7:8a
Go up to the feast on your own: The subject of this clause (you, plural) is implied in English. However, the Greek text emphasizes it, and the English emphasizes the idea with on your own. This emphasizes the contrast with the subject “I” in 7:8b, which the Greek also emphasizes.
The phrase the feast refers to the feast of Booths or Tabernacles. See how you translated this term in 7:2. Jesus was encouraging his brothers to leave Galilee and celebrate this feast in Jerusalem without him. Here is another way to translate this clause:
You go on/ahead to the feast.
Go up: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Go up refers to the fact that the city of Jerusalem was built on a hill. Anyone going to the city had to walk up the hill to a place that was higher up. This expression was therefore a way of referring to a pilgrimage (a journey with a religious purpose). See the note at 2:13, and see how you translated this term there.
7:8b
I am not going up to this feast: There is a textual issue here:
(1) Some Greek manuscripts include a word that means not. For example:
I am not going (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, NET Bible Bible, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)
(2) Some Greek manuscripts include a word that means “not yet.” For example:
I will not go yet to this feast (New Century Version)
(King James Version, New International Version, New Century Version, God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow option (1) because most English translations follow it. However in this context the meaning is almost the same, as is implied by the following clause. If the major language translation in your area follows option (2), you may choose to follow it. It may also be possible to indicate Jesus’ meaning by saying the following:
I am not going with you.
See also the General Comment on 7:8b–c for a way to reorder these clauses.
going up: The verb going up is from the same Greek verb as in 7:8a.
7:8c
because: The conjunction because introduces the reason Jesus did not want to go to the festival at that time.
Here is another way to translate this word:
for (New Revised Standard Version)
My time has not yet come: Jesus again said that his time had not yet fully (completely) come. As in 7:6a, it is not clear what he meant by that statement. So again it is recommended that you do not explain what he meant. See the note on 7:6a. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
for me the right time has not yet come (NIV93)
-or-
for it is not yet time for me to go (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
My time: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as My time means “my opportunity” or “the right time for me.” For example:
the right time has not come for me (Good News Translation)
has not yet come: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has not yet come is different from the verb in 7:6a but means the same thing. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
is not quite yet
-or-
is not now
General Comment on 7:8b–c
In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 7:8b–c. That would imply that Jesus would go to the festival when it was the right time. For example:
8c My time hasn’t yet come, 8b and I am not going. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
8c This is not the right time for me, 8b and so I am not going ⌊with you⌋ .
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