justice

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

the poor

The Hebrew that is translated as “the poor” in English is translated in Chichewa as “people without power.” In Chichewa context this refers to those who are in the lower class in terms of both social status and political influence in a community. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

In Cherokee it is translated as “those who are not doing well.” “The concept of poverty was unknown to Cherokee prior to European arrival due to the sharing of resources among clan members and the shared and welfare tradition known as gadugi (ᎦᏚᎩ). In contrast, the concepts of rich and poor play a large role in the world and message or the New Testament (…) This phrase (‘those who are not doing well’), still used today for ‘poor,’ speaks to a more general understanding of well-being than the presence of monetary resources.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 45)

See also poor (Ps. 41:1).

lawless / godless / without justice

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “lawless,” “godless,” “without justice” or similar in English is translated in the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version with a historical Chinese idiom: wúfǎ wútiān (無法無天 / 无法无天), lit. “no law, no heaven.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.)

complete verse (Ezekiel 22:29)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 22:29:

  • Kupsabiny: “Powerful people cheat people and rob them of their things. They suppress the weak and persecute the foreigners.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “The people practice-extortion and steal. They oppress the poor-ones, and the non Israelinhon who live with them. They do not give them justice.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The Israeli people force others to give them money, and they rob people. They oppress poor people, and they mistreat foreigners among them by not treating them fairlyin the courts.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 22:29

The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery …: God adds a fifth group of sinners (which is not in Zephaniah), namely, The people of the land. This phrase may refer to the people who lived in the country, or simply to the “common people” (New Living Translation), in contrast to the four groups of leaders previously mentioned. Even these people were wicked. They practiced extortion and committed robbery, that is, they cheated and robbed people (see the comments on 18.18). Contemporary English Version says “The people themselves cheat and rob” (similarly Good News Translation).

They have oppressed the poor and needy means they took advantage of people who did not have enough to live on (see the comments on 18.12). Good News Translation says simply “They mistreat the poor.”

And have extorted from the sojourner without redress means they also took advantage of foreigners living in Israel, who had no way of getting justice (compare verse 7). New International Version says “and mistreat the alien, denying them justice,” and New Century Version has “They cheat foreigners and do not treat them fairly.”

A model for this verse is:

• The people of Israel have cheated and robbed others. They have abused those who are poor and do not have enough to live on, and they have taken advantage of foreigners living in their land, who have no way of getting justice.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .