Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Job 33:24:
Kupsabiny: “God might in his mercy say that, ‘Let this person be relieved/released not to go to the grave. I have found/gotten something that I can exchange/pay for his life.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “and if he is gracious to that person and speaks like this to God, ‘Pardon him! Do not let him go the world of the dead! I have money to ransom him.’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “God will-have-compassion on him. God will-say, ‘Rescue/Spare him from death. I have-found a ransom for him.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “He destroys mighty people without needing to investigate what they have done, and he appoints others to take their places.” (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.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 rare (られ) 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, ōse-rare-ru (仰せられる) or “say” is used.
And he is gracious to him: this verse has three short lines in Hebrew, divided as in Revised Standard Version. No subject is used in line a. Some supply God as the subject, but it is more probably the angel, as Good News Translation makes clear. Gracious translates a verb meaning “to have mercy, to take pity, to be compassionate.” Him refers to the sick person mentioned in verses 19-23.
Deliver him from going down into the Pit are the words the angel speaks to God, and so Bible en français courant says in line b “and he requests God ‘Do not let him go down into the grave.’ ”
I have found a ransom is the continuation of the quotation of the angel. Ransom is usually a payment made to someone holding a person, in order to set that person free. Good News Translation translates “Here is the ransom to set him free.” In this way the angel buys the sick person some additional life. Verse 24 may also be expressed “The angel has pity on the sick person and says to God, ‘Don’t let him go to the world of the dead; I have found a way to free him.’ ”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, Wiliam. A Handbook on Job. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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