14:29a
Otherwise: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Otherwise is literally “lest,” as in versions such as the King James Version. It introduces a situation the builder should wish to avoid. Consider how to express this situation in a natural way in your language.
if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work: This verse part contains some implied reasoning. The steps in the reasoning are:
(a) ⌊If he does not calculate the cost, and⌋
(b) ⌊if he does not have enough money,⌋
(c) then he will lay and foundation, and
(d) he will not be able to finish the rest of the building.
In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit one or more of the implied steps in the reasoning.
lays the foundation: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lays the foundation is literally “places/puts the foundation.” The foundation supports the tower. It could also be called the “base” or the “support” of the tower.
If building methods are different in your region, you could adapt this illustration to fit your culture. Describe here what a man would do to build a house that was sturdy and strong. For example, where houses are built of wood and supported by posts, you could say:
he sets the house posts in place
An almost identical phrase “laid the foundation” occurs in 6:48b.
unable to finish the work: The word work refers to the rest of the building—everything besides the foundation. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
not able to continue ⌊building the rest of it⌋
-or-
not able to finish the building
14:29b
ridicule: The word ridicule means to laugh at or make fun of someone, to try to say something that will make him ashamed.
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