3:9a–b

And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’: The people to whom John was speaking were descendants of Abraham. John did not want them to think that because they were descendants of Abraham, God would not punish or destroy them for their sins. God would judge them if they did not repent and obey him.

In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

do not think, ‘We have Abraham as our father ⌊and so God will never punish us⌋.’
-or-
do not say to yourselves that ⌊nothing can happen to you because⌋ you are Abraham’s children.
-or-
Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Do not think that having Abraham as your father/ancestor ⌊will help you⌋.

In other languages, it may be better to put this information in a footnote. For example:

God chose Abraham to begin a people who would be his chosen ones. Therefore, many of the Jewish people in the time of John felt that since they were God’s chosen ones, they were sure of being considered righteous before God. They thought that God would never punish them at the final judgment.

3:9a

do not presume: The word presume means to “believe something to be true without proof,” or to “assume.” Here is another way to translate this word:

think (Good News Translation)

to say to yourselves: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as say to yourselves:

(1) It means say in your own minds. For example:

say within yourselves (King James Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version NET Bible, King James Version, English Standard Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Contemporary English Version)

(2) It means tell one another. For example:

say to each other (New Living Translation (2004))

(New Living Translation (2004); perhaps God’s Word, Revised English Bible, Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). John was saying that the people should not think in this way.

Here are some other ways to translate 3:9a:

do not let this thought enter your minds
-or-
do not think that
-or-
do not trust/rely on the fact that

3:9b

We have Abraham as our father: This clause is a quote within a quote. John quoted what the people might say or think. In some languages, it will be more natural to translate this clause using “You” instead of We. For example:

9aDo not think that you (plur.) can say to yourselves 9bthat you (plur.) have Abraham as your father.
-or-
that you belong to Abraham’s family (Contemporary English Version)

our father: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as father can also refer to an ancestor. Abraham lived many generations before the Jews to whom John was speaking. In some languages, you may need to indicate specifically that Abraham was their ancestor. For example:

Abraham is our ancestor.
-or-
We are descendants of Abraham.

3:9c

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason that the Jews should not depend on Abraham being their ancestor to save them. They should not expect the fact that they are descendants of Abraham to save them, because God can create other children for Abraham.

In some languages it may be helpful to make this connection more explicit. For example:

⌊You should not depend on that,⌋ because

I tell you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I tell you emphasizes the following statement. Here John used it to introduce a fact that was amazing but true. He implied that people should carefully listen to what he was about to say.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use a phrase before John’s statement. For example:

I assure you that
-or-
I can guarantee that (God’s Word)

• Use an emphatic word within John’s statement. For example:

Out of these stones God can certainly raise up children for Abraham.

that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham: This clause means “God can turn/make these stones into Abraham’s descendants.” John was saying that the Jewish people should not depend on the fact that Abraham was their ancestor to protect them from being punished or destroyed. God could replace them. If he wished, he could create other people to be Abraham’s descendants. He could even create them from stones.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

God can turn these stones into children for Abraham. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. (New Living Translation (2004))

-or-

God can give life to these stones and change them into descendants of Abraham ⌊to replace you⌋.

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

4:24

The Greek of 4:24 begins with a word that is often translated as “and” or “so” (English Standard Version). This word indicates that verse 4:24 is the result of 4:23d. Jesus was healing every disease and sickness among the people in Galilee (4:23d), so as a result of that, news of his healing spread to all of Syria, and the people from there brought their sick people to Jesus (4:24).

Here are some other ways to show this connection:

Consequently
-or-
As a result
-or-
Because of this

Some English versions leave the connection implicit, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

4:24a

News about Him: The phrase News about Him refers to the news about the miracles of healing that Jesus did.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

his fame (English Standard Version)
-or-
a report about him (NET Bible)
-or-
His reputation (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

spread all over Syria: The word Syria is the name of another district/province like Judea and Galilee. Jesus was traveling throughout Galilee, and even people in the neighboring district of Syria heard about his miracles.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

spread all over Syria (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
became known in the entire ⌊province/district⌋ of Syria

4:24b

people brought to Him: The clause people brought to Him means “people brought their sick to him/Jesus.” Another way to translate this clause is to use a passive. For example:

24c–gall those who were ill with various diseases…24bwere brought to him

4:24c

all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering acute pain: In this clause, the word ill is a very general term that includes all those who were not well or who had a physical problem. The terms with various diseases and those suffering acute pain are two categories of people who were sick.

Here is one way to translate this clause:

all the people who were sick and were suffering from different diseases and pains

Different cultures categorize sicknesses, diseases, and physical problems in different ways. So you should translate the clauses in 4:24c using terms and categories that are natural in your language to refer to sick people.

Here are some other ways to translate these clauses:

people who had various diseases, people who had pain
-or-
sick people, and people who were suffering from pain
-or-
people with every kind of illness
-or-
people who were not well

all who were ill with various diseases: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all who were ill with various diseases indicates that one person was suffering from one type of disease, another person was suffering from a different type of disease. It does not mean that each person had several types of diseases.

4:24d

the demon-possessed: The phrase the demon-possessed refers to people who were controlled by demons. Demons controlled the thoughts and actions of these people.

Languages have different ways to refer to possession by demons or evil spirits.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Some of them had a lot of demons in them (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
people controlled by demons
-or-
people on whom evil spirits had fastened

demon: The word demon refers to a spirit being who was once an angel, but who rebelled against God. A demon is also referred to as “evil spirit.” A demon is not the spirit of a dead person.

Here are some other ways to translate demon:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to a spirit that is evil and can control people. For example:

a demon
-or-
a devil

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. Do not use a term that refers to the spirit of a dead person.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

an evil spirit

See demon in the Glossary for more information.

4:24e

those having seizures: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those having seizures refers to people who have epilepsy. A person who has an attack of epilepsy has a seizure. During the seizure, this person suffers various things. He loses consciousness, he falls down and may injure himself, and his body stiffens and begins to shake violently. After a while, the person stops shaking and regains consciousness.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

people who have spasms
-or-
epileptics (English Standard Version)
-or-
people who faint and shake/tremble violently

4:24f

and the paralyzed: The word paralyzed refers in general to people whose legs are paralyzed. They cannot walk. It can also refer to people who cannot move some other part their bodies.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

people who are crippled/lame
-or-
others could not walk (Contemporary English Version)

4:24g

and He healed them: The word healed is the same word as in 4:23d.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

he cured them
-or-
he made them well

-or-

he caused them to be healthy again

In some cultures, paralyzed people are not considered to be sick. So it is not possible to use the verb healed to describe what Jesus did to all the people. It may be necessary to use two or more verbs here. For example:

he healed the sick and made the others well

Jesus healed miraculously through God’s power. If people in your area will think that Jesus only healed as a doctor does, you may want to include some implied information. For example:

he ⌊miraculously⌋ healed them

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Section 5:31–32

Jesus taught about divorce

In this section, Jesus continued to explain the difference between the way that Jewish religious leaders interpreted the law of Moses and the correct interpretation of the law. In the law of Moses, divorce was allowed. Many Pharisees allowed divorce for almost any reason. But in this section, Jesus taught that divorce was permitted only if the wife committed sexual sin.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Divorce
-or-
Teaching about divorce

Paragraph 5:31–32

5:31a

It has also been said: The clause It has also been said is a shortened form of 5:21a (“You have heard that it was said to the ancients”) and 5:27a (“You have heard that it was said”). You should translate this clause similarly to the ones in those two verses.

This clause refers to the law that Moses gave to the Israelites. The context implies that the Israelites had heard someone read the laws or explain them.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

It has also been said (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
You have heard that the law of Moses says (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-

⌊They have also said⌋ that ⌊the law of Moses⌋ told/commanded ⌊us⌋

5:31b

Whoever divorces his wife: The word divorces refers to formally and legally ending a marriage. The verse in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 24:1) referred to here speaks particularly about a man divorcing his wife. It is recommended that you keep that meaning here.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Any man who ends the marriage to his wife
-or-
If a man sends his wife back to her family

must give her a certificate of divorce: A certificate is an official paper (document) stating certain facts. So the phrase certificate of divorce refers to a legal document stating that the woman is no longer married to the man. The husband had to write this paper and have witnesses.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

a written divorce paper (New Century Version)
-or-
a letter of divorce (New Living Translation (1996))

-or-

a paper to end the marriage

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

6:15

But: There is a contrast between 6:14 and 6:15. The contrast is between forgiving and not forgiving. The Berean Standard Bible indicates this contrast with the word But.

Here are some other ways to indicate this contrast:

However
-or-
On the other hand
-or-
Otherwise

6:15b

your Father: The phrase your Father also refers to God. It means the same thing as “your heavenly Father” in 6:14b.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

⌊God⌋ your Father

-or-

your Father ⌊in heaven⌋

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Section 7:13–14

The way to heaven is hard

In this section Jesus used an extended metaphor. In this extended metaphor, a person becoming a citizen in the kingdom of God is compared to a person going through a narrow gate and then walking on a narrow path. A person going to hell is compared to a person entering a wide gate and then walking on a wide path. The word “narrow” indicates that the way to heaven is hard. The word “wide” indicates that the way to hell is easy.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The narrow gate
-or-
The narrow gate and the wide gate
-or-
Enter through the narrow gate

Paragraph 7:13–14

7:13a

Enter through the narrow gate: Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Enter through the narrow door
-or-
Go through the small entrance

7:13b

For: This conjunction introduces the basis or reason for the command in 7:13a.

Here is another way to translate this conjunction:

because (God’s Word)

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it may not be necessary to translate this conjunction either.

wide is the gate and broad is the way: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as broad is the way is more literally “the road/path is wide/broad.” English versions do at least two things with the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as broad:

• Translate it more literally. For example:

The gate is wide and the road is wide (New Century Version)

• Focus on the result of the road being wide: it is easy to walk on. For example:

The gate…is wide, and the road…is easy to follow (Contemporary English Version)

Whichever option you follow, make sure it contrasts with “small/narrow is the gate/way” in 7:14a.

that leads to destruction: The word destruction means “complete ruin.” In this metaphor, it refers to the place of destruction or hell.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

that leads to ⌊the place of⌋ destruction
-or-
that leads to hell (New Century Version)

Both the “gate” and the “way/road” lead to destruction. It is not only the road. Here is one way to make this clear:

The gate to destruction is wide, and the road that leads there is easy to follow. (Contemporary English Version)

7:13c

and many enter through it: The pronoun it refers to the wide gate. Many people enter through the wide gate. It is implied that many people then walk on the wide road.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

and those who enter by it are many (English Standard Version)
-or-
many people enter through that gate (New Century Version)

-or-

A lot of people go through that gate. (Contemporary English Version)

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 8:16–17

8:16a

When evening came: The word evening refers to sundown or perhaps an hour or two after the sun had gone down. The people waited until then because the Sabbath was over at sundown. After sundown, they were permitted to do the work of carrying sick people to Jesus.

many who were demon-possessed were brought to Jesus: The clause many who were demon-possessed refers to people who were controlled by demons. Demons controlled the thoughts and actions of these people.

Languages have different ways to refer to possession by demons or evil spirits.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

many people with demons in them (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
people controlled by demons
-or-
people on whom evil spirits had fastened

This clause also occurs in 4:24d. You should translate it here as you did there.

demon-possessed: The word demon-possessed refers to spirit beings who were once angels, but who rebelled against God. Demons are also referred to as “evil spirits.” Demons are not spirits of dead people.

Some ways to translate “demons” are:

• Use a general term in your language that refers to spirits that are evil and can control people. For example:

demons
-or-
devils

• Use a specific term in your language that refers to a certain type of spirit. Do not use a term that refers to the spirit of a dead person.

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

evil/bad spirits

See demon in the Glossary for more information.

8:16b–c

He drove out the spirits: The clause He drove out the spirits means that Jesus caused the evil spirits to leave people and stop controlling them.

Different cultures have different ways of speaking about people being controlled by demons and being released from the control of demons. Use a natural expression for this in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

he sent the demons away
-or-
he freed people whom demons controlled

spirits: The word spirits refers to the demons (8:16a). You should use a word or expression that clearly refers back to the demons.

with a word: The phrase with a word indicates that Jesus simply spoke a few words. He was not like other people who tried to cast out demons at that time. They used many, long magical chants and techniques. Jesus simply commanded the demons to leave, and they left.

Here are some other ways to translate this entire clause:

Jesus spoke and the demons left them (New Century Version)

-or-

He forced the [evil] spirits out of people with a command (God’s Word)

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Section 9:14–17

Jesus’ new teachings are better than the old customs

In this section, a third group of people, John’s disciples, criticized Jesus. (The first group was the scribes in 9:3. The second group was the Pharisees in 9:11.) They criticized Jesus and his disciples for not fasting. Jesus explained that there is a time for fasting and a time for not fasting. He explained that one day his followers would fast, but they would not fast while he was with them. This was different than the custom of always fasting twice a week like the Pharisees (and probably also the disciples of John) did.

So Jesus again showed that his new teachings were different than the old customs that the Jewish religious leaders had adopted. (He had started showing this in 6:16–18, where he taught his followers how to fast. They should fast in a way that other people do not notice that they are fasting. This was different from the Jewish practice of fasting with a sad face so other people would notice.)

Then Jesus told two parables to continue to explain that his new teachings are different than old Jewish religious customs. These parables indicate that his new teachings cannot be mixed with the old customs. They cannot be added to the old customs.

Many English translations begin this section with a heading like “Jesus Questioned About Fasting” (New International Version) or “The Question about Fasting” (Good News Translation). However, since 9:16–17 includes more than fasting, you should follow the heading above or one of the examples below:

The Superiority of the New (NET Bible)
-or-
The new ways of Jesus are better than the old ways
-or-
Concerning the new ways that Jesus taught

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 2:18–22 and Luke 5:33–39.

Paragraph 9:14–15

9:14a

At that time: The conjunction At that time introduces a new story. This story did not necessarily happen immediately after the previous section, but it was probably close to the same time. The Greek text does not indicate how much time passed between these two stories.

Here are some other ways to introduce this new story:

One day (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Then (English Standard Version)
-or-
In those same days

John’s disciples: In the same way that Jesus had disciples who followed him and learned from him, John the Baptist also had disciples who followed him and learned from his teachings. You should translate the word disciples here in the same way as for Jesus’ disciples (9:10c).

In some languages, it will be good to make it clear that the name John refers to John the Baptist. For example:

the disciples of John the Baptist (New Living Translation (2004))

See how you translated “John the Baptist” in 3:1.

Also, probably only some of John’s disciples came. If people will think that all of them came, you may want to make it clear. For example:

⌊some⌋ of the disciples of John

9:14b–c

Why is it that we and the Pharisees fast so often, but Your disciples do not fast?: This is a real question. The main part of the question is “Why is that…Your disciples do not fast?” The words we and the Pharisees fast are information that was already known and not really part of the question. Make sure that people do not misunderstand the question and think that John’s disciples were asking why they (John’s disciples) and the Pharisees were fasting.

Here are some other ways to translate this question to make these things clearer:

• Divide the question into a statement and a question. For example:

We and the Pharisees fast. How is it that your disciples do not fast?
-or-
We and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast. Why?

• Change the order. For example:

Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do? (New Living Translation (2004))

9:14b

Why is it that: These words introduce a real question. They ask the reason for something. In some languages, a question that begins with the word Why will imply that what follows is a rhetorical question that is a rebuke. So be careful to translate this as a real question.

Here are some other ways to introduce this question:

Why do
-or-
How is it that (New International Version)
-or-
What is the reason that

we and the Pharisees fast so often: There is a textual issue here:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts include a word that means “often.” (Berean Standard Bible: so often). For example:

we and the Pharisees fast often (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, NET Bible, King James Version, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Century Version)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts do not include the Greek word that means “often.” For example:

we and the Pharisees fast (Revised Standard Version)

(New International Version, English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). Many Greek manuscripts have it, and many English versions follow it. In addition, even if the word “often” were not part of the Greek text, it would be natural to add it in some languages to make the meaning clear.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

we and the Pharisees fast regularly
-or-
we fast often, and so do the Pharisees

we: The pronoun we is exclusive. It refers to John the Baptist’s disciples but not to Jesus’ disciples.

fast: The word fast means “choose not to eat for religious reasons.” People fast to humble themselves, to show sadness for their sins, or to seek God’s will or help. People usually fasted for one day, but it could be a shorter or longer period of time.

John’s disciples and the Pharisees fasted once or twice a week.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

do not eat ⌊to honor God⌋
-or-
stop eating ⌊to dedicate the day to God⌋

-or-

abstain from eating ⌊to worship God⌋

The word fast also occurs in 6:16a.

© 2023 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.