judge vs. condemn

The Greek terms krino and katakrino/katadikazo that are translated as “judge” and “condemn” respectively in English are translated with only one term in Kutu (tagusa). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Revelation 20:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 20:13:

  • Uma: “And I saw dead people, those whose lives were small or big, standing in front of that Chair. People who died drowned in the sea, other people who had died, all the people who were in the place of the dead, they all stood in front of that Chair. And the books were examined. In those books were written the deeds of those dead ones. So, the punishment of all those dead ones was determined/set according to what was written in those books, their punishment according to their deeds. And another book was also opened, called the Book of Life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All the dead from the sea appeared and faced God. Likewise also all the dead in the graves, in the afterworld, they all appeared and faced God. And they were judged each one about what they had done while they lived.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then the dead from the sea and land came out, whose souls were in the place of the dead. And they were all judged because of what they had done.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I also saw all the dead who were important and unimportant (lit. high and low) standing in front of the ruler. All that came-from Hades the place of the dead were there, as well as all who had died in the ocean (lit. the ocean had taken). The book in which was written the names of those who had life that has no end was opened. The books in which were written what people had done were also opened, and each one was judged according to what he had done which was written in those books.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Yes indeed, all who were there in the place where the dead go, including those who died at sea, they were all gathered to be pronounced judgment upon according to what each had done.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All of the dead people who had died in the sea were all there. No matter how many people had died, yet all were there. All were judged according to what each one had done.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 20:13

The sea gave up the dead in it: here the sea (see 10.2) is pictured as a living being, allowing the dead it held to go and stand with the others before God’s throne. Those who had died at sea were not thought of as going to Sheol, the world of the dead, but as remaining there in the depths of the water. If this kind of statement is not possible in some languages, the translation can say “Then the dead in the sea also went to be judged by God” or “Then … for God to judge them.” The same can be done for the next statement, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them. For Death and Hades see 1.18; 6.8. They are also spoken of as living beings (as in 6.8).

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• Then the people who had died in the sea went for God to judge them. Death and the world of the dead gave up the dead people in them, and God judged them all according to their deeds (or, the things they had done).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .