Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Isaiah 65:22:
Kupsabiny: “They are not building and (then) other people live in those houses or planting and other people eat their food/crops. My people shall live for long like a tree. Those that I have chosen shall enjoy what they struggled for.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “It will never happen that someone else will come to live in the house that they have built, and it will never happen that someone else will eat the fruit of the grapevine that they have planted. For the life span of my people will be like the life span of a tree, and the ones I have chosen will be rejoicing for many days because of the work of their own hands.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “(It is) no-longer their enemies can-benefit from their houses and plants. For as long as a tree lives long, my people will- also -live long, and they surely can-benefit from what they have-labored/worked-hard-for.” (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.
Good News Translation combines verses 21-22, because verse 21a is similar to verse 22a, and so is verse 21b to verse 22b. No other version consulted does so, but it is a valid, logical way to arrange the contents of these lines.
Deut 28.30b describes a scenario that is opposite to the one here: those who do not obey the LORD will build houses but not live in them, they will plant vineyards but not enjoy the grapes. The likely implication of the close link between the two texts is that all those living in the new creation will obey the LORD and so enjoy the blessings that flow from that.
They shall build houses and inhabit them means that not only will the people be able to (re)build their homes, but they themselves will live in them. In the past when the people had gone into exile, and others took over the houses they had built. With these words God promises a future that is safe and secure.
They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit is similar to the previous promise. All agricultural work of the people will provide them with the food they need. In the ancient world it was common for invading armies to live off the land they conquered. They would plunder the vineyards and fields and leave the people with nothing to eat. Yahweh says it will not happen again. The people of Judah can plant with the confidence that they will harvest their own crops and live securely. For vineyards see the comments on 1.8.
They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat gives the converse of both statements in verse 21. After God’s people build their homes, others will not come and occupy the houses. Likewise, after they plant their crops, others will not harvest and eat the food.
For like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be: The Hebrew particle ki rendered For may be a logical connector or an emphatic marker here. Like Good News Translation, many versions omit it. The LORD promises his people a secure and long life in the land by comparing their future to the life of a tree. Normally a tree stands in one place and enjoys a long life, especially certain species such as cedar and oak. Days refers to a long time in this context. The Hebrew text of this line is very short and contains a striking sound rhythm built on the consonants “k” and “m” and the vowels “i” and “e”: ki-kime haʿets yeme ʿammi (literally “because like days of the tree, [so] the days of my people”).
And my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands: The phrase my chosen recalls verses 9 and 15, where it is parallel to “my servants.” Here it is synonymous with my people. The work of their hands refers in a general way to all that the people do or make, including building homes and planting crops. The Hebrew verb rendered long enjoy usually means “to wear out” (see 50.9). So this line is not just saying that they will enjoy for a long time the things they do or make, but that they will live even longer than these things. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has “My chosen ones shall outlive The work of their hands.” New Jerusalem Bible says “and my chosen ones will themselves use what they have made.”
Translation examples for verses 21-22 are:
• 21 They will build homes and occupy them;
they will plant vineyards and enjoy the fruit they produce.
22 They won’t build homes for others to occupy,
nor will they plant crops for others to enjoy the produce.
Because just like trees my people will live long lives,
my chosen ones will outlive what they make.
• 21 They will build and occupy their homes;
they will plant vineyards and enjoy the produce.
22 They will not build homes that others will occupy,
nor will they plant crops that others will plunder,
because like a tree my people will live a long life,
my chosen ones will long enjoy [or, use to the full] everything they make/do.
• 21-22 They will build homes,
and they themselves will occupy them, no one else will.
They will plant vineyards,
and they themselves will enjoy the fruit, no one else will.
My people will live long lives like trees.
My chosen ones will live longer than even the things they make.
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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