9:35a

And: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “and.” Some English versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, and Revised Standard Version, translate it that way. Some other versions, including the NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), and New Revised Standard Version, translate it as “Then,” since it introduces the next event in the story. Several other versions, including the Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, and New International Version, do not translate this conjunction. Introduce this next event in a natural way in your language.

a voice came from the cloud, saying: In some languages it may not be natural to say that a voice “came.” Other ways to translate this are:

There was a voice from the cloud that said
-or-
They heard a voice that came from the cloud

The voice was the voice of God. In some languages it may be more natural to say that God was speaking rather than that his voice came. For example:

⌊God⌋ spoke from the cloud, and he said…
-or-

⌊They heard God⌋ speaking from the cloud. He said…

9:35b

This is My Son, whom I have chosen: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as This is My Son, whom I have chosen is literally “This is my Son, the chosen one.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the information that it was God who chose Jesus.

God chose Jesus in the sense that he appointed Jesus for a special purpose. Only Jesus could fulfill that purpose, because he is God’s only Son. Your translation should not imply that God selected Jesus from among many other sons. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

This is my Son, my Chosen One (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
This is my Son. He is the one whom I have appointed

My Son: Here the words My Son indicate that Jesus has the same nature as God and that he comes from God. They also indicate that the relationship between God and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship of human fathers and sons. God does not have a physical body, and he did not create/produce Jesus the way a human father produces a son. Jesus existed eternally as the Son with his Father.

In some areas people may not understand the way My Son is used in this context. If that is true in your area, you may wish to include a footnote. For example:

God is the Father of Jesus the Son in a different way than human males are fathers of their sons. The Bible uses the word Son to express the fact that Jesus has the same nature as God. It also indicates that the relationship between God and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship of human fathers and sons.

The word Son, referring to the Son of God, first occurs in Luke in 1:32b.

In languages where there is no single word for Son, many translators have used a more general expression, such as:

my child
-or-
my male child

If you decide to use “my male child,” be sure that this expression does not imply that God had another child who was female.

whom I have chosen: In some languages it may be necessary to specify the purpose for which God chose his Son. If that is true in your language, try to use a general expression. For example:

chosen ⌊by Me⌋ ⌊to do My will⌋ (Translator’s Reference Translation)

9:35c

Listen to Him!: This is a command addressed to the three disciples. The Greek text emphasizes the word Him. Jesus the Messiah was the one they should listen to, in contrast to Moses and Elijah. Show this emphasis in a natural way in your language. Some ways to do this in English are:

he is the one to whom you should listen
-or-
listen to him alone/only

Listen: The verb Listen implies obeying as well as hearing. If people in your area would not understand that the word Listen implies “obey,” you may want to include this implied information. For example:

listen to him ⌊and obey him⌋

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