16:4a

I know what I will do: The clause I know what I will do indicates that the manager had a sudden idea to answer his own question in 16:3b–e. If your language has an expression or exclamation that people use when they have suddenly realized something, you may be able to use it here. For example:

Ah, I know… (New Living Translation (2004))

16:4b

so that…people will welcome me into their homes: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that introduces a purpose or intended result. It introduces what the manager wanted to happen as a result of what he had decided to do. He wanted some people to invite him to stay in their houses and provide for his needs. Other ways to translate this clause are:

so that people will welcome me to live with them
-or-
so that people will let me stay with them

after my removal from management: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as after my removal from management is a time clause. It is literally “when I am removed from the management.” He had already been told that he must leave his position as manager. This clause refers to the time when he would actually finish his work and have to leave. See the note at 16:3c.

General Comment on 16:4a–b

These two verse parts form a single, fairly complicated sentence. In some languages it may be more natural to divide this information into two or more sentences. For example:

Now I know what I will do! Then when my job is gone, I shall have friends who will welcome me in their homes. (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 16:4b

In some languages it may be helpful to put the purpose clause first and the time clause second. For example:

I know what I’ll do, so that people will welcome me into their homes after I’ve lost my job. (Contemporary English Version)

The God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), and Revised Standard Version also put these clauses in this same order. Use a natural order in your language.

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