6:13a
And lead us not into temptation: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as temptation is ambiguous. There are two ways to interpret this word:
(1) It means temptation. This refers to being tempted to sin. It means “enticed/encouraged to do what is wrong.” For example:
Don’t allow us to be tempted (God’s Word)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004))
(2) It means testing. This refers to difficulties and persecutions. For example:
do not bring us to hard testing (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with a majority of Bible scholars.
lead us not into temptation: The clause lead us not into temptation means that we should ask God to lead/guide our lives away from situations that expose us to temptation. It is a request that God will protect us from situations where someone or something will persuade us to sin. God himself does not tempt people (James 1:13).
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
lead us away from temptation
-or-
don’t let us yield to temptation (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Don’t allow us to be tempted. (God’s Word)
-or-
Keep us from being tempted (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
cause us to stay far from temptation to do wrong/evil
This clause is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this as an active clause. For example:
Do not allow anyone/anything to tempt us to sin
This clause is the same as in Luke 11:4.
6:13b
but: There is a contrast between 6:13a and 6:13b. The contrast is between “leading us to temptation” and “delivering us from evil.” The Berean Standard Bible and many English versions indicate this contrast with the conjunction but.
Here are some other ways to translate this contrast:
Instead (God’s Word)
-or-
Rather
deliver us: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deliver refers to saving, rescuing, or protecting someone from harm or danger.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
keep…safe (Good News Translation)
-or-
rescue (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
protect (Contemporary English Version)
the evil one: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the evil one can be interpreted in two ways:
(1) It refers to the evil one. This phrase refers to Satan. For example:
but keep us safe from the Evil One (Good News Translation)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), NET Bible, God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Century Version)
(2) It refers to evil in general. For example:
and protect us from evil (Contemporary English Version)
(Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, English Standard Version, King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Most commentaries follow this interpretation.
The words “the evil one” also occur in 5:37b. See how you translated it there.
6:13c
There is a textual issue here. The words in 6:13c are not in the earliest Greek manuscripts. As a result, most English versions put this part of the verse only in a footnote, as the Berean Standard Bible does. However, many churches include the words in 6:13c in the version of the Lord’s Prayer that they recite. For this reason, you will probably want to translate these words, even if you put them neither in the text nor in a footnote.
If you do put these words in a footnote, a sample footnote is:
Only some of the later Greek manuscripts include extra words at the end of 6:13, which reads: For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
To show that the words in 6:13c are not part of the normal text, the Berean Standard Bible source line for 6:13c is in double square brackets in the Display.
For: Verse 6:13c expresses praise to God. It is also the closing of the prayer in 6:9b–13b. Furthermore, it is the basis for the requests in the prayer. We can pray that God’s name be hallowed, that his kingdom come, and so forth because authority, power, and glory belong to him.
The Berean Standard Bible introduces this part of the prayer with the word For. Here are some other ways to introduce this part of the prayer:
Because
-or-
⌊I/We pray this⌋ because
In some languages, it will not be necessary to begin 6:13c with a connecting word or phrase.
Yours is the kingdom: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Yours is the kingdom indicate that only God has the right to rule as supreme.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
you ⌊alone⌋ have the authority/right to rule ⌊over all⌋
-or-
authority belongs to you
See how you translated kingdom in 3:2 or 4:17.
and the power: There are implied words in this phrase as shown below:
and ⌊yours is⌋ the power
The entire phrase means “God has all power.” Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
you have all power
-or-
you are all-powerful/almighty
-or-
all power belongs to you
and the glory: Just as in the previous phrase, there are implied words here:
and ⌊yours is⌋ the glory
In this context the word glory refers to the “majesty” or “greatness” of the Lord.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
you are the greatest one
-or-
you are the most majestic one
-or-
all greatness belongs to you
Amen: The word Amen comes from the Greek word amēn, which is a transliteration of a Hebrew word. It means “let it be so,” or “truly.” If the people in your area already use the word Amen, you may want to use it here. Or you may want to translate the meaning:
Let it be so
-or-
Let it happen that way
-or-
⌊May it⌋ truly ⌊be that way⌋
General Comment on 6:13b–c
Since this is the end of the model prayer, it may be natural in some languages to indicate that the prayer has ended. For example:
⌊Pray like that.⌋
-or-
⌊That is how you should pray.⌋
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