10:12

Jesus’ instructions to his disciples about what they were to say to people ended at the end of 10:11c. In 10:12 Jesus told the disciples about God’s punishment for a town that rejected his message.

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that 10:12 does not continue the words that the disciples were supposed to speak. The TRT suggests two ways to do this. For example:

⌊Jesus continued,⌋
-or-

⌊After giving those instructions, Jesus said,⌋

I tell you: Jesus often used the words I tell you to begin a statement that he wanted to emphasize. He wanted people to listen with extra attention. Some ways to show this emphasis could be:

• As a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:

Let me tell you this
-or-
Listen
-or-
I assure you

• As an emphatic word within Jesus’ statement. For example:

It will certainly be better on the day of judgment for the people of Sodom

If you have another way in your language to emphasize a statement or to alert people to listen with special attention, consider using it here. See the note on 4:24a.

it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town: This comparison means that on the day when God judges people, he will punish the people of Sodom less than he will punish the people of a town that rejected Jesus’ disciples. See 10:14 for a similar comparison. The people of Sodom had sinned greatly (see Genesis chapter 19), but people who rejected Jesus’ disciples sinned even more. See Matthew 10:15 and 11:24. Other ways to translate this comparison are:

on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to Sodom than to that town (Good News Translation)
-or-
on the Judgment Day it will be better for the people of Sodom than for the people of that town (New Century Version)
-or-
On the Judgment Day God will punish the people of that town more severely than the people of Sodom

more bearable: In this context more bearable indicates that Sodom will not be punished as severely as a town that refuses to welcome Jesus’ disciples.

on that day: The phrase on that day refers to the future day or time when God will judge people. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

on the Judgment Day (Good News Translation)
-or-
at the time when God judges people

Sodom…that town: The word Sodom and the phrase that town are figures of speech that refer to the people who lived there. In some languages these figures of speech may not be clear or natural, and it may be necessary to make the meaning explicit. For example:

the people of Sodom…the people of that town (Contemporary English Version)

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