Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Timothy 4:9:
Uma: “Timotius! I request that you quickly come visit me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Really try hard so that you will soon be-able-to-come-here to me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Do what you can so that you might soon come here,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “If possible, hurry to come here,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “I’m asking you please, if you have the opportunity I want you to come here soon/quickly.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen, Timothy, earnestly endeavor to come quickly here where I am so that we can speak together.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 show different degree of politeness is through the choice of an imperative construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
In these verses, the honorific form kudasai (ください) reflects that the action is called for as a favor for the sake of the beneficiary. This polite kudasai imperative form is often translated as “please” in English. While English employs pure imperatives in most imperative constructions (“Do this!”), Japanese chooses the polite kudasai (“Do this, please.”).
It is assumed in the letter that Timothy was in Ephesus and that Paul was in Rome. So now Paul wants Timothy to make every effort to join him in Rome because, except for Luke, everyone had left Paul. For Do your best see 2 Tim 2.15. The verb means “to make every effort.” Soon is literally “quickly,” which in the present context means “in the shortest time possible.” See further on “hasty” in 1 Tim 5.22. In some languages this sentence will be best translated as “You must come to see me as soon as possible.”
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .