In Aekyom, years are counted as “turtles” (ambum).
Norm Mundhenk tells this story:
“Recently I was checking some New Testament material in the Aekyom language of western Papua New Guinea. It seemed relatively clear until suddenly we came to a passage that started, ‘When Jesus had 12 turtles, …’ Surely I had misunderstood what they said.
“‘Did you say that Jesus had 12 turtles?’
“‘Let us explain! Around here there is a certain time every year when river turtles come up on the banks and lay their eggs. Because this is so regular, it can be used as a way of counting years. Someone’s age is said to be how many turtles that person has. So when we say that Jesus had 12 turtles, we mean that Jesus was 12 years old.’
“It was of course the familiar story of Jesus’ trip with his parents to Jerusalem. And certainly, as we all know, Jesus did indeed have 12 turtles at that time!”
In Tok Pisin, krismas (derived from “christmas”) is taken as the fixed annual marker, so Jesus had 12 “christmases” (Jisas i gat 12-pela krismas pinis) or Abram (in Gen. 12:4) had 75 (Abram i gat 75 krismas) (source: Norm Mundhenk). In Noongar it is biroka kadak or “summers had” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” and in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 23:27:
Kupsabiny: “All the Levites who had twenty years going up were counted and placed to do the work according to how David had said.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “According to David’s final orders, those 20 years old or older were counted as Levites.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “According to the last command of David, all Levites who were aging 20 years upward were-listed in-order-to serve.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Obeying the final instructions of David before he died, instructions for doing this work at the temple, they counted only the descendants of Levi who were at least 20 years old.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
As noted in the comments on verse 24, some scholars think this verse is misplaced and that it originally followed verse 24 (so New American Bible). Revised Standard Version indicates the parenthetical nature of this verse by placing long dashes around it and by using closing quotation marks at the end of verse 26 and opening quotation marks at the beginning of verse 28. According to the wording in the Masoretic Text, verse 27 is clearly not a part of the direct quotation spoken by David. If verses 28-32 are considered part of David’s speech, then translators may begin verse 28 with “And David continued by saying….” Contemporary English Version translates all of verses 25-32 as David’s words in the following way:
25 David said:
The LORD God of Israel has given his people peace, and he will live in Jerusalem forever. 26 And so, the Levites won’t need to move the sacred tent and the things used for worship from place to place. 27 From now on, all Levites at least twenty years old 28 will serve the LORD by helping Aaron’s descendants do their work at the temple, by keeping the courtyards and rooms of the temple clean, and by making sure that everything used in worship stays pure….
Contemporary English Version‘s rendering of verse 27 is a paraphrase. However, there is no need to make this verse part of David’s words.
For by the last words of David: Other translations include “According to David’s final decision” (Bible en français courant) and “According to these last instructions of David” (Revised English Bible). The connector for may be omitted (so Good News Translation, New International Version).
These were the number of the Levites from twenty years old and upward: See the comments on 1 Chr 23.3. Levites is literally “sons of Levi.”
New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh provides a good model for this verse, saying “Among the last acts of David was the counting of the Levites from the age of twenty and upward.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
23:27a For according to the final instructions of David,
David’s last instructions for the Israelites were (English Easy-to-Read Version) -or-
David’s last instructions were to count (God’s Word)
23:27b the Levites twenty years of age or older were counted,
to count the descendants from the tribe of Levi. (English Easy-to-Read Version) They counted the Levite men who were twenty (20) years old and older. -or-
the Levites who were at least 20 years old. (God’s Word)
23:27a–b (combined)
So David counted the Levites who were 20 years old or older and could work in the temple. Those were David’s last words before he died. (EEB) -or-
David had told them that they should count the Levites. But they should only include the Levites who were 20 years old or older. Those were the last words that he said about the Levites. (Easy English Bible) -or-
Among the last acts of David was the counting of the Levites from the age of twenty and upward. (NJPSV)
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