OET interlinear ACTs 13:25

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸν δρόμον

the course

Paul is speaking of John as if he had been running a race or course. Alternate translation: “his work”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotemarks

ἔλεγεν, τί ἐμὲ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι? οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγώ, ἀλλ’ ἰδοὺ, ἔρχεται μετ’ ἐμὲ, οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι

˱he˲_/was/_saying what me ˱you_all˲_/are/_suspecting to_be not am_‹he› I but behold ˱he˲_/is/_coming after me ˱of˲_whom not ˱I˲_am worthy the sandal ˱of˲_his feet /to/_untie

Even if your language does not customarily put one direct quotation inside another, it might be good to present this quotation from John the Baptist as a direct quotation if possible, since it uses several figures of speech that might not sound natural in an indirect quotation. (As an indirect quotation, this would read something like this: “he asked the people who they thought him to be, and he told them he was not he and that behold, one was coming after him, the sandals of whose feet he was not worthy to untie.”) You may be able to indicate the beginning of Paul’s quotation from John with some punctuation or convention that your language uses.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

τί ἐμὲ ὑπονοεῖτε εἶναι?

what me ˱you_all˲_/are/_suspecting to_be

John is using the question form to challenge his listeners’ idea of who he is. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “I am not who you think I am!”

Note 4 topic: writing-pronouns

οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐγώ

not am_‹he› I

The pronoun he refers to the Messiah. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: “I am not the Messiah”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἰδοὺ

behold

John is using the term behold to focus his listeners’ attention on what he is about to say. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation.

Note 6 topic: translate-symaction

οὗ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν λῦσαι

˱of˲_whom not ˱I˲_am worthy the sandal ˱of˲_his feet /to/_untie

John is using the action of untying sandals symbolically to signify humble service. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could translate this with a general expression. Alternate translation: “to whom I am not even worthy to offer humble service”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicitinfo

τὸ ὑπόδημα τῶν ποδῶν

the sandal ˱of˲_his feet

In your language, the expression the sandals of his feet might seem to convey redundant information that would be not be natural to express. If so, you could abbreviate it. Alternate translation: “his sandals”