10:15a

Truly I tell you: Jesus often used the words Truly I tell you to introduce a statement that he wanted to emphasize. When he began a statement with these words, he was asking people to listen with extra attention.

Here are some other ways to show this emphasis:

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

I assure you (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
Listen to this:
-or-
Let me tell you this:

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

It will certainly be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land 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 how you translated this clause in 6:16d and 8:10c.

10:15b

it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town: This sentence compares two things. It talks about the punishment that God will give to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and compares it to the punishment that God will give to the people of the town that does not receive the disciples. Jesus said that the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah will be more bearable than the punishment of that town. This means God will punish the people of Sodom and Gomorrah less than he will punish the people of a town that rejected his disciples. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah will suffer less.

Here are some other ways to translate this comparison:

on the Judgment Day it will be better for the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah than for the people of that town (New Century Version)
-or-
on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than to the people of that town (Good News Translation)
-or-
on Judgment Day, the punishment that ⌊God⌋ will give that town will surpass the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom and Gomorrah: The words Sodom and Gomorrah are the names of two towns. God destroyed these two towns and their people because of their many sins (Genesis 19). If people in your area are not familiar with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, you may want to include some implied information in the text or in a footnote. For example:

⌊the very sinful people of⌋ ⌊the towns of⌋ Sodom and Gomorrah

on the day of judgment: This phrase refers to the time when God will judge all people for the things they have said and done on earth.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

on the day that ⌊God⌋ judges ⌊all people⌋

-or-

at the time when ⌊God⌋ judges ⌊everyone⌋

that town: This phrase refers to the town spoken of in 10:14b. It is the town whose people reject Jesus’ disciples. Make sure that the reference is clear in your translation. The example below puts the phrase that town before the phrase Sodom and Gomorrah:

on the day of judgment, the people of that town will be punished more greatly than the people of the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah

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