Jeremiah

The name that is transliterated as “Jeremiah” in English is translated in American Sign Language with the sign signifying “prophet (seeing into the future)” and “crying.” (Source: Phil King in Journal of Translation 16/2 2020, p. 33ff.)


“Jeremiah” in American Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts to lament often.


“Jeremiah” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Jeremiah .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

complete verse (Jeremiah 38:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 38:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “I answered, ‘Might you want to kill me if I tell you the truth? If I gave you information, you would not listen to what I am saying.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jeremias said to Zedekia, ‘If I will-tell you the truth, you will-have- me -killed. Even if I will-advice you, you still not listen to me.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I replied, ‘If I tell you the truth, you will command that I be executed. And if I give you good advice, you will not pay attention to what I say.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 38:15

If I tell you, will you not be sure to put me to death?: This is a difficult construction, because it is both rhetorical and negative. Good News Translation shifts away from both the rhetorical and negative forms, to translate “If I tell you the truth, you will put me to death.” In many languages, as in English, the use of such an emphatic statement may be effective. But a question is sometimes effective, too. Translators can say, for example, “If I tell you the truth, you’ll have me put to death, won’t you?” or “If I tell you the truth, what will you do? You’ll kill me [won’t you?].”

Give you counsel is rendered “give you advice” by Good News Translation, but an even simpler expression would be “tell you what to do” or “… what you should do.”

As seen in Good News Translation, listen to me means “pay attention.” Or translators can even say “do what I advise.”

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 .