Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 32:33:
Kupsabiny: “They turned their backs on me so that even though I always taught them, they were stubborn so they did not listen to the words I used to woo them/bring them back with.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “They have turned away from me even though I keep teaching them. They do not listen and do not want to be taught.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “My people have turned away from me and have refused to return to me. Even though I taught them things many times, they would not pay attention to what I taught them, and they would not obey me.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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 omits and not their face since it is similar in meaning to turned to me their back. However, some translators will want to retain the parallelism, as in Revised English Bible “They have turned their backs on me and averted their faces.” Bible en français courant has “Instead of turning towards me, they have turned their backs.” See 2.27.
Though I have taught them persistently is more literally “though I have taught them, rising up early to teach them.” For persistently see 7.13.
They have not listened to receive instruction: See 17.23.
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 .
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