Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 38:13:
Kupsabiny: “and those people pulled me from that hole. So, I stayed in the courtyard of the guards from then on.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “and then they pulled him out from the well. And Jeremias was returned to the courtyard of the guards of the palace.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “Then they pulled me out of the well. I returned to the courtyard where the palace guards stayed, and I stayed there.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes: In its restructuring, Good News Translation leaves with ropes out, since the information is clearly given in verse 12. Moreover, Good News Translation makes a time transition between the two parts of the verse, by rendering And as “After that.”
Remained: The interpretation of Good News Translation is that Jeremiah was kept there, still perhaps under arrest. Other versions leave the matter unclear, saying simply “He stayed there in the courtyard.”
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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