poetry in 2 Kings 19:21b-24

The Hebrew poetry in 2 Kings 19:21-24 is translated by the German Gute Nachricht Bibel (last rev. 2018) in poetic form:

Die unbesiegte Zionsstadt
nur Spott und Verachtung für dich hat!
Die Jungfrau Zion lacht dich aus,
die Zunge streckt sie dir heraus.
Mit wem hast du dich eingelassen,
gegen wen, du Narr, dich aufgeblasen?
Mich, den heiligen Gott Israels, kennst du nicht,
und doch schmähst du und höhnst du mir ins Gesicht!
Wahrhaftig, du warst schlecht beraten,
als du so prahltest mit deinen Taten.
Durch Boten ließest du überall sagen:
Ich bin der Herr! Ich bestieg meinen Wagen,
hoch auf den Libanon fuhr ich im Trab,
die Tannen und Zedern dort holzte ich ab,
all seine Schlupfwinkel spürte ich auf
und nie kam ins Stocken mein Siegeslauf!
Ich grub mir Brunnen mit eigener Hand,
so schafft’ ich mir Wasser im Feindesland.
Ich trockne sie aus, die ägyptischen Flüsse,
sie müssen versiegen vom Tritt meiner Füße!

Literal translation:
“The undefeated city of Zion
has only ridicule and contempt for you!
The Virgin Zion laughs at you,
she sticks her tongue out at you.
Who did you get involved with
against whom, you fool, have you puffed yourself up?
You do not know me, the holy God of Israel,
and yet you revile and mock me in my face!
Truly, you were ill-advised,
when you boasted about your deeds.
Through messengers you sent word everywhere:
I am the Lord! I got into my chariot,
I rode up to Lebanon at a trot,
I cut down the firs and cedars there,
I tracked down all the hiding places
and my victorious run never faltered!
I dug wells with my own hands,
This is how I create water for myself in enemy territory.
I’ll dry them up, the Egyptian rivers,
they must cease from the tread of my feet!”

While the syllable count of the lines varies, the rhyming pattern is AA-BB-AA-BB.

Source: Zetzsche

poetry in 2 Kings 19:25-28

The Hebrew poetry in 2 Kings 19:25-28 is translated by the German Gute Nachricht Bibel (last rev. 2018) in poetic form:

So prahlst du. Hör zu jetzt und lass es dir sagen:
Ich hab’s so beschlossen seit uralten Tagen;
ich hab es geplant, was jetzt ist geschehen,
drum mussten die Städte zugrunde gehen.
Nichts ist davon übrig als Trümmer nur,
von ihren Bewohnern blieb keine Spur.
Der Mut, sich zu wehren, war ihnen entfallen,
verschwunden die Kraft, drum erging’s ihnen allen
wie Gras an einem trocknen Ort;
es sprießt – und schon ist es verdorrt.
Ich hab auch dich ganz fest in der Hand,
was immer du tust, ist mir vorher bekannt,
ob du stehst, liegst, kommst, gehst – alles sehe ich,
ich weiß genau, wie du tobst gegen mich.
Weil mir dein Geschwätz in die Ohren dringt,
schmück ich dir die Nase mit einem eisernen Ring,
ich lege dir meinen Zaum in das Maul
und zwing dich wie einen störrischen Gaul.
Den Weg, den du Prahlhans gekommen bist,
den bring ich zurück dich in kürzester Frist!

Literal translation:
“This is how you brag. Now listen and let me tell you:
I have decided this way since ancient times;
I planned for what happened now
therefore the cities had to perish.
Nothing is left of it but rubble,
no trace of its inhabitants remained.
They had lost the courage to defend themselves,
the strength disappeared, and that’s what happened to them all
like grass in a dry place;
it sprouts -– and then it withers.
I also have you firmly in my hand,
whatever you do is known to me beforehand,
whether you stand, lie, come, go — I see everything,
I know exactly how you rage against me.
Because your chatter gets into my ears,
I’ll decorate your nose with an iron ring,
I’ll put my bridle in your mouth
and force yourself like a stubborn horse.
The way you came as a braggard
is the way I’ll take you back as soon as possible!”

While the syllable count of the lines varies, the rhyming pattern is AA-BB-AA-BB (except for the first line).

Source: Zetzsche

poetry in Jeremiah 9:18b

The Hebrew poetry in Jeremiah 9:18b is translated by the German Gute Nachricht Bibel (last rev. 2018) in poetic form:

»Ach, wir können es nicht fassen!
Schmach und Schande stürzte auf uns ein.
Alle unsere Häuser riss man ein.
Unser Land – wir mussten es verlassen!«

Literal translation:
“Oh, we can’t believe it!
Shame and dishonor fell upon us.
All of our houses were torn down.
Our country – we had to leave it!”

The rhyme scheme follows the pattern A-B-B-A.

Source: Zetzsche

Sere also poetry in Jeremiah 9:20.

in the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius

The Greek in Luke 3:1 that is typically translated in English as “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius” is translated by the Italian La Sua Parola è Vita translation as Passarono circa due decenni. Era adesso il quindicesimo anno del regno dell’imperatore Tiberio Cesare or “About two decades passed. It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius Caesar.” Cotrozzi (2019) explains: “There is a time gap between the last events recounted in 2:52 and those in 3:1. Jesus was 12 at the end of chapter 2 but about 30 years old when he began his work (3:23). As a result, some 18 years must have elapsed since 2:51-52. However, this is not readily apparent to most modern readers. All the more so since the gap coincides with a break at chapter level and is followed by the same name (Herod) as in 1:5 which seems to indicate continuity. What most readers are not aware of is that the same name refers in Luke to two different historical figures, Herod the Great (1:5) and his son Herod Antipas (3:1). Only a few Bibles — Danish Bibelen på Hverdagsdansk and Den Nye Aftale, English New Living Translation, French La Parole de Vie, German Die Gute Nachricht and Neues Leben Übersetzung, and Spanish Traducción en lenguaje actual — make this clear in the text.”

poetry in Jeremiah 9:20

The Hebrew poetry in Jeremiah 9:20 is translated by the German Gute Nachricht Bibel (last rev. 2018) in poetic form:

»Durch die Fenster kam der Tod herein,
keins der Häuser hat er ausgelassen.
Unsere Kinder holt er auf den Straßen,
Burschen sammelt er vom Marktplatz ein.«

Literal translation:
“Death came in through the windows,
It didn’t miss any of the houses.
It takes our children from the streets,
It collects boys from the marketplace.”

The rhyme scheme follows the pattern A-B-B-A.

Source: Zetzsche

Serer also poetry in Jeremiah 9:18b

kingdom (of God / heaven) (God's new world)

In the German Gute Nachricht (Good News) translation of 1982, this occurrence of the Greek term which is translated in most English versions of “kingdom (of God or heaven)” is translated with “God’s new world” (Gottes neue Welt).

For an explanation of the differentiated translation in German as well as translation choices in a number of languages, see Kingdom (of God / heaven).

rhyme in Judges 16:24

The Hebrew in Judges 16:25 uses a rhyme in the praise chant of the Philistines to their god Dagon where each line ends with the syllable nū (נוּ), the first person plural pronoun.

In the Lingala version this is replicated in the following manner:

« Nzambe na biso akabi na maboko na biso,
monguna na biso,
oyo azalaki kobebisa mokili na biso
mpe koboma bato ebele kati na biso. »

In some versions of other languages, some kind of rhyme scheme is used as well such as in the German Gute Nachricht Bibel (last revision 2018): Hand — Land; Macht — umgebracht.

Source: John Ellington in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 301ff.

complete verse (John 1:46)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 14:6:

  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘I am the way, I am the one who is true and who gives life. No-one comes to my Father, if not through me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said to him, ‘I am the way to/towards God, I am the source of all that is true and I am the source of life. Nobody can come to my Father God if he does not go by/through me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way. I am the true thing to believe, I am the source of life forever. No one can get to where my Father lives if I am not the way he goes on.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Whereupon Jesus said, ‘I am the path, because I am the source/origin of truth and the one who gives life. No one goes to my Father if I am not his pathway.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus answered, saying, ‘I am the one who is the trail, I am the one who is the truth and I also am the one who is the life. There’s no-one who can go there to God the Father unless I am the trail he travels.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said, ‘Because of me you will arrive to where God is. Because of me you know what is true. I give the new life. Only those who believe in me will arrive where my Father is.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Malay Alkitab Berita Baik (meaning-based “Good News” translation): Jesus answered, ‘I am the way to know God and to have life. No one can come to the Father except through me.’ (Source: Daud Soesilo in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 263ff.)
  • German Gute Nachricht 2018: “Jesus answered: ‘I am the way, for I am the truth and the life. There is no other way to the Father.'”