Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 32:52:
Kupsabiny: “So, you shall be looking towards that land in front of you, but you shall not enter into that land that I am giving the people of Israel.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Therefore you will see the land that I will give to the Israelites only at a great distance, but you will not get to go there."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Therefore you (sing.) will- just -see from afar the land that I (am) giving to the Israelinhon, but you (plur.) can- not -enter there.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When you are on that mountain where I told you to go, you will see in the distance in front of you the land that I am about to give to the Israeli people, but you will not enter it.’” (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.
You shall see the land before you: you is singular; God is speaking only to Moses. The particular sense here is brought out by Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible, New International Version: “you will see from a distance.”
The land which I give to the people of Israel: once more emphasizing the fact that the Promised Land was a gift from God.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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