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OET (OET-LV) But whenever the perishable this may_dress_in indestructibility, and the mortal this may_dress_in immortality, then will_be_becoming the message which having_been_written:
˓Was˒_swallowed_up the death in victory.
OET (OET-RV) But when this perishable body becomes incorruptible and this mortal becomes immortal, then what was written will come true: ‘Death is replaced by victory.’
In this section Paul reminded the Corinthian believers about the gospel and showed them that the resurrection from the dead was an important part of the gospel. First (15:1–11) he wrote about the evidence showing that God raised Christ from the dead. Then (15:12–34) he taught that God will raise believers from the dead. Finally (15:35–58) he taught about what the resurrection body will be like.
Here are some other possible section headings:
The resurrection
People who die will live again
Christ has risen and his people will rise also
In this paragraph Paul finished answering the questions of 15:35. He said that God will transform both living believers and dead believers so that they can live in God’s heavenly kingdom.
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable
When our bodies that can decay have changed into bodies that cannot decay,
When these bodies on this earth have become bodies for heaven,
and the mortal with immortality,
and our bodies that die have changed into bodies that live forever,
and when these bodies that die have become bodies that never die,
When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality: This phrase is similar to 15:53a-b. You may be able to repeat the same words almost exactly. If it is confusing in your language to reuse the same words, you may be able to summarize this and say:
When this happens
then the saying that is written will come to pass:
then what is written in the Scriptures will happen:
then it will be like what is written in the Scriptures. It says there,
then the saying that is written: This phrase introduces a free quotation of two Scripture verses.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
what is written in the Scriptures
the Scriptures (CEV)
will come to pass: The phrase will come to pass means “will happen.” Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
will come true (NIV)
will be fulfilled (NLT)
will take place
it will be like what is written
In these verses Paul used a figure of speech called personification. See how you translated this figure of speech in 15:26. Paul spoke of death as an enemy whom God defeats in battle. The power of death to harm people comes to an end. In 15:54d, he spoke of death in the third person, and then in 15:55 he addressed death directly in the second person. In some languages you cannot address “death” in this way. In some languages there is no abstract noun for “death.”
Here is an example of how to translate this in a language that does not have a noun “death”:
54dGod is victorious and he has caused it to be that people will never die again. 55aWhere are the dead people? There are none! 55bWhere are those who mourn for dead people? There are none!
“Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“God has defeated death. There is no longer any death.”
“God has conquered his enemies and his people will no longer die.”
Death has been swallowed up in victory: This saying is based on Isaiah 25:8. This is a metaphor. It indicates that God defeated the enemy, which is death. From that time and forever, people will never again have to die. There are two ways to translate this metaphor:
Keep the metaphor in some form. For example:
Death is destroyed
Death has been defeated
God has conquered death
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
God has conquered all his enemies, and his people will no longer die
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / doublet
τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
Here, these clauses repeat the words found at the end of the last verse ([15:53](../15/53.md)). Paul repeats these words to make what he is arguing very clear. If your readers do not need these words to be repeated, and if they would be confused about why Paul is repeating himself, you could refer back to the words in the previous verse with a short phrase. Alternate translation: [that happens]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism
τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν, καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
Here Paul makes two very similar statements in which perishable goes with mortal and incorruptibility goes with immortality. These two statements are basically synonymous, and Paul repeats himself to emphasize the point. If it would be helpful in your language, you could indicate why Paul uses two parallel sentences by combining the two sentences into one. Alternate translation: [this perishable mortal has put on incorruptible immortality] or [this perishable and mortal has put on incorruptibility and immortality]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο & τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
Paul is using the adjectives perishable and mortal as nouns in order to refer to perishable and mortal bodies. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you could translate these with appropriate noun phrases. Alternate translation: [this perishable body … this mortal body]
Note 4 topic: translate-unknown
τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο & ἀφθαρσίαν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
Here, perishable and incorruptibility identify whether people or things last or fall apart. See how you translated these words in [15:53](../15/53.md). If it would be helpful in your language, you could express perishable and incorruptibility with two words or phrases that refer to how long things last. Alternate translation: [what passes away … what never passes away]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν & ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν
˓may˒_dress_in indestructibility & ˓may˒_dress_in immortality
Here Paul speaks as if the perishable and the mortal could put on incorruptibility and immortality like they were pieces of clothing. He does not mean that believers still have what is perishable and mortal somehow underneath incorruptibility and immortality. Instead, Paul uses the metaphor to illustrate how people will change identity from what is perishable and mortal to incorruptibility and immortality. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [has changed into incorruptibility … has changed into immortality] or [has become incorruptible … has become immortal]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἀφθαρσίαν & ἀθανασίαν
indestructibility & immortality
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind incorruptibility and immortality, you can express the idea by using adjectives such as “incorruptible” and “immortal.” Alternate translation: [what is incorruptible … what is immortal]
Note 7 topic: translate-unknown
τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο & ἀθανασίαν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
Here, mortal and immortality identify whether people or things die or cannot die. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express mortal and immortality with two words or phrases that refer to whether things can die or not. See how you translated these words in [15:53](../15/53.md). Alternate translation: [what can die … what never dies]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
γενήσεται
˓will_be˒_becoming
Here, will come about identifies that something will happen or come to pass. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express will come about with a comparable idiom or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [will come to pass] or [will be realized]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
ὁ λόγος
the word
Here, word represents what someone says or writes in words. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express word with an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [the message]
Note 10 topic: writing-quotations
ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος
the word ¬which ˓having_been˒_written
In Paul’s culture, the word that is written is a normal way to introduce a quotation from or reference to an important text, in this case, the Old Testament book titled “Isaiah” (See: ([Isaiah 25:8](../isa/25/08.md))). Most likely, this phrase introduces the quote from [Hosea 13:14](../hos/13/14.md) in the next verse as well. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the word that is written with a comparable phrase that indicates that Paul is quoting from or referring to an important text. Alternate translation: [what can be read in the Scriptures] or [the words that Isaiah and Hosea wrote]
Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ὁ γεγραμμένος
the ¬which ˓having_been˒_written
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive form here to focus on what is written rather than focusing on the person doing the “writing.” If you must state who does the action, you can express it so that: (1) the scripture author writes or speaks the words. Alternate translation: [the prophets have written] (2) God speaks the words. Alternate translation: [God has said]
Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / quotations
ὁ γεγραμμένος, κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος
the ¬which ˓having_been˒_written ¬the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
If you do not use this form in your language, you could translate this statement as an indirect quote instead of as a direct quote. Alternate translation: [that is written about how death is swallowed up in victory]
Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
Here the quote refers to Death as if it were food that could be swallowed up. This illustrates that Death has been defeated as surely as if someone devoured it as though death were food. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this figure of speech with a comparable metaphor or express the idea plainly. Alternate translation: [Death is destroyed in victory] or [Death is trampled in victory]
Note 14 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅταν Δέ τό φθαρτόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καί τό θνητόν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος Κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος)
If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Paul uses the passive here to focus on Death, which is swallowed up, rather than focusing on the person or thing doing the “swallowing.” If you must state who does the action, Paul implies that “God” does it. Alternate translation: [God has swallowed up death in victory]
Note 15 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
θάνατος εἰς νῖκος
death in victory
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas behind Death and victory, you can express the ideas by using verbs such as “die” and “conquer.” Alternate translation: [How people die … when God conquers] or [The fact that people die … by God, who is victorious]
15:54 “Death is swallowed up in victory”: Resurrection defeats the ultimate enemy, death, just as the power of the Spirit enables believers to transcend sin here and now (see Rom 8:2, 11).
OET (OET-LV) But whenever the perishable this may_dress_in indestructibility, and the mortal this may_dress_in immortality, then will_be_becoming the message which having_been_written:
˓Was˒_swallowed_up the death in victory.
OET (OET-RV) But when this perishable body becomes incorruptible and this mortal becomes immortal, then what was written will come true: ‘Death is replaced by victory.’
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.