5:40a

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And is a simple connector. It introduces the way that the mourners responded to what Jesus said in 5:39c. When Jesus said that the child was not dead, they did not believe him. They also did not accept his suggestion in 5:39b that they did not need to mourn and weep. Instead, they laughed at him. Connect this verse to 5:39 in a way that is natural in your language.

they: Here they refers to the mourners that Jesus had just spoken to.

laughed at Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as laughed at means “to mock” or “to laugh at with scorn.” The mourners treated Jesus as if he were a fool, because they were sure that the girl was dead.

The form of the Greek verb here indicates that the people spoke many words to mock Jesus and not just one. Some English versions have translated this as “they began laughing at him” (New American Standard Bible) which implies that they started and continued. If you have verb forms that distinguish between actions that happen once and actions that are repeated, use a form here that indicates that the action was repeated.

5:40b

In Greek this sentence begins with a conjunction that often shows contrast. Here Jesus told the people who mocked him to leave the house. Some English versions introduce 5:40b with “But” to show the contrast. Other versions use “So” to indicate that 5:40b is a result of 5:40a. Connect these verses in a way that is natural in your language.

had put them all outside: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as put…outside means “expel.” It indicates that Jesus forced the mourners to leave the house. The text does not indicate exactly how he did this. He probably spoke with authority and commanded them to leave. (See the command “Go out” in Matthew 9:24.)

Here are some other ways to translate this:

After Jesus had sent them all out of the house (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
So he made all of them go outside. (God’s Word)
-or-
he told/commanded them all to go outside (see the New Living Translation, 1996 edition)

5:40c

He took: The phrase He took means that Jesus invited or beckoned the parents and the disciples to come with him. In some languages took can only be used of carrying an object.

Here are some other ways to express the correct meaning:

he invited/called/asked…
-or-
he led…

the child’s father and mother: If you have used Jairus’ name throughout this story, it may be natural in your language to include his name here. For example:

he took the child’s parents, Jairus and his wife

His own companions: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as His own companions is literally “those with him.” This refers to Peter, James, and John.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

and his three disciples (Good News Bible)
-or-
and Peter, James, and John

5:40d

and went in to see the child: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went in means to “enter.” It implies that the dead child was in one of the rooms of the house. Some English versions have made this explicit. For example:

went into the room where the child was lying (Good News Bible)

Other versions have left this meaning implied, since the exact location is not in focus here. For example:

went to where she was (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
went to the child (God’s Word)

Translate in a way that is appropriate for your language.

It is also implied from the context that the child was lying down, probably on her back. Some English versions make this explicit, others do not. (This is actually a textual issue. Many manuscripts have the word “lying,” many others do not. However, in either case it is implied, so it was decided to discuss this as a translation choice rather than a textual issue.) Consider whether it is natural to make this explicit here in your language.

the child: Be sure that the word you use for child is not limited to a living child. In some languages, it may be necessary to use a different word or phrase that describes someone who has died. For example:

deceased child
-or-
body of the child
-or-
corpse

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