OET interlinear TIT 3:3

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

ἦμεν γάρ ποτε καὶ ἡμεῖς

were for once also we

The word translated as For indicates that what follows is a reason for what came before. A reason for being gentle and humble with foolish and disobedient people is that we also used to be that way. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that what follows is a reason for what came before. Alternate translation: “This is because we ourselves were once”

ποτε

once

Alternate translation: “formerly” or “at some time” or “previously”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exclusive

ἡμεῖς

we

Here the pronoun, we includes Paul, Titus, and all believers, referring to the time before they trusted in Christ. Alternate translation: “even we” or “we ourselves”

ἦμεν & ἀνόητοι

were & foolish

Alternate translation: “were thoughtless” or “were unwise”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / personification

πλανώμενοι, δουλεύοντες ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς ποικίλαις

/being/_strayed serving ˱in˲_lusts and gratifications various

Here, passions and pleasures are spoken of as if they were masters over people and had made those people into slaves by lying to them. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “We had allowed ourselves to believe the lie that pursuing various passions and pleasures would make us happy, and then we were unable to control our desires or stop doing things that we thought would give us pleasure”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

πλανώμενοι, δουλεύοντες ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς ποικίλαις

/being/_strayed serving ˱in˲_lusts and gratifications various

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. Alternate translation: “Various passions and pleasures led us astray and enslaved us”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐπιθυμίαις καὶ ἡδοναῖς ποικίλαις

˱in˲_lusts and gratifications various

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of passions and pleasures, you could express the same ideas in another way. Alternate translation: “by doing whatever we strongly desired to do and by doing whatever made us feel good”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ φθόνῳ διάγοντες

in malice and envy going_by

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of evil and envy, you could express the same ideas in another way. The words evil and envy describe sin. The word evil is general and envy is a specific kind of sin. Alternate translation: “We were always doing evil things and wanting what others have”

στυγητοί

hateful

Alternate translation: “doing things that made others hate us”