Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 6:9:
Kupsabiny: “Although it is like that, it is not you who shall build for me that house, but it is your son who shall build (it).’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Even though you will never get to build it, your own son will build my temple.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “But you will- not -be-the-one-to-build it but-rather your child himself. He (will-be)-the-(one-who) will-build the temple for my honor.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “However, you are not the one who I want to build the temple; it is one of your own sons who I want to build a temple for me.’” (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.
In this verse God says David’s son, and not David himself, would build the Temple (see also 2 Sam 7.12-13; 1 Chr 17.11-12).
Nevertheless renders a common Hebrew adverb that expresses exception. It should be translated with a strong adversative, such as “However” (New American Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “and yet” (New Jerusalem Bible), “nevertheless” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version), or “but” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).
You shall not build … but your son … shall build …: In Hebrew some of the pronouns in this verse give a slightly stronger contrast than is reflected in Revised Standard Version. The force of the Hebrew here is more accurately expressed as “as for you, you shall not build … but your son … it is he who shall build….” In languages that have emphatic pronouns, it will be appropriate to use them here.
Who shall be born to you is literally “the one coming from your loins.” Compare New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, which says “the issue of your loins.” The word “loins” refers to that part of the body between the ribs and the hipbones. These words in Hebrew serve to emphasize that it is David’s very own son. Good News Translation attempts to capture this sense by saying “your own son.” For the last half of this verse, Contemporary English Version says simply “Your son will build the temple to honor me,” but this rendering fails to capture the force of the Hebrew. For the whole verse Bible en français courant is better with “Only it is not you who will build it, but your son. Yes, it’s your own son who will have this temple built for me!”
For my name: Good News Translation does not translate this phrase since it is repeated from the previous verse, but the repetition is intentional and should be translated unless it is unnatural to do so. New American Bible keeps it by saying “to my honor.”
In verses 8-9 the direct quotation of what the LORD said to David occurs within the words of Solomon and may present a problem in some languages. If this is the case, the following model may be considered for these verses:
• 8 The LORD told David that his desire to build a house where people would worship God was a good thing. 9 But he went on to say that it was not he [David], but his very own son [Solomon] who would one day build the house where people would worship God.
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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