16:18a

they will pick up snakes with their hands: The clause they will pick up snakes with their hands contains implied information. This clause describes a miracle. If believers pick up poisonous snakes in their hands, the snakes will not harm them. Jesus will protect them by his name, that is, his power, from being harmed by the snakes. You may need to make this information more explicit in your translation. For example:

If they handle poisonous snakes, the snakes…will not harm them.

See the General Comment on 16:18a–b at the end of 16:18b for another suggestion.

16:18b

and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them: This part of the verse is similar to 16:18a. By Jesus’ name, that is, his power, believers will be protected from harm if people try to poison them. The God’s Word has another way to say this:

and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them (God’s Word)

deadly poison: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deadly poison means “something that causes death.” In this context it refers to a poisonous liquid.

it will not harm them: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not is literally “in no way.” It is used to emphasize that believers will not be harmed in any way by drinking the poison. Try to emphasize this in a natural way in your language.

General Comment on 16:18a–b

In some languages it may be helpful to combine 16:18a–b. For example:

They will pick up snakes and drink poison without being hurt. (New Century Version)
-or-
…if they pick up snakes or drink any poison, they will not be harmed (Good News Bible)

16:18c

they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well: Jesus often healed sick people by placing his hands on them. For example, see 6:5b. Here, he said that believers would be able to heal sick people in this way. They would be able to do that in his name, that is, by using the authority that he would give them.

and they will be made well: The pronoun they refers to the sick people. Make sure that this is clear in your translation.

General Comment on 16:17b–18c

The phrase “in my name” in 16:17b indicates that believers will use the name of Jesus (that is, the authority and power of Jesus) to perform each of the signs in 16:17–18. In some languages it may be necessary to repeat the idea “in my name” with each of the signs. For example:

In my name they will drive out demons, and I will make them able to speak new languages. I will protect them if they pick up a poisonous snake, and if they drink any poison, I will cause it not to hurt them. They will lay their hands on sick people and because of my name, the sick people will recover.

General Comment on 16:15–18

In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for Jesus’ words in these verses. For example:

15aThen Jesus told them 15bto go to all places and tell all people the good news. 16aHe said that people who believe in him and receive baptism will be saved, 16bbut that people who do not believe in him will be condemned. 17aHe promised to help those who believe in him to do miraculous signs, 17bthat they will use his name to force demons to leave people 17cand they will speak different languages. 18a–bIf they pick up a snake in their hands or drink poison, he said that he will protect them from harm. 18cHe also promised that they will lay hands on sick people, and the sick people will get well.

If you make God explicit as the subject in any of the verses, be sure that you indicate clearly whether each clause is referring to God or to Jesus.

© 2008 by SIL International®

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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