uW Translation Notes:

General Information:

Here John changes topics from describing what Peter was doing to describing what was happening to Jesus. In the next section, Jesus’ accusers bring him to Caiaphas to be questioned by him.

Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns

ἄγουσιν

˱they˲_/are/_leading

Here, they refers to the Jewish leaders and temple guards who were accusing Jesus. If it would be more natural in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “the Jewish authorities and their guards led”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἄγουσιν οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ Καϊάφα

˱they˲_/are/_leading therefore ¬the Jesus from ¬the Caiaphas

Here John implies that they are leading Jesus away from Caiaphas’ house. If it would be more natural in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas’ house”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον

into the praetorium

The governor’s palace refers to the headquarters of the Roman governor. The next verse indicates that the Roman governor’s name was Pilate. If this would confuse your readers, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “to the house of the Roman governor, Pilate”

Note 4 topic: writing-background

ἦν δὲ πρωΐ. καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον, ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν, ἀλλὰ φάγωσιν τὸ Πάσχα

˱it˲_was and early and they not came_in into the praetorium in_order_that not ˱they˲_/may_be/_defiled but ˱they˲_/may/_eat the Passover

In this sentence John interrupts the main storyline in order to provide some background information about why the Jewish people with Jesus did not enter the governor’s palace. Use the natural form in your language for expressing background information.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / doublenegatives

αὐτοὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον, ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν, ἀλλὰ φάγωσιν τὸ Πάσχα

they not came_in into the praetorium in_order_that not ˱they˲_/may_be/_defiled but ˱they˲_/may/_eat the Passover

If this double negative would be misunderstood in your language, you could translate it as a positive statement. Alternate translation: “they remained outside the governor’s palace so that they would remain ceremonially clean, and might eat the Passover”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

αὐτοὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον, ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν, ἀλλὰ φάγωσιν τὸ Πάσχα

they not came_in into the praetorium in_order_that not ˱they˲_/may_be/_defiled but ˱they˲_/may/_eat the Passover

Pilate, the Roman governor, was not a Jew. The Jewish leaders believed that they would become ceremonially unclean if they entered the house of someone who was not a Jew. If they became ceremonially unclean, then they would not be allowed to celebrate the Passover festival. Therefore, the Jewish leaders did not enter the governor’s palace. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could explain this in the simplest way possible. Alternate translation: “they themselves did not enter into the governor’s palace because the governor was a Gentile. They believed that entering a Gentile’s home would defile them, so that they would not be allowed to eat the Passover.”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

τὸ Πάσχα

the the the Passover

John is using the name of this part of the festival, Passover, to refer to the meal that people shared on that occasion. If your readers might not understand this, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “the Passover meal”