Revised Standard Version translates verse 18 as a continuation of verse 17, which it is in Greek. There are two problems, however, in connecting this verse with the previous verse. The first problem is to present a contrast between those who cannot praise God and those who can. This is easily broken into two sentences. Good News Translation demonstrates one way while New English Bible suggests another: “17 … The dead are in their graves … it is not they who can sing the Lord’s praises or applaud his justice; 18 it is living men … who will sing thy praises … and applaud thy justice.” The second problem is that the second item in the contrast (verse 18) doesn’t fit smoothly with the first one. The writer seems to be saying “It is not the dead, but the infirm who…”; but the proper contrast is between the dead and the living. Good News Translation and New English Bible are sensitive to this and insert the phrase “the living” to make it clear. Good News Translation goes further with its very helpful addition of “even though they may be….”

The person that is greatly distressed may be rendered “they may be suffering greatly” (Good News Translation) or “we are in terrible pain” (Contemporary English Version). The meaning of the Greek clause rendered here is an unsolved problem. Moore comments that “no modern scholar has translated this particular clause to anyone’s satisfaction other than his own”. Dancy observes concerning the New English Bible rendering that “it is very difficult to get that or any other satisfactory translation out of the Greek.” The clause in question seems to read literally “the soul grieving over greatness.” Most translators interpret “over greatness” adverbially as “greatly,” in the light of Deut 28.65 (“a trembling heart, and failing eyes, and a languishing soul”). Hence, Revised Standard Version has the person that is greatly distressed and Good News Translation “they may be suffering greatly.” Another approach is to interpret “grieving over greatness” as grieving over having lost a higher status (New English Bible “mourning their fall from greatness”) or grieving over losing the strength of youth (Moore “the person who remembers better days”). Moore’s solution is very tempting indeed. It makes excellent sense in the context (the “person” in this verse is, of course, the exiled Jews), but translators may prefer the security of caution here and go with the majority. A footnote indicating that the Greek is unclear here would not be out of place. There was probably a problem in the Hebrew text behind the Greek translation.

That goes about bent over and feeble: Good News Translation translates this “bent and weak.” This is fine, but we should note that there is a verb here, meaning “walk.” The writer is thinking of the painful gait of an old person. Moore translates “shuffles along.”

Will ascribe to thee glory and righteousness: This clause in Greek is not precisely the same as the one in the previous verse, but it is very close. Some translators may feel that the contrast expressed in verses 17-18 is enhanced by expressing these two clauses with similar wording. New English Bible is an example with “will sing thy praises … and applaud thy justice.” Good News Translation may have felt the repetition awkward, since in its restructuring, this last clause of the verse is removed to the beginning, where it immediately follows the similar clause in verse 17. However, the Good News Translation restructuring uses only one sentence for the whole verse, which will be difficult to do in some languages. An alternative is:

• But even though we suffer greatly, walk with difficulty, have failing eyesight, and are hungry, we are still alive. And so, O Lord, we can praise you and tell others how good [or, just] you are.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.