6:14a

receded like a scroll being rolled up: The Greek words are literally “split apart, like a scroll rolling up.” This would be like an opened scroll splitting in the middle and the two ends rolling themselves up away from each other. For example:

The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
The sky was split apart like a scroll being rolled up (NET Bible)
-or-
the sky split-in-two and rolled-up like a rolled-up paper which is opened-up and divided-in-two and rolls-up again
-or-
The sky was rolled up like a scroll (New Living Translation (2004))

a scroll: A scroll was a long piece of paper or parchment used for writing a long document. A person unrolled it to read it and then rolled it up to put it away. The paper or parchment was normally rolled up, so it would often roll up by itself if a person did not hold it open.

In some languages people are not familiar with scrolls. If that is true in your language, you may want to use something similar in shape to a scroll. For example:

paper
-or-
a mat

being rolled up: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. Since this is a figure of speech, it is not important who rolled up the scroll.

In some languages an active clause must be used. For example:

⌊that someone⌋ rolls up

6:14b

every mountain and island was moved from its place: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as moved can also mean “removed” or “shaken.” It is not clear if this verse corresponds to 16:20 (“fled” and “no mountain could be found”) or not. Other ways to translate this are:

every mountain and island was dislodged from its place (Revised English Bible)
-or-
every mountain and island was removed from its place (New International Version, English Standard Version)
-or-
all the mountains and islands were shaken from their places (New Jerusalem Bible)

every mountain and island was moved: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. God caused the earthquakes that moved the mountains and islands, or he commanded someone to move them. For example:

⌊earthquakes⌋ moved every mountain and island
-or-

⌊God caused⌋ every mountain and island to move from their place

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