Stop judging (so also New American Bible) is the force of the Greek imperative here, and so Jerusalem Bible translates “Do not keep judging” and Moffatt “give over judging.” It may be necessary in some languages to express an object of the verb judging. If so, either Jesus himself, or what Jesus has done, may be understood as the object.

By external standards is rendered “by appearances” in some translations and “according to appearances” in Jerusalem Bible (“superficially” in New English Bible). Judge by true standards is translated in Jerusalem Bible as “let your judgment be according to what is right” and in New American Bible as “make an honest judgment.” However this phrase and the preceding phrase are translated, they should indicate a contrast between an invalid judgment made on the basis of appearances and a valid judgment made on the basis of what is true.

It may be difficult to render verse 24 effectively because of the abstract terms external standards and true standards. In some languages one can say “Stop making up your minds on the basis of what things look like, but make them up on the basis of what is really true” or “Stop judging what people do just on the basis of what you see, but judge them on the basis of what has really happened” or “Do not form your opinions on the basis of what things seem to be, but upon the basis of what they really are.”

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 .