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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT ESA WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Luke C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24
Luke 12 V1 V3 V5 V7 V9 V11 V13 V15 V17 V19 V21 V23 V25 V27 V29 V31 V33 V37 V39 V41 V43 V45 V47 V49 V51 V53 V55 V57 V59
In this section Jesus continued to teach his disciples. He told them to do their work faithfully and to be ready for the time he would return to earth. He used three illustrations that all emphasized how important it is to be prepared for his return. In 12:35–38 he described a man who had gone to a wedding feast. His servants needed to be ready to open the door for him at whatever time he returned. In 12:39 he described the owner of a house watching out for a thief who might come at an unexpected time. In 12:41–48, Jesus explained the difference between a faithful servant and an unfaithful servant. This encouraged his disciples to be faithful.
Some other headings for this section are:
Faithful and Unfaithful Servants (CEV)
Be Ready for the Lord’s Coming (NLT)
Watchfulness (NIV)
There is a parallel passage for 12:41–48 in Matthew 24:45–51.
In this paragraph Jesus continued to speak. It may be helpful to indicate this here at the beginning of this new section. For example:
Jesus also said …
Jesus continued teaching his disciples and he said…
In 12:35–36a, Jesus used three figures of speech:
Be dressed for service.
Keep your lamps burning.
Be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet.
These figures of speech indicate that the disciples should be ready for Jesus’ return, just as servants should be ready for their master’s return. See the General Comment on 12:35–36a at the end of 12:36a for a way to reorder these figures of speech.
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning.
¶ Jesus also said to his disciples, “See to it that you are always ready for my return. Stay dressed for work, and keep your(plur) lamps shining/lit,
¶ Jesus continued to speak to his disciples, saying, “Always be(plur) ready for me, like servants who are dressed in their clothes for work with their lamps burning/shining brightly,
¶ Jesus continued teaching his disciples, and he said, “Be(plur) prepared for me to return at any time.
Be dressed for service: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as Be dressed for service is more literally “Have your waists/hips girded.” Jesus referred here to how servants tucked the lower part of their robe up into their belt so they could work more easily. The form of the Greek verb indicates that they should remain dressed in this manner. Some ways to translate this metaphor are:
Use a specific metaphor that would be appropriate in your culture. For example:
Keep your belts tightened
Have your clothes tucked in
Use a general metaphor and make the function explicit, as the BSB has done. For example:
Be dressed and ready to work
Change the metaphor to a simile and supply the point of similarity. For example:
Be ready to serve me, like people who are dressed in their work clothes
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
Be ready for action (GW)
The last option is especially appropriate if other options imply that the disciples are to dress in a particular way. The point is that they should be ready to serve Jesus.
keep your lamps burning: Jesus was referring to how good servants kept lamps burning all night when they thought their master would return so that everything would be ready for him.The lamps burned oil and people had to refill them when the oil got low. Each lamp also had a wick. After it burned for a while, it became charred and someone had to trim it. (See also Matthew 25:1–13.) In the same way, Jesus’ disciples should be ready for him to return at any time.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parables
ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι καί οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι)
To help his disciples understand what he has been teaching, Jesus provides an illustration. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could indicate that explicitly. Alternate translation: [Then Jesus gave his disciples this illustration to help them understand. “Wrap the lower part of your robe around your hips]
Note 2 topic: translate-unknown
ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι καί οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι)
People in this culture wore long flowing robes. They would wrap the lower part of the robe around their hips to keep it out of the way while they engaged in physical activity. Alternate translation: [Wrap the lower part of your robe around your hips]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι καί οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι)
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form. Alternate translation: [Wrap the lower part of your robe around your hips]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι καί οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι)
The implication within the illustration is that a servant would do this in order to be ready to do any physical activity that was needed as soon as the master returned. Alternate translation: [Be dressed and ready to serve]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / you
ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι καί οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι)
Jesus is speaking of what an individual should do, but your is plural because he is addressing the disciples as a group. You could use the singular form of your in your translation if that is what your language would do in a context like this.
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
καὶ οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι καί οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι)
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form. Alternate translation: [and keep the lamps burning]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
καὶ οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἔστωσαν ὑμῶν αἱ ὀσφύες περιεζωσμέναι καί οἱ λύχνοι καιόμενοι)
The implication within the illustration is that a servant would do this so that the house would be well lit when the master returned. Alternate translation: [and make sure that the house is well lit]
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.