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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 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
Rev 21 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26
OET (OET-LV) And by_no_means not may_come_in into it any unclean thing, and the one practicing abomination and a_falsehood, except not/lest the ones having_been_written in the scroll of_ the _life of_the lamb.
OET (OET-RV) However, nothing that’s ‘unclean’ will ever enter the city, and nor will those with shameful or dishonest behaviour—only those whose names have been written in the lamb’s book of life.
In this section, an angel showed the new Jerusalem to John. The angel again used a metaphor of a bride to describe new Jerusalem. The city was large and beautiful. God lived there with his people. His glory lighted the city. John described the city, the river that flowed through the city, and the tree that gave life. There were no bad things in the city at all.
Other examples for this section heading are:
The vision of the new Jerusalem
John saw/described the new Jerusalem as a bride for the Lamb
But nothing unclean will ever enter it,
Nothing profane/unholy will ever enter it,
No unworthy/evil thing or person will ever enter the city.
But nothing unclean will ever enter it: The Greek clause is literally “Every profane (thing) shall never enter it.” This clause refers to things as well as people. Translate this clause so that it includes people. For example:
Nothing or no one impure will ever enter it
No impure thing or person will ever enter it
unclean: The Greek word that the BSB translates as unclean is literally “common” or “ordinary.” Here the word is used as an opposite to “holy.” So it means “anything that God says is bad.” Other ways to translate this word are:
unworthy (CEV)
not holy
against God
nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie,
and no detestable person or liar either,
Also no person who does obscene things or lies/deceives will ever enter it.
nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie: The phrase “will ever enter it” is implied from 21:27a but not repeated here. In some languages it is more natural to include some or all of the implied words. For example:
nor will anyone who practices an abomination or a lie ever enter it
anyone who practices an abomination: The Greek phrase is literally “the (one) doing abomination.” This phrase refers to people who do things that God considers detestable or very awful. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
anyone who does what is shameful (NIV)
anyone who does obscene things
anyone who does what is detestable (NET)
a lie: This word refers to a person who tells lies as a way of life.
but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
but only the people whose names are in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
The only people who will enter are those whose names are in the Lamb’s book of the people to whom God will give eternal life.
but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active or intransitive clause. Jesus probably wrote the book, since it is his. For example:
only those whose names the Lamb had written in his Book of Life
only those whose names were in the Lamb’s Book of Life
If you translate according to the last example, your translation should imply that the names were written.
the Lamb’s Book of Life: This phrase refers to a Book that has in it the names of people to whom God will give eternal Life. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the Lamb’s Book in which is the names of those who have eternal life
the Lamb’s Book with/having the names of those to whom God will give eternal life
See how you translated the phrase “the Book of Life” in 3:5 or 20:12.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure
οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτὴν πᾶν κοινὸν, καὶ ὁ ποιῶν βδέλυγμα καὶ ψεῦδος
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί οὒ μή εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν παν κοινόν καί ὁ ποιῶν βδέλυγμα καί ψεῦδος εἰ μή οἱ γεγραμμένοι ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Ἀρνίου)
It may be more natural to put the information about the one doing abomination and falsehood with the information about the everything unclean. Alternate translation: [everything unclean and the one doing abomination and falsehood will not at all enter into her]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ὁ ποιῶν βδέλυγμα καὶ ψεῦδος
the_‹one› practicing abomination (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί οὒ μή εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν παν κοινόν καί ὁ ποιῶν βδέλυγμα καί ψεῦδος εἰ μή οἱ γεγραμμένοι ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Ἀρνίου)
If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of abomination and falsehood, you could express the same ideas in other ways. Alternate translation: [anyone who does abominable things and tells lies]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
εἰ μὴ
except (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Καί οὒ μή εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν παν κοινόν καί ὁ ποιῶν βδέλυγμα καί ψεῦδος εἰ μή οἱ γεγραμμένοι ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ Ἀρνίου)
This expression limits the meaning of enter to the people it introduces. Your language may have its own way of expressing this idea. Alternate translation: [but only]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
οἱ γεγραμμένοι
the_‹ones› ˓having_been˒_written
John is referring to the names of people by association with the people themselves. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the ones whose names have been written]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
οἱ γεγραμμένοι
the_‹ones› ˓having_been˒_written
If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. If you need to say who did the action, the context suggests that it was God. Alternate translation: [the ones whom God has written] or [the ones whose names God has written]
21:27 evil (or ceremonially unclean): Spiritual impurity is a basic concern in Revelation (see 21:8). Evil is here generalized as idolatry and dishonesty (see Rev 14:5; 21:8; 22:15). Those who fail to appear in the Book of Life are excluded from the city of God. Only those whose names are written in the Book of Life, the pure of heart (Matt 5:8), will see God.
OET (OET-LV) And by_no_means not may_come_in into it any unclean thing, and the one practicing abomination and a_falsehood, except not/lest the ones having_been_written in the scroll of_ the _life of_the lamb.
OET (OET-RV) However, nothing that’s ‘unclean’ will ever enter the city, and nor will those with shameful or dishonest behaviour—only those whose names have been written in the lamb’s book of life.
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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