Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 23:15

Thus says the LORD: See 2.2.

The LORD of hosts: See 2.19.

For Behold see 1.6.

I will feed them with wormwood, and give them poisoned water to drink: See 9.15. For wormwood Good News Translation has “bitter plants” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “bitter food.” In place of poisoned water, both Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch have simply “poison.”

From the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone forth into all the land: The term rendered ungodliness is used only here in the Old Testament; it comes from the same root as the verb “are ungodly” of verse 11. This clause is restructured by Good News Translation as “they have spread ungodliness throughout the land.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “they have become a source of disease for the whole land,” with “disease” used in the figurative sense of immorality. In Bible en français courant the clause is rendered “the prophets of Jerusalem are in effect a source of pollution that contaminates all the land.” Translators can also say “They have caused people throughout the land to be disrespectful of me [or, to disobey me]” or “Because of them, no one in the land obeys me [or, gives me honor].”

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 .