LUKE 3:17 Parallel Verse View

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.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
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 whose winnowing fork is in his hand to thoroughly clear off his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

UST The Messiah is ready to do this, just like a farmer who has his winnowing fork ready to use. A farmer separates all the good grain from the useless chaff. He stores the grain safely in his barn, but he burns the chaff until it is all gone. That represents how the Messiah will gather up the people who are pleasing to God, and he will punish the people who are displeasing to God.”

BSB [His] winnowing fork [is] in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

MSB [His] winnowing fork [is] in His hand, and He will clear[fn] His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

BLB of whom the winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn. But He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

AICNT His winnowing fork is in his hand {to clear}[fn] his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into {his}[fn] storehouse, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

3:17, to clear: 𝔓4 ℵ(01) B(02) NA28 SBLGNT THGNT ‖ Some manuscripts read “And he will clear.” A(02) C(04) D(05) BYZ TR

3:17, his: Some manuscripts read “the.” D(05) Latin(e)

OEB His winnowing-fan is in his hand so that he may clear his threshing-floor, and store the grain in his barn, but the chaff he will burn with a fire that cannot be put out.’

WEBBE His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

WMBB (Same as above)

NET His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.”

LSV whose winnowing shovel [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly cleanse His floor, and will gather the wheat into His storehouse, and He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

FBV His winnowing fork is in his hand and he's ready to separate the wheat from the chaff on his threshing floor. He'll gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with fire that can't be extinguished.”

TCNT His winnowing fork is in his [fn]hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

3:17 hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and ¦ hand to thoroughly clean out his threshing floor and to CT

T4T He is like a man [MET] who wants to clear away the grain on the ground where it has been threshed {they have threshed it}. That man uses a huge fork to throw the grain into the air to separate the wheat from the chaff [MET], and then he cleans up the threshing area. Similarly, God will separate righteous people from the evil people, like a man who gathers the wheat into his storage area, and then he will burn those who are like chaff with a fire ◄that will never be put out/that will burn forever►.”

LEB His winnowing shovel is in his hand, to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his storehouse, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

BBE In whose hand is the instrument with which he will make clean his grain; he will put the good grain in his store, but the waste will be burned in the fire which will never be put out.

Moff His winnowing-fan is in his hand to purge his threshing-floor,
⇔ to gather the wheat into his granary and
⇔ burn the straw with fire unquenchable."

Wymth His winnowing-shovel is in His hand to clear out His threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into His storehouse; but the chaff He will burn up in fire unquenchable."

ASV whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

DRA Whose fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

YLT whose winnowing shovel [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather the wheat to his storehouse, and the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.'

Drby whose winnowing-fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his threshing-floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

RV whose fan is in his hand, throughly to cleanse his threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.
(whose fan is in his hand, thoroughly to cleanse his threshing-floor, and to gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire. )

SLT Whose winnowing fan in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor, and gather the wheat into his store; and the chaff he will burn down with inextinguishable fire.

Wbstr Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his floor, and will gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.

KJB-1769 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
(Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. )

KJB-1611 Whose fanne is in his hand, and he will thorowly purge his floore, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaffe he will burne with fire vnquencheable.
(Whose fanne is in his hand, and he will thorowly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn with fire unquencheable.)

Bshps Which hath his fanne in his hande, & wyll purge his floore, & wyll gather the wheate into his barne: but ye chaffe wyl burne vp, with fire that neuer shalbe quenched.
(Which hath/has his fanne in his hand, and will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn: but ye/you_all chaff will burn up, with fire that never shall be quenched.)

Gnva Whose fanne is in his hande, and hee will make cleane his floore, and will gather the wheate into his garner, but the chaffe will hee burne vp with fire that neuer shalbe quenched.
(Whose fanne is in his hand, and he will make clean his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff will he burn up with fire that never shall be quenched. )

Cvdl Whose fanne is in his hande, and he shal pourge his floore, and shal gather ye wheate in to his barne, and shal burne the chaffe with vnquencheable fyre.
(Whose fanne is in his hand, and he shall pourge his floor, and shall gather ye/you_all wheat in to his barn, and shall burn the chaff with unquencheable fire.)

TNT which hath his fanne in his hond and will pourge his floore and will gader the corne into his barne: but the chaffe wyll he bourne with fyre that never shalbe quenched.
(which hath/has his fanne in his hand and will pourge his floor and will gader the corn into his barn: but the chaff will he bourne with fire that never shall be quenched. )

Wycl Whos `wynewyng tool in his hond, and he schal purge his floor of corn, and schal gadere the whete in to his berne; but the chaffis he schal brenne with fier vnquenchable.
(Whos wynewing tool in his hand, and he shall purge his floor of corn, and shall gather the wheat in to his berne; but the chaffis he shall burn with fire unquenchable.)

Luth In desselbigen Hand ist die Worfschaufel; und er wird seine Tenne fegen und wird den Weizen in seine Scheuer sammeln und die Spreu wird er mit ewigem Feuer verbrennen.
(In of_the_same hand is the Worfschaufel; and he becomes his Tenne sweep and becomes the wheat in his Scheuer collect and the Spreu becomes he with eternal fire(n) burn.)

ClVg cujus ventilabrum in manu ejus, et purgabit aream suam, et congregabit triticum in horreum suum, paleas autem comburet igni inextinguibili.
(whose ventilabrum in/into/on by_hand his, and purgabit area his_own, and will_gather wheat in/into/on horreum his_own, straw however comburet fire inextinguibili. )

UGNT οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ διακαθᾶραι τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συναγαγεῖν τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.
(hou to ptuon en taʸ ⱪeiri autou diakatharai taʸn halōna autou, kai sunagagein ton siton eis taʸn apothaʸkaʸn autou, to de aⱪuron katakausei puri asbestōi.)

SBL-GNT οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ⸀διακαθᾶραι τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καὶ ⸀συναγαγεῖν τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.
(hou to ptuon en taʸ ⱪeiri autou ⸀diakatharai taʸn halōna autou kai ⸀sunagagein ton siton eis taʸn apothaʸkaʸn autou, to de aⱪuron katakausei puri asbestōi.)

RP-GNT οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.
(hou to ptuon en taʸ ⱪeiri autou, kai diakathariei taʸn halōna autou, kai sunaxei ton siton eis taʸn apothaʸkaʸn autou, to de aⱪuron katakausei puri asbestōi.)

TC-GNT οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, [fn]καὶ διακαθαριεῖ τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συνάξει τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ, τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ.
(hou to ptuon en taʸ ⱪeiri autou, kai diakathariei taʸn halōna autou, kai sunaxei ton siton eis taʸn apothaʸkaʸn autou, to de aⱪuron katakausei puri asbestōi. )

3:17 και διακαθαριει … συναξει ¦ διακαθαραι … συναγαγειν CT

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–20: John the Baptizer prepared the way for Jesus

The last event in Luke 2 describes Jesus’ trip to Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. This section begins about eighteen years later. At the beginning of chapter 3, both Jesus and John the Baptizer were about thirty years old. Both men were ready to begin public ministry.

It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it. Some other possible headings for this section are:

The Preaching of John (NCV)

John the Baptist and Jesus (REB)

John the Baptizer tells people to prepare themselves for the Messiah

Parts of Luke 3:1–20 are basically the same as verses in Matthew 3:1–12. But Luke 3:1–2, 10–14, and 19–20 are not in Matthew.

Paragraph 3:15–18

The people who listened to John began to think that John himself might be the Christ/Messiah. But John made it clear that the Messiah was a different person who would come after him. The Messiah would have much greater authority and power than John had.

3:17

In this verse, John illustrated the actions of the Christ by talking about a farmer harvesting his grain. After farmers harvested grain in that culture, they “threshed” it by dragging or rolling something heavy over the grain. This caused the seeds to separate from the stalk and the husks.

Then the farmer “winnowed” the grain by using a large fork to throw the whole grain into the air. The wind would blow away the lightweight straw and husks so that only the grain seed was left. The farmer would then put the grain seed into bags. He gathered the straw and husks to burn them.

John used threshing and winnowing as metaphors to describe how the Christ would separate people who repented from people who did not repent. If the meaning of this metaphor is not clear in your language, you may need to use a simile. For example:

He is like a farmer who is already holding his winnowing fork to separate the chaff from the wheat and then clean up his threshing area. He will separate people who repent from other people, and he will value them like the wheat a farmer gathers into his barn. But he will punish the other people with never-ending fire like a farmer burns up the useless husks of the grain.

3:17a

His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor

He is holding a winnowing fork, ready to clear/clean out his threshing floor
He has picked up his thing/implement for separating grain from straw, and is ready to clear the place where he threshes the grain.
He is ready to separate people who have repented from others, like a man separates wheat seeds from the useless husks and straw.

His winnowing fork is in His hand: This part of the verse describes a person who is about to winnow grain. When he has his winnowing fork in his hand, he is ready to begin to winnow the grain. In this context, this illustration is a metaphor. It indicates that the Christ was ready to act quickly. Other ways to translate this are:

He is like a farmer holding a winnowing fork

He has picked up his winnowing fork and is ready

winnowing fork: The Greek word that the BSB translates as winnowing fork refers to a big implement that looks something like a fork. People used it to throw grain into the air so that the wind would separate the grain from the chaff that is useless as food. The winnowing fork represents the Messiah’s authority to separate people who repent from those who refuse to repent.

If people in your area are not familiar with a winnowing fork, you can describe the action of winnowing and not mention the instrument. For example:

He is ready to separate the grain from the chaff

to clear His threshing floor: There are two ways to interpret the Greek phrase that the BSB translates as to clear His threshing floor:

It means to clear/clean the threshing floor. For example:
to clean out his threshing floor (NET) (BSB, NIV, REB, KJV, NASB, NJB, NET, GW, NLT)
It means to thresh out all the grain. For example:
he is ready to separate the wheat from the husks (CEV) (GNT, CEV, NCV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The farmer would clear/clean his threshing floor by letting the wind blow the chaff to the side and then gathering and storing the grain. The chaff would then be gathered and burned.

threshing floor: A threshing floor was a flat area outdoors where the grains of wheat were separated from the chaff.

3:17b

and to gather the wheat into His barn;

and collect the grain/wheat into his barn/granary.
He will be like a man who saves/puts the wheat into his storehouse,

gather the wheat into His barn: The farmer put the grain in a safe place where he stored it. This represents the Christ/Messiah saving people who believe in him.

wheat: The word wheat refers to a certain type of grain plant and to the grain that the plant produces. Wheat plants have a stalk. On top of the stalk there are clusters of seeds, which are the wheat grains.

In some areas wheat may not be known. If that is true in your area, other ways to translate it are:

Use a more general term. For example:
grain
Use a different type of grain that is grown in your area and is similar to wheat. For example:
barley

You may want to include a footnote in your translation to give information about wheat.

His barn: The Greek word that the BSB translates as barn refers to a storage area for grain. It can also be translated as:

storehouse (NET)

granary (NRSV)

3:17c

but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

But the useless chaff/husks/straw he will destroy/burn in the fire that never ends.”
but throws the wheat husks and straw into a fire to burn. No one can put out the fire that he will kindle/use.”

He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire: The chaff was the husk and the stalk (or straw). A farmer burned the chaff because it was not good to eat. This illustrates the fact that the Christ will punish those who do not repent. The unquenchable fire is a fire that people cannot put out and that never stops burning. The fire that a farmer uses to burn chaff does not burn forever, but the unquenchable fire represents eternal punishment for people who do not repent.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ

˱of˲_whom (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὗ τό πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρί αὐτοῦ διακαθᾶραι τήν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καί συναγαγεῖν τόν σῖτον εἰς τήν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ τό δέ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρί ἀσβέστῳ)

John is saying that the Messiah will come prepared to judge people right away. You could express this metaphor as a simile in your translation. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here in your translation. Alternate translation: [He will already be prepared to judge people, just like a farmer who is ready to thresh grain]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

οὗ τὸ πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ

The phrase in his hand is an idiom that means he has the tool all ready to use. Alternate translation: [He has his winnowing fork ready to use]

Note 3 topic: translate-unknown

πτύον

winnowing_fork_‹is›

This is a tool for tossing wheat into the air to separate the wheat grain from the chaff. The heavier grain falls back down, and the wind blows away the unwanted chaff. This tool is similar to a pitchfork. If you have a similar tool in your culture, you could use the word for it here. Otherwise, you could use a phrase that would express the meaning. Alternate translation: [tool for threshing grain]

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

διακαθᾶραι τὴν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ

˓to˒_clear_out (Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὗ τό πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρί αὐτοῦ διακαθᾶραι τήν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καί συναγαγεῖν τόν σῖτον εἰς τήν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ τό δέ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρί ἀσβέστῳ)

The threshing floor was the place where wheat was stacked in preparation for threshing. To clear off the floor is to finish threshing all the grain. Alternate translation: [to completely thresh all of his grain]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

καὶ συναγαγεῖν τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: οὗ τό πτύον ἐν τῇ χειρί αὐτοῦ διακαθᾶραι τήν ἅλωνα αὐτοῦ καί συναγαγεῖν τόν σῖτον εἰς τήν ἀποθήκην αὐτοῦ τό δέ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρί ἀσβέστῳ)

John continues to speak to describe how the coming Messiah will judge people. The wheat is the part of the crop that is useful. It represents people who are obedient to God, who will be welcomed into his presence. You could express this metaphor as a simile in your translation. It may be helpful to begin a new sentence here. Alternate translation: [He will welcome those who are obedient to God, just as a farmer stores good grain in his barn]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

τὸ δὲ ἄχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ