Lectionary Year A
November 10, 2002
I Thessalonians 4:13-18
Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation
A. Comparing Translations
(JFC) The Contemporary English Version, the New Living Translation, the New
Revised Standard Version and the Revised Standard differ slightly as these notes show:
13 My friends, we want you to understand - CEV
And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know - NLT
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, - NRSV
But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, - RSV
how it will be for those followers who have already died. - CEV
what will happen to the Christians who have died - NLT
about those who have died, - NRSV
concerning those who are asleep, - RSV
Then you won't grieve over them and be like people who don't have any hope. - CEV
so you won't be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. - NLT
so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. - NRSV and RSV
14 and was raised to life. - CEV and NLT
and rose again, - NRSV and RSV
We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, - CEV
we also believe that when Jesus comes, - NLT
15 Our LORD Jesus told us that when he comes, - CEV
I can tell you this directly from the Lord: - NLT
For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, - NRSV and RSV
we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died. - CEV
We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. - NLT
that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. - NRSV and RSV, the latter of which, again, has, "who have fallen asleep."
16 With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the LORD will return from heaven. - CEV
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. - NLT
For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, - NRSV
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel's call, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. - RSV
Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. - CEV
First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. - NLT
and the dead in Christ will rise first. - NRSV and RSV
17 Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the LORD in the sky. - CEV
Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. - NLT
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. - NRSV and RSV
18 Encourage one another - CEV
So comfort and encourage each other - NLT
Therefore encourage one another - NRSV
Therefore comfort one another - RSV
B. Textual Criticism
(JFC) 13 For the received text has koimwme,nwn, a present, middle or passive, participle, supported by several Alexandrian Witnesses while Western and Byzantine editions prefer kekoimhmenwn., a perfect, passive, participle. Metzger (TCGNT) calls the printed version "doubtful" even it is admittedly "found in the older manuscripts, and because it is more likely to have been altered into kekoimhmenwn than conversely, the latter being the usual expression (cf. Mt 27.52; I Cor 15.20)."
C. Rough Translation
(JFC) 13 But not do we want you uninformed, brothers, about the ones having died,
so that not should you grieve like also the others the ones not having hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose, so also the God the ones having died [aorist, passive, participle, accusative] through this/the Jesus will bring with Him. 15 For this to you we declaring in (the) Word of the Lord, that we the living who are (still) remaining in the coming of the Lord that not shall we precede those who have died; 16 for Himself the Lord in a command/shout of command, in a voice/sound/cry of an archangel and in a trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be raised first, 17 then we the living ones the ones remaining together with them will be carried off/up into heaven in a cloud to a meeting with the Lord in (the) air; and in this way always with the Lord shall we be. 18 Accordingly encourage one another in the words these.
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