Luke 17:3

Watch ¹  yourselves! If ²  your brother ³  sins, rebuke him. If ⁴  he repents, forgive him.

So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.

"Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

I am warning you! If another believer sins, rebuke him; then if he repents, forgive him.

"Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him.

Give attention to yourselves: if your brother does wrong, say a sharp word to him; and if he has sorrow for his sin, let him have forgiveness.

Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.

"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.

Watch ¹  yourselves! If ²  your brother ³  sins, rebuke him. If ⁴  he repents, forgive him.

¹ tn It is difficult to know if this looks back or forward or both. The warning suggests it looks back. For this verb, see Luke 8:18; 12:1, 15; 20:46; 21:8, 34. The present imperative reflects an ongoing spirit of watchfulness.

² tn Both the “if” clause in this verse and the “if” clause in v. 4 are third class conditions in Greek.

³ tn Here the term “brother” means “fellow believer” or “fellow Christian” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a, contra BDAG 19 s.v. 2.c), but with a familial connotation. It refers equally to men, women, or children. However, because of the familial connotations, “brother” has been retained in the translation here in preference to the more generic “fellow believer” (“fellow Christian” would be anachronistic in this context).

⁴ tn Grk “And if.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.