complete verse (Amos 6:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Amos 6:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “You think that the day of destruction may not be near,
    but your actions bring that day close.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “You send away of coming disaster,
    but bring near the period of terror.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) are-to-be-pitied who do- not -think that there (is) a day that will-come that you (plur.) will-be-punished. But due to the bad that you (plur.) do, you (plur.) even in-fact cause-to-hasten that day that harming will-reign.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Amos 6:3

O you who put far away the evil day/You refuse to admit that a day of disaster is coming. As mentioned in 6.1-7, the equivalent of woe to should be included here again (6.1) and as often as necessary through verse 6.

According to some, the Hebrew implies the use of magic acts and spells, but the evidence is not strong enough to make this a basis for translation. More likely this is a picture of refusing to think about such a day, as in Good News Translation (and The Translator’s Old Testament: “you refuse to think of the day when disaster will come”). In some languages, of course, the Hebrew picture is understood with the correct meaning, and one can translate “you chase far away the day of disaster” or “you chase the day of disaster, it has gone far” without necessarily having to express such information as “from your mind.” However, even then one may need to indicate that this is only wishful thinking by some such translation as “you think you have chased the day of disaster, that it has gone far, but….”

And bring near the seat of violence/but what you do only brings that day closer. The Hebrew word for seat is difficult to understand and many changes of text have been proposed. None of them is supported by any of the ancient translations, however. The only useful solution is to take seat in the sense of “throne” and to understand “throne” as meaning “reign” or “rule.” So New American Bible: “yet you hasten the reign of violence” and The Translator’s Old Testament: “you are bringing nearer the time when violent men will reign.” This reign of violence is brought nearer through the actions of the leaders and that fact may have to be stated (compare Good News Translation). In many languages it is impossible to speak of a “reign of violence” and/or you cannot “bring near” such a reign. One possibility: “but you yourselves, by the way you act, will cause violent people to come (and destroy you).”

Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan & Smalley, William A. A Handbook on Amos. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1979. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Amos 6:3

6:3a You dismiss the day of calamity

You (plur.) put from your minds the ⌊coming⌋ day of disaster.
-or-
You (plur.) ⌊leaders⌋ try not to think of the day ⌊that is coming⌋ when bad things will happen ⌊to you⌋ .

6:3b and bring near a reign of violence.

By doing that, ⌊you (plur.) ⌋ make a time of evil to come to you.
-or-
But ⌊by the way you (plur.) behave, this⌋ will cause violent ⌊people⌋ to come and destroy ⌊you⌋ .

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