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Today's Verse Analysis

Apostles ask when temple will fall.  

Spoken to
Apostles
KJV Verse

Luke 21:12  But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.

NIV Verse:

Luke 21:12  But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.

What His Listeners Heard:

Before, however, all these things, they lay on you those hands of theirs and they will hound you, betraying you in those meeting places and watch stations, being brought up to rulers and governors on account of this name of mine.

Lost In Translation:

Four "and" conjunctions are used to extend this verse. Two participles, "betraying/delivering/handing over" and "being brought", are also used to extend it. Jesus is drawing it out to exaggerate it. 

The "before kings" actually says "up to kings" to emphasize the level of attention they will get. 

KJV w/Translation Issues :

But befor(CW) e all these, they shall lay their (MW) hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into(IW) prisons, being brought before kings and rulers(CW) for my (MW) name's sake.

KJV List (See full page for word-by-word analysis):
For analysis of each word of original Greek and biblical verses, click here.

Constantly Updated

My analysis standards and methods are constantly improving. New information on each verse is provided as articles are updated. It requires approximately two years for me to work through updating each of Jesus's verses.

What Jesus's Listeners Heard

The everyday meanings of the Greek words Jesus used were different than the definitions they have been given over time in biblical translation. The word translations here are based upon documents of his time such as the Greek Septuagint, not ideas unknown in his time.

About this Site

See what Jesus said in Greek and see how his words are changed in English translation. My goal is to translate Jesus's words as they were heard when he taught, not the way they are interpreted today. The work here resurrects the humor and cleverness of Jesus's words lost in translation.

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Each article provides detailed information on all the Greek words in each verse with links simplifying your own research. It compares the Greek to popular translations to show where words are confused, changed, left out, and added. This site offers research available nowhere else, such as how often Jesus uses a specific Greek word and links to a list of every verse in which he uses a given word.