The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “remember” in English is translated in Mairasi as “it is (or: place it) in your liver’s crack” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Noongar as barrang-dwangka, literally “ear-hold” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Hosea 7:2:
Kupsabiny: “They do not realize that I am thinking of all their sins. Their evil/sin has enveloped them and I know all their words/deeds.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But they have not thought that I remember all the evil work that they do. The sinful deeds that they have done surround them. Those deeds are always before me.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “But they do- not -put in their minds that I remembered all their wickedness. They (are) still tied-up by their sins and I saw all this.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But they do not realize that I do not forget all the evil things that they do. It is as though they are surrounded by all the sins that they commit; and it is though those sins are always right in front of me.” (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.
But they do not consider is literally “And they do not speak to their heart,” which means they never realize or stop to think about something. Good News Translation uses an equivalent English idiom: “It never enters their heads.” The translator should consider whether the receptor language has an appropriate idiom. But renders well the Hebrew waw conjunction, which introduces something unexpected here.
That I remember all their evil works refers to a general, ongoing activity in Revised Standard Version. Good News Translation expresses it as a future action: “that I will remember all this evil.” Translators may use a tense that fits the situation of constantly remembering, now and always, what evil God’s people have done. In this context remember can also be translated “know” or “keep in mind.” Good News Translation renders all their evil works as “all this evil” to make clear that it refers to the sins just mentioned in 7.1.
Now their deeds encompass them …: The Hebrew adverb rendered Now introduces the current situation of the Israelites. However, here it can also serve as a discourse marker, introducing the consequences of their evil behavior. What follows is a rather deplorable conclusion.
Their deeds encompass them (Good News Translation “their sins surround them”) indicates that their sins are many, that they place the people in danger, and that they are trapped by their sins so that they cannot escape. A verb such as “entangle” is less neutral and makes the negative consequences explicit. Bible en français courant says “they are prisoners of their own misdeeds.”
They are before my face is expressed by Good News Translation as “and I cannot avoid seeing them,” meaning “they are very obvious to me.” New Jerusalem Bible says “and stare me in the face.” However, the Hebrew verb rendered are can also mean “occur” (Wolff), and this emphasizes the idea that God sees the sins as they happen, not merely that God sees the record of sin. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch says “which they have committed in defiance of me.” Translators may use an interpretation here that best fits the way sin is discussed in the receptor language.
A translation model for this verse is:
• But it never occurs to them
that I keep all their wickedness in mind.
So now their evil deeds entangle them,
I always see them right in front of me.
Quoted with permission from Dorn, Louis & van Steenbergen, Gerrit. A Handbook on Hosea. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2020. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
This verse continues the description of the deceitful people. Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:
2a But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil.
2b Now their deeds are all around them; they are always before My face.
The first clauses in 7:2a and 7:2b indicate that the people are unaware of the true results of their sins. The second clauses indicate that the LORD knows about all their sins and remembers them.
7:2a
But they fail to consider in their hearts that I remember all their evil: In Hebrew, 7:2a begins with a conjunction that connects the people’s wickedness in 7:1d–f and their failure to realize the true situation in 7:2a–b. The preceding context describes people who live deceitfully as if the LORD did not care. But the true situation in 7:2a–b is that God does indeed care.
Here are some ways to indicate this relationship:
• Use an explicit conjunction, as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:
and the bandits raid outside. But they do not consider that I remember all their wickedness… (New Revised Standard Version) -or-
marauders raid in the open; and they never pause to consider that I remember all their wicked deeds… (New Jerusalem Bible)
• Do not use an explicit conjunction. Allow the context to imply the relationship. For example:
and gangs rob people out in the streets. They do not realize that I remember all of their wicked deeds… (NET Bible) -or-
and robbers are in the streets. It never enters their minds that I remember all their evil deeds… (New Century Version)
Use a natural way in your language to indicate this relationship.
they fail to consider: This phrase means “they are unaware” or “they do not think about.”
that I remember: In this context, these words mean “I notice” or “I think about,” or “I don’t forget.” They indicate that the LORD knows about their evil deeds. They are not hidden from him.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
I have seen (Contemporary English Version) -or-
I am watching (New Living Translation (2004))
all their evil: This phrase refers to actions that are against God’s will, such as dishonest or immoral behavior.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
all the evil things they’ve done (God’s Word) -or-
all their wickedness (New Revised Standard Version)
7:2b
Now their deeds are all around them: This is a figure of speech (personification). It describes the people’s evil deeds as enemy soldiers who have surrounded and captured them. This figure of speech may imply two things:
(a) They have many sins.
(b) The people cannot free themselves from their sin and its consequences.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
• Keep the personification. For example:
their misdeeds encircle them (Revised English Bible)
• Make explicit the implied comparison to enemy soldiers. For example:
Their wicked deeds ⌊are like enemies who ⌋ have surrounded them.
Now: This conjunction may indicate a time reference or introduce a contrast. For example:
Their evil deeds have now surrounded them (NET Bible) -or-
It never enters their heads that I will remember all this evil; but their sins surround them (Good News Translation)
In some languages, it may be more natural to allow the context to imply the relationship between this clause and the previous one and not have a conjunction here. For example:
Its people don’t realize I am watching them. Their sinful deeds are all around them (New Living Translation (2004))
Any of these options are acceptable. Use a natural way in your language to indicate one of these relationships.
they are before My face: This clause is parallel to the clause “I remember all their evil” in 7:2a. The meaning is related. God always sees every evil deed the people do, and he does not forget them.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they are right in front of me (New Century Version) -or-
I see them all (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
their own deeds…stare me in the face (New Jerusalem Bible)
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