13:10a
If anyone is destined for captivity, into captivity he will go:
These words indicate that God is in control. If God plans for someone to be made a prisoner, then that will happen. Other ways to translate these words are:
Whoever is meant to be captured will surely be captured (Good News Translation)
-or-
Anyone who is destined for prison will be taken to prison. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
If ⌊God⌋ plans for you to be caught and jailed, then you will be caught and jailed
13:10b
if anyone is to die by the sword, by the sword he must be killed: These words indicate that God is in control. If God plans for someone to die by the sword, then that will happen. Other ways to translate these words are:
whoever is meant to be killed…will surely be killed (Good News Translation)
-or-
Anyone destined to die by the sword will die by the sword (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
If ⌊God⌋ has planned for you to be killed…then you will be killed
if anyone is to die by the sword: There is a textual issue here:
(1) One of the earliest Greek manuscripts says is to be killed. For example:
Anyone destined to die by the sword (New Living Translation (2004))
(2) Some, mostly later Greek manuscripts say kills. For example:
if anyone kills with the sword (New American Standard Bible)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), because of the similar clause in 13:10a.
anyone is to die: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊God plans for⌋ ⌊someone⌋ to kill you by the sword
-or-
⌊God plans for⌋ ⌊enemies⌋ to kill anyone with a sword
by the sword: This phrase is an example of purposely killing someone. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate only killing by the sword and not any other way of purposely killing someone. If that is true in your language, you may want to indicate that it refers generally to purposely killing someone. For example:
⌊for example,⌋ with the sword
-or-
with a weapon
-or-
purposely
13:10c
Here is a call for: Some believers will be captured and other believers will be killed. The phrase indicates that since those things will happen, believers should have patient endurance and remain faithful to Jesus. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
This calls for (New International Version)
-or-
This requires (NET Bible)
-or-
In this situation God’s holy people need (God’s Word)
the perseverance: This phrase refers to continuing to follow God even though there are hardships or opposition. Other ways to translate it are:
patient endurance (New International Version)
-or-
patience to continue
-or-
endure
See how you translated this phrase in 1:9 or 3:10 (“persevere”).
faith: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faith :
(1) It refers to continuing to believe in God. For example:
faith (Revised Standard Version)
(2) It refers to being true to what one has promised. For example:
remain faithful (New Living Translation (2004))
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Other ways to translate this word are:
believing
-or-
continuing to believe ⌊in God/Jesus⌋
of the saints: This phrase indicates that the saints need to endure and continue to have faith. In some languages it is necessary or more natural to make the saints the subject of the sentence. For example:
the saints must have perseverance and faith (New Jerusalem Bible)
saints: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as saints means “holy ones.” See how you translated this word in 13:7.
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