OET interlinear MARK 11:31

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς

with themselves

Here, the phrase with each other could mean: (1) that the Jewish leaders were reasoning with one another. Alternate translation: “with one another” (2) that the Jewish leaders were thinking this without saying it. Alternate translation: “within themselves”

Note 2 topic: writing-quotations

λέγοντες

saying

Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: “and they said”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἐρεῖ, διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

if ˱we˲_/may/_say from heaven ˱he˲_/will_be/_saying for_reason why therefore not ˱you_all˲_believed ˱in˲_him

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there are not quotations within a quotation. Alternate translation: “If we say that it was from heaven, then he will ask us for what reason we did not believe him.”

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-condition-hypothetical

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἐρεῖ, διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ

if ˱we˲_/may/_say from heaven ˱he˲_/will_be/_saying for_reason why therefore not ˱you_all˲_believed ˱in˲_him

Here the Jewish leaders use an imaginary situation to help them decide how to answer the question. Use a natural method in your language for introducing an imaginary situation. Alternate translation: “Imagine that we say, ‘From heaven.’ In that case, he will say to us, ‘For what reason then did you not believe him?’”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

ἐξ οὐρανοῦ

from heaven

The Jewish leaders are leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from the context if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: “John’s baptism was from heaven” or “It was from heaven”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

ἐξ οὐρανοῦ

from heaven

See how you translated the similar phrase in 11:30. Alternate translation: “From God”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

διὰ τί οὖν οὐκ ἐπιστεύσατε αὐτῷ?

for_reason why therefore not ˱you_all˲_believed ˱in˲_him

The Jewish leaders expect that Jesus would use the question form to rebuke them. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: “Then you should have believed him.” or “You certainly should have believed him, then!”