(Pioneer Bible Translators and The Word for the World use the following introduction in many of their translation projects around the world.)
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah tell how the Israelites were permitted to return to Israel after being taken into captivity to Persia and Babylonia. Ezra focuses on how they rebuilt God’s temple in Jerusalem. Many scholars believe that Ezra wrote and compiled the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles as well as Ezra and Nehemiah. If not Ezra then it’s likely that one person compiled these same books. The book of Ezra may have been compiled around 440 B.C., but parts of the book may have been written at other times.
The book of Ezra shows how God caused king Cyrus of Persia to allow the Israelites to return to their homeland and rebuild the temple. This was also a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy (Jeremiah 29:10-14). There were some enemies who opposed the rebuilding of the temple, and this work was even stopped for a while, but the Israelites were eventually successful in rebuilding it with God’s help. By Ezra’s leadership the Israelites also repented from their sins. This was a renewal of their commitment to follow God’s laws.
Outline of Ezra:
1. Chapters 1 and 2 tell how king Cyrus allowed the Israelites return to their homeland and lists which families returned.
2. Chapters 3 through 6 explain how God’s temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt.
3. Chapters 7 and 8 tell how Ezra returned to Jerusalem along with several other Israelite families.
4. Chapters 9 and 10 describe how Ezra led the Israelites to renew their covenant with God.
Les livres d’Esdras et de Néhémie racontent comment on a permis aux Israélites de retourner en Israël après avoir été emmenés en captivité en Perse et à Babylone. Esdras se concentre sur la façon dont ils ont reconstruit le temple de Dieu à Jérusalem. Plusieurs experts croient qu’Esdras a écrit et compilé les livres de 1 et 2 Chroniques aussi bien que ceux d’Esdras et de Néhémie. Si ce n’était pas Esdras lui-même, il est probable qu’une seule personne a compilé ces mêmes livres. Le livre d’Esdras peut avoir été compilé vers 440 Av. J.-C., mais certaines parties du livre ont peut-être été écrites à d’autres moments.
Le livre d’Esdras montre comment Dieu a fait en sorte que Cyrus roi de Perse ait permis aux Israélites de retourner dans leur patrie et de rebâtir le temple. Cela, c’était aussi l’accomplissement de la prophétie de Jérémie (Jérémie 29.10-14). Il y avait des ennemis qui s’opposaient à la reconstruction du temple, et ce travail a même été arrêté pendant un certain temps, mais les Israélites ont finalement réussi à reconstruire le temple avec l’aide de Dieu. Sous la direction d’Esdras, les Israélites se sont aussi repentis de leurs péchés. C'était un renouvellement de leur engagement à suivre les lois de Dieu.
Résumé d’Esdras
1. Les chapitres 1 et 2 racontent comment le roi Cyrus a permis aux Israélites de retourner dans leur patrie, et énumèrent les noms des familles qui y sont retournées.
2. Les chapitres 3 à 6 expliquent comment on a reconstruit le temple de Dieu à Jérusalem.
3. Les chapitres 7 et 8 racontent comment Esdras est retourné à Jérusalem ainsi que plusieurs autres familles israélites.
4. Les chapitres 9 et 10 décrivent comment Esdras a amené les Israélites à renouveler leur alliance avec Dieu.
Translation: Swahili
Utangulizi wa Ezra
Vitabu vya Ezra na Nehemia vinasimulia jinsi Waisraeli walivyowezeshwa kuirudia nchi yao ya Israeli baada ya kukaa utumwani katika mataifa ya Uajemi na Babeli. Simulizi katika kitabu cha Ezra inajikita kusimulia jinsi hekalu la Mungu lilivyojengwa tena Yerusalemu. Wanazuoni wa mambo ya kibiblia wanakubaliana kwamba Ezra aliviandika vitabu vya Mambo ya Nyakati wa 1 na 2, pamoja na vitabu vya Ezra na Nehemia. Endapo Ezra hakuwa mwandishi wa vitabu hivi, atakuwepo mtu mwingine aliyeviandika vitabu vyote hivyo. Yaelekea kitabu cha Ezra kiliandikwa katika miaka ya 440 K.K.(Kabla ya Kristo), lakini pia, inawezekana sehemu zingine za kitabu hicho ziliandikwa katika miaka ya baadaye.
Kitabu cha Ezra kinaonesha jinsi Mungu alivyomfanya mfalme Koreshi wa Uajemi awaruhusu Waisraeli kurudi katika nchi yao wenyewe ili wakalijenge hekalu la Mungu. Neno hili pia lilitimiza unabii wa Yeremia nabii (Yer. 29:10 - 14). Walikuwepo baadhi ya maadui walioipinga kazi ya ujenzi wa hekalu, na hata waliweza kuisimamisha kazi hiyo kwa muda, lakini hata hivyo, Waisraeli kwa msaada wa Mungu waliweza hatimaye kuukamilisha ujenzi wa hekalu. Kwa kufuata uongozi wa Ezra, Waisraeli pia waliweza kutubia dhambi zao. Tendo hili lilikuwa ni uamuzi wa kujitoa wao wenyewe kwa kufanya uamuzi wa kuishi kwa kufuata kanuni na sheria za Mungu.
Muhtasari wa Yaliyomo:
1. Sura ya 1 na 2 zinasimulia jinsi mfalme Koreshi alivyowaruhusu Waisraeli warudi kuishi katika nchi yao wenyewe, pia majina ya watu wote waliorejea kutoka uhamishoni walikoshikiliwa kama mateka yameorodheshwa kwa kuzingatia koo zao.
2. Sura ya 3 hadi 6 zinaeleza jinsi nyumba ya hekalu la Mungu la Yerusalemu ilivyojengwa.
3. Sura 7 na 8 zinaeleza jinsi Ezra alivyorudi Yerusalemu akifuatana na familia kadhaa za Waisraeli.
4. Sura 9 na 10 zinaelezea jinsi Ezra alivyowaongoza Waisraeli wengine kuhuisha na kulifanya agano lao na Mungu wao liwe hai tena.
(Pioneer Bible Translators and The Word for the World use the following introduction in many of their translation projects around the world.)
1 Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul around 55 years after the birth of Christ (1:1). This is the first of two letters we have that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth. He probably wrote the letter during his stay in Ephesus before his intended visit to Corinth on his way to and from Macedonia (16:5–9).
This letter is a response to reports Paul had received from some members of the church about various unhealthy practices in the church, including divisions and sexual immorality. The city of Corinth was well known for its sexual immorality so it is not surprising that the church there was facing these issues. 1 Corinthians also contains the famous chapter on love (13).
Outline:
1. Paul greets the Corinthians and thanks God for them (1:1–9).
2. Then he addresses the reports he had received about divisions in the Corinthian church (1:10—4:21).
3. Next he addresses issues of sexual immorality and taking one another to court (5–6).
4. After that he offers instruction on matters of marriage, sacrificing to idols, public worship, spiritual gifts and the resurrection (7-15).
5. Finally he concludes with some practical and personal matters (16).
La première lettre aux Corinthiens a été écrite par l’apôtre Paul environ 55 ans après la naissance de Christ (1 :1). C’est la première des deux lettres que nous avons que Paul a écrites à l’église à Corinthe. Il a probablement écrit la lettre pendant son séjour à Ephèse, avant la visite qu’il avait l’intention de faire à Corinthe en route pour la Macédoine et au retour (16 :5-9).
Cette lettre est une réponse à des informations que Paul avait reçues de quelques membres de l’église au sujet de diverses pratiques malsaines qui se passaient dans l’église, y compris les divisions et l’immoralité sexuelle. La ville de Corinthe était bien connue pour son immoralité sexuelle ; il n’est donc pas surprenant que l’église à Corinthe rencontre ces problèmes. 1 Corinthiens contient aussi le chapitre célèbre au sujet de l’amour (13).
Résumé
1. Paul salue les Corinthiens et remercie Dieu pour eux. (1 :1-9)
2. Puis il aborde le sujet des informations qu’il a reçues au sujet des divisions qui existent dans l’église à Corinthe (1 :10 – 4 :21).
3. Ensuite il traite des sujets de l’immoralité sexuelle et des procès que les chrétiens ont entre eux. (5-6)
4. Après cela il offre des instructions sur les sujets du mariage, des offrandes faites aux idoles, des cultes publics, des dons spirituels et de la résurrection. (7-15)
5. Enfin, il conclut avec certains sujets pratiques et personnels. (16)
Translation: Swahili
Utangulizi wa kitabu cha 1 Wakorintho
Kitabu cha 1 Wakorintho kiliandikwa na Mtume Paulo katika kipindi kinachokaribia mwaka 55 baada ya kuzaliwa Yesu Kristo (1:1). Hii ni barua ya kwanza kati ya mbili zilizoandikwa na Paulo kwa kanisa lililokuwa katika mji wa Korintho. Yamkini aliiandika barua hii alipokuwa akiishi Efeso kabla ya safari aliyotaka kuifanya kuelekea Korintho atakapokuwa akienda na kurudi kutoka Makedonia (16:5-9).
Barua hii ni jibu la Paulo kwa taarifa alizokuwa amezipokea kutoka kwa baadhi ya washirika wa kanisa juu ya baadhi ya mambo yasiyofaa yaliyofanywa ndani ya kanisa, ikiwa ni pamoja na migawanyiko na zinaa. Jiji la Korintho lilijulikana sana kwa vitendo vya zinaa iliyokithiri, kwa hiyo haishangazi kuona kwamba kanisa la mahali hapo lilikuwa linakabiliana na masuala hayo. Kitabu cha 1 Wakorintho pia kinayo sura maarufu ihusuyo upendo (sura 13).
Muhtasari
1. Paulo anawasalimu Wakorintho na kumshukuru Mungu kwa ajili yao (1:1–9).
2. Baada ya hapo anashughulikia taarifa alizozipokea kuhusu migawanyiko ndani ya Kanisa la Wakorintho (1:10—4:21).
3. Kisha anashughulikia suala la zinaa na vitendo wanavyofanyiana vya kupelekana mahakamani wao kwa wao (5–6).
4. Baada ya hapo anatoa maelekezo katika masuala yahusuyo ndoa, kutoa sadaka kwa sanamu, ibada katika mahali pa kusanyiko, vipawa vya kiroho na mambo yahusuyo ufufuo (7-15).
5. Mwishowe anamaliza kwa kueleza baadhi ya mambo ya kiutendaji na ya kibinafsi (16).
Bawm build with bamboo and thatch in their mountainous forests. They made the apostles and prophets become the roof ridge pole and Jesus the central uprights which support it. I asked why not the corner uprights since Greek has a term that is translated in English as ‘cornerstone.’ Bawm translators responded that the central uprights are more important than the corner ones, and Greek refers to the most important stone. (“Corner uprights” used in 1 Timothy 3:15.) (Source: David Clark)
Similarly, Chris Pluger tells the following from the translation into Tsamakko: “At the end of Ephesians 2, Paul uses the idea of a building to show that people of all nations and backgrounds are united together by faith in Christ. This building is pictured as standing on a stone foundation, and believers are ‘joined together’ as parts of that building. Christ himself is the cornerstone on which everything is based. However, the Tsamakko people of southwest Ethiopia do not build on stone foundations, and their buildings are traditionally round. This makes the idea of a ‘cornerstone’ difficult for several obvious reasons. In the Tsamakko translation of Ephesians 2:20, Christ is the mososso — the big center pole of a house that holds up the roof and the entire structure of the building. The apostles and prophets are the other poles that support the frame of the house. And believers are the house itself — all the pieces that make up the walls and the roof. We are all joined together as one, and Christ is the thing that keeps us together!” (for a complete back-translation of that verse in Tsamakko, see complete verse (Ephesians 2:20).
In Mono, translators used “main post,” in Martu Wangka “two forked sticks with another long strong stick laid across” (see also 1 Peter 2:6-7.), and in Arrernte, the translation in 1 Peter 2:7 (in English translation: “the stone . . . became the very cornerstone”) was rendered as “the foundation… continues to be the right foundation,” (source for this and two above: Carl Gross) and in Uripiv and Sabaot it is the “post” (source: Ross McKerras and Jim Leonhard in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 50). Likewise, in Hakha Chin it is the “central upright poles of a house.” (Hakha Chin speakers are mountain people who build houses with bamboo and palm thatch, not stone) (source: David Clark)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec it is translated with a term denoting the “the principal part of the ‘house’ (or work)” (source: Robert Bascom), in Enlhet as “like the house-root” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. ), in Q’anjob’al it is translated with the existing idiom “ear of the house.” (Source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ), in Desano as “main support of the house,” and in Tataltepec Chatino as “the best stone” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).
Shuar translates as “that stone was placed to the main house pole.” The Shuar use stones in house building either at the bottom of the posthole as a base for the house pole to rest on, or as chocking material around the post to hold it firm. Either function is acceptable here particularly as applied to the main house-pole. In Ocotlán Zapotec it is “master stone of the house.” This is a special stone they put into the foundation as sort of a guide stone of how the foundation is to true up. (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
In Matumbi it is “the great foundation stone.” It’s the first large stone you place for a house, the one that determines where all the other stones will go, but unlike in Greek thought it’s often in the center of a building instead of a corner. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
The Greek. Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated in English as “anoint” is translated in Lakota with azilyA: “to smudge.”
Steve Berneking (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 121) tells the story of that translation:
“During one visit with the Lakota team, we were reading texts and discussing key biblical terms and how they are best rendered into Lakota. Reference was made to the ritual we label ‘anointing.’ When the Lakota word that had been glossed as ‘anoint’ was read aloud, I heard giggling among the reviewers. Knowing that this reaction called for some explanation, I asked.
“The people there told me that the Lakota verb that was used to translate ‘anoint’ was funny in that context. It is not that the verb is an uncommon one; quite the contrary. Lakota uses that verb frequently, but almost exclusively as a verb of food preparation; the verb belongs to the culinary domain. In other words, the Lakota verb used for ‘anoint’ actually referred to rubbing oil on something that was to be cooked or grilled, in this case, the apostles. The Lakota verb ipáṫaŋṫtaŋ ‘to apply oil on something’ was used quite innocently by the missionaries. The linguistic transfer was understandable: the missionaries needed a verb to translate ‘putting oil on something’; Lakota has a verb; they used that verb. The result was comical. So, during that conversation with the Lakota community, I encouraged the translators to come up with a Lakota verb that is used not simply in ‘the application of oil,’ but more pointedly in the consecration of something or somebody for a special task, or in the appointment of someone for a special purpose. Their response was almost immediate: azilyA or wazílyA ‘to smudge.’ That is how, they told me, warriors and messengers and tribal leaders have always been consecrated (or blessed) before being sent out on a special mission. Sage grass was burned, and the smoke was waved over the person or object. The trans-cultural process of using the traditional Lakota verb azilyA for the biblical notion of ‘anoint’ became, at that moment, part of the Lakota Bible.”
In Bashkir, it is translated as masekhlay (мәсехләү), when used in a ritual context. Masekhlay has the same root than masikh (мәсих), which is used both for “anointed one” in the Old Testament and in its capitalized form (Мәсих) for Μεσσίας (engl. “Messiah”) and Χριστός (engl. “Christ”) in the New Testament. For more information about this, see anointed one.
In Vidunda it is translated as “smear oil.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing how anointing was done in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated with “mule” in English is translated in Swahili with nyumbu which also is a homonym for “wildebeest,” potentially causing confusion.
In Kutu it is translated with “big donkey” because there is no other adequate term in Kutu. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the HausaCommon Language Bible it is translated jakin-doki or “donkey-horse,” since mules are also not known in Nigeria. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The word pirdah refers to the female mule while pered can refer to either the male or the female. In biblical times mules were used for riding and as pack animals while horses were mainly used to pull military chariots. They appear to have been introduced into Canaan much later than horses. Mules are not mentioned in the Bible until the time of David while horses are mentioned in the Joseph story and in Deuteronomy 17:16 where the king is forbidden to acquire them. Technically the owning of mules was not prohibited although the breeding of them would have fallen under the prohibition of Leviticus 19:19, which forbade the cross-breeding of animals. The Israelites thus seem to have relied on mules imported from neighboring countries.
The mule is not an animal found naturally anywhere, but is the result of people breeding male donkeys with female horses. It is also possible to breed male horses with female donkeys, but the offspring, technically called “hinnies”, not “mules”, are usually smaller than mules. Mules are bigger and stronger than donkeys and are much more resistant to disease than either horses or donkeys. They are usually dark brown with bigger ears than the parent horse.
Although there are male and female mules they are infertile and not able to breed. This makes the stronger males much easier to handle than stallions.
Although the mule in English is associated with stubbornness this is not usually the case in other cultures since mules are very easy to handle if treated properly. In Psalms 32:9 the mule is linked to the horse as both being animals that lack sufficient understanding and need to be guided in the right direction.
Even in languages of societies that know mules, they are often referred to as “horse-donkeys”, or “donkey-horses”. This seems to be a good translation solution even in languages that have no word for mule.
The Hebrew that is translated as “three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east” or similar in English is translated in Kutu with a construct that uses “their backs looked at each other” rather than the facing outward. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Greek in Hebrews 4:12 that is translated as “active” or similar in English is translated in Mwera as linakombola kamula maengo popowe or “is able to work everywhere.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Hebrew that is translated as “turquoise” in English is translated in Nyamwezi as zumalidi or “emerald.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
