Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Joshua 1:16:
Kupsabiny: “Then, those people replied to Joshua, ‘We shall do everything that you have told us. We will go everywhere where you send us.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Then they answered Joshua like this, "Whatever you command us, that we will do, and wherever you send us, there we will go.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “They replied to Josue, ‘We (excl.) will-do everything you have-said, and we (excl.) will-go anywhere you (sing.) send us (excl.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “The people answered Joshua, ‘We will do everything that you have commanded us to do, and we will go wherever you tell us to go.” (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 to do this is through the usage of lexical honorific forms, i.e., completely different words, as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, mairu (参る), a humble form of kuru (来る) or “come” is used.
The tribes who lived on the east side of the Jordan River said that they will obey Joshua.
1:16a
So: The Hebrew connector that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as So introduces the next event in time. Another way to translate it is:
Then
Translate this connector in a way that is natural to introduce a consecutive event.
they answered Joshua: The word they refers to the people of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh. This list of names was last given in 1:12. It may be necessary in some languages to specify these names clearly. If you need to do this, you could either repeat the list or use an expression like “those people.” Use whatever is most natural in your language.
Joshua: In Hebrew, the name of a main character is repeated often. In some languages it will be more natural to use a pronoun after the first occurrence.
Here is another way to translate this name:
him
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
The people answered him -or-
Then the men of the tribes of Reuben and Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh answered Joshua. They said
1:16b
Everything you have commanded us we will do: The Berean Standard Bible translated this sentence following the Hebrew order. In Hebrew, the object is placed first for emphasis. Use whatever order is most natural in your language.
Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Anything you command us to do, we will do (New Century Version) -or-
We will do everything you have told us (Good News Translation)
1:16c
and everywhere you send us we will go: Here are some other ways to translate this part of the verse:
Any place you send us, we will go (New Century Version) -or-
and will go anywhere you send us (Good News Translation)
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