many years of life / live long / one's days may be long

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “for no good purpose,” “evil purpose in mind,” “evil heart” or similar in English is translated in the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version with a historical Chinese idiom: bùhuái hǎoyì (不懷好意 / 不怀好意), lit. “not intending a good purpose.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

Note that the Protestant Union Version also uses that idiom in Proverbs 4:10.

complete verse (Exodus 28:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Exodus 28:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “Someone line/arrange their names beginning from the elder one to the young one. Someone engrave six names on one stone and the other six names engrave those onto the other stone.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Engrave six of their names on one stone among them and remaining six names on another stone according to their birth order.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The putting of their names must-be in-the-order according to their birth, and (put) six names on each stone.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “They must engrave their names and follow their birth, six on one stone, and six on the other stone.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Opo: “On gem one, they must write name of six people, on gem other they must write name of six people, beginning with name of elder go end with name of small one.” (Source: Opo Back Translation)
  • English: “He must engrave the names in the order in which Jacob’s sons were born. He must engrave six names on one stone, and the other six names on the other stone.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Exod 28:9 - 28:10

And you shall take, with singular you, uses the same word as verse 5 (“they shall receive”). Two onyx stones refers to two cut stones, polished as gems, from onyx, a valuable kind of quartz with milky-white bands alternating with black or another color. So one may translate “a precious stone named ‘onyx,’ ” or possibly “a precious stone of many colors named ‘onyx.’ ” (See the comment on onyx at verses 19-20.) And engrave on them means to write or inscribe on the polished stones by cutting into them with a sharp object. So one may also translate the first part of this verse as “have a skilled workman take two precious stones called ‘onyx,’ and use a sharp instrument to write [or, cut] ….” The names of the sons of Israel refers to “the twelve sons of Jacob” (Good News Translation). (They are listed at Gen 35.23-26.)

Six of their names on the one stone would be the names of the six oldest sons. And the names of the remaining six is literally “and the names of the six left over ones.” On the other stone is literally “on the second stone.” This may be condensed, as Good News Translation has done, without losing any meaning: “with six on one stone and six on the other.” In the order of their birth, literally “as their generations,” means “following the order in which they were born” (Durham).

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .