Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezra 6:15:
Kupsabiny: “The House of God was finished/completed on the third day in the month of Adar in the sixth year of the leadership/reign of Darius.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “The work of the temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar of the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The temple was-finished on the third day of the twelve month, which is the month of Adar, on the sixth year of the reign of Darius.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “They finished building it on March 12, during the sixth year that King Darius ruled.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
In the style of a historian, the writer identifies precisely the time when the rebuilding of the Temple was finished. The date of the completion of the Temple was the third day of the month of Adar, which is the twelfth month of the Hebrew calendar in late February and early March up to the spring (or vernal) equinox. (For the calendar in use then, see “Translating Ezra and Nehemiah,” pages 25-26.) It was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king, which was 515 B.C. This was approximately seventy years after the destruction of the first Temple in 586 B.C. Compare the prophecy of Jeremiah that the people of Israel would return from exile after seventy years in Jer 25.11-12; 29.10. New English Bible and Jerusalem Bible have “twenty-third day” in place of third day. They follow the parallel account in 1 Esdras 7.5 and Josephus based on the premise that “twenty” was accidentally omitted in the text of Ezra. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives this a C rating. However, the number “twenty-third” in 1 Esdras may have been to provide a parallel with 2 Chr 7.10, where it says that the dedication of the first Temple lasted until the “twenty-third day of the seventh month.” Nevertheless, this Handbook recommends the translation “twenty-third day.” A footnote should be added to indicate that “third day” is in MT.
Most versions retain the Babylonian name for the month Adar in translation, instead of trying to convert it to a modern name such as February or March, which would be anachronistic. However, for cultures that have a calendar like that of the Babylonians with the year beginning at the spring equinox, the translators may choose to use their traditional names for the months. If translators follow the practice of keeping Adar, it may be necessary to explain this name in a footnote.
Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
6:15a And this temple was completed on the third day of the month of Adar,
The house of God was completed on the third day of the month of Adar,⌊⌋ -or-
They finished ⌊building⌋ the temple on the third day of the ⌊Jewish⌋ month of Adar.
6:15b in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.
in the sixth year that Darius was king. -or-
This was six years after Darius began to rule ⌊Persia⌋.
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