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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
Rev C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22
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OET (OET-LV) (Behold, I_am_coming like a_thief.
Blessed is the one watching and keeping the clothes of_him, in_order_that not naked he_may_be_walking, and they_may_be_seeing the shame of_him.
)
OET (OET-RV) (“Listen, I am coming unexpectedly like a thief! It’ll be good for the ones who are alert and with their clothes ready so they won’t have to walk around naked and exposed.”)
In this section, each of the seven angels in turn poured God’s wrath from his bowl. Each angel caused a different plague to happen on the earth. The people of the earth suffered greatly from the plagues, but they refused to repent.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
The seven angels poured God’s wrath from seven bowls
The seven bowls of God’s anger
This verse interrupts the story of the sixth angel. The verse was probably placed here in response to talking about the “great day of God Almighty.” Jesus wants his followers to be ready for that day.
Therefore, you may want to:
Indicate that the verse interrupts the narrative. The BSB and GNT use a separate paragraph for this verse. The RSV puts this whole verse in parentheses. The NJB puts a long dash before and after this verse. The NET uses an indented paragraph and parentheses. Almost all the English versions on Translator’s Workplace include this in quotation marks to show that it is Jesus interrupting what John saw. For example:
(“See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed, not going about naked and exposed to shame.”) (NRSV)
14…on that great judgment day of God the Almighty.
15“Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their clothing ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”
16And the demonic spirits gathered… (NLT)
Indicate in your translation that Jesus spoke. For example:
Suddenly Jesus spoke, “Look, I will come like a thief! Favored is the one who remains alert and keeps his clothes on, so that he will not be naked and people see his shame/nakedness.”
Jesus interrupted, “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”
Put this verse after 16:16 and name the combined verses 16:15–16. You may then want to make clear that the warning refers to the “great day of God Almighty.” For example:
Regarding the great day of God Almighty, the Lamb said, “Behold, I come…
This verse is a warning from Jesus. It warns believers to be ready.
“Behold, I am coming like a thief.
¶ “Look/Hey, I will come unexpectedly, like a thief!
¶ Suddenly Jesus spoke, “Listen/Wow, I will come unexpectedly!
Behold: This word means “look.” The word emphasizes or calls attention to the words that follow. It is not a command to look at something. Other ways to translate this word are:
Indeed/Hey
Look (NJB)
Listen! (GNT)
I am coming like a thief: This clause indicates that Jesus will come unexpectedly, as thieves do. The phrase like a thief does not mean that he will come to steal. It has the same meaning as in 3:3. See how you translated it there.
Blessed is the one who remains awake
Favored is the one who remains alert
In a good place in God’s eyes are the people who remain on guard
Blessed: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Blessed describes a person who is in a good situation. In the Bible, the good situation results from God showing favor/kindness to the person.
This word does not primarily refer to a feeling. However, a person in this good situation will frequently have good feelings like happiness and joy. Do not use a word that only refers to material prosperity or physical health.
Other ways to translate this word are:
Favored
How good it is
In a good/desirable position in God’s eyes
Shown kindness by God
See how you translated this word in 1:3 or 14:13.
and clothed,
and keeps his clothes nearby,
and have their clothes next to them.
the one who remains awake and clothed: These words refer figuratively to a believer being prepared and ready for something to happen.
In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to being awake and keeping clothes nearby. It would not refer to being prepared and ready for something to happen. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
Translate literally and explain its meaning in a footnote. For example:
These words refer figuratively to a believer being prepared and ready for something to happen.
Translate literally and explain its meaning in your translation. For example:
being prepared/ready like the person who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
he who is prepared and ready You may then want a footnote to explain the literal words. For example:
Literally: “he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him.”
the one: The words the one refers to anyone, man or woman.
remains awake: The Greek word here can mean “be awake” (as in the RSV, NIV, and GNT) or “be on watch” (as in the NJB). Translate this phrase so that it clearly refers to a believer remaining strong in his faith.
clothed: The Greek words are literally “keeping his clothes.” It probably implies wearing and guarding the clothes. Other ways to translate these words are:
has kept his clothes on (NJB)
guards his clothes (GNT)
so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.”
so that he will not walk around naked and people see his shame/nakedness.”
In that way, they will not be naked in public and ashamed.”
go naked: The Greek words are literally “walk naked.” It refers to being naked in public. For example:
walk around naked (GNT)
let his shame be exposed: The Greek clause is literally “they see his shame” (as in the KJV). The pronoun “they” is general and refers to anyone.
The word “shame” refers to the feeling of being naked in public, which would cause him shame. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
be ashamed in public (GNT)
people see his shame/nakedness
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
In this verse, Jesus breaks into John’s narrative of his vision to address the believers who are listening to it or reading it. ULT puts the verse in parentheses to show this. There may be a comparable convention in your language that you can use in your translation. You can also state explicitly that the Lord Jesus said this, as UST does.
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / simile
ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης
˱I˲_˓am˒_coming like ˓a˒_thief
The point of this comparison is that Jesus is coming at a time when people will not be expecting him, just as a thief comes when people are not expecting him. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [I am coming at a time when you are not expecting me]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τηρῶν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, ἵνα μὴ γυμνὸς περιπατῇ, καὶ βλέπωσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ
keeping (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης Μακάριος ὁ γρηγορῶν καί τηρῶν τά ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἵνα μή γυμνός περιπατῇ καί βλέπωσιν τήν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ)
As the General Introduction to Revelation discusses, here the term “keeping” means “preserving,” that is, maintaining the garments in good repair. This represents living in a way that pleases God. Walking around naked similarly stands for living in a way that displeases God, that is, committing sins. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [continuing to live in a way that pleases God and not committing sins that others can see]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
τηρῶν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ
keeping (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης Μακάριος ὁ γρηγορῶν καί τηρῶν τά ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἵνα μή γυμνός περιπατῇ καί βλέπωσιν τήν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ)
This expression means to keep one’s garments on, that is, to continue to wear clothes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [continuing to wear clothes]
Note 5 topic: writing-pronouns
καὶ βλέπωσιν τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης Μακάριος ὁ γρηγορῶν καί τηρῶν τά ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἵνα μή γυμνός περιπατῇ καί βλέπωσιν τήν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ)
The pronoun they is an indefinite pronoun that does not refer to anyone in the immediate context. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this with a different expression that does not use an indefinite pronoun. Alternate translation: [so that people can see his indecency]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἰδού ἔρχομαι ὡς κλέπτης Μακάριος ὁ γρηγορῶν καί τηρῶν τά ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἵνα μή γυμνός περιπατῇ καί βλέπωσιν τήν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτοῦ)
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of indecency, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [indecent behavior]
OET (OET-LV) (Behold, I_am_coming like a_thief.
Blessed is the one watching and keeping the clothes of_him, in_order_that not naked he_may_be_walking, and they_may_be_seeing the shame of_him.
)
OET (OET-RV) (“Listen, I am coming unexpectedly like a thief! It’ll be good for the ones who are alert and with their clothes ready so they won’t have to walk around naked and exposed.”)
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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