6:12a

And forgive us: This clause is a prayer that expresses a desire that God will forgive us.

The word forgive always involves at least two people. One of them has done something wrong to the other and offended him. When forgive refers to God, then people are the offenders and God is the offended. “Forgive” in this context means that God chooses not to punish us for an offense that deserves punishment. God cancels our offense and treats us as though we had never offended him.

Here are some other ways to translate forgive:

Pardon
-or-

⌊We pray that you will⌋ cancel
-or-

⌊Please⌋ erase/remove

our debts: The literal meaning of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as debts is “what someone owes to another.” In the Jewish culture, sin/offense was regarded as a debt. So in this context, debts is used as an idiom that means “sins” or “wrongs.”

Here are some other possible ways to translate this clause:

our sins (New Century Version)
-or-
the wrongs we have done (Good News Translation)
-or-
what we have done to offend you

6:12b

as we also: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as here means “in the same way that.” It does not mean “because” or “since.”

Here are some other ways to translate this:

like we do
-or-
the same as we do

have forgiven: In this context, the verb have forgiven refers to forgiving those who have sinned against us each time they wrong us. It does not refer to forgiving them one time. In your translation, the tense/aspect of the verb “forgive” should indicate this. For example:

forgive (Good News Translation)

our debtors: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as debtors is similar to “debts” in 6:12a. It refers to “those who owe something to another person.” In this verse it is an idiom meaning “those who have done wrong to us.” For example:

the wrongs that others have done to us (Good News Translation)
-or-
those who sinned against us (New Century Version)

-or-

those who have done bad things to us

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