Luke 22:2

The ¹  chief priests and the experts in the law ²  were trying to find some way ³  to execute ⁴  Jesus, ⁵  for they were afraid of the people. ⁶ 

and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.

The chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people.

The leading priests and teachers of religious law were actively plotting Jesus’ murder. But they wanted to kill him without starting a riot, a possibility they greatly feared.

The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way to do away with Jesus but, fearful of the people, they were also looking for a way to cover their tracks.

And the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a chance to put him to death, but they went in fear of the people.

The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.

And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.

The ¹  chief priests and the experts in the law ²  were trying to find some way ³  to execute ⁴  Jesus, ⁵  for they were afraid of the people. ⁶ 

¹ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

² tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

³ tn Grk “were seeking how.”

⁴ tn The Greek verb here means “to get rid of by execution” (BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω 2; cf. also L&N 20.71, which states, “to get rid of someone by execution, often with legal or quasi-legal procedures”).

⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁶ sn The suggestion here is that Jesus was too popular to openly arrest him. The verb were trying is imperfect. It suggests, in this context, that they were always considering the opportunities.