complete verse (Jeremiah 46:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 46:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “God said,
    ‘Prepare your small and big shields,
    prepare yourselves and march proudly to battle.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘You (plur.) prepare your shields, both large and small, and go for battle!” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘Prepare your shields
    and march out to fight the battle!” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 46:3

Prepare buckler and shield: Scholars agree that the quotation that opens with these words was spoken by the Egyptian army officers, and this information is clearly expressed by Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, and Bible en français courant. If this is not done, the readers are immediately lost. Buckler and shield are two types of shields; the second one is larger and protects the entire body, though in some contexts there is no difference. New International Version translates “Prepare your shields, both large and small,” while Good News Translation combines the two terms and says “Get your shields ready.” If shields are not known in a culture, translators may say something like “what you carry for protection in battle.”

Advance for battle: The ranks of infantry, holding their shields in front of them, are now commanded to march forward against the enemy.

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 .