Paragraph 6:12–13

In this paragraph, the disciples went to various villages to do the things that Jesus sent them to do. They preached that people should repent. They expelled demons, and they healed people.

6:12a

So: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So the common conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Here, the Berean Standard Bible translates this word as So in order to show that it is connecting this paragraph with the preceding paragraph. Use a word or phrase that would show this connection in a natural way in your language. For example:

After hearing Jesus’ instructions, they went out

This paragraph logically follows 6:7b, where Jesus sent out the disciples two by two. In 6:11 Jesus was still giving them instructions. Mark was not telling about an event that had happened. Be careful not to imply here that the disciples went out from an unfriendly town that did not welcome them.

they set out: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they set out means that the disciples left Jesus and began to travel to various towns.

6:12b

preached: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as preached also means “proclaimed,” “announced,” “told” something important. For example:

proclaimed (Revised English Bible)
-or-
telling everyone (New Living Translation)

This same word occurs in 1:4b.

that the people should repent: The phrase that the people should repent gives the content of what Jesus told the disciples to say.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

that all should repent (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
to repent of their sins and turn to God (New Living Translation)
-or-
proclaimed the need for repentance (Revised English Bible)

In some languages it may be more natural to express this phrase as a direct quote. For example:

…and told people, “You must repent.”

repent: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repent means for a person “to change his mind, heart, or will.” In the Bible, it refers specifically to changing the mind and heart about sin and about God. When a person repents, he is sorry for his past sins. He decides to stop sinning and obey God.

Here are some other ways to translate repent in this context:

change their thinking/mind/heart
-or-
reject their sins

In some languages, you may have an idiom for this type of change. For example:

turn from sin to God
-or-
leave their sinning behind

See how you translated this word in 1:15c.

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