In Greek this verse is one sentence consisting of four coordinate clauses. See Revised Standard Version for a representation of the formal structure of the Greek. Good News Translation divides the verse into two sentences and does some further restructuring as well.

The winnowing fork (Good News Translation “winnowing shovel”) was used to throw grain into the air so that the wind could blow away the chaff, which is the loose covering from around the grain and is lighter than the grain itself. A winnowing fork or “winnowing shovel” is not known in many parts of the world. Translators can say “a tool for winnowing grain” or “a tool for separating grain from chaff.” To say he has the winnowing fork in his hand means he is ready to use it. Some translations say “He has his winnowing fork ready to use” or “He is ready to begin separating the grain from the chaff with his winnowing fork.”

To clear his threshing floor probably means to clear all the chaff from the area where he threshes the grain. Thus “He will clear all the chaff from the place where he threshes (or, where he beats the grain to separate it from the chaff).” Barclay has “He will clear every speck of rubbish from his threshing floor.”

In areas that do not have wheat, “grain” can be used. Some languages do not have this generic word “grain,” and use “seed” or “fruit” even for crops that have grains and need threshing.

The word granary can be translated as “barn” or “storehouse.”

Whatever the interpretation given to fire in the previous verse, it is obvious that the fire referred to here is that of judgment: “but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out” (Good News Translation).

It is good to retain the metaphor of this passage, but for readers in some languages, similes are easier to comprehend since they make explicit the basis of the comparison of the metaphor. This verse is actually speaking about the judgment of God, where he will separate the good from the bad people. If necessary, then, translators can do something like this:

• He is ready to judge and separate the good people from the bad, like the farmer who is ready to separate the grain from the chaff with his winnowing fork; he will keep safe the good, like the farmer puts wheat into his granary, and just as the farmer clears his threshing floor of the chaff and burns it in a fire, he will cause the bad people to burn in a fire that never goes out.

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 .