Section 13:9–13
Jesus warned his disciples that people would persecute them
In 13:9–13 Jesus warned his disciples that people would persecute them because they were his followers. They would suffer persecution from their fellow Jews (13:9a–c) and from other people (13:9d–e). He told them to always be prepared for opposition or persecution.
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The disciples must remain firm in their faith
-or-
The disciples must follow Christ even if others cause them to suffer for it
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 24:9–14 and Luke 21:12–19.
Paragraph 13:9–11
13:9
Because this is a new paragraph, you may need to remind readers that Jesus was still speaking to his disciples. For example:
Jesus continued speaking to his disciples. He said…
13:9a
So be on your guard: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So be on your guard is literally “you yourselves be looking/watching.” This phrase emphasizes the pronoun “you.” The same Greek verb occurs in 13:5, 13:23a, and 13:33a.
Here is another way to translate this:
As for you,(plur) you must always be/stay watching.
In some languages it may be necessary to indicate what to watch out for. For example:
Always watch(plur) out for people who will oppose you.
The idea be on your guard is a theme of this chapter. To make the theme clear, it is natural in some languages to use the same words in each verse where this expression occurs. In other languages it is natural to use similar expressions (synonyms) instead. Express this theme in a way that is natural in your language.
13:9b
Verse 13:9b–e gives the reasons for Jesus’ warning in 13:9a. The Greek has no conjunction at the beginning of 13:9b, but this connection is implied. The Revised Standard Version expresses the connection as:
for they will deliver you up
Connect 13:9b to 13:9a in the most natural way in your language.
You will be delivered over: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as You will be delivered over is literally “they will hand you over.” The Greek uses an active verb, but the Berean Standard Bible translates it with a passive verb.
In many languages it may be natural to use an active clause here, as the Greek text does. For example:
They will hand some of you over to stand trial
-or-
They will arrest some of you and accuse you
The people who would hand over the disciples would be certain Jews. They would say that the disciples were guilty of some crime against the Jewish religion. In some languages it may also be necessary to use a noun for the subject, instead of a form like “they.” For example:
Your enemies will hand you over
You: The Greek text uses a plural form here. It refers to some of the disciples. It probably does not imply that all the disciples would suffer in this way. If necessary, you may make this explicit:
Some of you
delivered over: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as delivered over here means “delivered into the power and control of the authorities.” The word implies that the enemies would accuse the disciples of something, and that the authorities would try them in court. In 13:12a the Berean Standard Bible translates this same Greek word as “betray.”
councils: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as councils refers to the groups of Jewish elders/leaders who served as judges in civil and criminal affairs. The Jews had these councils/groups in all their towns.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
in the local councils/courts
-or-
before the town leaders/judges
13:9c
beaten: The word beaten means “and you will be beaten.” The Greek word means “beat repeatedly with a whip.” The Romans used whips that had leather thongs and a wooden handle. They tied sharp pieces of metal into the leather thongs. When they beat a man with this whip, it could badly cut him up with just a few strokes. They beat him both on his back and on his chest.
There is a similar Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “flog” in 10:34b. See how you translated the term there.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
and they will cause people to whip you
-or-
and they will order people to beat you
synagogues: The synagogues were buildings where Jews gathered to pray, read scripture, teach their beliefs, and worship. The Jews also gathered there for cultural activities. There was only one temple (in Jerusalem), but each Jewish community had a synagogue.
Here are some other ways to translate synagogue:
prayer-house of the Jews
-or-
meeting-place of the Jews
-or-
worship building
-or-
house for gathering together
If you make explicit a phrase such as “of the Jews,” be sure that it does not imply that Jesus was not a Jew.
If the word synagogue is already known in your area, you may write it according to the sounds of your language. You may want to include a word or phrase to explain the meaning. For example:
sinagog house/building
Consider using a footnote that contains some of the information above. See synagogue in the Glossary.
13:9d–e
The Berean Standard Bible changes the order of the Greek phrases in 13:9d–e. The New Living Translation follows the Greek order:
9eYou will stand trial before governors and kings 9dbecause you are my followers.
The meaning is the same in the two versions. You should order these phrases in the way that is most natural in your language.
13:9d
On My account: The phrase On My account means “because of me,” “because you are loyal to me” or “because you follow me.” For example:
because of me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
because you follow me (New Century Version)
13:9e
you will stand before governors and kings: In this context, the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stand before means “to stand in the presence of a judge in order to be accused and judged.” The text implies that people will bring the disciples to rulers to be judged. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:
you will stand trial (New Living Translation)
-or-
you will be forced to stand (New Century Version)
-or-
people will bring you to governors and kings and accuse you
before governors and kings: The wordsgovernors and kings are names for two types of rulers. See the next notes for specific details.
governors: A “governor” was a man who was appointed by a greater leader, or by the government of a country, to rule a particular area. For example, Pilate was governor of Judea (Mark 15:1). He was a Roman, appointed by the Roman emperor to govern the Jews. If you have translated the Gospel of Luke, see how you translated the word “governor” in Luke 2:2a–b.
In some languages there may be a borrowed word that is already used to describe such a ruler. If there is no such word in your language, you may need to use a more general term such as:
leaders
kings: The word kings refers to rulers of a country or other area. Kings normally have absolute power within the areas that they rule. Often, a king inherits his position from his father. A king was considered more important than a governor.
The word “king” is used to refer to King Herod in 6:22c. If you used the word “king” there, you should use a plural form of the same word here.
Here are some other ways to translate kings:
rulers
-or-
chiefs
13:9f
as witnesses to them: The phrase as witnesses to them indicates that this persecution would give the disciples an opportunity to testify to their faith in Jesus. They would do this in front of governors and kings.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
to tell them the Good News (Good News Bible)
-or-
As a result, you will be able to tell them the good news about me.
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