Paragraph 10:21–23

10:21a

Brother will betray brother to death: This clause indicates that siblings will betray one another. In some languages, it will be more natural to use the plural “Brothers” here.

The word Brother can refer to any older or younger brother. If your language has specific words for older brother and younger brother, you can translate Brother and brother in one of the following ways:

An older brother will deliver over his younger brother
-or-
A younger brother will deliver over his older brother
-or-

⌊Some⌋ people will deliver over their younger brothers and older brothers

will betray…to death: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as betray…to is the same Greek word that occurs in 10:19a. Someone who does not believe in Jesus will hand over his believing brother to people who will kill him.

Here are some other ways to translate this entire clause:

People will hand over their own brothers to be put to death (Good News Translation)
-or-
A brother will give his brother ⌊who believes in me⌋ ⌊to those who will put him⌋ to death
-or-
People will betray their siblings ⌊who believe in me⌋ to those who will kill them

10:21b

and a father his child: Some words from the previous clause are implied but not repeated here. You may need to repeat some of those words here. Or you may need to use words that indicate the same action as the previous clause. For example:

and a father ⌊will hand over his⌋ child ⌊to be put to death⌋
-or-
and fathers ⌊will give⌋ their children ⌊to those who will kill them⌋
-or-
and men ⌊will betray⌋ their own children

In this context, the father is not a believer, and the child is a believer. In some languages, it may be necessary to include some of this implied information. For example:

a father ⌊who does not believe⌋ ⌊will hand over⌋ his child ⌊who believes⌋ ⌊to be put to death⌋

10:21c

children will rise against their parents: The verb rise against means “oppose or fight against people in power.”

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

oppose
-or-
turn against (Good News Translation)
-or-
rebel against (New International Version)

In this context, the children are older children, not infants. If the word children in your language only indicates young children, you may have to use another word. For example:

people will rebel against their parents

These children are not believers, and the parents are believers. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

children will oppose their parents ⌊who believe in me⌋
-or-

⌊non-believing⌋ people will rebel against their ⌊believing⌋ parents

have them put to death: This phrase indicates that children will give their parents to authorities who will judge them guilty and cause them to be killed.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

cause them to be killed (New Living Translation (2004))

-or-

and have them killed (Contemporary English Version)

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