Mark 13:28 - 37 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 13:28-37 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

Jesús dijo: “Cuando ven un árbol brotando hojas verdes las personas que lo ven saben que el próximo día será caloroso, esto es parecido a las cinco puntos que les conté ahorita.

Cuando en el futuro las personas vean estas cinco cosas sabrán por cierto que el Hijo de Hombre está por venir.

Les advierto: Estas personas todavía no habrán muerto pero aún estarán vivos cuando lo vean con sus propios ojos. En el futuro el cielo y la tierra desaparecerán, pero mis palabras jamás desaparecen.

Les advierto: Todas las personas no saben cuando será el día o a qué hora venga, en la misma manera los ángeles y el Hijo de Hombre, todos no saben.

El único que sabe es el Padre Dios. Uds presten atención y vigilen para cuando venga, porque no lo saben.

Por ejemplo: Un hombre es dueño de una casa, y llama a todos sus siervos a que vengan y dice: “Yo me voy de viaje, uds trabajen, tú eres encargado de vigilar la puerta” y el hombre se va.

Ellos deben vigilar para cuando venga el dueño, no saben a qué hora si será en la mañana, tarde, noche o madrugada. Si ellos duermen de repente vendrá el dueño y los verá durmiendo ¿cómo sería eso?

Yo les advierto: En la misma manera todas las personas deben prestar atención y vigilar.”


Jesus said: “When you see a tree that sprouts forth green leaves, the people who see it know that the next day will be hot, it is similar with the five things I told you just now.

“When in the future the people will see these five things they will know for sure that the Son of Man is about to come down.

“I warn you: These people will not have died yet, but will still be alive when they see it with their own eyes. In the future the heaven and the earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

“I warn you: All the people do not know the day or the hour that he comes, in the same way the angels and the Son of Man all do not know.

“The only one who knows is God the Father. You must pay attention and keep watch for when he comes, because you don’t know.

“For example: A man is owner of a house and he calls all the servants to come and says: ‘I am going on a journey, you all need to work, I entrust you (one particular person) with keeping watch over the door,’ and the man goes off.

“They must keep watch for when the owner comes, they do not know at which house, morning, afternoon, evening or before sunrise. If they fall asleep the owner will suddenly come and see them sleeping, how would that be?

“I warn you: In the same way all the people need to pay attention and keep watch.”

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

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Mark 14:1-2 in Mexican Sign Language >>

Mark 13:28-31 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 13:28-31 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

Jesus said to his disciples:

— Look, there is a tree called “fig.” It has branches. On the branches are buds. From the bud grows a leaf. When you see this, you understand that summer is coming soon. In the same way, when you see that these terrible events that I predicted are beginning to come true, know that the Son of Man will soon descend from heaven to earth. I tell you for sure that people living now will see all these events with their own eyes.

I also tell you that the whole earth will disappear, but my word is forever, it will never disappear.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Иисус сказал ученикам:

— Смотрите, вот дерево, которое называется «инжир». У него есть ветки. На ветках почки. Из почки вырастает лист. Когда вы видите это, вы понимаете, что скоро наступит лето. Точно так же, когда вы увидите, что эти страшные события, которые я предсказывал, начинают сбываться, знайте, что скоро спуститься с небес на землю Сын Человеческий. Точно говорю вам, что ныне живущие люди своими глазами увидят все эти события.

Еще говорю вам, что вся земля исчезнет, но мое слово навеки, оно не когда не исчезнет.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 13:24-27 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 13:32-37 in Russian Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 13:29)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:29:

  • Uma: “So also when you see those previously-mentioned happenings, you know that what I previously said is indeed about to happen.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Likewise also, when you see already happen what I said, you know that my return is truly very close.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In the same way also, when you see all these things being fulfilled, you will know that I am about to return.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And likewise also when you see all these-things happening that I have-been-telling you, you will know that my coming is near.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It’s like that indeed, that when you observe these things happen, you know that the time of my returning is near, and is now beginning.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Mark 13:29

Exegesis:

hotan idēte tauta ginomena ‘when you see things happening’: in the context ‘these things’ refers primarily to the events described in vv. 24-27, but would include also those described in vv. 14-23.

ginōskete ‘you are to know’: probably here an imperative form (in v. 28 the identical form is clearly indicative).

eggus estin ‘it is near’: the majority of English translations have ‘he is near,’ with obvious reference to ‘the Son of man’ in v. 26 (Le Nouveau Testament. Version Synodale actually translates le Fils de l’homme est proche). Others, for example Lagrange, regard the saying as “mysterious and veiled,” in the style of v. 14, and they believe that one should not attempt to supply any definite subject, e.g. que c’est proche (cf. O Novo Testamento de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo. Revisdo Autorizada que est próximo; Luther has es ‘it’; Translator’s New Testament ‘it is near’).

epi thurais ‘at the door’: this figure of speech denotes immediate nearness.

Translation:

Though in English the present tense forms see and know are applicable to a future condition, in many languages this type of condition must have special tense forms applicable to such a future event, ‘when you will see…, then you will know….’ This future usage also requires the use of the future in the dependent clause, e.g. ‘that he will be near.’

At the very gates may be quite meaningless in some languages, for it has no possible relationship to a temporal contract. In fact, its use may completely distort the meaning of the passage in such a way as to cause people to think of the Son of man as standing at the gate of the corral or by the roadside. On the other hand, if the subject of ‘is near’ refers to a general event, then the meaning is even more difficult, for ‘happenings’ cannot be spoken of as being ‘at the very gates,’ unless one is to assume that all these apocalyptic happenings are to take place at the gates. Accordingly, in languages in which the metaphor ‘at the very gates’ is going to be inevitably misunderstood, one may employ ‘is come very near indeed’ (Tabasco Chontal).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator's Notes on Mark 13:29

13:29a

So also: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So also means “thus, in this way.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

Even so (New International Version)
-or-
Likewise
-or-
In the same way (Good News Bible)

when you see these things happening: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when you see was also used in 13:14a. There it was followed by the phrase “the abomination of desolation.” Here the text does not use a specific phrase. The phrase these things probably refers back to 13:14–23 (the abomination that causes desolation and the time of suffering when people would have to flee).

In this context it is good to translate with a general phrase that can refer back to those verses. For example:

these things
-or-
these events

13:29b

know that He is near: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He is near does not specify what is near. The phrase could refer to either an event (“it”) or a person. There are at least two ways to interpret this phrase: (Scholars say that the fall of Jerusalem and the temple is a small picture of a much larger picture, namely, the end of the world. In prophetic writing, a phrase may have more than one meaning.)

(1) It means “he is near” or “his return is near.” He refers to the Son of Man mentioned in 13:26 or to his return. For example:

he is near (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
his return is very near (New Living Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, English Standard Version)

(2) It means “it is near.” It refers to another event about which Jesus had been speaking. This event could be the end of the world or the coming destruction of the temple. The Revised English Bible says:

the end is near

Except for the ones listed above, other English versions translate in a general way with either “it” or “the time” (New International Version, King James Version, Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version). They are ambiguous about whether they are referring to Jesus’ return or to a different event.

If possible, you should translate in such a way that either interpretation may be understood. If you need to be specific, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

near: In this context the word near refers to being near in time. It indicates that Jesus or his return would soon come. Use a word that will fit with your translation of the subject (“He” in the Berean Standard Bible).

right at the door: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as right at the door is an idiom. It means “almost here” or “about to happen.” This idiom strengthens the previous word “near.” There may be a suitable idiom in your language with that meaning that you could use here. Another way to translate this is with a negative expression. For example:

it/he is not far in the future

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