6:44a

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him: This clause means that God draws people (causes them to come) to him. God leads or calls people to trust Jesus. This clause contains a condition: If the Father does not lead a person to Jesus, that person cannot come.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

If a person is drawn/pulled to me by the Father who sent me, he can come to me.
-or-
The only people who can come to me are those whom the Father, the one who sent me, causes to come.

Consider whether it is more natural to translate the subject No one in the singular or the plural. See the General Comment on 6:44a–b.

unless the Father who sent Me draws him: This expression indicates that God the Father must cause or help someone to come to Jesus. Without God the Father, a person will not come. In your translation, it should be clear that the Father does not physically pull or drag a person. Rather, he influences or convinces a person in a spiritual way so that they want to come.

Here are other ways to translate this expression:

unless the Father who sent me brings them to me (God’s Word)
-or-
unless the Father who sent me makes them want to come (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
if my Father who sent me does not lead/bring them

General Comment on 6:44a

In some languages it may be natural to translate this as two sentences. For example:

The Father is the One who sent me. No one can come to me unless the Father draws him to me. (New Century Version)
-or-
The Father, the one who sent me, is the one who must draw/bring people to me. If he does not draw/bring them, they will not come.

6:44b

and I will raise him up at the last day: Jesus indicated that he will give the one who trusts him eternal life when he believes. But they would still die physically. So at the end of the world (the last day) he will cause that person to live again. Then he would completely enjoy eternal life and never die again. See 5:28–29 and 6:39–40.

General Comment on 6:44a–b

Jesus was referring to anyone and everyone who comes to Jesus. Consider if it is more natural in your language to use singular nouns or plural nouns. The Berean Standard Bible has used singular nouns (“No one” and “him”). But you may choose to use plural nouns instead. For example:

People cannot come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me; and I will raise them to life at the last day. (Good News Translation)

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