Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 5:6:
Kupsabiny: “Another one was Beerah who was a leader in the clan of Reuben. He was one of those people that Tiglath-pileser caught and took along to the land of Assyria.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “His son Beerah was taken away by Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria. Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “and Beera. Beera was the leader/[lit. head] of the descendants of Reuben when they were-taken-captive by King Tiglat Pileser of Asiria.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Baal’s son was Beerah. Beerah was a leader of the tribe/descendants of Reuben. But Tiglath-Pileser the king of Assyria captured him and took him to Assyria.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
Whom Tilgath-pilneser king of Assyria carried away into exile (verse 6): Tilgath-pilneser transliterates the name of the Assyrian king here (so also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). 2 Kgs 15.29 also tells of a deportation by “Tiglath-pileser,” as he is called there. Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Bible en français courant, Peregrino, and most other versions use this better-known form of the name here instead of Tilgath-pilneser. For additional information regarding this king of Assyria, see the comments on verse 26. Carried away into exile translates a single Hebrew verb. It is a causative form of the verb meaning “to remove” or “to depart.” In some contexts it has been translated “deported.” In this context the sense is clearly that Tiglath Pileser moved Beerah away from his home to another place against his will. In some languages it may be necessary to say “forced him to go to Assyria” or “made him leave his country.” New Century Version makes explicit what is only implicit in the text, namely, the Assyrian king “captured him” before he “took him away.”
He was a chieftain of the Reubenites (verse 6): Be-erah was a leader of the tribe of Reuben. The Hebrew word translated chieftain may be rendered “prince” (Revised English Bible, American Bible) or “leader” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New Century Version), which is a better model.
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 .
5:6a and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria carried into exile.
Beerah ⌊was⌋ the son of Baal. ⌊Then⌋ Tiglath-pileser the king of Assyria came and captured Beerah and took him to ⌊live in Assyria⌋ . -or-
Baal ⌊was⌋ the father of Beerah, whom Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, took into exile.
5:6b Beerah was a leader of the Reubenites.
Beerah became a leader of the Reubenites. -or-
Beerah became a leader of the tribe of Reuben.
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