The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.
Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 65:18:
Kupsabiny: “You shall be happy and always rejoice over the words/things that I am doing. I shall make Jerusalem have joy and its people will be made happy.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But [what] I created [is] a matter of joy and rejoicing forever — yes indeed! For I have made Jerusalem full of joy and the people there full of rejoicing.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Therefore you (plur.) be-glad and rejoice without end to what I will-do. For I will-make Jerusalem to be a delight of the people, and its people will- also -give joy.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
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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.
Verses 18-19 repeat the idea of rejoicing (see verses 13-14). The synonymous verbs be glad and rejoice in these verses form a chiasmus.
But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: God calls on his people to cast aside their current feelings of depression over the apparent failure of his promises. His new creative work will bring joy and happiness. The connector But highlights the contrast between the past that will be forgotten and the new world the LORD is making. Many versions omit this connector, but New Jerusalem Bible and Bible en français courant use “Rather,” and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “then.” The people are to rejoice for ever, that is, permanently. The Hebrew phrase rendered for ever is literally “until until.” It means “for a very long time,” rather than “for eternity” (see the comments on 26.4).
For behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy: For behold, I create repeats the same emphatic phrase that began the previous verse (see the comments there). Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy is an awkward English expression. It would be more natural to say “Jerusalem, a place of rejoicing, and her people, a people of joy.” Good News Translation expresses the meaning here clearly. God will restore the destroyed city of Jerusalem to be a place of celebration and joy for its inhabitants (compare 51.11).
Bible en français courant expresses vividly that there will be non-stop joy in Jerusalem by rendering this verse as “Rather, rejoice and don’t stop voicing your enthusiasm loudly for what I will create: an enthusiastic Jerusalem with its people overflowing with joy.” Other possible models are:
• But be happy and joyful forever
because of what I am creating.
Look, I am creating a happy Jerusalem
and joy for all its people.
• But now rejoice and be glad always
because of what I am about to create.
Look, I will create a Jerusalem full of happiness,
with all its people shouting for joy.
Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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