From 759c31322eb5f8fa03b47fc65e63a729ea11e4b4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Richard Mahn Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2023 21:55:10 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Chris's edits to REV (#3199) Co-authored-by: christopherrsmith Reviewed-on: https://git.door43.org/unfoldingWord/en_tn/pulls/3199 --- tn_REV.tsv | 44 ++++++++++++++++++++++---------------------- 1 file changed, 22 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-) diff --git a/tn_REV.tsv b/tn_REV.tsv index 7857927a3e..3f6d41b194 100644 --- a/tn_REV.tsv +++ b/tn_REV.tsv @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ Reference ID Tags SupportReference Quote Occurrence Note front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introduction\n\n### Outline of the book of Revelation\n\n1. Opening (1:1–20)\n2. Letters to the seven churches (2:1–3:22)\n3. Vision of God and the Lamb in heaven (4:1–5:14)\n4. The seven seals (6:1–8:1)\n5. The seven trumpets (8:2–13:18)\n6. Worship of the Lamb and judgment against Babylon (14:1–20)\n7. The seven bowls (15:1–18:24)\n8. Worship in heaven (19:1–10)\n9. The destruction of the beast (19:11–21)\n10. The thousand years, destruction of Satan, and final judgment (20:1–15)\n10. The new creation and the new Jerusalem (21:1–22:5)\n11. Closing (22:6–21)\n\n\nMany interpreters believe that a phrase in 1:19, “what you have seen, and what is, and what is about to happen after these things,” describes three main divisions of the book. “What you have seen” would describe John’s vision of Jesus in chapter 1. “What is” would describe the current situation of the churches, addressed in chapters 2 and 3. “What is about to happen after these things” would describe the visions of the future in the rest of the book.\n\n### Who wrote the book of Revelation?\n\nThe author identifies himself as John. Many interpreters believe that this means he was the apostle John. However, other interpreters believe this was a different man named John, a prophet who had a ministry among the seven churches described in chapters 2 and 3. In either case, this man wrote the book while on the island of Patmos. The Romans had exiled him there for teaching people about Jesus.\n\n### What type of writing is the book of Revelation?\n\nJohn used a special style of writing to describe his visions. John described what he saw by using many symbols. This style of writing is called symbolic prophecy or apocalyptic literature, and a book written in this style is called an apocalypse.\n\nNo other book of the Bible is written entirely in apocalyptic style like the book of Revelation. However, some passages in the books of Ezekiel, Zechariah, and especially Daniel are similar in content and style to Revelation. It may be beneficial to translate Revelation at the same time as Daniel since those two books have a similar style and some shared imagery. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalyptic]])\n\n### How should we translate the title of this book?\n\nTranslators may choose to call this book by one of its traditional titles, such as “Revelation,” “The Revelation of Jesus Christ,” “The Revelation to Saint John,” or “The Apocalypse of John.” Or they may choose a different title such as “The Things that Jesus Christ Showed to John.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names]])\n\n### What is the book of Revelation about?\n\nJohn wrote the book of Revelation to encourage believers to remain faithful even when suffering persecution. In the book, John describes visions he had of Satan and his followers fighting against and killing believers. In these visions, God causes many terrible things to happen on earth to punish wicked people. In the end, Jesus defeats Satan and his followers. Then Jesus comforts those who were faithful. Those believers will live forever with God in the new heavens and earth.\n\n### Does one need to understand the book of Revelation in order to translate it?\n\nThe book provides the reader with some idea of how to understand its symbols by interpreting a few of them at the beginning (1:20) and near the end (19:8). But one does not need to understand all of the symbols in the book of Revelation in order to translate it properly. Translators should not suggest possible meanings for the symbols in their translations. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalyptic]])\n\n### Are the events of Revelation past or future?\n\nSince early Christian times, scholars have interpreted Revelation differently. Some scholars think John described events that happened during his lifetime. Other scholars think John described events that happened throughout history, from his time until the return of Jesus. Still other scholars think John described events that will happen in a short period of time just before Christ returns.\n\nTranslators do not need to decide about the time reference of the visions in this book in order to translate it, and they should be careful not to let their own beliefs influence how they translate. They should leave the prophecies in the tenses that are used in the ULT.\n\n## Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts\n\n### Angels\n\nPeople in this culture recognized that God uses created spirits called angels to carry out his purposes. In the book of Revelation, John describes seeing visions of angels announcing and executing God’s judgments.\n\nIn chapters 1–3 there may be some special uses of the word “angel.” That word can also mean “messenger,” and so the “angels of the seven churches” (1:20) could mean messengers whom those churches had sent to John or whom John was sending to those churches. The word might also refer symbolically to leaders of those seven churches. In 1:1, John says that either God or Jesus “sent through his angel” to make this revelation known. If John is saying that it was God who sent, the “angel” could figuratively mean Jesus as a messenger of God. If John is saying that it was Jesus who sent, the “angel” could mean the actual angel with whom John speaks in 19:10 and 22:9.\n\nIn any event, translators should use the word “angel” throughout the book, wherever it appears in the ULT, and not offer interpretations of the word in their translations. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/angel]])\n\n## Part 3: Important Translation Issues\n\n### Language that would be figurative in other contexts\n\nIf your language does not generally use figures of speech, and if you have previously translated other books of the Bible, you may be accustomed to using literal language to translate figurative language. However, that would not be appropriate in this book, since John is describing what he actually saw and heard in his visions. For example, John says in 16:7, “I heard the altar saying.” In other contexts, this might mean that John heard someone standing at the altar saying something. But within the world of these visions, the altar itself could have spoken. In 16:14, John speaks of “the kings of the whole world.” In other contexts, this might be a generalization for emphasis, and it might be appropriate to translate it as “kings throughout the world.” But in this book, this kind of generalization applies to everyone John saw in his vision, so it can be translated literally. In other contexts, the phrase “the throne of God” might refer figuratively to the presence of God (as it does in Hebrews 4:16, for example). But here it literally means the royal throne upon which God sits as the ruler of the universe. It would be appropriate in all such cases to retain John’s actual language and not translate it as if it were representing something else.\n\n### Verb tenses\n\nAs John describes his visions, he sometimes changes back and forth between the present and past tenses or between the present and future tenses. You can make these verb tenses consistent in your translation. For example, in 16:21, where John says, “And great hail, about a talent, comes down from heaven upon men, and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, because that plague is exceedingly great,” you could say, “And great hail, about a talent, came down from heaven upon men, and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, because that plague was exceedingly great.” In 21:24, where John says, “the nations will walk by the light of her, and the kings of the earth bring their glory into her,” you could say, “the nations will walk by the light of her, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into her.”\n\n### Singular and plural “you”\n\nMany languages have separate forms for singular and plural “you.” In most contexts in the book of Revelation, it is clear whether one person or a group of people is being addressed and so it is obvious what form to use. Notes will specify which form of the word the book is using when this may not be clear.\n\n### Periods of time\n\nJohn refers to various periods of time in Revelation. For example, there are references to three and a half days, ten days, 1,260 days, and forty-two months. Some scholars think these time periods are symbolic. Other scholars think these are actual time periods. The translator should translate these expressions as referencing actual periods of time. It is a matter of interpretation, not translation, to determine their significance or possible symbolic reference.\n\n### “Saints”\n\nJohn often uses the term “saints” to describe people who believe in Jesus and obey him faithfully. John uses the term by association with the way these people are set apart as holy for God. You language may have a term or expression of its own that would convey this meaning. In your translation you could also express the meaning plainly by using a phrase such as “disciples of Jesus” or “believers in Jesus.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])\n\n### “Amen”\n\nJohn uses the word “Amen” many times in this book. This is a Hebrew word that people used to express agreement and the wish that something someone said would actually happen. John spells out the word using Greek letters so that his readers will know how it sounds. In your translation you could also spell this word the way it sounds in your language, especially if people in the churches in your area use the word and your readers are likely to understand its meaning. If the word would not be familiar, you could translate it with a phrase that expresses its meaning, as the UST does by translating “Amen” as “May it be so.” However, in 3:14, where Jesus describes himself as “the Amen,” it would probably be most appropriate to spell the word the way it sounds, rather than have Jesus call himself “the May It Be So.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-transliterate]])\n\n### “Behold”\n\nAs John describes what he saw in his visions, he frequently uses the word “behold” to focus the attention of his listeners on what he is about to say. Jesus also uses the word that way in his letters to the seven churches, and characters in the visions that John sees also use the word in the same sense. The word literally means “look!” or “see!” However, in this usage, the expression means to “see” in the figurative sense of giving notice and attention. If it would be helpful in your language, in your translation you could express the meaning plainly by using an expression such as “listen carefully!” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])\n\n### “Keep”\n\nIn this book, John uses the word “keep” many times to mean “obey.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. For example, in 1:3 you could say “obeying” rather than “keeping.” However, there are two places, 3:10 and 16:15, where the word means “preserve” instead. In 3:10, Jesus actually contrasts these two meanings. He says, “Because you have kept the word of my steadfastness, I will also keep you from the hour of testing.” This means, “Because you have obeyed the word of my steadfastness, I will also preserve you from the hour of testing.” In 16:15, the phrase “the one keeping his garments” means “the one preserving his garments,” that is, keeping them in good repair, “so that he might not walk around naked.” Notes will address these specific uses; in other contexts, translators may find that “obey” is a good way to translate the term “keep.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])\n\n### “Certainly not”\n\nIn many places throughout the book of Revelation, the ULT uses the expression “certainly not” to translate a double negative that John uses for emphasis. The second negative does not cancel the first to create a positive meaning. If for emphasis your language uses double negatives that do not cancel one another, it would be appropriate to use that construction in these places. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublenegatives]])\n\n### “the ones living on the earth”\n\nJohn uses the expression “the ones living on the earth” in a specific sense in several places in the book (3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:12, 13:14, 17:2, 17:8). In these places John is not referring in general to humans who live in the world. He means specifically people who will disobey God and worship idols at the time of the events that the book of Revelation describes. You may have an expression in your language that you could use in these places with this meaning, such as “worldly people.” 1:intro u1e2 0 # Revelation 1 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThis chapter explains how the book of Revelation records the vision that John received on the island of Patmos.\n\n- Prologue (1:1-8)\n\n Preface (1:1-3)\n Address and Doxology (1:4-6)\n Theme (1:7-8)\n\n- John’s Vision of Christ (1:9-20)\n\nSome translations set quotations from the Old Testament farther to the right on the page to make them easier to read. The ULT does this with the words quoted in verse 7.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n\n### Language that would be figurative in other contexts\n\n\nTo describe the way he saw Jesus in the opening vision that this chapter relates, John uses much language that would be treated as figurative in other contexts. For example, John says in verse 16 that Jesus had “a sharp, double-edged sword coming out of his mouth,” and yet Jesus was still able to speak. Since [Hebrews 4:12](../04/12.md) describes the word of God as like a double-edged sword, we might therefore think that this image actually indicates that Jesus speaks the very words of God because he is God himself. But as the General Introduction to Revelation discusses, it would not be appropriate to use literal language like that in your translation to explain the meaning of what John saw. John is describing what he actually saw and heard in his visions, and you should simply translate his descriptions rather than interpreting them.\n\n### Seven churches\n\nJohn wrote this book to seven actual churches in the Roman province of Asia. That province was located in the western part of what is now the country of Turkey. The churches themselves would be found in the southwestern area of Turkey. The list of the churches in verse 11 follows a particular order. The list begins with Ephesus, the most important city at the time, and moves clockwise around the cities, ending with Laodicea, which was the southernmost city. The letters in chapters 2 and 3 follow this same order. -1:1 rkh9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **revelation**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “The things that God revealed to Jesus Christ” or "The things that Jesus Christ revealed, which God gave him" +1:1 rkh9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς 1 If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of **revelation**, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “The things that God revealed to Jesus Christ” or “The things that Jesus Christ revealed, which God gave him” 1:1 kv41 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-possession ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ 1 This phrase could mean: (1) that this book is a **revelation** that came to Jesus from God. Alternate translation: “The revelation to Jesus Christ” (2) that this book is a **revelation** that came from Jesus to John, the author of the book. Alternate translation: “The revelation from Jesus Christ” 1:1 ik5v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ 1 Here, **his servants** refers to people who believe in Jesus Christ and accordingly serve him as their Lord. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternative translation: “those who believe in him” 1:1 h2dc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ἐσήμανεν 1 The word translated **signified** could mean implicitly (1) that Jesus used signs or symbols to communicate this **revelation**. Alternate translation: “he showed this by signs” (2) that Jesus made known **what must happen soon**. Alternate translation: “he made this known” @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 1:3 lyx7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ὁ ἀναγινώσκων 1 In this context, the word **reading** implicitly means “reading aloud.” In John's culture, a message to a church, such as the one he is sending to the seven churches in this book, would have been read aloud to the assembled believers. You can indicate this in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. (Revelation is not simply declaring a blessing upon any believer today who would read the book out loud in private.) Alternate translation: “the one reading aloud” or “the one reading for others to hear” 1:3 le65 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun ὁ ἀναγινώσκων 1 Here, **the one reading** does not refer to a specific person. It refers to anyone who reads the words of the prophecy aloud. Express this in the way that would be most natural in your language. Alternate translation: “anyone who reads aloud” 1:3 dod2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom τηροῦντες 1 See the discussion of the term “keep” in the General Introduction to Revelation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning of this expression plainly here and elsewhere throughout the book. Alternate translation: “obeying” -1:3 h37b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένα 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could state this in active form. Alternate translation: “the things that I have written in it" +1:3 h37b rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένα 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could state this in active form. Alternate translation: “the things that I have written in it” 1:3 dwt8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς 1 Here, **the time** refers specifically to the appointed time when God will make the prophecies in this book come true. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “for the time for the fulfillment of what is written in this book” 1:4 vw1t rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person Ἰωάννης 1 In this culture, letter writers would give their own names first, and they would refer to themselves in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the first person. If your language has a particular way of introducing the author of a letter, you could also use that. Alternate translation: “From John” or (with no comma following) “I, John, am writing this letter” 1:4 apl8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ 1 In this culture, after giving their own names, letter writers would then say to whom they were writing, naming those people in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the second person. Alternate translation: “to you who are members of the seven churches in Asia” @@ -50,23 +50,23 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 1:8 c96p rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ, λέγει Κύριος, ὁ Θεός, ὁ ὢν, καὶ ὁ ἦν, καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος, ὁ Παντοκράτωρ 1 Here, **says the Lord God** indicates that the clauses that come before and after this phrase are quotations. If it would be helpful in your language, you could move this phrase to the beginning or end of the verse. Alternate translation: “The Lord God says, ‘I am the alpha and the omega, the one being and the one having been and the one coming, the Ruler of All’” 1:8 t0ga rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ, λέγει Κύριος 1 Some versions add the phrase “the Beginning and the End” after this statement. If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to follow the reading of the ULT and not include the extra phrase. 1:8 ufix rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ 1 The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet are **alpha** and **omega**. When God says that he is these letters, he means that he is the one who was at the beginning of all things and who will be at the end of all things. If you wish to retain this image in your translation, you could use the first and last letters of your own alphabet. Alternatively, you could use plain language. See the next two notes for further possibilities. Alternate translation: “the A and the Z” or “the one who was at the beginning of all things and who will be at the end of all things” -1:8 eghq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ 1 The implication of God having been at the beginning of all things may be that God created all things, and the implication of that fact that God will be at the end of all things may be that God will bring all things to their appropriate end. In other words, God may be asserting his identity as the creator of the world and the ultimate judge of the world. Alternate translation: "the creator and the ultimate judge of the world" +1:8 eghq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ 1 The implication of God having been at the beginning of all things may be that God created all things, and the implication of that fact that God will be at the end of all things may be that God will bring all things to their appropriate end. In other words, God may be asserting his identity as the creator of the world and the ultimate judge of the world. Alternate translation: “the creator and the ultimate judge of the world” 1:8 bmbt rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ 1 God may also be using the first and last letters of the alphabet to represent two extremes of time, the beginning and end of time, in order to mean those extremes and all of the time in between. In that case, this expression would be equivalent to what God says in the rest of the quotation in this verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “the one who has always existed” 1:8 in5e rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ὁ ὢν, καὶ ὁ ἦν, καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος 1 See how you translated this phrase in [1:4](../01/04.md). 1:9 y5gy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ὁ ἀδελφὸς 1 John is using the term **brother** to indicate that he has the same faith as the people to whom he is writing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “fellow believer” 1:9 ikek rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-abstractnouns συνκοινωνὸς ἐν τῇ θλίψει, καὶ βασιλείᾳ, καὶ ὑπομονῇ, ἐν Ἰησοῦ 1 If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of **suffering**, **kingdom**, and **endurance**, you could express these ideas in another way. Alternate translation: “someone who is patiently enduring while suffering just as you are because we are loyal to Jesus as our king” -1:9 ow4t ἐν Ἰησοῦ 1 Alternate translation: "that people who follow Jesus experience" +1:9 ow4t ἐν Ἰησοῦ 1 Alternate translation: “that people who follow Jesus experience” 1:9 rjyd rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive τῇ νήσῳ τῇ καλουμένῃ Πάτμῳ 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “the island that people call Patmos” 1:9 c1a9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ 1 John is using the term **word** to mean the message from God that he had shared by using words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the message from God” 1:9 sim8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-possession τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ 1 In this possessive form, **Jesus** is the object rather than the subject of **testimony**. This does not mean **testimony** that Jesus himself gave; it means **testimony** that John gave about Jesus. Alternate translation: “the testimony that I proclaimed about Jesus” 1:10 s2sw rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἐγενόμην ἐν Πνεύματι 1 Here, **in the Spirit** could mean: (1) God’s **Spirit**, the Holy Spirit, influenced John so that he could receive divine revelation. Alternate translation: “The Holy Spirit influenced me” (2) God caused John’s spirit to be in a state in which he could perceive revelation. Alternate translation: “God influenced my spirit” 1:10 lnj2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἐν τῇ Κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ 1 Here, **the Lord’s day** means the first day of the week, which was the day on which believers gathered to worship because that was the day on which Jesus rose from the dead. In your translation, you could use the term in your language for the first day of the week. Alternate translation: “one Sunday” -1:10 fa68 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile φωνὴν μεγάλην ὡς σάλπιγγος 1 The point of this comparison is not that the sound of the **voice** was like the sound of a **trumpet** but that the voice was **loud** like a trumpet. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: "a voice as loud as a trumpet" +1:10 fa68 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile φωνὴν μεγάλην ὡς σάλπιγγος 1 The point of this comparison is not that the sound of the **voice** was like the sound of a **trumpet** but that the voice was **loud** like a trumpet. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “a voice as loud as a trumpet” 1:10 ggph rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy φωνὴν μεγάλην 1 John is referring to someone speaking by association with the **voice** that the person is using to speak. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “someone speaking loudly” 1:11 y4ab rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-quotations λεγούσης 1 The word **saying** introduces a quotation. What follows is what the voice that John described in the previous verse said. Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. It may be helpful to start a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “That voice said” 1:11 kq6x rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Ἔφεσον & Σμύρναν & Πέργαμον & Θυάτειρα & Σάρδεις & Φιλαδέλφιαν & Λαοδίκιαν 1 The words **Ephesus**, **Smyrna**, **Pergamum**, **Thyatira**, **Sardis**, **Philadelphia**, and **Laodicea** are the names of cities. See the General Notes to this chapter for more information. 1:12 r89l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy τὴν φωνὴν ἥτις 1 John is referring to someone speaking by association with the **voice** that the person is using to speak. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “what person” -1:13 xmx7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ὅμοιον Υἱὸν Ἀνθρώπου 1 The expression **like a son of man** is an allusion to [Daniel 7:13](../dan/07/13.md). It means "like a human being." The point of this comparison is that the figure whom John saw looked like a human. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “a figure who was human in form” +1:13 xmx7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ὅμοιον Υἱὸν Ἀνθρώπου 1 The expression **like a son of man** is an allusion to [Daniel 7:13](../dan/07/13.md). It means “like a human being.” The point of this comparison is that the figure whom John saw looked like a human. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “a figure who was human in form” 1:13 wd1l rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive καὶ περιεζωσμένον πρὸς τοῖς μαστοῖς ζώνην χρυσᾶν 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “He had wrapped a golden sash around his chest” 1:13 y6qk rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown ζώνην χρυσᾶν 1 A **sash** was a strip of cloth that someone would wrap around the chest to keep a robe closed. Your language may have a term of its own for such an article that you can use in your translation, or you could use plain language. Alternate translation: “a wide strip of golden cloth” 1:14 hqz1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-hendiadys ἡ & κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ τρίχες 1 John is not saying that both the **head** (that is, the skin of the head) and the **hair** of this person were while. Rather, this phrase expresses a single idea by using two words connected with **and**. The word **head** tells where this **hair** was. If it would be more natural in your language, you could express this meaning with an equivalent phrase that does not use “and.” Alternate translation: “his hair” @@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 1:15 izg6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς φωνὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν 1 The point of this comparison is that the **voice** of this person was very loud, like the **sound of many waters**. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “his voice was very loud, like the sound of many waters” 1:15 pi5n rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ὑδάτων πολλῶν 1 By **many waters**, John could mean a loud waterfall or raging floodwaters. Alternate translation: “of a waterfall” or “of raging floodwaters” 1:16 qu9h rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit καὶ ἔχων 1 If it would be helpful to your readers, you could start a new sentence here and indicate the subject of **having** explicitly. Alternate translation: “This one who was like a son of man had” -1:16 pp58 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-symlanguage ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ & ἐκπορευομένη 1 Be sure it is clear in your translation that this means that the blade of the **sword** was protruding from **his mouth**. The sword itself was not in motion. Alternate translation: "protruding from his mouth" +1:16 pp58 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-symlanguage ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ & ἐκπορευομένη 1 Be sure it is clear in your translation that this means that the blade of the **sword** was protruding from **his mouth**. The sword itself was not in motion. Alternate translation: “protruding from his mouth” 1:16 c0w0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis ἡ ὄψις αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος φαίνει 1 John is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “his face was shining as the sun shines” 1:16 cb26 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ἡ ὄψις αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος φαίνει 1 The point of this comparison is that the **face** of this person was shining as brightly as the **sun** shines. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “his face was shining as brightly as the sun shines” 1:16 oyit rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ 1 This expression refers to the greatest brightness of the sun, which occurs at noon, when the sun is highest in the sky. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “at its greatest brightness” or “when it is highest in the sky” @@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 1:17 u7gn rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ὡς νεκρός 1 The point of this comparison is that just as a **dead man** is lifeless, John was so overcome by fear that he did not even have the energy to keep standing up. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “because I was so overcome by fear that I lost all my energy and became like a lifeless dead man” 1:17 jw5r rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction ἔθηκεν τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ 1 Jesus **placed his right hand** on John as a symbolic action to express comfort and assurance to him because he needed encouragement in this moment of fear. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain the significance of this action. Alternate translation: “he placed his right hand encouragingly on me” 1:17 axrg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-doublenegatives μὴ φοβοῦ 1 If it would be clearer in your language, you could use a positive expression to translate this double negative that consists of the negative particle **not** and the negative verb **be afraid**. Alternate translation: “Take courage” -1:17 uc3d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος 1 This expression has the same meaning as "the alpha and the omega" in [1:8](../01/08.md). See how you translated that expression there. Alternate translation: “the one who was at the beginning of all things and who will be at the end of all things” or "the one who created everything and who will bring all things to an end" or "the one who has always existed" +1:17 uc3d rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος 1 This expression has the same meaning as “the alpha and the omega” in [1:8](../01/08.md). See how you translated that expression there. Alternate translation: “the one who was at the beginning of all things and who will be at the end of all things” or “the one who created everything and who will bring all things to an end” or “the one who has always existed” 1:18 zm05 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism καὶ ὁ ζῶν 1 If you translated “I am the first and the last” in the previous verse as “I am the one who has always existed,” then the phrase “and the one living” means basically the same thing. Jesus would be using repetition for emphasis. In your translation, you could connect these phrases with a word other than **and** in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation, following a comma at the end of the previous verse: “yes, I have always been alive” 1:18 vsfr rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων 1 See how you translated the similar expression in [1:6](../01/06.md). Alternate translation: “forever” 1:18 a4e2 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ἔχω τὰς κλεῖς τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ ᾍδου 1 Jesus is speaking as if he possesses literal **keys** to **death and Hades**. He means that he has authority over the realm of the dead. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I have authority over death and Hades” @@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 1:19 eupc rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism ἃ εἶδες, καὶ ἃ εἰσὶν, καὶ ἃ μέλλει γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα 1 See the discussion of this phrase in the General Introduction to Revelation. Jesus may be referring to the vision John is presently having of him, the letters he will tell John to write, and the visions John will later see. If that is the case, then Jesus is describing everything he wants John to write by naming its major components. Translate this phrase in such a way that this potential meaning would be clear. 1:20 ttic rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis τὸ μυστήριον 1 Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be helpful in your language. Alternate translation: “I will explain the mystery” 1:20 eek9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit ἄγγελοι τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησιῶν 1 In chapters 2 and 3, Jesus will dictate a letter to each of the **angels of the seven churches** as if those angels were the churches themselves. So in this vision in chapter 1, these **angels**, symbolized by the **stars** in Jesus’ **right hand**, seem to personify the churches. That is, the angels represent the churches as if the churches were people. These **angels** could be: (1) actual angels, that is, spiritual beings. Alternate translation: “angels who represent the seven churches” (2) leaders of the churches, whom Jesus is describing as angels. Alternate translation: “leaders of the seven churches” (3) messengers bringing news of the churches to John and carrying John’s letters back to the churches. Alternate translation: “messengers of the seven churches” -2:intro zps2 0 # Revelation 2 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\n- The Letter to Ephesus (2:1-7)\n\n- The Letter to Smyrna (2:8-11)\n\n- The Letter to Pergamum (2:12-17)\n\n- The Letter to Thyatira (2:18-29)\n\nYou may wish to set each letter apart so that your readers can easily see that these are separate letters. You could, for example, put a blank line between these letters in your translation.\n\nSome translations set quotations from the Old Testament farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text. The ULT does this with the words in verse 27.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### “the angel of the church”\n\nJesus addresses each of his letters to the “angel” of the church he is writing to. As a note to [1:20](../01/20.md) discusses, the word “angel” could have a literal sense, or it could mean “leader” or “messenger.” You should translate “angel” in the introduction to these letters in the same way you decided to translate it in [1:20](../01/20.md).\n\n### Balaam, Balak, and Jezebel\n\nIn two of the letters in this chapter, Jesus refers to people whose stories are told in the Old Testament. In the letter to Pergamum, in [2:14](../02/14.md), he refers to Balaam and Balak, and in the letter to Thyatira, in [2:20](../02/20.md), he refers to Jezebel. These were all people who tried to harm the Israelites by cursing them or by making them want to stop obeying God. Notes to these verses suggest ways of indicating that Jesus is referring to people whose stories are told in the Bible.\n\n### Nicolaitans\n\nIn the letter to Ephesus, in [2:6](../02/06.md), and in the letter to Pergamum, in [2:15](../02/15.md), Jesus refers to the “Nicolaitans.” This name describes people who followed the teachings or practices of a man named Nicolaus. It is no longer known who he was or what he taught. It is possible that he encouraged believers in Jesus, based on a misunderstanding of what it meant to be spiritual or to have Christian freedom, to take part in feasts at the temples of idols and in the immorality that happened during these feasts. In [2:14–15](../02/14.md), Jesus seems to associate the teaching of Nicolaus with the teaching of Balaam, who got the Israelites “to eat food sacrificed to idols and to be sexually immoral.” The Hebrew name Balaam has the same meaning as the Greek name Nicolas, “one who conquers the people,” so when Jesus says in [2:14](../02/14.md) that some in Pergamum follow the teaching of Nicolaus “in the same way” that they follow the teaching of Balaam, he may be saying that the contemporary teaching of Nicolaus is the same as the ancient teaching of Balaam. However, none of this is certain, so it would be best in your translation simply to refer to “the works of the Nicolaitans” in [2:6](../02/06.md) and to “the teaching of the Nicolaitans” in [2:15](../02/15.md) without trying to explain those things any further.\n\n## Translation issues in this chapter\n\n\n### Levels of quotation\n\n\nThe opening of each of the letters to the seven churches is a quotation within a quotation, and the main body of each letter is a quotation within a quotation within a quotation. If your language would not put one direct quotation inside another, you can translate the opening of each letter so that its main body is a simple direct quotation. You could end the quotation that begins at [1:17](../01/17.md) at the end of [1:20](../01/20.md), and you could then have John resume his narrative of his encounter with Jesus at the beginning of each letter. For example, for the first letter, to Ephesus, you could translate [2:1](../02/01.md) this way: “Jesus then told me to write to the angel of the church in Ephesus that the one holding the seven stars in his right hand, the one walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, said the following things.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes]])\n\n### The use of the second-person singular in letters to groups\n\nSince each of the letters to the seven churches is addressed to an individual “angel,” the words "you" and "your" are singular and the verb forms are second-person singular. However, since the angel represents the church (Jesus is addressing the angel as if the angel were the church), "you" and "your" and the singular verbs are plural in their implied references to the believers in the churches. If singular forms would not be natural in your language in such a context, you could use plural forms in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular]])\n\n\nIn several places, Jesus switches to the second-person plural to speak more directly to the believers themselves. Notes indicate where this happens and suggest using the second-person plural in your translation if that would be natural in your language.\n\n### “The one … says these things”\n\nJesus begins each of the letters to the seven churches by identifying himself with some of the symbols from the vision that John relates in chapter 1. As he does this, he speaks of himself in the third person. If this would not be natural in your language, you could use the first person in your translation. For example, you could say in[2:1](../02/1015.md), “I, Jesus, the one holding the seven stars in my right hand and walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, say these things.”\n\n### “I know”\n\nAt the beginning of each of the letters to the seven churches, Jesus uses the phrase “I know” to express his personal familiarity with what is happening in the churches. This phrase communicates an assurance that Jesus understands the current religious, social, and moral circumstances in which the Christians are living. While the phrase is usually positive, sometimes it expresses a critical assessment. Thus the phrase indicates more than just a knowledge of circumstances on the part of Jesus. It also implicitly asserts a claim to be in a position to make an authoritative judgment, critical if necessary, about how the believers are responding to these circumstances. To show this, you might consider translating “I know” at the start of each letter as “I am well aware of” or with some similar phrase. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])\n\n### “I have against you”\n\nIn several of the letters, Jesus tells the believers in a given church, “I have” something “against you.” This phrase makes a negative, critical statement, even though it is typically found among other, positive statements. It means “there is something about you of which I disapprove.” You could translate this expression with a phrase such as “I disapprove of you because” or “I have a criticism to make of you, that.”\n\n### “you have this”\n\nConversely, in several of the letters Jesus makes a positive statement by telling the believers “you have this” and then naming something about them of which he approves. You could translate this expression with a phrase such as “this is to your credit” or “here is a good thing that you are doing.”\n\n### “Let the one who has an ear hear”\n\nToward the end of each letter, Jesus says, “Let the one having an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Jesus says this to emphasize that what he has just said is important and that it may take some effort to understand and put into practice. This expression presents four translation issues that could be addressed in various ways.\n\n- The expression uses a third-person imperative. If your language does not use that form, you could express the meaning in another way that is natural in your language. For example, you could say, “May the one having an ear hear” or “The one who has an ear should hear.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative3p]])\n\n- The expression might seem to be speaking of a specific person, but it really means any person who fits its description. In your translation, express this in the way that would be most natural in your language. For example, you might say, “Anyone who has an ear should hear” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]])\n\n- Through this expression, Jesus is addressing his audience in the third person, even though he is speaking directly to them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the expression in the second person. You could say, for example, “If you have an ear, then hear” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]])\n\n- The phrase “having an ear” represents the willingness to understand and obey, by association with the part of the body by which people would have received the spoken teaching of Jesus. In your translation, you might say something such as, “Anyone who is willing should understand and obey” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])\n\n\n### “to the one conquering”\n\nAt the end of each letter, Jesus makes a promise “to the one conquering.” This expression describes someone who wins a victory, such as on the battlefield or in a sports contest. In the context of the book of Revelation, it refers to a person who refuses to worship idols even at the risk of persecution and death. The expression is therefore paradoxical: The person is said to conquer or win a victory, even though it appears that his enemies have defeated him, since they have put him in prison or even killed him. In your translation, you may wish to express the meaning plainly by saying something such as “to the one who refuses to worship idols even at the risk of persecution and death.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])\n\nThe expression “to the one conquering” might seem to be speaking of a specific person, but it really means any person who fits its description. In your translation, express this in the way that would be most natural in your language. For example, you might say “to anyone who conquers” or “to anyone who refuses to worship idols even at the risk of persecution and death.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]])\n\n +2:intro zps2 0 # Revelation 2 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\n- The Letter to Ephesus (2:1-7)\n\n- The Letter to Smyrna (2:8-11)\n\n- The Letter to Pergamum (2:12-17)\n\n- The Letter to Thyatira (2:18-29)\n\nYou may wish to set each letter apart so that your readers can easily see that these are separate letters. You could, for example, put a blank line between these letters in your translation.\n\nSome translations set quotations from the Old Testament farther to the right on the page than the rest of the text. The ULT does this with the words in verse 27.\n\n## Special concepts in this chapter\n\n### “the angel of the church”\n\nJesus addresses each of his letters to the “angel” of the church he is writing to. As a note to [1:20](../01/20.md) discusses, the word “angel” could have a literal sense, or it could mean “leader” or “messenger.” You should translate “angel” in the introduction to these letters in the same way you decided to translate it in [1:20](../01/20.md).\n\n### Balaam, Balak, and Jezebel\n\nIn two of the letters in this chapter, Jesus refers to people whose stories are told in the Old Testament. In the letter to Pergamum, in [2:14](../02/14.md), he refers to Balaam and Balak, and in the letter to Thyatira, in [2:20](../02/20.md), he refers to Jezebel. These were all people who tried to harm the Israelites by cursing them or by making them want to stop obeying God. Notes to these verses suggest ways of indicating that Jesus is referring to people whose stories are told in the Bible.\n\n### Nicolaitans\n\nIn the letter to Ephesus, in [2:6](../02/06.md), and in the letter to Pergamum, in [2:15](../02/15.md), Jesus refers to the “Nicolaitans.” This name describes people who followed the teachings or practices of a man named Nicolaus. It is no longer known who he was or what he taught. It is possible that he encouraged believers in Jesus, based on a misunderstanding of what it meant to be spiritual or to have Christian freedom, to take part in feasts at the temples of idols and in the immorality that happened during these feasts. In [2:14–15](../02/14.md), Jesus seems to associate the teaching of Nicolaus with the teaching of Balaam, who got the Israelites “to eat food sacrificed to idols and to be sexually immoral.” The Hebrew name Balaam has the same meaning as the Greek name Nicolas, “one who conquers the people,” so when Jesus says in [2:14](../02/14.md) that some in Pergamum follow the teaching of Nicolaus “in the same way” that they follow the teaching of Balaam, he may be saying that the contemporary teaching of Nicolaus is the same as the ancient teaching of Balaam. However, none of this is certain, so it would be best in your translation simply to refer to “the works of the Nicolaitans” in [2:6](../02/06.md) and to “the teaching of the Nicolaitans” in [2:15](../02/15.md) without trying to explain those things any further.\n\n## Translation issues in this chapter\n\n\n### Levels of quotation\n\n\nThe opening of each of the letters to the seven churches is a quotation within a quotation, and the main body of each letter is a quotation within a quotation within a quotation. If your language would not put one direct quotation inside another, you can translate the opening of each letter so that its main body is a simple direct quotation. You could end the quotation that begins at [1:17](../01/17.md) at the end of [1:20](../01/20.md), and you could then have John resume his narrative of his encounter with Jesus at the beginning of each letter. For example, for the first letter, to Ephesus, you could translate [2:1](../02/01.md) this way: “Jesus then told me to write to the angel of the church in Ephesus that the one holding the seven stars in his right hand, the one walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, said the following things.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes]])\n\n### The use of the second-person singular in letters to groups\n\nSince each of the letters to the seven churches is addressed to an individual “angel,” the words “you” and “your” are singular and the verb forms are second-person singular. However, since the angel represents the church—Jesus is addressing the angel as if the angel were the church—“you” and “your” and the singular verbs are plural in their implied references to the believers in the churches. If singular forms would not be natural in your language in such a context, you could use plural forms in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-yousingular]])\n\n\nIn several places, Jesus switches to the second-person plural to speak more directly to the believers themselves. Notes indicate where this happens and suggest using the second-person plural in your translation if that would be natural in your language.\n\n### “The one … says these things”\n\nJesus begins each of the letters to the seven churches by identifying himself with some of the symbols from the vision that John relates in chapter 1. As he does this, he speaks of himself in the third person. If this would not be natural in your language, you could use the first person in your translation. For example, you could say in[2:1](../02/1015.md), “I, Jesus, the one holding the seven stars in my right hand and walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, say these things.”\n\n### “I know”\n\nAt the beginning of each of the letters to the seven churches, Jesus uses the phrase “I know” to express his personal familiarity with what is happening in the churches. This phrase communicates an assurance that Jesus understands the current religious, social, and moral circumstances in which the Christians are living. While the phrase is usually positive, sometimes it expresses a critical assessment. Thus the phrase indicates more than just a knowledge of circumstances on the part of Jesus. It also implicitly asserts a claim to be in a position to make an authoritative judgment, critical if necessary, about how the believers are responding to these circumstances. To show this, you might consider translating “I know” at the start of each letter as “I am well aware of” or with some similar phrase. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]])\n\n### “I have against you”\n\nIn several of the letters, Jesus tells the believers in a given church, “I have” something “against you.” This phrase makes a negative, critical statement, even though it is typically found among other, positive statements. It means “there is something about you of which I disapprove.” You could translate this expression with a phrase such as “I disapprove of you because” or “I have a criticism to make of you, that.”\n\n### “you have this”\n\nConversely, in several of the letters Jesus makes a positive statement by telling the believers “you have this” and then naming something about them of which he approves. You could translate this expression with a phrase such as “this is to your credit” or “here is a good thing that you are doing.”\n\n### “Let the one who has an ear hear”\n\nToward the end of each letter, Jesus says, “Let the one having an ear hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Jesus says this to emphasize that what he has just said is important and that it may take some effort to understand and put into practice. This expression presents four translation issues that could be addressed in various ways.\n\n- The expression uses a third-person imperative. If your language does not use that form, you could express the meaning in another way that is natural in your language. For example, you could say, “May the one having an ear hear” or “The one who has an ear should hear.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-imperative3p]])\n\n- The expression might seem to be speaking of a specific person, but it really means any person who fits its description. In your translation, express this in the way that would be most natural in your language. For example, you might say, “Anyone who has an ear should hear” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]])\n\n- Through this expression, Jesus is addressing his audience in the third person, even though he is speaking directly to them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate the expression in the second person. You could say, for example, “If you have an ear, then hear” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person]])\n\n- The phrase “having an ear” represents the willingness to understand and obey, by association with the part of the body by which people would have received the spoken teaching of Jesus. In your translation, you might say something such as, “Anyone who is willing should understand and obey” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])\n\n\n### “to the one conquering”\n\nAt the end of each letter, Jesus makes a promise “to the one conquering.” This expression describes someone who wins a victory, such as on the battlefield or in a sports contest. In the context of the book of Revelation, it refers to a person who refuses to worship idols even at the risk of persecution and death. The expression is therefore paradoxical: The person is said to conquer or win a victory, even though it appears that his enemies have defeated him, since they have put him in prison or even killed him. In your translation, you may wish to express the meaning plainly by saying something such as “to the one who refuses to worship idols even at the risk of persecution and death.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])\n\nThe expression “to the one conquering” might seem to be speaking of a specific person, but it really means any person who fits its description. In your translation, express this in the way that would be most natural in your language. For example, you might say “to anyone who conquers” or “to anyone who refuses to worship idols even at the risk of persecution and death.” (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-genericnoun]])\n\n 2:1 g0bm rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotesinquotes τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον: τάδε λέγει ὁ κρατῶν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν τῶν χρυσῶν 1 See the General Notes to this chapter for a discussion of how you could translate this verse so that there is not a quotation within a quotation and so that the letter that follows in verses 2–7 is not a quotation within a quotation within a quotation. 2:1 kq5r rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Ἐφέσῳ 1 As the General Notes to this chapter discuss, here and in verses 8, 12, and 18 you should translate the term **angel** the way you did in [1:20](../01/20.md). Alternate translation: “To the angel who represents the church in Ephesus” or “To the leader of the church in Ephesus” or “To the messenger of the church in Ephesus” 2:1 q1ck rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit τάδε λέγει ὁ κρατῶν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ 1 As the General Notes to this chapter discuss, Jesus is identifying himself by referring to symbols from the vision that John describes in chapter 1. As Jesus does this, he speaks of himself in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: “I, Jesus, the one holding the seven stars in my right hand … say these things” @@ -157,10 +157,10 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 2:14 j3nc rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Βαλαάμ & τῷ Βαλὰκ 1 The words **Balaam** and **Balak** are the names of men. Their story is told in [Numbers 22:1-24:45](../num/22/01.md). If it would be helpful to your readers, you could identify them further in your translation. Alternate translation: “of the ancient prophet Balaam … Balak, the king of Moab,” 2:14 hg4g rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor βαλεῖν σκάνδαλον ἐνώπιον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ, φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα καὶ πορνεῦσαι 1 Jesus is speaking as if **Balak** had literally thrown a **stumbling block**, something that would make people trip and fall, in front of the Israelites. He means that Balaak tempted them and got them to sin. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “how to tempt the sons of Israel into sinning by eating food sacrificed to idols and being sexually immoral” 2:14 ad73 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ 1 Here, **sons** figuratively means “descendants.” Jesus is identifying the Israelites as descendants of their ancestor Israel (who was also known as Jacob). If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the people of Israel” -2:14 nfxh rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown εἰδωλόθυτα 1 The word translated **idol-food** describes food that was offered to idols. People then often ate this food as a way of worshiping the idols. Alternate translation: "food sacrificed to idols" -2:15 jmzp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν 1 See how you translated the similar phrase in the previous verse. Alternate translation: "people who are obeying the teaching" +2:14 nfxh rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown εἰδωλόθυτα 1 The word translated **idol-food** describes food that was offered to idols. People then often ate this food as a way of worshiping the idols. Alternate translation: “food sacrificed to idols” +2:15 jmzp rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν 1 See how you translated the similar phrase in the previous verse. Alternate translation: “people who are obeying the teaching” 2:15 hc85 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Νικολαϊτῶν 1 See how you translated the word **Nicolaitans** in [2:6](../02/06.md). -2:16 f8dy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis εἰ δὲ μή 1 Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: "But if you do not repent” +2:16 f8dy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis εἰ δὲ μή 1 Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “But if you do not repent” 2:16 vguw rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns αὐτῶν 1 The pronoun **them** refers to the “ones holding the teaching of the Nicolaitans,” whom Jesus describes in the previous verse. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “these people who obey the teachings of the Nicolaitans” 2:16 j52q rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor πολεμήσω μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ τοῦ στόματός μου 1 Jesus is speaking as if he will literally **wage war** against the disobedient believers in Pergamum with the **sword** in his **mouth**. He likely means that he will announce a punishment against them that will become effective as soon as he speaks it. You could say that in your translation. The UST models one way to do that. However, since the symbol of the sword comes from the opening vision in the book, and since Jesus uses it to identify himself at the beginning of this letter, and since the symbol also appears in one of the last visions in the book, in [19:15-21](../19/15.md), you may wish to retain the symbol in your translation rather than state the meaning plainly here. 2:17 ngjb rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive τοῦ μάννα τοῦ κεκρυμμένου 1 If your language does not use the passive form in this way for the word **hidden manna**, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “some manna that I have hidden” @@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 3:22 m13x rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy ὁ ἔχων οὖς, ἀκουσάτω 1 See how you translated this phrase in [2:7](../02/07.md). 3:22 mjv6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-123person ὁ ἔχων οὖς, ἀκουσάτω 1 See how you translated this phrase in [2:7](../02/07.md). 3:22 vnr6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom τὸ Πνεῦμα 1 Here, **the Spirit** most likely refers to God’s Spirit, or simply the Holy Spirit of God’s triune nature, in contrast to the spirit of the writer or author which one finds in [1:10](../01/10.md). In other words, the Holy Spirit addresses the messages and contents of each letter written to each of the seven churches which are addressed in chapters two and three (See: Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29: 3:6, 13, 22). See the chapter introductions for chapter 2 and for chapter 3 to read this same explanatory note. -4:intro cl9f 0 # Revelation 4 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nAt this point in the book of Revelation, John has finished describing the letters to the churches. In this chapter he begins to describe a vision of heaven that God showed him.\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with verses 8 and 11.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Jasper, carnelian, and emerald\n\nThese words refer to special stones that the people in John’s culture valued for their beauty. If the people in your culture do not consider stones to be valuable, in your translation you can emphasize that it was the beauty of the stones that made such an impression on John.\n\n### Twenty-four elders\n\nJohn does not explain who or what he means by "elders" when he describes seeing them in the vision he relates in this chapter. These 24 elders may be symbolic of the whole people of God through the ages. There were 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament Israel and 12 apostles of Jesus in the New Testament church. In chapter 21, John describes seeing the names of the 12 tribes of Israel on the gates of the New Jerusalem and the names of the 12 apostles on the foundations of that city. However, it is not necessary to offer an explanation in your translation of who these elders might be. If your language has a word for a distinguished older person who is a leader in the society, it would be appropriate to use it without any further explanation.\n\n### Giving glory to God\n\nGod’s glory is the great beauty and radiant majesty that God has because he is God. Other Bible writers describe it as if it were a light so bright that no one can look at it. No one can give God this kind of glory, because it is already his. When people give glory to God or when God receives glory, people say that God has the glory that is his, that it is right for God to have that glory, and that people should worship God because he has that glory. In your translation, be sure that it is clear that when people "give glory" to God, they are not giving God something that he does not already have. Instead, people are acknowledging that God is already glorious. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/glory]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/worthy]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/worship]])\n\n## Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter\n\n### Difficult images\n\nSuch things as bolts of lightning coming from the throne, lamps that are spirits, and a sea in front of the throne may be difficult to imagine. However, John is describing what he actually saw and heard in his visions, so you can translate his descriptions directly. See the discussion of this in the General Introduction to Revelation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalyptic]]) +4:intro cl9f 0 # Revelation 4 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nAt this point in the book of Revelation, John has finished describing the letters to the churches. In this chapter he begins to describe a vision of heaven that God showed him.\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with verses 8 and 11.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Jasper, carnelian, and emerald\n\nThese words refer to special stones that the people in John’s culture valued for their beauty. If the people in your culture do not consider stones to be valuable, in your translation you can emphasize that it was the beauty of the stones that made such an impression on John.\n\n### Twenty-four elders\n\nJohn does not explain who or what he means by “elders” when he describes seeing them in the vision he relates in this chapter. These 24 elders may be symbolic of the whole people of God through the ages. There were 12 tribes of Israel in the Old Testament Israel and 12 apostles of Jesus in the New Testament church. In chapter 21, John describes seeing the names of the 12 tribes of Israel on the gates of the New Jerusalem and the names of the 12 apostles on the foundations of that city. However, it is not necessary to offer an explanation in your translation of who these elders might be. If your language has a word for a distinguished older person who is a leader in the society, it would be appropriate to use it without any further explanation.\n\n### Giving glory to God\n\nGod’s glory is the great beauty and radiant majesty that God has because he is God. Other Bible writers describe it as if it were a light so bright that no one can look at it. No one can give God this kind of glory, because it is already his. When people give glory to God or when God receives glory, people say that God has the glory that is his, that it is right for God to have that glory, and that people should worship God because he has that glory. In your translation, be sure that it is clear that when people “give glory” to God, they are not giving God something that he does not already have. Instead, people are acknowledging that God is already glorious. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/glory]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/worthy]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/worship]])\n\n## Other Possible Translation Difficulties in this Chapter\n\n### Difficult images\n\nSuch things as bolts of lightning coming from the throne, lamps that are spirits, and a sea in front of the throne may be difficult to imagine. However, John is describing what he actually saw and heard in his visions, so you can translate his descriptions directly. See the discussion of this in the General Introduction to Revelation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalyptic]]) 4:1 w1rq rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-ellipsis θύρα ἠνεῳγμένη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ἡ πρώτη 1 John is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “I saw a door opened in heaven and I heard the first voice” 4:1 uvw3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive θύρα ἠνεῳγμένη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “an open door in heaven” 4:1 z8r8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor θύρα ἠνεῳγμένη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ 1 John is speaking as if there were literally a **door** leading into heaven through which he could see. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I could see through an opening into heaven” @@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 5:intro g7ey 0 # Revelation 5 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nIn this chapter, John continues to describe a vision of heaven that God showed him.\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this in verses 9-13.\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Sealed scroll\n\nKings and important people in John’s time wrote important documents on large pieces of paper or animal skin. They then rolled them up and sealed them with wax so they would stay closed. Only the person to whom the document was written had the authority to open it by breaking the seal. In this chapter, “the one who was seated on the throne” had written the scroll. Only the person called “the Lion of the tribe of Judah,” “the Root of David” and “the Lamb” had the authority to open it. (See: [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/other/scroll]] and [[rc://*/tw/dict/bible/kt/authority]])\n\n### Twenty-four elders\n\nThe 24 elders whom John introduced in chapter 4 appear in this chapter as well. In your translation, you can use the same term for them here as you did there.\n 5:1 yhm3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive γεγραμμένον ἔσωθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “with writing on the front and the back” 5:1 aj7m rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive κατεσφραγισμένον σφραγῖσιν ἑπτά 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, the context suggests that it was God. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “God had sealed the scroll with seven seals” -5:2 lgrx εἶδον 1 It may be more natural in your language to say "heard" rather than **saw** in this context. Alternate translation: “I heard” +5:2 lgrx εἶδον 1 It may be more natural in your language to say “heard” rather than **saw** in this context. Alternate translation: “I heard” 5:2 fpew rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-events ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον, καὶ λῦσαι τὰς σφραγῖδας αὐτοῦ 1 Since someone would need to break the **seals** in order to **open the scroll**, in your translation you may wish to relate these events in the order in which they would have to happen. Alternate translation: “to break the seals and open the scroll” 5:3 lj9u rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐδὲ ὑποκάτω τῆς γῆς 1 John is using the main components of creation—**heaven**, **earth**, and the underworld—to mean all of creation. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “anywhere in creation” 5:4 sf9l rc://*/ta/man/translate/grammar-connect-logic-result ἔκλαιον πολὺ, ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἄξιος εὑρέθη ἀνοῖξαι τὸ βιβλίον, οὔτε βλέπειν αὐτό 1 If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: “because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to read it, I was weeping much” @@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 5:14 r459 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-textvariants οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἔπεσαν καὶ προσεκύνησαν 1 Some ancient manuscripts read **the elders fell down and worshiped**. ULT follows that reading. Other ancient manuscripts add “the one who lives to the ages of the ages.” If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it has. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to use the reading of ULT. 5:14 j2f3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-symlanguage ἀμήν! 1 See how you translated **Amen** in [1:6](../01/06.md). 5:14 r5a3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-symaction ἔπεσαν 1 Alternate translation: “bowed down respectfully” -6:intro zkn7 0 # Revelation 6 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThis chapter describes what John saw happen when the Lamb opened each of the first six seals on the scroll that God gave him. (The Lamb does not open the seventh seal until chapter 8.)\n\n\n- The first seal (6:1–2)\n- The second seal (6:3–4)\n- The third seal (6:5–6)\n- The fourth seal (6:7–8)\n- The fifth seal (6:9–11)\n- The sixth seal (6:12–16)\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Seven seals\n\nSee the discussion in the General Notes to chapter 5 of the seals that kept important documents secure in this culture.\n\n### Four horsemen\n\nAs the Lamb opens each of the first four seals, John describes seeing horsemen riding differently colored horses. The colors of the horses may symbolize how each rider will affect the earth. However, it is not necessary to suggest the meaning of these colors in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalyptic]])\n\n## Translation issues in this chapter\n\n### Ordinal numbers\n\nJohn uses the ordinal numbers "second" through "sixth" in verses 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12. If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you can use cardinal numbers or equivalent expressions in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]])\n\n### Similes\n\nIn verses 12–14, John makes several comparisons in order to describe the images he saw in his vision. He compares these images to everyday things. Notes to these verses suggest ways you might indicate the points of these comparisons in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]]) +6:intro zkn7 0 # Revelation 6 General Notes\n\n## Structure and Formatting\n\nThis chapter describes what John saw happen when the Lamb opened each of the first six seals on the scroll that God gave him. (The Lamb does not open the seventh seal until chapter 8.)\n\n\n- The first seal (6:1–2)\n- The second seal (6:3–4)\n- The third seal (6:5–6)\n- The fourth seal (6:7–8)\n- The fifth seal (6:9–11)\n- The sixth seal (6:12–16)\n\n## Special Concepts in this Chapter\n\n### Seven seals\n\nSee the discussion in the General Notes to chapter 5 of the seals that kept important documents secure in this culture.\n\n### Four horsemen\n\nAs the Lamb opens each of the first four seals, John describes seeing horsemen riding differently colored horses. The colors of the horses may symbolize how each rider will affect the earth. However, it is not necessary to suggest the meaning of these colors in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-apocalyptic]])\n\n## Translation issues in this chapter\n\n### Ordinal numbers\n\nJohn uses the ordinal numbers “second” through “sixth” in verses 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12. If your language does not use ordinal numbers, you can use cardinal numbers or equivalent expressions in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-ordinal]])\n\n### Similes\n\nIn verses 12–14, John makes several comparisons in order to describe the images he saw in his vision. He compares these images to everyday things. Notes to these verses suggest ways you might indicate the points of these comparisons in your translation. (See: [[rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile]]) 6:1 v9td rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ὡς φωνῇ βροντῆς 1 The point of this comparison is that just as **thunder** is loud, so the **voice** of this living creature was loud. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “in a voice that was as loud as thunder” 6:2 t2qg rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐδόθη αὐτῷ στέφανος 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “he received a crown” or “God gave him a crown” 6:2 vie0 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-poetry ἐξῆλθεν νικῶν, καὶ ἵνα νικήσῃ 1 John may mean that the rider on the white horse went out “as a conquering one,” that is, with all the capacity of a conqueror. In that case, for emphasis he would be using a construction in which a subject and its verb come from the same root. You may be able to use the same construction in your language to express the meaning here. Alternatively, your language may have another way of showing the emphasis. Alternate translation: “he went out as a conqueror who was going to conquer” @@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 6:4 pa3i rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy λαβεῖν τὴν εἰρήνην ἐκ τῆς γῆς 1 John is using the term **earth** to mean by association the people who live on the earth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “to keep the people living on the earth from being peaceful” 6:4 zsi7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns σφάξουσιν 1 The pronoun **they** refers generally to the people living on the earth. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “people will slaughter” 6:4 je64 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐδόθη αὐτῷ μάχαιρα μεγάλη 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “God gave him a great sword” -6:5 rm4y rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown ζυγὸν 1 The word **balance** describes an instrument for determining the weight of an object or comparing the weight of two objects. It consists of a central post with a crossbar from which two pans are hung. An object may be placed in one pan and known weights placed in the other pan until the crossbar remains level, meaning that both pans contain an equal weight. Or one object may be placed in one pan and a different object in the other pan; the pan that hangs lower contains the heavier object. Since John is describing what he saw, it would be appropriate to use the name or a description of the ancient tool rather than use the name of a modern device for weighing things. Alternate translation: “a balancing scale” or "a weighing instrument" +6:5 rm4y rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown ζυγὸν 1 The word **balance** describes an instrument for determining the weight of an object or comparing the weight of two objects. It consists of a central post with a crossbar from which two pans are hung. An object may be placed in one pan and known weights placed in the other pan until the crossbar remains level, meaning that both pans contain an equal weight. Or one object may be placed in one pan and a different object in the other pan; the pan that hangs lower contains the heavier object. Since John is describing what he saw, it would be appropriate to use the name or a description of the ancient tool rather than use the name of a modern device for weighing things. Alternate translation: “a balancing scale” or “a weighing instrument” 6:6 hap3 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit λέγουσαν 1 This **voice** is giving instructions to the rider on the black horse. You could indicate that in your translation if it would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “saying to the rider on the black horse” 6:6 znv4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit χοῖνιξ σίτου δηναρίου, καὶ τρεῖς χοίνικες κριθῶν δηναρίου 1 The implication is that there would be famine, so that **wheat** and **barley**, the staple crops in this culture, would become scarce and very expensive. (The balance that John describes the third rider holding in the previous verse may symbolize weighing grain for sale.) You could indicate this in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “Create famine that will cause grain to become so scarce that a choenix of wheat will cost a denarius and three choenices of barley will cost a denarius” 6:6 b5rr rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-bvolume χοῖνιξ σίτου & τρεῖς χοίνικες κριθῶν 1 A **choenix** was a measure equivalent to about one liter or one quart. The plural of choenix is **choenices**. Alternate translation: “one liter of wheat … three liters of barley” or “one quart of wheat … three quarts of barley” @@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 6:7 ugy9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche ἤκουσα φωνὴν τοῦ τετάρτου ζῴου λέγοντος 1 John is using one part of the **fourth living creature**, its **voice**, to mean all of it in the act of speaking. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “I heard the fourth living creature saying” 6:8 t7y4 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-transliterate ὁ ᾍδης 1 See how you translated the term **Hades** in [1:18](../01/18.md). 6:8 qlly rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἐξουσία 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “God gave authority to them” -6:8 df32 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy τὸ τέταρτον τῆς γῆς 1 Here, **the earth** represents the people of the earth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: "one fourth of the people on the earth” +6:8 df32 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy τὸ τέταρτον τῆς γῆς 1 Here, **the earth** represents the people of the earth. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your language or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “one fourth of the people on the earth” 6:8 aj1h rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-fraction τὸ τέταρτον τῆς γῆς 1 Here, **one fourth** means one part out of four equal parts. Alternate translation: “one out of every four people on the earth” 6:8 tjw8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy ῥομφαίᾳ 1 John is using the term **sword** to mean warfare by association with the way the people of his time used swords as weapons in warfare. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “warfare” 6:8 o6hy rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-synecdoche θανάτῳ 1 John is likely using the general term **death** to mean one specific cause of death, disease. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “disease” @@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 6:17 bd8v rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἡ ἡμέρα ἡ μεγάλη τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτῶν 1 While this was happening on a certain **day**, the people may be using the word **day** to mean a specific time, the time when God had chosen to judge the world. Alternate translation: “the momentous time when they will punish sin” 6:17 pmn6 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion τίς δύναται σταθῆναι? 1 The people are using the question form for emphasis. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: “no one is able to stand!” 6:17 r1ta rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy τίς δύναται σταθῆναι? 1 Here the word **stand** means to be declared innocent when judged, as in [Psalm 130:3](../psa/130/03.md), “If you, Yahweh, would mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” which means, “If you, Yahweh, kept a record of sins, no one would be declared innocent.” Alternate translation: “and everyone will be punished, because no one is innocent!” -7:intro f27i 0 # Revelation 7 General Notes\n\n## Structure and formatting\n\nThe events of this chapter take place after the Lamb opens the sixth seal but before he opens the seventh seal. John describes a vision of 144,000 servants of God whom angels mark with a seal. John then describes a second vision about a great multitude praising God.\n\n- The 144,000 servants (7:1–8)\n- The great multitude (7:9–17)\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with verses 5–8 and 15–17.\n\n## Translation issues in this Chapter\n\n### Large numbers\n\nTranslate the large numbers in verses 5–8 in the way that would be most natural in your language. Some languages may need to supply a noun after the number to express the meaning. For example, in verse 5 you might say “144,000” or “one hundred forty-four thousand people.” In verses 6–8 you might say "12,000" or "twelve thousand people."\n\n\n### The order of the tribes\n\n\nTranslators should be aware that the tribes of the people of Israel are not listed in this chapter in the same order as they are generally listed in the Old Testament. This seems to be intentional, and scholars have offered various interpretations for it. In your translation, it would be appropriate to list the tribes in the order in which John presents them here, rather than listing them in the usual Old Testament order. +7:intro f27i 0 # Revelation 7 General Notes\n\n## Structure and formatting\n\nThe events of this chapter take place after the Lamb opens the sixth seal but before he opens the seventh seal. John describes a vision of 144,000 servants of God whom angels mark with a seal. John then describes a second vision about a great multitude praising God.\n\n- The 144,000 servants (7:1–8)\n- The great multitude (7:9–17)\n\nSome translations set each line of poetry farther to the right than the rest of the text to make it easier to read. The ULT does this with verses 5–8 and 15–17.\n\n## Translation issues in this Chapter\n\n### Large numbers\n\nTranslate the large numbers in verses 5–8 in the way that would be most natural in your language. Some languages may need to supply a noun after the number to express the meaning. For example, in verse 5 you might say “144,000” or “one hundred forty-four thousand people.” In verses 6–8 you might say “12,000” or “twelve thousand people.”\n\n\n### The order of the tribes\n\n\nTranslators should be aware that the tribes of the people of Israel are not listed in this chapter in the same order as they are generally listed in the Old Testament. This seems to be intentional, and scholars have offered various interpretations for it. In your translation, it would be appropriate to list the tribes in the order in which John presents them here, rather than listing them in the usual Old Testament order. 7:1 id3y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor ἑστῶτας ἐπὶ τὰς τέσσαρας γωνίας τῆς γῆς, κρατοῦντας τοὺς τέσσαρας ἀνέμους τῆς γῆς 1 John is speaking as if the **earth** had **four corners**. He is referring from his own standpoint to locations to the north, south, east, and west of him. If it would be clearer for your readers, you could state the meaning plainly, using your own language's words for these primary directions. Alternate translation: “at places on the earth where they could hold back the north, south, east, and west winds” 7:1 l088 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μήτε ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, μήτε ἐπὶ πᾶν δένδρον 1 After John says that the wind would not blow **on the land or on the sea**, he may add **or on any tree** for emphasis, perhaps alluding to his reference in [6:13](../06/13.md) to a great wind shaking a tree. In that case the two phrases would mean similar things, as the next two notes explain. John would be using the repetition for emphasis. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine the two phrases. Alternate translation: “on any place on the land or in the sea” 7:1 smkv rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-merism ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μήτε ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης 1 John seems to be using the two main components of the world, the **land** and the **sea**, to mean everywhere in the world. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: “anywhere in the world” @@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 7:4 iund rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐσφραγισμένοι 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: “The angels had sealed them” 7:4 oc2y rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ 1 Here the word **sons** could mean: (1) the literal sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who were the ancestors of the 12 tribes. If this is the meaning, it would be appropriate to retain the term “sons” in your translation. (2) the descendants of Israel (Jacob), who formed 12 tribes. Alternate translation: “of the descendants of Israel” 7:5 p3m9 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Ἰούδα & Ῥουβὴν & Γὰδ 1 The words **Judah**, **Reuben**, and **Gad** are the names of men. -7:5 lyz8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers δώδεκα χιλιάδες 1 Alternate translation: "12,000" or “twelve thousand people” +7:5 lyz8 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-numbers δώδεκα χιλιάδες 1 Alternate translation: “12,000” or “twelve thousand people” 7:5 b784 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive δώδεκα χιλιάδες ἐσφραγισμένοι 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “the angels sealed 12 thousands” 7:6 qkaq rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Ἀσὴρ & Νεφθαλεὶμ & Μανασσῆ 1 The words **Asher**, **Naphtali**, and **Manasseh** are the names of men. 7:7 v810 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-names Συμεὼν & Λευεὶ & Ἰσσαχὰρ 1 The words **Simeon**, **Levi**, and **Issachar** are the names of men. @@ -491,11 +491,11 @@ front:intro xx8l 0 # Introduction to Revelation\n\n## Part 1: General Introdu 9:3 va04 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐδόθη αὐταῖς ἐξουσία 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “God gave them power” 9:3 a4e7 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ἐδόθη αὐταῖς ἐξουσία, ὡς ἔχουσιν ἐξουσίαν οἱ σκορπίοι τῆς γῆς 1 The point of this comparison is that just as **scorpions of the earth** have the power to hurt people by stinging them, so these **locusts** from the abyss had the power to hurt people in that same way. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “to hurt people by stinging them, just as scorpions on earth do” 9:3 mjf1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown σκορπίοι 1 A **scorpion** is an insect with a poisonous stinger at the end of its long tail. The sting can cause severe pain or even death. If your readers would not be familiar with what a **scorpion** is, in your translation you could use the name of a comparable insect or animal in your area. Alternate translation: “deadly stinging insects” -9:4 cl6p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐρρέθη αὐταῖς 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “God commanded them" +9:4 cl6p rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐρρέθη αὐταῖς 1 If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: “God commanded them” 9:4 mou1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-quotations ἐρρέθη αὐταῖς, ἵνα μὴ ἀδικήσουσιν τὸν χόρτον τῆς γῆς, οὐδὲ πᾶν χλωρὸν, οὐδὲ πᾶν δένδρον, εἰ μὴ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οἵτινες οὐκ ἔχουσι τὴν σφραγῖδα τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τῶν μετώπων 1 It may be more natural in your language to have a direct quotation here. Alternate translation: “And they were told, ‘Do not harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads’” 9:4 tz3f rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-gendernotations τοὺς ἀνθρώπους 1 As the General Notes to this chapter discuss, here and in several other places in this chapter John uses the masculine word **men** in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could use a term in your language that is clearly inclusive of both men and women. Alternate translation: “the people” -9:5 k428 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἵνα μὴ ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτούς 1 The **them** refers in its first instance to the locusts John describes in [9:3](../09/03.md) and in its second instance the people John describes in [9:4](../09/04.md) who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: "it was given to the locusts that they should not kill these people" -9:5 rui1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἵνα μὴ ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτούς, ἀλλ’ ἵνα βασανισθήσονται 1 If your language does not use these passive forms, you could express the ideas in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: "God did not allow the locusts to kill these people but to torment them for five months" +9:5 rui1 rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-activepassive ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἵνα μὴ ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτούς, ἀλλ’ ἵνα βασανισθήσονται 1 If your language does not use these passive forms, you could express the ideas in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: Alternate translation: “God did not allow the locusts to kill these people but to torment them for five months +9:5 k428 rc://*/ta/man/translate/writing-pronouns ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἵνα μὴ ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτούς 1 The **them** refers in its first instance to the locusts John describes in [9:3](../09/03.md) and in its second instance the people John describes in [9:4](../09/04.md) who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “it was given to the locusts that they should not kill these people” 9:5 u29s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-simile ὁ βασανισμὸς αὐτῶν ὡς βασανισμὸς σκορπίου, ὅταν παίσῃ ἄνθρωπον 1 The point of this comparison is that just as the sting of a **scorpion** is very painful, the **torment** that people would experience after these locusts stung them would be very painful. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: “their torment when the locusts stung them would be very painful, as the sting of a scorpion is very painful for a person” 9:6 ggwl rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις 1 John is using the term **days** to refer to a specific time. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “at that time” 9:6 rj6s rc://*/ta/man/translate/figs-parallelism ζητήσουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸν θάνατον, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρήσουσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσουσιν ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ φεύγει ὁ θάνατος ἀπ’ αὐτῶν 1 These two phrases mean similar things. John is using repetition to emphasize the idea that the phrases express. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could combine the phrases. Alternate translation: “even though people will want very much to die, they will not be able to die”