complete verse (Matthew 20:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 20:16:

  • Uma: “Yesus finished that parable, he said: ‘So also in the future: many people who are unimportant [lit., their lives little] at this time will become important [their lives big] in the future. And may also who are important [their lives big] at this time will become unimportant [their lives little] in the future.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then Isa said, ‘Therefore the ones who are last now will be first in the future and the ones who are first now will be last in the future.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘Those who are last today will be first in the future. And those who are first today will also be last in the future.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Jesus concluded saying, ‘What will happen in God’s ruling will be like that, because the low/humble now will be made-high/great, and the high/great now will be made-low/humble.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus said in addition, ‘This is like what I was saying, that there are important ones today in man’s opinion who will become low-class/insignificant. And there are only low-class/insignificant ones today who will become important in the kingdom of God.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Therefore now, those workers who are last to go to work are the ones who will first receive their wages. The workers who first go to work are those who will receive their wages last. Many people have been called, yet few are the people chosen.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 20:16

So is translated “And Jesus concluded” by Good News Translation. All translations indicate a shift in speaker by closing the quotation at the end of verse 15, and some translations try to help further by introducing a new paragraph with verse 16. However, this solution is of no assistance to persons who must depend upon hearing the Scripture read, and its value is questionable even for those who read the Scripture for themselves. A number of CLTs follow Good News Translation in introducing Jesus as the speaker.

The last translates a masculine plural form in Greek. It may be necessary, not only to mark this as a specific reference to people, but to indicate the time periods: “So those people who are last now will someday be first….” As in 19.30, to which this verse refers, last and first do not refer to time but to rank. Translators can use the same expressions here as they did there, possibly “least important” and “most important.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .