complete verse (Ezekiel 39:24)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 39:24:

  • Kupsabiny: “I did to (them) things following/according to the dirt/uncleanness that they had and their mistake/sin turning my back on (them).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I only did to them what is fitting for what they did which was dirty and bad. I really turned-my-back to them.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I punished them like they deserved to be punished because of their disgusting behavior and sins, and I turned away from them.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

1st person pronoun referring to God (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 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.

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

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 39:24

I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions: Not only was God’s punishment of the Israelites the result of their sins, but it was also “in proportion to” (New Living Translation) their sins (compare Good News Translation “I gave them what they deserved … ” and Contemporary English Version .”.. they deserved to be punished”). The Hebrew word for uncleanness refers to being ritually unclean (see the comments on 36.25). The Hebrew word for transgressions refers to turning aside from the straight way (see 14.11). This whole clause may be rendered “They made themselves unfit for worshiping me and they turned away from doing the right things. So I punished them as they deserved.”

And hid my face from them: See the previous verse.

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 .