For thou hast done: At first it is a bit surprising to see Good News Translation introducing the metaphor “Your hand,” where the Greek text has simply “you.” Ordinarily Good News Translation moves in the other direction. But a closer look shows what it intends. The “you” is emphatic as subject of this sentence, and the figure of speech “Your hand” draws attention to it. New American Bible accomplishes the same end by a slight grammatical twist: “It is you who were the author of….” Contemporary English Version has “I know that you caused….”

These things and those that went before and those that followed … things that are now, and those that are to come: Translators should beware here. The text is awkward, though clear enough; it would be easy to produce a confusing translation. The Greek reads literally “For you did the things before those things and those things and the things afterward and the things now and the things afterward you designed.” It is clear enough that a sentence break belongs after “afterward.” It is also clear that “those things,” which is used twice, refers to the incidents involving Simeon in Gen 34 and spoken of in verses 2-4. The chronological order (pre-Simeon things, Simeon things, post-Simeon things) is given in the text, but it is hard to express that clearly in English. Both Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version bring “those things” forward (Revised Standard Version these things), so as to connect more clearly with the events of verses 2-4. Then they speak of events before and after that time. Any pronouns used here must make a definite connection with the events of verses 2-4. Judith’s survey of God’s acts in history speak of God active in the past, present, and future, but this is a time span with two focal points centering on two individuals: Simeon and his descendant Judith.

Yea, the things thou didst intend came to pass may also be expressed as “You also control what [or, those things that] will take place in the future.”

An alternative translation model for this verse is:

• I know that you caused all of these things to happen, and all other things in the past as well. You planned everything. You control what is happening now and what will take place in the future.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.