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Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) Because of that, take great care in exactly how you’re living. Don’t live like fools, but like wise people,![]()
OET-LV Therefore be_watching_out exactly how you_all_are_walking, not as unwise, but as wise,![]()
SR-GNT Βλέπετε οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλʼ ὡς σοφοί, ‡
(Blepete oun akribōs pōs peripateite, maʸ hōs asofoi, allʼ hōs sofoi,)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT Watch carefully, therefore, how you walk—not as unwise but as wise,
UST So be very careful how you live. Do not behave as foolish people do. Instead, behave as wise people do.
BSB Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
MSB Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
BLB Therefore carefully take heed how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
AICNT So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
OEB Take great care, then, how you live – not unwisely but wisely,
WEBBE Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise,
WMBB (Same as above)
NET Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise,
LSV See, then, how exactly you walk, not as unwise, but as wise,
FBV So be careful how you live your life, not foolishly, but wisely,
TCNT ¶ [fn]See then that you walk carefully, not as unwise people but as wise,
5:15 See then that you walk carefully ¦ Look carefully then how you walk CT
T4T So be very careful how you behave. Do not behave as foolish people do. Instead, behave as wise people do.
LEB Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise,
BBE Take care then how you are living, not as unwise, but as wise;
Moff Be strictly careful then about the life you lead; act like sensible men, not like thoughtless;
Wymth Therefore be very careful how you live and act. Let it not be as unwise men, but as wise.
ASV Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise;
DRA See therefore, brethren, how you walk circumspectly: not as unwise,
YLT See, then, how exactly ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise,
Drby See therefore how ye walk carefully, not as unwise but as wise,
RV Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise;
(Look therefore carefully how ye/you_all walk, not as unwise, but as wise; )
SLT See therefore how ye walk accurately, not as unwise, but as wise,
Wbstr See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
KJB-1769 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
(See then that ye/you_all walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, )
KJB-1611 See then that yee walke circumspectly, not as fooles, but as wise,
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)
Bshps Take heede therfore howe ye walke circumspectlye: not as vnwyse, but as wyse,
(Take heed therefore how ye/you_all walk circumspectlye: not as unwise, but as wise,)
Gnva Take heede therefore that yee walke circumspectly, not as fooles, but as wise,
(Take heed therefore that ye/you_all walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, )
Cvdl Take hede therfore how ye walke circumspectly, not as the vnwyse, but as ye wyse,
(Take heed therefore how ye/you_all walk circumspectly, not as the unwise, but as ye/you_all wise,)
TNT Take hede therfore that ye walke circuspectly: not as foles: but as wyse
(Take heed therefore that ye/you_all walk circuspectly: not as foles: but as wise )
Wycl Therfor, britheren, se ye, hou warli ye schulen go;
(Therefore, brethren/brothers, see ye/you_all, how warily ye/you_all should go;)
Luth So sehet nun zu, wie ihr vorsichtiglich wandelt, nicht als die Unweisen, sondern als die Weisen.
(So see now to/for, as/like you(pl)/their/her cautiouslich transforms, not as the Unweisen, rather as the ways/manners.)
ClVg Videte itaque, fratres, quomodo caute ambuletis: non quasi insipientes,
(See therefore, brothers, how caute walk: not/no as_if unwise, )
UGNT βλέπετε οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ’ ὡς σοφοί,
(blepete oun akribōs pōs peripateite, maʸ hōs asofoi, all’ hōs sofoi,)
SBL-GNT Βλέπετε οὖν ⸂ἀκριβῶς πῶς⸃ περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλʼ ὡς σοφοί,
(Blepete oun ⸂akribōs pōs⸃ peripateite, maʸ hōs asofoi allʼ hōs sofoi,)
RP-GNT Βλέπετε οὖν πῶς ἀκριβῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ' ὡς σοφοί,
(Blepete oun pōs akribōs peripateite, maʸ hōs asofoi, all' hōs sofoi,)
TC-GNT ¶ Βλέπετε οὖν [fn]πῶς ἀκριβῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς σοφοί,
( ¶ Blepete oun pōs akribōs peripateite, maʸ hōs asofoi, all hōs sofoi, )
5:15 πως ακριβως ¦ ακριβως πως CT
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).
5:15 Fools have no understanding of God and his ways, but those who are wise do know God and understand his ways (see Job 28:28; Prov 1:7; 2:1-22).
In chapter 5, Paul continued with the subject of Christian behavior, which he had begun in the last section of chapter 4. So it is not necessary to start a new section here. One reason to start a new section here is to help the reader, as the previous section is already long. Some English versions begin a new section at 5:1 (BSB, GNT, NLT, NET, GW, NCV, ESV, NASB, NKJV), and some do not (NIV, RSV, NRSV, NJB, CEV, REB, KJV). You may want to consult your national translation and follow their example.
In this section, Paul exhorted the Christians to imitate God and avoid the sins of the pagan people surrounding them.
Here are some other examples for a heading for this section:
Living in the light (GNT, NLT, NCV)
Imitate God (GW)
In 5:15, 5:17 and 5:18, Paul gives three pairs of commands:
5:15 “walk…not as unwise but as wise”
5:17 “do not be foolish, but understand…”
5:18 “do not get drunk…. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (RSV).
In each case Paul gives a negative command (something to not do) followed by “but” or “Instead,” then a positive command (something to do). Think how to translate these commands naturally in your language. Here are some possibilities:
In some languages, it will be better to use a conjunction other than “but” to link the negative and positive commands, for example:
Do not behave like unwise people; instead, behave like wise people.
In some languages, it is best to use no conjunction at all, for example:
Do not behave like unwise people. Behave like wise people!
In some languages, it is more natural to put the positive first. For example:
Behave like wise people; do not behave as unwise people.
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk,
¶ Therefore, be careful in the way you(plur) act.
¶ So, take care how you(plur) behave.
Pay careful attention: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Pay careful attention is literally “Therefore look/see carefully,” which is a Greek way of telling them “to pay or give attention to” something. Paul is giving a warning to his audience about how they should live their lives.
then: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as then is a logical connector that introduces an appeal based on what he has said in the earlier part of chapter 5. This word is not a time word. It can be translated as:
therefore (NET)
so (NCV)
so then (GW)
walk: The Greek word that the BSB literally translates as walk means “to behave or live.” See the notes on “walk” in 2:2a, 2:10c, 4:1b and 5:8c.
not as unwise but as wise,
Do not behave like foolish people; instead, behave wisely.
Behave wisely rather than foolishly.
unwise…wise: The Greek word that the BSB translates as wise refers to the ability to understand what happens and decide on the right action. So unwise has the opposite meaning. Here is another way to translate the word unwise:
foolish people (GW)
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
βλέπετε οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε, μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ’ ὡς σοφοί
˓be˒_watching_out (Some words not found in SR-GNT: βλέπετε Οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε μή ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλʼ ὡς σοφοί)
Paul assumes that his readers will understand that people who are unwise do not guard themselves against sin. Wise people, however, can identify sin and flee from it. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [Therefore, you must be careful to live as a wise person rather than a foolish person]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
οὖν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: βλέπετε Οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε μή ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλʼ ὡς σοφοί)
The connecting word therefore introduces a reason-result relationship. The reason is that Christ has shown the light on him. The result is that the sinner will walk carefully in the light. Use a phrase in your language that connects a reason to a result.
Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
ἀλλ’
but
The connecting word but introduces a contrast relationship. Being unwise is in contrast to being wise.
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ’ ὡς σοφοί
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: βλέπετε Οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε μή ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλʼ ὡς σοφοί)
The verb “walk” is left out. You can state this clearly. Alternate translation: [not walking as those who are unwise but walking as those who are wise]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / nominaladj
μὴ ὡς ἄσοφοι, ἀλλ’ ὡς σοφοί,
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: βλέπετε Οὖν ἀκριβῶς πῶς περιπατεῖτε μή ὡς ἄσοφοι ἀλλʼ ὡς σοφοί)
Paul is using the adjectives unwise and wise as nouns to mean certain kinds of people. Your language may use adjectives in the same way. If not, you can translate these adjectives with equivalent phrases. Alternate translation: [not as those who act unwisely but as those who act wisely]