5When the Israelites heard it, with one accord they fell upon the enemy and cut them down as far as Choba. Those in Jerusalem and all the hill country also came, for they were told what had happened in the camp of the enemy. The men in Gilead and in Galilee outflanked them with great slaughter, even beyond Damascus and its borders.
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)
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).
When the Israelites heard it, with one accord they fell upon the enemy: While the Israelites can be changed to “they” (Good News Translation) without confusion, the enemy needs to be identified by something more than the literal pronoun “them.” Both Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version have “Assyrians.” With one accord becomes in Good News Translation a simple “they all.” Fell upon the enemy means “attacked the enemy [the Assyrians].”
The text says that the Israelites cut them down as far as Choba. This clearly implies pursuit. Good News Translation makes it explicit with “chased them as far as Choba, slaughtering them as they went,” and Contemporary English Version has “The Israelites chased their enemies as far as Choba, and along the way they killed many of them.”
Those in Jerusalem and all the hill country also came: Also becomes “Even the people of Jerusalem…” in Good News Translation. Either works well. All the hill country refers to the hilly area around Jerusalem.
Those in Gilead and Galilee outflanked them with great slaughter: Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version identify Gilead and Galilee as regions. Outflanked them means they outran the enemy and blocked their path. Good News Translation mentions only the blocking of the path, but to get to that position they would have to go ahead of them and even surround them; so no essential element is omitted in Good News Translation. Them must be identified; here Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version use “the retreating Assyrians.” With great slaughter may be rendered “inflicted heavy losses on them.”
Even beyond Damascus and its borders: Good News Translation is not quite accurate here. The chase did not go “as far as” Damascus, but past it. A better rendering would be “They did not stop chasing the Assyrians until they were well on the other side [or, north] of the city of Damascus.”
Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Judith. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2001. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.
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