

yItIv Daq the joH always! Again jIH DichDaq jatlh, yItIv!

Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Paul didn't write that as he rested at some comfortable desk. He was in a prison cell - yet he knew a joy more profound than the most fortunate or wealthy can imagine. As he wrote:

Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (Philippians 4:11-13, The Message)

What keeps me from experiencing this same joy? This is what we need to learn as we read the Scriptures - so we too can say yItIv! Rejoice!

Endurance

joH'a' voqtaHghach SIQtaH reH.
The Lord's faithfulness endures forever. Psalm 117:2b

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In the movie Sleeper, Woody Allen plays a man who is thawed out 200 years in the future.

"Everyone you ever knew is dead," he's told by the scientists.

"How could that be? They all ate organic rice."

One scientist explains to another, "That was one of the magical substances they thought could preserve life."

"Didn't they have fudge, no deep fat?" "Oh, yes, but they thought those were harmful."

"Exactly the opposite of what we now know."

Sometimes it may seem like that: we get the feeling that every new year overturns the certain trust we have in any number of truths.

This is another reason the author of this psalm is so filled with praise for God - His truth endures.

In Hebrew this is "vemeth adonai l'olam," literally "and-truth of-the-LORD to-everlasting."

In other words, God is faithful, you can depend on him - as the KJV puts it "the truth of the LORD endureth for ever". Since the WEB renders this as "faithfulness," for the KLV I used the Klingon word voq (trust) and the suffix taH (on-going). With the nominalizer -ghach, we have the noun voqtaHghach, faithfulness.

What's your most reliable source? Who do you depend on for information when you need it? I've got a set of encyclopedias - but they're almost old enough to vote. I've got TV, radio, newpapers, not to mention a seemingly endless flow of information from the internet - subject, of course, to the ups and downs of networks and the eb and flow of the wikipedia and other website updates.

And, I've got the Scriptures. When it comes to understanding the things that matter, when it comes to learning about God and our relationship to him, I'm not going to find a better source. Unlike all those other info-sources - which are ultimately disposable - with the Word, I've got not A truth, but the Truth; the one I can voq, trust, not just for today, but forever.

joH'a' voqtaHghach SIQtaH reH.
The Lord's faithfulness endures forever. Psalm 117:2b

Hallelujah!

that's what its all about

vaD Daj muSHa'taH pung ghaH Dun toward maH.
For his loving kindness is great toward us. Psalm 117:2a

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"love, love, love - that's what it's all about..."

(don't worry - this isn't turning into a music podcast)

If you've done time in Sunday School (student or teacher) chances are you've heard that song.

Like the "Hokey Pokey" it purports to tell you what "it's all about" and as fun as the "Hokey Pokey" might be - I suspect that "love" is a better answer to that question.

Having heard this psalm tell us to praise God, now we hear why.

his loving kindness is great toward us.

Now. Klingons have a problem with "love." Or more precisely, tlhIngan Hol, the Klingon Language does. The word isn't in the dictionary. That's not a problem in the Biblical languages. Hebrew, and Greek have multiple words translated as forms of 'love' in English, one Hebrew word in particular is rendered "loving kindness" here.

Klingon has some nouns for "love" as in "one's beloved" - bang, or romantic love - parmaq. But there isn't an all encompassing (maybe too encompassing) word to match the English "love."
Two explanations for this come to mind. The obvious one - this tough, brutal race finds such a notion, well, alien, and don't have a word for it.

Yet they have words for peace as well as war - so I think that can't be it. I prefer to think (and this is just my theory) that they are so full of love (albeit a more ferocious type than weak humans understand) that they only need to express the lack of hate (muS) to express love. Lacking this verb, many Klingonists do use muSHa' (dis- or un- hate) to have a verb "to love."

So, muSHa'taH - on-going love is the word used here for lovingkindness in today's portion of Psalm 117.

vaD Daj muSHa'taH pung ghaH Dun toward maH.
For his loving kindness is great toward us. Psalm 117:2a

hesed, is the Hebrew word behind this "lovingkindness" - and it is a powerful term. Used more than 200 times in the Bible it goes a long way to explain why the author is so excited about God's "steadfast love" (another way hesed is translated).

God's loving kindness, his steadfast love is our bedrock. The psalmist cheers, and calls out to everyone near and far to celebrate the foundation of loving kindness, of steadfast love, with which God supports us, as another psalm reminds us of the encompassing power of God's hesed:

How precious is your loving kindness, God!
The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings. (Psalm 36:7 WEB)

This is the value of Scripture. With the Word, and the living traditions of our faith, we learn how God has saved his people through the ages. Filled with promises for each day, the Bible helps us look forward to how God will continue to sustain us in his steadfast love.

muSHa'taH / on-going love / hesed

does not stop. We can look forward to what is to come - not always what we expect, or what WE think is best. But God will not fail.

vaD Daj muSHa'taH pung ghaH Dun toward maH.
For his loving kindness is great toward us. Psalm 117:2a

all you peoples!

Extol ghaH, Hoch SoH ghotpu'!
Extol him, all you peoples! Psalm 117:1c

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Forty-two years ago I had traveled around the sun as many times as there were planets: nine. Today, I'd need to live another century to be able to say that. By the time I managed to DO that, (if I could) well, as more telescopes and more observers turn their gaze outward, I expect I'd have to add a millenium or two to keep up.

We live in an unprecedented age of exploration. Besides the 150-plus worlds now known to be circling other stars, we are learning and mapping more about the ones in our own back yard - and there's more than nine! With Sedna, Quoar and Xena we've discovering in what a fascinating neighborhood God has put our little planet.

Looking out into this bustling cosmos, Dava Sobel writes:

Sometimes the stupefying view into deep space can send me burrowing like a small animal into the warm safety of Earth's nest. But just as often I feel the Universe pull me by the heart, offering, in all its other Earths elsewhere, some larger community to belong to.
(Dava Sobel, The Planets)

Extol ghaH, Hoch SoH ghotpu'!
Extol him, all you peoples! Psalm 117:1c

No, the author of Psalm 117 did not know about the worlds of our solar system, nor the worlds beyond. Extol him, all you peoples! Psalm 117:1c But this writer did know about "worlds" of cultures and nations. We've heard the command to all nations to praise God, and here we hear "all you peoples" to extol him.

Extol. Not a common word - in English or Hebrew. The KLV generally only translates frequent words - and "extol" is only used eight times in the WEB. In Hebrew the word here is shabach: to address in a loud tone, and shows up eleven times in the Bible. In the KJV it is translated as commend, glory, keep in, praise, still, triumph. Taking the meaning as "to commend," we might say this in Klingon with "quvmoH," cause to be honored: quvmoH ghaH, Hoch SoH ghotpu' to express this idea to, literally, give a shout-out to the LORD!

The psalmist probably didn't have access to "all you peoples" - any more than we can reach every world that we know about with the good news of God's love. The scope of the universe is so great - there are so many worlds, so many stars, so many people - just on this one planet - that we may feel there is no way we can begin.

Mother Teresa said: We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

As much as you can, call out today, SHOUT out today, in joy, in praise, to the LORD. Against the billions on this earth, against the vastness of the Universe and all its countless stars and worlds, this might not seem like much. But it is a start. Let creation, and the creator pull you out into his larger community of praise, to love, to sing and to give thanks!

quvmoH ghaH, Hoch SoH ghotpu'
Extol him, all you peoples! Psalm 117:1c

ALL

naD joH'a', Hoch SoH tuqpu'!
Praise the LORD, all you nations!

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Go outside tonight - or at least the next time you can, when there are stars to be seen.

If the clouds or streetlights make that impossible - go the library and get a book on astronomy, or a download a program like Celestia that lets you explore the sky.

However you do it, look at the stars and think about this word - "ALL." In Hebrew it's col, and here in Klingon we render it as Hoch, a terrific all encompassing word that means "everyone, all, everything." You can't get much more inclusive. Remember - that imperative "hallelujah" is a way of saying "y'ALL praise God."

naD joH'a', Hoch SoH tuqpu'!
Praise the LORD, all you nations!

I don't know that the Psalmist thinks everyone will praise God. What I do think is that the author is filled with excitement and delight at what the LORD has done. The writer of Psalm 117 has that kind of devotion that just spills over and calls out to everyone near and far, to all to Hoch, to praise God.

When you look out into the stars, and think of the countless worlds that lie out there, the call to all to praise God takes on an incredible scope. But it gets better.

You see, there are no boundaries, no borders in a faith that has that kind of excitement. The faith of the Bible is not a local faith. Though it seems national with Israel, or ethnic with churches that grow out of different language groups, when we read this Psalm, we call out Hallelujah! to all. The borders are gone.

Astronauts and cosmonauts have a different perspective than those of us on the ground. They've travelled out into the black of space - and when they look back they've been struck by something - "there aren't any lines," they've commented. We spend our lifetime seeing the world in terms of maps with carefully drawn lines - and once they get out beyond our atmosphere - it's clean. Those borders - for which so many have fought and died - are just gone.

Look out into the sky - the scope and breadth of the Universe tell us God's got no limits. We can delight in his grace, in the marvels of his creation and let our imagination take flight. With a Biblical faith, with a heart filled with praise to our maker as this psalm calls out, we can erase whatever boundaries separated us from each other and call, to one

and to ALL

Praise ye the LORD!

One Word to Bind Them All

naD joH'a'
Praise the LORD Psalm 117:1a

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Would you like to be a linguist, with a vocabulary that extends from Albanian to Xhosa? With one word I can assist you towards this goal.

The word I'm thinking of is at the heart of this Psalm, the shortest chapter of the Bible.

Hallelujah

That short phrase, almost a contraction, ends this psalm, and is expressed in a longer version, hallelu et adonai - praise you the LORD - at the beginning. By bracketing this short chapter, this command directs believers to be about the serious, and delightful, work of praise.

From Hebrew to Greek to Latin, Hallelujah over the centuries was transliterated from language to language and has become an exclamation of praise, so universal that it has moved into the lexicons of many languages. Look for yourself at the Crosswire Bible Society's website, www.crosswire.org/study. There you can compare Bibles in quite a few languages and see this Psalm containing "Hallelujah" or "Allelulia" : Afrikaans, Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, Esperanto, and Finnish to name a few, each transliterating this word for their tongue.

But. Not Klingon. If we were to present a Klingon version of Hallelujah, it might be 'alayluya. However, since the World English Bible, the source used for my Klingon Language Version, translates the Hebrew terms, the KLV does likewise, naD joH'a'. If we were to translate it more grammatically we'd say it as a command, joH'a' penaD, the-LORD you-all-praise.

Hallelujah

I love this word, and especially like thinking about the path it has taken through the long years. It is now almost a password, if you will, for believers on every continent and with many different languages. A foreign word in almost every language, it is testifies to a faith language of the heart that is (or should be) a native language for everyone who follows the God of the Bible.

To me, the really important thing is that little syllable -lu-; it indicates the plural. YOU-ALL give praise, not "you" singular. (This is something we've lost in modern English; an ability to easily distinguish singular and plural. You can see it preserved in the King James and Douay translations, where the "you" and "ye" forms indicate plural, and "thou," "thee," and "thine" refer to the second person singular.)

That "lu," Halle-LU-jah, takes the command to praise and extends it not to you or me, but to all of us, together. God calls forth, across the ages, across the world (even to the stars?) and draws us together as we praise him.

Think of this word and all its forms as being links that bind us together when we - all of us - rejoice in any language: Afrikaans, Albanian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, Esperanto, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Klingon, Latin and Xhosa we'll together call out

Hallelujah, allelulia, Praise ye the LORD.

Waiting Room

loS vaD joH'a'
Wait for the LORD Psalm 27:14

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I am famous (or notorious) in my family because I rarely go anywhere without a book tucked in my pocket.

"You never know," I joke, "when you might be abducted by aliens. I just want to be prepared to have something to read!"

A more practical consequence is that I am the "designated wait-er" in the family. Everone knows that I am ready to amuse myself standing in line at a cashier or return desk. I don't mind waiting, because I am ready to make good used of my time. (As a matter of fact, I'm writing this, waiting at the Mall of America for some family members who are out doing some shopping.)

The Klingon word here "to wait" is "loS" (and same word as the number "four"). The WEB uses 'wait' over 120 times in the Hebrew scriptures, in this case it stands for the Hebrew word qavah. Used more than 40 times, qavah has the idea of 'to bind' together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect. Figuratively, meaning to expect: the King James translates it as gather, look, patience, tarry, and wait.

loS vaD joH'a' Wait for the LORD,

David writes - telling us to taH HoS, be strong.

I don't think David is just saying "tough it out." There is value in learning patience, but there is also value in what we learn as we wait. This is more than pulling out an SF book in the checkout lane.

If you've ever travelled the same route at different speeds - driving versus walking, or flying versus driving to the same destination - you probably noticed that - well, you NOTICED more when you travelled more slowly. Sometimes this is what we need; it's what God helps us find when we need to wait.

Likewise, there are treasures out there to discover when God makes us wait for His answers to our prayers.

David knew this. He was anointed to be King when a teen - yet he had to wait, and he learned to taH HoS, be strong. Not until he was 30 did he truly become king - ready at last, schooled through the years of waiting. Is there any doubt he was far better prepared for the trials he endured?

What are you waiting for? Our times of waiting can be hard - trying our faith. If you stand alongside a friend or loved one who is in their time of waiting, be careful! Do what you can to strengthen them - "let us consider one another," says the author of Hebrews.

And if you wait - as much as you can - give thanks for the gift you may find in this time!

Wait patiently for the LORD.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the LORD (Psalm 27:14 NLT)

Allegiance

jIH 'oH vIHHa' voqtaHqu' vo' vam: jIH DichDaq legh the QaQ vo' joH'a' Daq the puH vo' the yIntaH.

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

(Psalm 27: 13)

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Where do you live? Or, more specifically, to whom do you owe your allegiance? Allegiance, what the American Heritage Dictionary calls "Loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause," is something you can choose to give. Who has yours?

Anyone who knows the history of Lt. Worf and his career on the Enterprise, as well as later on Deep Space Nine, can see the problem of loyalty being divided. A Klingon, raised and educated by humans, Worf always had to face people who questioned where his loyalty, where his allegiance was placed.

But it is a question for all of us - to whom do you owe your allegiance?

Here, almost at the very end of Psalm 27, we hear David confidently say he will see God's goodness, puH vo' the yIntaH, in the land of the living.

Now it is obvious, when David says the eretz hayim,“land of the living," he is talking about “this life.” Despite being in the middle of problems (look back over the text of Psalm 27) he was sure that in this present life, God would see him through it. Yet, I think there is a statement of allegiance here - a trust too - that David's home is "the land of the living." It can be ours too.

Faced with a challenge about survival beyond death, Jesus said:

haven't you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." (Matthew 22: 31b,32)

Believers may say this too - by putting our allegiance with this great God and - to trust that God will bless us in the land of the living. No - it doesn't mean everything will be perfect, all ills healed or that all material prosperity will be ours. But trusting this God means our life, our living, will never really end.

Worf, David, you and I need to choose every day who gets our loyalty, what our heart's homeland really is. If we accept the limits of this world, of no more future or survival than the grave, then we're not pledging our allegiance to the land of the living.

The Life Application Bible notes:

God doesn’t force his will on anyone. He lets us decide whether to follow him or reject him. This decision, however, is a life-or-death matter. God wants us to realize this, for he would like us all to choose life.

As Moses said:

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Good Eyes!

ghaH 'Iv ghajtaH a generous mIn DichDaq taH ghurtaH; vaD ghaH shares Daj Soj tlhej the mIpHa'.

He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

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I've just discovered WordSpy.com a collection site for new words and phrases.

Words are (obviously) a hobby of mine so I love how WordSpy.com tracks new words. The one that caught my attention lately was joy-to-stuff ratio (joy-too-STUF ray.shee.oh) n. The time a person has to enjoy life versus the time a person spends accumulating material goods.

What a challenging way to measure my life! AND... I think it's Biblical.

Good Eyes! In my family we call that out when someone spots something important - an overlooked item when packing, or say a misplaced pair of sunglasses. Whatever it is, we acknowledge the good observations with that praise.

Today's verse lauds "good eyes," too, believe it or not. But the eyes are those that look to the needs of others, not forgotten luggage.

I'm taking this detour from our almost completed transit through Psalm 27, because the verse caught my, uh, eye, the other day. In fact I know exactly which day, since often I'll read the current day's numbered chapter of Proverbs (eg. chapter one on the 1st, two on the 2nd, and so on).

On the 22nd of September this lead me to the arresting:

ghaH 'Iv ghajtaH a generous mIn DichDaq taH ghurtaH; vaD ghaH shares Daj Soj tlhej the mIpHa'.

He who has a generous eye will be blessed; for he shares his food with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

Now - there is no word in Klingon for "generous." That's okay - the original text doesn't say generous either - it says "tov," good. The same word as God declared over creation when he "saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." (Gen 1:31).

So we're told the person with the "good eye" (the bountiful eye, the the KJV reads) will be blessed. The phrase that follows spells out what the "good eye" means - "he shares his food with the poor."

Having a QaQ mIn, a good eye, is vital- it helps us see what we need to do. I do find it far easier to look past the front page to the comics - to watch the sitcoms instead of the news. Who wants to see what is wrong?

Well, I think that is the point. If I see what I need to do, and share my "bread" - giving it away, what will that leave me? Blessed.

If we see so clearly, then maybe we can live up to this description in Isaiah

For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat, when the blast of the dreaded ones is like a storm against the wall. Isaiah 25:4

How's your joy-to-stuff ratio? I can see mine needs work.

Speedy Delivery!

yImev toD jIH Dung Daq the neH vo' wIj jaghpu'
Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries (Psalm 27:12)

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I have discovered a revolutionary communciations tool - one that quickly and cheaply moves messages and packages - the MAIL!

My youngest child just started school at an out of town college and we have been having fun sending her notes and occasional packages. We're enjoying how easy (and fast!) it is to keep in touch this way. Of course we've got all the other ways to keep in touch. Email, cell phones and Instant Messages and they are good, but being able to routinely deliver things (letters, cookies, USB drives) is something we never used (or needed) when our son attended a local university and lived at home.

DELIVER: that's the Klingon word to consider today.

The word that David uses in this psalm when he says " Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries" is nathan, and it means "to give." It is the root of the name Nathan (gift), Nathaniel (God's gift) and Jonathan (The LORD's gift).

However, the mechanical process I used to transform the World English Bible with Klingon vocabulary maps a single English word to a Klingon term. "Deliver " occurs over 200 times in the WEB, both meaning "deliver" as in 'delivering the mail' and 'delivering me from trouble.' The first three occurences are in Genesis, and each translates a different Hebrew word: "deliver me from the hand of my brother" (natsal - to snatch away, 32:11), "that he might deliver him out of their hand" (shuwb - to turn back, 37:22), and "I will deliver your brother to you" (nathan - to give 42:34). Two out of three encompass the notion of rescue.

By not using the Klingon word for deliver, as in delivering a package (HIj), the translation introduces a bit of wordplay to this passage. Using "toD," (to save) I seem to have David not just saying "don't hand me over" to my enemy, but "don't save me for my enemy's evil plans."

There ARE times when we feel this is what is happening. The Israelites, when fleeing from the Pharoah, ignored the way they'd been freed from slavery and complained to Moses: "Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us forth out of Egypt" (Exodus 14:11).

Is this your fear? There are times when we cannot see how God is doing good in our lives. That's why we need to recall Scripture's words of promise. Jesus said he "didn't come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." (Luke 9:56). And he promised to his followers "I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." (John 10:10b)

You've got mail! Day after day there are messages - being delivered to you on paper or computer screens. Not all are welcome - but the best delivery is the words from God's word that bring you good news:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give
you a future and a hope.

In those days when you pray, I will listen.

If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me."
(Jeremiah 29:11-13 NLT)