Therefore I tell you indicates an emphatic transition; New American Bible has “For this reason, I tell you.”

The kingdom of God will be taken away from you will need radical restructuring in most languages in order to make sense. The rendering of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation makes the kingdom sound as though it is some kind of physical object, perhaps a trophy of some sort, which may be taken from one person and handed to another. Attention will also have to be given to the need to alter the passive to an active, with God as subject; for example, “God will take his community away from you and give it to those who obey him” (Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition), “Every privilege that you have as God’s people will be taken away from you and given to a nation who will obey God’s commands” (INCL), “the blessings of God’s rule will be taken from you and given to people who…” (Malay common language version), and “God will take away from you the privilege of being part of his rule.” For further discussion of kingdom of God, see verse 31 and 19.24.

Given to a nation is another passive construction that may require an active form instead; for example, “he will give the privilege to another nation instead.”

Good News Translation has translated a nation as “a people.” In either case the reference is to a nation or state, a specific group, and not just to people in general.

Producing the fruits of it means “will obey God” or “… God’s commands,” as Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition‘s and INCL’s restructurings indicate. The imagery is similar to that of 3.8 and 7.16, and so one may translate “who will do the right things.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .