Most translations render Jesus’ words literally, as Good News Translation does, I am the resurrection and the life. New English Bible translates “I am the resurrection and I am life”; Goodspeed “I myself am Resurrection and Life”; Moffatt “I am myself resurrection and life”; Phillips “I myself am the resurrection and the life.” It may be necessary in most languages to use verb phrases in place of nouns resurrection and life, for example, “I am the one who raises people from the dead and gives them life.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “I am he who brings resurrection and life.” In several languages the closest equivalent is “I am the one who causes people to live again.” With this expression, however, it is rather difficult to add “and to live” as an equivalent for and the life. Therefore, it may be necessary to reverse the order, for example, “I am the one who causes people to live and to live again.”
One important ancient Greek manuscript and several other ancient witnesses omit the words “and the life” and read merely “I am the resurrection.” Among modern translations this choice of text is followed only by Jerusalem Bible, but it adds “and the life” in a note. It is difficult to explain why the phrase was omitted, if it was indeed an original part of the Greek text. It is possible that some scribe accidentally omitted it, or it may be that it was omitted because verse 24 makes mention only of the resurrection and not of life. On the other hand, it is possible that it was not a part of the original text and was added in anticipation of will live and whoever lives in verses 25 and 26. The UBS Committee on the Greek text retains these words in view of the fact that they are in many of the more important manuscripts representing different family groups and different geographical areas.
Even though he dies must be taken as a reference to physical death, rather than to spiritual death in sin.
In some languages it may be necessary to alter the order of concessive and conditional clauses, for example, “even if a person dies, he will continue to live if he believes in me.” In others a concessive clause must be rendered by some expression of mental activity, and somewhat separated from the rest of the sentence, for example, “Suppose a man dies; if he believes in me, he will continue to live.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .