The Greek that is translated “revel(ing)” or similar in English is translated as “taking part in fiestas where there is disorderly conduct” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “run around at night” in Isthmus Zapotec and as “go where they do bad things in fiestas” in Huehuetla Tepehua.
The Greek that is translated as “licentiousness” and “impurity” or similar in English is translated in Bariai as “following behavior like dogs.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the writer of the letter and the readers).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 13:13:
Uma: “Do behavior that is fitting for in the light. Don’t party-around getting drunk. In the behavior of men and women don’t behave wrongly [euphemism used for sexual sins] or follow the evil desire of our hearts. Don’t fight or be envious.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Our (dual) behavior ought to be good and match-up-with/be-fitting-for people dwelling in the light of day. Therefore don’t (pl.) be drunk. Don’t commit adultery-fornication or be immoral. Don’t always fight/quarrel and don’t be jealous.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Let us do what is right because this is the behavior that is fitting for people that God has illuminated. Let’s not join in the gathering of those who get drunk, and let us not fool around with those who are not our spouses. Let’s not quarrel and let us not be jealous.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The way-of-life that we ought to follow, it is that which is clean and good which is appropriate for a person who is in the daytime. Let us not be getting-drunk and joining in excessive parties (lit. happies). Neither let us commit-adultery and do other things that are filthy or shameful, and let us not be jealous and quarrel.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Let us live in the good that it is proper for us to do. Let us not be drunk. And let us not be among the revelers. Let us not commit fornication. Let us not fight. Let us not be jealous.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The order of elements within this verse is rearranged by the Good News Translation and certain elements made explicit. Let us conduct ourselves properly (literally “let us walk properly”) comes as the second element in the Greek sentence. The New English Bible handles this clause similarly: “Let us behave with decency as befits the day.” “To walk” is a Semitic expression meaning “to live one’s life,” and since this verb is also aorist, as are the verbs in the preceding sentence, it may also have the force of “let us begin to conduct ourselves properly.” In some languages this may be equivalent to “we must begin to live as we should” or “we must begin to behave as we should.”
In Greek this sentence begins with an adverbial phrase (literally “as in day”) which the Good News Translation understands in the sense of as people who live in the light of day. Since the contrast between light and darkness may not be clear in some languages, it may be possible to say “as people who live in the light and not in the darkness.” The contrast with darkness is designed to highlight the moral implications in this context which might be lost by an expression “who live in the light of day.”
It is difficult to distinguish in meaning between the Greek words translated orgies and drunkenness. If any distinction in meaning is to be sought, the first denotes both heavy drinking and sexual immorality, while the second relates more strictly to drunkenness. The word rendered orgies is used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Galatians 5.21 and 1 Peter 4.3, while the word rendered drunkenness occurs elsewhere only in Luke 21.34 and Galatians 5.21. Because these terms are essentially synonymous, the real meaning of this type of combination is “all kinds of orgies” or, as in some languages, “all kinds of drunkenness.”
The word translated immorality appears elsewhere in the New Testament in a very different sense, but there is no doubt as to its meaning in the present passage. The word rendered indecency occurs more frequently in the New Testament than the one translated immorality, but again these are basically synonymous terms. The word rendered indecency occurs elsewhere in Mark 7.22; 2 Corinthians 12.21; Galatians 5.19; Ephesians 4.19; 1 Peter 4.3; 2 Peter 2.7. In translating this word one may also employ a phrase which will emphasize the wide range of meaning—for example, “all kinds of immorality.”
Fighting translates the same word that Paul used in 1.29, while jealousy translates the same word that was used in 10.2 in the phrase “they have a zeal” (Good News Translationthey are deeply devoted). The original meaning of the word rendered jealousy was “zeal,” but when used with evil connotations the meaning becomes “jealousy” or “envy.”
The negative prohibitions in the second part of verse 13 may be expressed as imperatives—for example, “You must not engage in all kinds of drunkenness and immorality; you should not strive with one another and be jealous with one another.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Let us behave decently: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as behave is literally “walk.” It used as a figure of speech to indicate how one lives. Believers must live decently. They must live as God wants them to live.
as in the daytime: This phrase indicates that believers should do the good deeds that people do during the day, not the evil deeds that people do during the night. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
as in the light of day (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
as in the daylight
13:13b
not in carousing and drunkenness: The words “Let us walk/behave” are implied from 13:13a. In some languages they must be repeated here for the correct meaning. For example:
Let us not live in orgies and drunkenness
carousing: The Greek word here refers to excessive feasting or parties with much drinking of alcoholic beverages. This Greek word focuses less on sexual immorality during these parties than the usual Greek word that is translated carousing. Here are other ways to translate this word:
reveling (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
drinking parties
drunkenness: This word refers generally to drinking too many alcoholic beverages so that the person becomes drunk.
13:13c
not in sexual immorality and debauchery: The list of evil deeds continues from 13:13b.
In some languages, the sentence in 13:13a–d may get too long. If you start a new sentence here you may want to repeat the words “Let us walk/live” from 13:13a. For example:
Let us walk not in sexual immorality and sensuality
-or-
Let us not walk in sexual immorality and sensuality
sexual immorality: The Greek word refers generally to sexual intercourse. It implies here sex outside of marriage.
debauchery: The Greek word refers to allowing oneself to do anything, including bad or evil behavior. Here are other ways to translate this word:
licentiousness (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
-or-
doing anything you want
-or-
indulging of disgusting desires with no self control whatsoever
See how you translated this word in Mark 7:22 or 2 Corinthians 12:21 (“debauchery” in the Berean Standard Bible both times).
13:13d
not in dissension and jealousy: The words “Let us walk/behave” are implied from 13:13a. In some languages they must be repeated here for the correct meaning.
dissension: The Greek word refers to conflict of any kind: arguments, fighting over a difference of opinion, or rivalry over a job or position. Here are other ways to translate this word:
fighting (Good News Translation)
-or-
arguing
-or-
rivalry (New American Bible, Revised Edition)
See how you translated this word in 1:29 (“strife”).
jealousy: This refers to having bad feelings toward a person because that person has something that you want for yourself.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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