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OET (OET-LV) Behold, I am_sending_ you_all _out as sheep in the_midst of_wolves, therefore be_becoming shrewd as the serpents and innocent as the doves.
OET (OET-RV) “Look out, because I’m sending you out like sheep among the wolves, so you’ll all need to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exclamations
ἰδοὺ
behold
Here, the word behold draws the attention of the audience and asks them to listen carefully. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express behold with a word or phrase that asks the audience to listen, or you could draw the audience’s attention in another way. Alternate translation: [Picture this:] or [Consider this:]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων
as sheep in /the/_midst ˱of˲_wolves
Here Jesus compares his disciples to sheep, animals which are defenseless and not dangerous. He compares people who want to harm them to wolves, animals which are dangerous and likely to kill and eat sheep. If it would be helpful in your language, you could explain the simile or use more general expressions for the animals. Alternate translation: [as sheep in the midst of wolves, since some people will want to harm you] or [as harmless animals that will encounter a group of predators]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις
shrewd as ¬the serpents
Here Jesus wants his disciples to be like serpents, which were considered wise in Jesus’ culture. If serpents are not considered wise in your culture, you may need to express the idea without the simile form. In this context, the phrase wise as the serpents could mean that the disciples should be: (1) clever or shrewd. Alternate translation: [shrewd] (2) watchful. Alternate translation: [watchful] or [careful]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί
innocent as the doves
Here Jesus wants his disciples to be like doves, which were considered harmless in Jesus’ culture. If doves are not considered harmless in your culture, you may need to express the idea without the simile form. In this context, the phrase harmless as the doves could mean that the disciples should be: (1) innocent. Alternate translation: [guileless] or [without guilt] (2) gentle. Alternate translation: [gentle] or [kind]
10:16 False leaders who prey upon people’s spiritual vulnerability rather than exercise appropriate pastoral care are often called wolves (Ezek 22:27; Zeph 3:3; cp. Prov 28:15).
• be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves: The proverb calls for being astute but not deceitful.
OET (OET-LV) Behold, I am_sending_ you_all _out as sheep in the_midst of_wolves, therefore be_becoming shrewd as the serpents and innocent as the doves.
OET (OET-RV) “Look out, because I’m sending you out like sheep among the wolves, so you’ll all need to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
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 SR-GNT.