The Greek in Wisdom 2:14 that is translated as “He has become to us a reproof of our thoughts” or “He has become a censure of our thoughts” in English is translated in Kikuyu as “to us he has become someone who disturbs our consciences / thoughts.”
extortioner, swindler
The Greek that is translated in English as “extortioner” or “swindler” is translated in Zande as “person with big heart.”
See also greed / covetousness.
conscience
The Hebrew and Greek that is rendered in English as “conscience” is translated into Aari as “our thoughts speak to us,” in Nuer it is “the knowledge of their heart” (source: Jan Sterk), in Cheke Holo “to know what is straight and what is wrong” (source: Carl Gross), in Chokwe “law of the heart” (source D.B. Long in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 135ff. ), in Toraja-Sa’dan penaa ma’pakilala or “the admonishing within” (source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21 ff. ), in Yatzachi Zapotec as “head-hearts,” in Tzeltal as “hearts” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), in Enlhet as “innermost,” in Northern Emberá as “thinking” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1975, p. 201ff. ), and in Elhomwe as “what reminds the heart” or “whole heart” (“since the idea of conscience is something that reminds the heart”) (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).
In Warao it is translated with obojona, a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions” (source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.
In Mbudum it is translated as “the heart that does not leap.” (Source: Ervais Fotso Noumsi in Le Sycomore, 16/1, 2022 )
See also conscience seared and perfect conscience / clear conscience, clear conscience towards God and all people, and brothers, up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.
deep (noun)
The Hebrew in Genesis 1:2 that is translated as “(the) deep” in English is translated in Luba-Lulua as “a very deep hole in which there is water.” (Source: Jan Sterk)
In the Swabian 2007 translation by Rudolf Paul it is translated as Urmeer or “primordial ocean.”
See also John Roberts’ Biblical Cosmology: The Implications for Bible Translation in Journal of Translation 2013/2, p. 1ff .
my country
The Hebrew in Jonah 4:2 that is translated as “my country” in English is translated in Luba-Lulua as “our country” (the phrase “my country” is reserved for chiefs and presidents).
poetry in Isaiah 5:1-6
The Hebrew poetry in Isaiah 5:1-6 is translated by the German Gute Nachricht Bibel (last rev. 2018) in poetic form:
| Auf fruchtbarem Hügel, da liegt mein Stück Land, dort hackt ich den Boden mit eigener Hand, ich mühte mich ab und las Felsbrocken auf, baute Wachtturm und Kelter, setzte Reben darauf. Und süße Trauben erhofft ich zu Recht, doch was dann im Herbst wuchs, war sauer und schlecht. Jerusalems Bürger, ihr Leute von Juda, was sagt ihr zum Weinberg, was tätet denn ihr da? Die Trauben sind sauer – entscheidet doch ihr: War die Pflege zu schlecht? Liegt die Schuld denn bei mir? Ich sage euch, Leute, das tue ich jetzt: Weg reiß ich die Hecke, als Schutz einst gesetzt; zum Weiden solln Schafe und Rinder hinein! Und die Mauer ringsum – die reiße ich ein! Zertrampelnden Füßen geb ich ihn preis, schlecht lohnte mein Weinberg mir Arbeit und Schweiß! Ich will nicht mehr hacken, das Unkraut soll sprießen! Der Himmel soll ihm den Regen verschließen! |
Literal translation: “On a fertile hill, lies my piece of land, I hoe the ground there with my own hand, I worked hard and picked up boulders, I built watchtower and wine press, put vines on it. And for sweet grapes I had reason to hope for but what then grew in the fall, was sour and bad. Jerusalem’s citizens, you people of Judah, what do you say about the vineyard, what were you doing there? The grapes are sour – you decide: Was the care too bad? Is the fault all mine? I’m telling you, people, this is what I’m going to do now: I’ll tear the hedge away, once placed as protection; Sheep ill enter to graze and so will cattle come! And the wall all around – I’ll tear it down! I’ll open it up to trampling feet, My vineyard didn’t warrant my work and sweat! I don’t want to hoe anymore, let the weeds sprout! the sky shall block the rain form falling” |
The syllable count of the lines is 5 and 6 and the rhymes are highlighted (note: the highlights are not in the original).
Source: Jan P. Sterk in OPTAT 1989/1, p. 36ff.
See also word play in Isaiah 5:7.
acknowledge the Son, confess the Son
The Greek in 1 John 2:23 that is translated as “confesses the Son” or “acknowledges the Son” in English is translated in Mbandja as “whoever says openly that he has faith in the Son.”
poetry in Micah 2:4b
The Hebrew poetry in poetry in Micah 2:4b is translated by the German Gute Nachricht Bibel (last rev. 2018) in poetic form:
»Unser Ende ist gekommen,
Gott gab Fremden unser Land.
Alles haben sie genommen,
nichts mehr blieb in unserer Hand!«
Literal translation:
“Our end has come near,
God gave our land to strangers.
They took everything
nothing remained in our own hands!”
The syllable count of the lines is 8-7-8-7 and the rhyming pattern is A-B-A-B.
Source: Jan P. Sterk in OPTAT 1989/1, p. 36ff.