8Just as they have done to me from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Samuel 8:8:
Kupsabiny: “They abandoned me right from the time I brought them from Egypt up to now and just worshipped/bowed down before idols (gods). Now, they are doing the same to you as they are doing to me.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Whatever they have been doing to me since the day [I] brought [them] from the land of Egypt, just like that they are now doing to you. Abandoning me, they have been worshipping other gods.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “From when- I -caused- them -to-come-out of Egipto until today they have-rejected me and they have-served others gods. And now they are-doing the same also to you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Ever since I brought them out of Egypt, they have rejected me, and they have worshiped other gods. And now they are also rejecting you in the same way.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
Revised Standard Version and New Revised Standard Version follow the Septuagint in adding the words to me, which are lacking in the Masoretic Text. It is not clear whether other translations (Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) that include these words have followed the Septuagint also, or whether they have simply provided these words to complete the sense. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text, but translators should include or exclude the words to me on the basis of their language requirements rather than on the basis of textual evidence.
Forsaking … and serving: literally “and they forsook me and they served other gods.” This clause in Hebrew functions to explain what has preceded. That is, this clause explains what is meant by the words all the deeds which they have done [to me].
The structure of this long, complicated sentence in Revised Standard Version follows the Hebrew, but it may be too complex to be translated literally into other languages. There are two main parts to this sentence: (1) a comparison of Israel’s treatment of Samuel and of Yahweh in the first and last elements in the verse, and (2) a historical reference to Israel’s past in the middle of the verse. These may be translated by two separate sentences. A possible model for this is the following:
• These people are treating you the same way they have habitually treated me. They have abandoned me and worshiped other gods beginning from the time I rescued them from the land of Egypt up to the present day.
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on the First and Second Books of Samuel, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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