complete verse (Revelation 22:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 22:10:

  • Uma: “And he said further to me: ‘Don’t hide the foretelling words in this letter, because their happening/fulfillment has almost come.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And he said to me, ‘Do not hide what is foretold in this book because the time is close when all this will happen.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he said again, ‘Don’t keep secret these words which have been revealed to you in this book for all of this will soon come to pass.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then he went-on to say, ‘Don’t be-quiet-about what has been prophesied which has been written in this book, because its fulfillment will-be soon.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then what he further said to me was, ‘Don’t hide but rather make known these things shown to you which you have written in this writing. Because it won’t be long until these are fulfilled.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But again he said to me: ‘Do not cover up the words written in this book. Because more nearer is coming the day when it will happen, these words written here.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Revelation 22:10

Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book: “Do not seal this book of prophetic messages” (see the opposite of this in Dan 12.4, 9). For the sense of the verb “to seal,” see 10.4. The angel commands John not to stamp “Top Secret,” as it were, on the book, but to leave it open and make its message available to all readers. If the verb “to seal” is difficult or impossible to represent, the translation can be “Do not keep the prophetic messages of this book a secret,” or “Don’t hide from people the prophetic messages of this book,” or “Don’t prevent people from knowing the….” For prophecy of this book see Rev. 22.7 and 1.3.

The time is near: everything that has been announced in the book will happen soon (see 1.3).

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 .