complete verse (Mark 13:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:5:

  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘Be careful, don’t be deceived.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said to them, ‘Take care so that you will not be deceived.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said to them, he said, ‘Be on your guard so that you will not follow after a lying person.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus answered saying, ‘Be-careful that you are not deceived.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus answered them, saying, ‘Be careful that you aren’t misled by anyone.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 13:5

Exegesis:

blepete (cf. 8.15) ‘beware!’ ‘caution!’ ‘watch out!’ Moulton & Milligan give examples from the papyri showing that this use of the verb blepō ‘see’ was not purely Semitic, but was Greek as well.

mē tis humas planēsē ‘lest any one deceive you,’ ‘that no one lead you astray.’

planaō (cf. 12.24) in the active, as here, ‘cause to err,’ ‘lead astray,’ ‘deceive.’

Translation:

Leads you astray is equivalent to ‘deceive,’ or as in some languages ‘cause you to believe a lie.’

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .