Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Psalm 34:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 34:1:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “I will thank Jehovah all the time;
    his praises shall be on my lips all the time.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “I will always be blessing the LORD
    my tongue will always be praising Him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “I will- always -praise the LORD;
    I will- not -stop praising him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “I thank God always. Words singing praise to him are always in my mouth.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I will praise the LORD always,
    his praise will always remain in my mouth.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Nitamsifu BWANA muda wote,
    nitamsifu daima na mdomo wangu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I will always thank Yahweh;
    I will constantly praise him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 35:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 35:11:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Merciless witnesses stood up,
    they asked me things which I do not know.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Evil people keep testifying against me.
    They accuse me of guilt in matters I know nothing about.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Violent/cruel men witness against me.
    They accuse me of sins that I have- not -done.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “Evil people accuse me falsely, saying I have sinned, but I don’t know anything at all about their saying like that.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “People who have black hearts appeared to me as witnesses,
    and they ask me even matters which I do not know even.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Mashahidi wa uongo wanasimama,
    wananiuliza ambayo siyajui.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “People who tell lies stand in court
    and falsely accuse me of doing things that I do not know anything about.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 37:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 37:3:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Trust Jehovah and do good (continuously);
    be settled in the land and follow trustworthy (things).” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Trust the LORD, and do good.
    And be secure, living in the land God has given [you].” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “[You (sing.)] trust in the LORD and do good.
    [You (sing.)] dwell/live in the land of Israel without any fear of the disaster.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “Trust God and do good works. Then you will be able to live on the land he gives you to possess and rejoice in safety.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Put your heart on the LORD and you do matter which is good,
    and you live in the land, and you stay well.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Umtumaini BWANA, ufanye mazuri,
    ndipo utakaa katika nchi na kuichunga amani.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Trust in Yahweh, and do what is good;
    if you do that, you will live safely in the land that he has given you,
    and you will live peacefully.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 37:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 37:35:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “I saw a wicked person and a person without mercy
    prospering like a green tree on the soil of his parents.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “I have seen one very terrifying wicked person.
    In his own opinion, that person kept getting greater, like a tree.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “I have seen in-the-past a wicked man/person who oppresses.
    He considers himself/[lit. his own self] above others;
    he (was) like a tall cedar trees of Lebanon.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “I have seen the wicked who customarily make it difficult for others. He grows big like a tree on the mountain of Lebanon.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I saw a person who was very bad, and his heart was black
    when he stood like green tree on its soil,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Nimewahi kumwona mtu mtenda dhambi mkali sana,
    ambaye alistawi kama vile mti penye udongo mzuri.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I have seen that wicked people who act like tyrants/terrify people sometimes prosper, like trees that grow well in fertile soil,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 39:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 39:5:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “You have made my days to be very few,
    the length of my years is worthless in your sight;
    the life of every person is short.
    Selah” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “How short you have made my life!
    From your perspective, what is my life span!!
    In comparison with you, my life span is nothing.
    [I] realized that a person’s life is only a breath, a short cubit.
    Sela” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The life that you (sing.) gave me (is) short.
    This (is) just nothing in your (sing.) sight.
    In truth, the life of a man (is) like a wind that just passes-by,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “You made my life very short before your eyes. My life is as nothing. All people are only like a breath we breathe.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “You made my life to be short,
    the years of my life become like nothing before you.
    The life of each person is like just breath.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Tazama, umenipa uhai mfupi sana!
    Siku za uhai wangu chache sana kwako.
    Uhai wa mtu uko kama vile pumzi tu.’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “It seems that you have caused me to live only a short time;
    my lifetime/all the time that I have lived seems like nothing to you.
    The time that all we humans live is as short as a puff of wind.
    (Think about that!)” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 41:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 41:7:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “All my enemies whisper together contending against me,
    they contemplate very evil (things) about me, by saying that,” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Those hostile to me keep whispering to one another about me.
    They think evil about me,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “All who (are) angry with me whisper against me,
    and they think evil against me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “Everyone who hates me, they speak evil about me. They think badly, wanting to always falsely accuse me.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “All my enemies are backbiting me,
    they think about very bad matter because of me, they say that,” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Wote ambao wananichukia, wananisengenya mimi,
    wananiwazia mabaya.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “All those who hate me whisper to others about me,
    and they hope/ desire that very bad things will happen to me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 44:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 44:10:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “You caused us to turn back before an enemy
    and (those) who hate us have confiscated property from us” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “You forced us to retreat from our enemies.
    And allowed our enemies to plunder all that we had.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “You (sing.) made- us (excl.) -flee from our (excl.) enemies.
    And they took our (excl.) properties/possessions.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “You have already made it that we run from those who war against us. So they have already taken all our possessions.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “You allowed our enemies to defeat us
    then people who dislike us take away our things completely.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Umetufanya kuwakimbia maadui zetu,
    ambao wanatupinga wameteka mali zetu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “You have caused us to run away from our enemies,
    with the result that they captured the things that belonged to us.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 45:16)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 45:16:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Your male children will take the place of your parents;
    you will cause them to be the children of the king in the whole land.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Your sons will take the place of your ancestors,
    you will make them princes of the whole world.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Beloved King, your (sing.) male descendants will- also -become king like their ancestors/[lit. old-ones].
    You (sing.) will-make them leaders/[lit. heads] throughout the whole/entire land.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Eastern Bru:
    “Oh King! Your sons, in the future they will also become kings. They will replace your ancestors doing the work of a king. And in the future they will rule over every place on this earth.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Your sons will inherit the place of your ancestors,
    you will allow them to rule over the land.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Watoto wako vijana wa kiume watakuja kuwa wafalme kama vile babu zako,
    utakuja kuwaweka kuwa watawala katika nchi yote.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Some day, your sons and your grandsons will become kings,
    just like your ancestors were.
    You will enable them to become rulers in many countries.” (Source: Translation for Translators)