complete verse (Revelation 21:27)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:27:

  • Uma: “But whatever was dirty or people who commit evil or who lie, they were certainly not allowed to enter into it. The ones who could enter, [were] just the people whose names were written in the Book of the Lamb, the book writing-place of the names of those who receive good life forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But nothing unclean will enter that city. Nobody doing shameful things or who lies will enter there. Only those will enter that city whose names are written in the book belonging to the Sheep, that is the book for listing the names of the people who have life without end.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But nothing bad or any who teach lies or a person who worships idols is allowed to enter. The only ones who can enter there are the people whose names are listed in the book of the young sheep where are listed those people who are given eternal life.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But absolutely no one can-enter whom God considers filthy such as the one who does what is shameful and the liar, because only those whose names are written in the book of the Sheep in which are listed those who have life that has no end will be able to enter.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But really nothing at all can get in there which is disgusting in God’s sight, none who do shameful things or anyone who is a liar, but rather only those whose names are written in that in which are written as many as will be given life which has no ending, this writing being in the custody/care of this one referred to as Young Sheep.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “There at the city, no evil will come into it. The people who have walked in evil will not enter it. Neither will the people who speak lies enter. Concerning the people who will enter it, they are the people whose names are written down in the book carried by the Lamb. Because concerning this book, there are written down the names of the people who encounter the new life.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 21:27

Nothing unclean: the use of the neuter “no thing” in the Greek seems to imply vessels or other objects used in worship; but in light of the following masculine, literally “the one who does abomination and lie,” the initial nothing unclean probably includes people as well as objects. Here unclean means ceremonially impure, profane as opposed to sacred. In certain languages this will be expressed as “taboo objects” or “objects with bad taboo.”

Anyone who practices abomination or falsehood: for abomination see 17.4, 5; and see “polluted” and comments in 21.8. In the Old Testament both terms are used to indicate the worship of idols, and that may be the meaning here.

Those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life: see 3.5; 13.8; 17.8; 20.12, 15.

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 .