Exegesis:

Martha, Martha, the repetition lends emphasis, cf. 22.31.

merimnas kai thorubazē peri polla ‘you are anxious and troubled about many things.’

merimnaō ‘to be anxious,’ ‘to be worried,’ ‘to fret.’

thorubazō ‘to be troubled,’ ‘to be agitated.’

(V. 42) henos de estin chreia ‘but one thing is needed.’ For the textual problems see commentaries, esp. Klostermann. Nestle reads oligōn de estin chreia ē henos ‘but a few things are needed, or rather one.’ This one thing is, in the present situation, to listen to Jesus, and, in a more general sense, to have faith in him.

Mariam gar tēn agathēn merida exelexato ‘for Mary has chosen the right portion.’ gar implies that this clause illustrates the one thing that is needed.

meris ‘share,’ ‘portion,’ sometimes of the portion one receives at a meal (cf. Plummer and references there), but here rather of the lot which one receives by virtue of divine grace (cf. Acts 8.21 where meris and klēros are used as synonyms).

hētis ouk aphairethēsetai autēs ‘which shall not be taken away from her,’ i.e. in the day of judgment.

Translation:

Martha, Martha. Where repetition of a proper name does not convey the right meaning one will have to find an equivalent form, e.g. ‘you, Martha, you are…,’ or, E Marta (Tboli, expressing the emphasis by the use of a particle requesting close attention); cf. also Phillips‘ “Martha, my dear”.

You are anxious and troubled about many things is rendered in Tzeltal, ‘doing all kinds of things has gone to your heart and you have difficulty because of it’ (cf. v. 40). The two terms reinforce each other and express one idea. Some idiomatic renderings of anxious, or, ‘worried,’ are, ‘eating for oneself one’s heart’ (Shona 1966), ‘black with worry’ (East Nyanja), ‘breaking one’s head’ (Sranan Tongo, cf. also ‘our heads are breaking,’ Cuyono in 2.48), ‘hanging up the heart’ (Bulu), ‘crumbling in one’s abdomen’ (Conob), ‘one’s stomach is rising up’ (Farefare), ‘one’s mind is killing one’ (Navajo). Cf. also on 12.29.

(V. 42) One thing is needful, or, ‘needed,’ or, ‘(only) one thing you need, or, are in want of.’

Mary has chosen the good portion, i.e. has taken for herself the lot of one who expresses her devotion by listening to Jesus rather than that of one who does so by preparing his meal. Better to bring out the contrast one may say, ‘it is M. who has chosen the good part’ (cf. Bible de Jérusalem, similarly Shona 1966). The good portion, or, ‘the right thing’ (An American Translation), ‘what is good’ (Toraja-Sa’dan). Some versions prefer ‘better,’ or, ‘best’ (e.g. New English Bible), since a comparison is implied.

Which shall not be taken away from her, or, ‘that which no one will take from her’ (Tboli); often better co-ordinated, cf. ‘there-is-not who will take (it) from her’ (Pohnpeian, similarly Tzeltal, Zarma).

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.