complete verse (Jeremiah 13:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 13:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then I went to that river of Euphrates and took the cloth out. When I saw it, it had become useless/worthless.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So I went to the River of Eufrates and took the belt from-where- I -hid it, but it was already rotten and very useless/will- not -be of any value.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So I went to the Perath Stream and dug out the waistcloth from the crevice/hole in which I had hidden it. But it was ruined, and useless.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 13:7

Euphrates: See verse 5.

Dug (so also An American Translation, Luther 1984) may also be translated “looked for” (Revised English Bible) or “searched” (New Jerusalem Bible). Although it is not stated in verse 5 that Jeremiah had actually buried the loincloth in the ground, it is quite possible that he did so. Or it is possible that silt from the river had in the meantime covered the garment. Either interpretation is possible. Good News Translation “found the place” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “took … from the hiding place” prefer a more general term.

For And behold, see 1.6. Here “And I saw” would fit well.

Spoiled: The linen loincloth had “rotted and could no longer be used for anything” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Spoiled can also be rendered “ruined” (New Revised Standard Version).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .