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OET interlinear 1 COR 12:31

◄ ← 1 COR 12:31 ↓ ► ║ ©

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

    1. Greek word
    2. Greek lemma
    3. OET-LV words
    4. OET-RV words
    5. Strongs
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. ζηλοῦτε
    2. zēloō
    3. be being zealous
    4. -
    5. 22060
    6. VMPA2··P
    7. ˓be˒ being_zealous
    8. ˓be˒ being_zealous
    9. -
    10. Y59; R117890
    11. 118383
    1. Δέ
    2. de
    3. But
    4. -
    5. 11610
    6. C·······
    7. but
    8. but
    9. S
    10. Y59
    11. 118384
    1. τά
    2. ho
    3. for the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····ANP
    7. ˱for˲ the
    8. ˱for˲ the
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118385
    1. χαρίσματα
    2. χarisma
    3. gifts
    4. gifts
    5. 54860
    6. N····ANP
    7. gifts
    8. gifts
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118386
    1. τά
    2. ho
    3. the
    4. -
    5. 35880
    6. E····ANP
    7. ¬the
    8. ¬the
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118387
    1. μείζονα
    2. meizōn
    3. greater
    4. -
    5. 31870
    6. A····ANP
    7. greater
    8. greater
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118388
    1. κρείττονα
    2. kreittōn
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 29090
    6. A····ANP
    7. better
    8. better
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 118389
    1. Καί
    2. kai
    3. And
    4. But
    5. 25320
    6. C·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. S
    10. Y59
    11. 118390
    1. ἔτι
    2. eti
    3. still
    4. -
    5. 20890
    6. D·······
    7. still
    8. still
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118391
    1. εἰ
    2. ei
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 14870
    6. C·······
    7. if
    8. if
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 118392
    1. τὶ
    2. tis
    3. -
    4. -
    5. 51000
    6. R····NNS
    7. anything
    8. anything
    9. -
    10. -
    11. 118393
    1. καθʼ
    2. kata
    3. by
    4. -
    5. 25960
    6. P·······
    7. by
    8. by
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118394
    1. ὑπερβολήν
    2. huperbolē
    3. +an excellent
    4. -
    5. 52360
    6. N····AFS
    7. ˓an˒ excellent
    8. ˓an˒ excellent
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118395
    1. ὁδόν
    2. hodos
    3. way
    4. way
    5. 35980
    6. N····AFS
    7. way
    8. way
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118396
    1. ὑμῖν
    2. su
    3. to you all
    4. you
    5. 47710
    6. R···2D·P
    7. ˱to˲ you_all
    8. ˱to˲ you_all
    9. -
    10. Y59; R117890
    11. 118397
    1. δείκνυμι
    2. deiknumi
    3. I am showing
    4. -
    5. 11660
    6. VIPA1··S
    7. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ showing
    8. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ showing
    9. -
    10. Y59; R114224; Person=Paul
    11. 118398

OET (OET-LV) But be_being_zealous for_the gifts the greater.
And still by an_excellent way, to_you_all I_am_showing.

OET (OET-RV) But strive for the better gifts.
¶ And now I’ll demonstrate a better way to you all:

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:1–31: Use spiritual gifts to help the church

In this section Paul wrote about different spiritual gifts, or abilities, that the Holy Spirit gives to believers. He listed some of these spiritual gifts and taught that God gave them to us to help the church. He compared the body of Christ with the human body in order to explain that all of the spiritual gifts are important to the church.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Using spiritual gifts

God gives spiritual gifts to each member of the body

About spiritual gifts

12:31a

But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

But: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But introduces something that Paul wanted his readers to do that was related to what he had been talking about. Some English versions do not explicitly translate it. Here is another way to translate this:

And in any event (NLT)

eagerly desire the greater gifts: Paul urged his readers to long for, and try to get, the more important gifts.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

want very much to have the more important gifts

try hard to get the very good gifts

strongly desire to receive the most valuable abilities

In some languages there is an idiomatic way to say eagerly desire such as:

place your breath/heart in the greater gifts

focus on the greater gifts

greater: The word greater means “more important” in the sense of more useful or more valuable in the church.Some Greek manuscripts read “better” instead of “greater.” This reading is followed by the KJV (“the best gifts”) and CEV. The UBS Greek text (4th edition) does not mention this variant. Some of the spiritual gifts were more helpful to the church than others.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

greatest/highest

most valuable/useful/helpful

gifts: A “gift” is an ability given by the Holy Spirit. See how you translated this in 12:1 and 12:4.

12:31b

And now I will show you the most excellent way.

Some English versions follow the UBS Greek text and begin a new section at this point. See the BSB, the NIV84, the NJB, and the NLT. However, most English versions begin the new section at 13:1. See the GNT, RSV, CEV, KJV, NET, NASB, GW, NCV.

And now: The Greek word that the BSB translates as And now introduces a comment that both concludes this section and introduces a new section developing a different theme.

I will show you: The phrase I will show you can also be translated as:

I will tell you(plur)

I want to show you

the most excellent way: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the most excellent way is more literally a comparative, “a more excellent way.” Paul said that what he was about to talk about is better than any of the spiritual gifts.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the way that is better than any other way

the path that is greatest of all (which is he path of love)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / imperative

ζηλοῦτε

˓be˒_being_zealous

Here, earnestly desire could be: (1) a command from Paul. Alternate translation: [you should earnestly desire] (2) a statement about what the Corinthians are doing. Alternate translation: [you are earnestly desiring]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / irony

τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ μείζονα

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ζηλοῦτε Δέ τά χαρίσματα τά μείζονα Καί ἔτι καθʼ ὑπερβολήν ὁδόν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι)

Here, greater could indicate: (1) what Paul thinks are greater gifts, which would be the ones that most benefit other believers. Alternate translation: [the gifts that are greater] or [the gifts that help others] (2) what the Corinthians think are the greater gifts, which Paul may disagree with. The Corinthians would probably include speaking in tongues as a greater gift. If you choose this option, you will need to express earnestly desire as a statement, not as an imperative. Alternate translation: [what you think are greater gifts]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / pastforfuture

ὑμῖν δείκνυμι

˱to˲_you_all ˱I˲_˓am˒_showing

Here Paul introduces what he will tell the Corinthians in the next chapter. Use a natural verb tense in your language for referring to what a person is about to say. Alternate translation: [I am going to show you]

TSN Tyndale Study Notes:

12:31 Believers are to earnestly desire the most helpful gifts, those that have the greatest potential to build up the church (see 14:12), while realizing that God is the one who distributes gifts as he chooses (12:11, 18, 28). Paul encourages the Corinthians to move beyond their desire for the gift of tongues (cp. 14:1-25, 27; see 12:10) because it has the least potential, of all the gifts, to build up the church.
• But now let me show you: This statement transitions to Paul’s description of love in 13:1-13. Love is a way of life that is best of all.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

    1. OET-LV words
    2. OET-RV words
    3. Strongs
    4. Greek word
    5. Greek lemma
    6. Role/Morphology
    7. OET Gloss
    8. VLT Gloss
    9. CAPS codes
    10. Confidence
    11. OET tags
    12. OET word #
    1. But
    2. -
    3. 11610
    4. S
    5. de
    6. C-·······
    7. but
    8. but
    9. S
    10. Y59
    11. 118384
    1. be being zealous
    2. -
    3. 22060
    5. zēloō
    6. V-MPA2··P
    7. ˓be˒ being_zealous
    8. ˓be˒ being_zealous
    9. -
    10. Y59; R117890
    11. 118383
    1. for the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    5. ho
    6. E-····ANP
    7. ˱for˲ the
    8. ˱for˲ the
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118385
    1. gifts
    2. gifts
    3. 54860
    5. χarisma
    6. N-····ANP
    7. gifts
    8. gifts
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118386
    1. the
    2. -
    3. 35880
    5. ho
    6. E-····ANP
    7. ¬the
    8. ¬the
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118387
    1. greater
    2. -
    3. 31870
    5. meizōn
    6. A-····ANP
    7. greater
    8. greater
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118388
    1. And
    2. But
    3. 25320
    4. S
    5. kai
    6. C-·······
    7. and
    8. and
    9. S
    10. Y59
    11. 118390
    1. still
    2. -
    3. 20890
    5. eti
    6. D-·······
    7. still
    8. still
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118391
    1. by
    2. -
    3. 25960
    5. kata
    6. P-·······
    7. by
    8. by
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118394
    1. +an excellent
    2. -
    3. 52360
    5. huperbolē
    6. N-····AFS
    7. ˓an˒ excellent
    8. ˓an˒ excellent
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118395
    1. way
    2. way
    3. 35980
    5. hodos
    6. N-····AFS
    7. way
    8. way
    9. -
    10. Y59
    11. 118396
    1. to you all
    2. you
    3. 47710
    5. su
    6. R-···2D·P
    7. ˱to˲ you_all
    8. ˱to˲ you_all
    9. -
    10. Y59; R117890
    11. 118397
    1. I am showing
    2. -
    3. 11660
    5. deiknumi
    6. V-IPA1··S
    7. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ showing
    8. ˱I˲ ˓am˒ showing
    9. -
    10. Y59; R114224; Person=Paul
    11. 118398

OET (OET-LV) But be_being_zealous for_the gifts the greater.
And still by an_excellent way, to_you_all I_am_showing.

OET (OET-RV) But strive for the better gifts.
¶ And now I’ll demonstrate a better way to you all:

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

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◄ ← 1 COR 12:31 ↑ ► ║ ©