The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 6:6:
Kupsabiny: “But I have (now) chosen the city of Jerusalem to become where I shall be worshipped, and I have chosen you David to rule my people of Israel.’ ’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But, now I have chosen Jerusalem as the place to worship me and David to reign over my people.’’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “But now I have-chosen Jerusalem as a place where I will-be-honored, and I have-chosen David to rule-over my people (the) Israelinhon.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But now I have chosen Jerusalem to be the place for people to worship me, and I have chosen you to rule my Israeli people.’ ’” (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.
But I have chosen Jerusalem … and I have chosen David …: God is now choosing Jerusalem as a special place of worship, and he is choosing David to rule his people. This verse contains a clear contrast with verse 5. For this reason it is appropriate to translate the common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse as but. Some versions also add the word “now” (Good News Translation, New International Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, New American Bible) to emphasize the contrast.
That my name may be there: See the comments on the previous verse.
To be over my people Israel is a literal translation, which may be rendered “to rule my people” (Good News Translation; similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).
Translators should make sure that readers will understand that within the words of Solomon, the quotation of what God said stops at the end of this verse.
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 .
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