Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Psalm 119:103)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 119:103:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Your words are sweet when I taste them,
    sweeter than honey in my mouth!” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “How delicious Your words are to me,
    even more delicious to my mouth than honey.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “How sweet (are) your (sing.) promises, these (are) sweeter than honey.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Your words taste very good,
    more than honey in my mouth.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Maneno yako matamu sana kwangu,
    kuzidi asali mdomoni mwangu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “When I read your words, they are like sweet things that I taste/ eat,
    yes, they are even sweeter than honey.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 119:135)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 119:135:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Let your face shine for your servant
    and teach me your laws.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Care for Your servant by showing him mercy,
    teach me Your law.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Show your (sing.) goodness to me your (sing.) servant,
    and teach me your (sing.) decrees.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “You let your face to shine on the body of your servant,
    and teach me your words.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Unitazame kwa upole mimi mtumishi wako,
    unifundishe amri zako.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Be kind to me
    and teach me your statutes/what you have decreed that we should do.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 119:167)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 119:167:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “I obey your testimony
    for I love it very much.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “I obey Your decrees,
    because I love it from my inmost heart.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Great (is) my love of your (sing.) teachings,
    therefore I really obey/follow them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I keep your ways,
    for I love them very much.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Nazifuata shuhuda zako,
    nazipenda na moyo wote.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “I obey what you require/what you have instructed us to do;
    I love it all very much.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 122:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 122:8:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Because of my relatives and my friends
    I will say, ‘Peace be in your inside.’” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “For the sake of my friends and my older and younger brothers
    I will say, "May you have peace!"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “For the well-being/good of my blood-relatives and friends, I say,
    ‘May-it-be that the situation of Jerusalem only (be) good.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will speak saying, ‘Peace be with you.’” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Kwa ajili ya ndugu zangu na rafiki zangu,
    nitasema, ‘Amani iwe na wewe.’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “For the sake of my relatives and friends, I say, ‘My desire is that that inside Jerusalem people will live peacefully.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 128:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 128:3:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
    inside your house;
    your children will be like shoots of an olive tree
    surrounding your table.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Like a grapevine in your house,
    your wife will have much fruit,
    and your sons and daughters around your table
    will be like the shoots of an olive tree.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Your (plur.) wives who stay in your (plur.) houses will-be like a fruitful grape-vine,
    and your (plur.) children who gather around your (plur.) tables will-be like young olive trees.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Your wife will stay like a tree
    that flourishing in your home,
    your children will grow well like the branches of a tree,
    it surround the place where you are eating.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Mke wako atazaa sana katika nyumba yenu,
    kama mzabibu ambao unazaa matunda mengi.
    Watoto wenu watakuwa kama mizeituni michanga,
    wataizunguka meza yenu.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “Your wife will be like a grapevine that bears many grapes;
    she will give birth to many children.
    Your children who sit around your table will be like a strong olive tree that has many shoots growing up around it.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 132:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 132:10:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Because of David your servant,
    do not reject your anointed one.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “For the sake of Your servant David,
    do not reject the king You have anointed.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Because of David your (sing.) servant, do- not -reject your (sing.) chosen king.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “Because of David who be your servant,
    do not reject him who you chose by anointing him with the oil.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Kwa sababu ya Daudi mtumishi wako,
    usimkatae mpakwa mafuta wako.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “You chose David to serve you as king of Israel; do not reject/abandon him!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 135:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 135:18:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Those who made those idols will be like those idols,
    likewise those who rely on those idols.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Those who make them
    will also be like them,
    and those who put their trust in them
    will also be just like them.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The ones (who) make these little-gods/false-gods and all who trust in them will- also -be like them having-no value.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “And people who make these gods they will be like them.
    and all people who believe on these gods they will be like them too.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Wote ambao wanaitengeneza wamefanana nayo,
    tena wote ambao wanaitumaini.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “The people who make those idols are as powerless as those idols,
    and those who trust in those idols can accomplish no more than their idols can!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Psalm 137:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 137:3:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “for the people who captured us into slavery requested us that we sing songs.
    Our persecutors wanted songs of celebration;
    they said, ‘Sing for us one of the songs of Zion!’” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Those who had captured us caused us to sing songs,
    Those who torment us say,
    "Sing a joyful song for us!"
    They say "Sing us a song of Zion!"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “The ones (who) captured us (excl.) made- us (excl.) -to-sing.
    They commanded us (excl.) to entertain them.
    They said, ‘[You (plur.)] sing us (excl.) a song about Zion!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “for the people who ruled us asked us that, ‘You sing songs.’
    They really wanted our songs of joy,
    and said to us, ‘You sing the songs of Zion!’” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Kwa maana huko ambao walitushika katika utumwa,
    wakataka tuwaimbie nyimbo.
    Ambao walitudhihaki wakataka kwamba tuwafurahishe,
    wakasema, ‘Tuimbieni wimbo mmoja wa katika Sayuni.’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “The soldiers who had captured us and taken us to Babylonia told us to sing for them;
    they told us to entertain them/make them happy, saying,
    ‘Sing for us one of the songs that you previously sang in Jerusalem!’” (Source: Translation for Translators)