happiness / joy

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “joy” or “happiness” is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible idiomatically as farin ciki or “white stomach.” In some cases, such as in Genesis 29:11, it is also added for emphatic purposes.

Other languages that use the same expression include Southern Birifor (pʋpɛl), Dera (popolok awo), Reshe (ɾipo ɾipuhã). (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions, rejoiced greatly / celebrated, the Mossi translation of “righteous”, and joy.

acrostic in Lamentations 1

The Hebrew text of Lamentations 1-4 uses acrostics, a literary form in which each verse is started with one of the successive 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. According to Brenda Boerger (in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. ) there are three different reasons for acrostics in the Hebrew text: “for ease of memorization,” the representation “of the full breadth and depth of a topic, all the way from aleph to taw (tav),” and the perception of “the acrostic form as aesthetically attractive.” (p. 191)

While most translations mention the existence of an acrostic in a note or a comment, few implement it in their translation. One such exception is the Danish Bibelen på Hverdagsdansk (publ. 1985, rev. 2015 et al.).

Click or tap here for Lamentations 1 in Danish

1 Ak ja, den travle by er nu folketom.
Den storslåede by sidder tilbage som en fattig enke.
Dronningen blandt byer blev degraderet til tjenestepige.
2 Byen jamrer og græder natten lang.
Ingen kommer for at trøste hende i sorgen.
Alle de gamle venner har svigtet hende.
3 Det judæiske folk blev mishandlet og ført bort som slaver.
De vansmægter nu i det fremmede uden at finde hvile.
De kunne ikke undslippe, da fjenden oversvømmede byen.
4 Efter at templet blev ødelagt, er det forbi med højtid og fest.
Vejene op til Jerusalem er øde, og byens gader tomme.
Præsterne sørger, pigerne græder, hele byen er fortvivlet.
5 Fjenderne gik af med sejren og plyndrede byen.
Det var Herrens straf for al folkets ulydighed.
Alle byens indbyggere blev ført bort som slaver.
6 Glansen er fuldstændig gået af den før så herlige by.
Byens ledere var udhungrede som hjorte, der forgæves leder efter føde.
De var for udmattede til at undslippe deres forfølgere.
7 Hjemløs og fattig sidder Jerusalem og mindes de skatte, hun har mistet.
Ingen af hendes venner kom hende til hjælp mod fjendens angreb.
Hun blev hånet og spottet af den overlegne fjende.
8 Ingen vil længere se op til Jerusalem, som de gjorde engang.
Hun blev ydmyget og plyndret på grund af sine mange synder.
Nu sidder hun og jamrer, afklædt og skamfuld.
9 Jerusalem var utro mod Herren uden at tænke på følgerne.
Hun fik en frygtelig straf, og der er ingen, der trøster hende.
„Se min elendighed!” råber hun til Herren. „Min fjende foragter mig!”
10 Katastrofen er ikke til at bære, for alt er tabt.
Ikke alene blev alle byens værdier plyndret,
men fremmede folkeslag brød ind i templet og vanhelligede det.
11 Lidelsen ramte alle, som boede i byen.
Hungersnøden tvang dem til at sælge deres sidste ejendele for lidt mad.
Byen råber i sin nød: „Ak, Herre, se dog, hvor foragtet jeg er!
12 Mon der findes en større smerte end min?
Hvad mener I, der står og ser på min ulykke?
Det er jo Herren selv, der har sendt sin straf.
13 Nettet blev kastet ud over mig, og han fangede mig i fælden.
Dommen kom ned fra himlen som en fortærende ild.
Ensom og forladt sidder jeg her i min stadige pine.
14 Om halsen på mig ligger en byrde, som tynger mig til jorden.
Alle mine synder har han lagt som et åg på mine skuldre.
Jeg kunne intet gøre mod de mægtige fjender, han sendte.
15 På slagmarken ligger mine døde, tapre krigere.
Han sendte en mægtig hær mod mine unge soldater.
Han trampede på os, som man tramper druer i vinpersen.
16 Resultatet er en stadig strøm af tårer.
Der er ingen til at trøste og hjælpe mig.
Alt er håbløst, for fjenden har besejret os totalt.”
17 Selv om byen beder om nåde, er der ingen trøst at hente.
Det var Herren, der befalede nabofolkene at gå imod Israel.
De ser nu på Jerusalem som det værste skidt.
18 „Trods mine lidelser,” siger Jerusalem, „ved jeg, at Herrens dom var retfærdig,
for vi gjorde oprør imod alle hans befalinger.
Forstå min smerte, alle I folkeslag: Mine indbyggere er ført bort som slaver.
19 Uanset mit råb om hjælp blev jeg svigtet af mine nærmeste venner.
Mine præster og ledere bukkede under for hungersnøden,
forgæves søgte de efter mad nok til at overleve.
20 Vær mig nådig, Herre, for jeg erkender min synd.
De, der vovede sig ud på gaden, blev dræbt af sværdet,
men de, der blev inde i husene, bukkede under for sulten.
21 Ynkelige suk er alt, hvad jeg kan ytre, og der kommer ingen for at trøste mig.
Mine fjender fryder sig over den dom, du har afsagt over mig.
Gid du snart vil fælde dom over dem, ligesom du dømte mig.
22 Åh, Herre, glem ikke al deres ondskab!
Straf dem, som du har straffet mig!
Mit hjerte er fuldt af sorg, og jeg sukker konstant.”

Copyright © 1985, 1992, 2005, 2013, 2015 by Biblica, Inc.®

The English Bible translation by Ronald Knox (publ. 1950) maintains most Hebrew acrostics (even though Knox’s translation itself is based on the Latin text of the Vulgate rather than the Hebrew):

1 Alone she dwells, the city erewhile so populous; a widow now, once a queen among the nations; tributary now, that once had provinces at her command.
2 Be sure she weeps; there in the darkness her cheeks are wet with tears; of all that courted her, none left to console her, all those lovers grown weary of her, and turned into enemies.
3 Cruel the suffering and the bondage of Juda’s exile; that she must needs dwell among the heathen! Nor respite can she find; close at her heels the pursuit, and peril on either hand.
4 Desolate, the streets of Sion; no flocking, now, to the assembly; the gateways lie deserted. Sighs priest, and the maidens go in mourning, so bitter the grief that hangs over all.
5 Exultant, now, her invaders; with her enemies nothing goes amiss. For her many sins, the Lord has brought doom on her, and all her children have gone into exile, driven before the oppressor.
6 Fled is her beauty, the Sion that was once so fair; her chieftains have yielded their ground before the pursuer, strengthless as rams that can find no pasture.
7 Grievous the memories she holds, of the hour when all her ancient glories passed from her, when her people fell defenceless before the invader, unresisting before an enemy that derided them.
8 Heinously Jerusalem sinned; what wonder if she became an outlaw? How they fell to despising her when they saw her shame, that once flattered her! Deeply she sighed, and turned away her head.
9 Ill might skirts of her robe the defilement conceal; alas, so reckless of her doom, alas, fallen so low, with none to comfort her! Mark it well, Lord; see how humbled I, how exultant my adversary!
10 Jealous hands were laid on all she treasured; so it was that she must see Gentiles profane her sanctuary, Gentiles, by thy ordinance from the assembly debarred.
11 Kindred was none but went sighing for lack of bread, offered its precious heirlooms for food to revive men’s hearts. Mark it well, Lord, and see my pride abased!
12 Look well, you that pass by, and say if there was ever grief like this grief of mine; never a grape on the vineyard left to glean, when the Lord’s threat of vengeance is fulfilled.
13 Must fire from heaven waste my whole being, ere I can learn my lesson? Must he catch me in a net, to drag me back from my course? Desolate he leaves me, to pine away all the day long with grief.
14 No respite it gives me, the yoke of guilt I bear, by his hand fastened down upon my neck; see, I faint under it! The Lord has given me up a prisoner to duress there is no escaping.
15 Of all I had, the Lord has taken away the noblest; lost to me, all the flower of my chivalry, under his strict audit; Sion, poor maid, here was a wine-press well trodden down!
16 Pray you, should I not weep? Fountains these eyes are, that needs must flow; comforter is none at hand, that should revive my spirits. Lost to me, all those sons of mine, outmatched by their enemy.
17 Quest for consolation is vain, let her plead where she will; neighbours of Jacob, so the Lord decrees, are Jacob’s enemies, and all around they shrink from her, as from a thing unclean.
18 Right the Lord has in his quarrel; I have set his commands at defiance. O world, take warning; see what pangs I suffer, all my folk gone into exile, both man and maid.
19 So false the friends that were once my suitors! And now the city lacks priests and elders both, that went begging their bread, to revive the heart in them.
20 Take note, Lord, of my anguish, how my bosom burns, and my heart melts within me, in bitter ruth. And all the while, sword threatens without, and death not less cruel within.
21 Uncomforted my sorrow, but not unheard; my enemies hear it, and rejoice that my miseries are of thy contriving. Ah, but when thy promise comes true, they shall feel my pangs!
22 Vintager who didst leave my boughs so bare, for my much offending, mark well their cruelty, and strip these too in their turn; here be sighs a many, and a sad heart to claim it. (Source )

Spanish has a different tradition of acrostics. It uses non-alphabetic acrostics where the first letters of each line (or verse) together form a word or phrase. In the Traducción en lenguaje actual (publ. 2002, 2004), the translators used the first letters of this chapter of Lamentation to spell out “POBRECITA DE TI, JERUSALEN” (“Poor you, little Jerusalem”) which also is the first line of this chapter of Lamentations (for more on the translation process of this, see Alfredo Tepox in The Bible Translator 2004, p. 233ff. ).

Click or tap here for Lamentations 1 in the Traducción en lenguaje actual


1 ¡Pobrecita de ti, Jerusalén!
Antes eras la más famosa
de todas las ciudades.
¡Antes estabas llena de gente,
pero te has quedado muy sola,
te has quedado viuda!
¡Fuiste la reina de las naciones,
pero hoy eres esclava de ellas!
2 Olvidada y bañada en lágrimas
pasas todas las noches.
Muchos decían que te amaban,
pero hoy nadie te consuela.
Los que se decían tus amigos
hoy son tus enemigos.
3 Bajo el peso de las cadenas,
la gente de Judá salió prisionera.
Sus enemigos los atraparon
y los maltrataron con crueldad.
Ahora son esclavos en países lejanos,
y no han dejado de sufrir.
4 Ruido ya no se escucha
en tus portones, Jerusalén.
¡Qué triste es ver
tus calles desiertas!
Los sacerdotes lloran
y las jóvenes se afligen.
Todo en ti es amargura;
ya nadie viene a tus fiestas.
5 Es tanto tu pecado,
que Dios te castigó.
El enemigo se llevó prisioneros
a todos tus habitantes.
Ahora el enemigo te domina
y vive feliz y contento.
6 ¡Cómo has perdido, Jerusalén,
la belleza que tuviste!
Tus jefes, ya sin fuerzas,
huyen de quienes los persiguen.
¡Hasta parecen venados hambrientos
en busca de pastos frescos!
7 Insistes en recordar
que alguna vez fuiste rica.
Ahora vives en la tristeza
y no tienes a dónde ir.
Cuando el enemigo te conquistó,
no hubo nadie que te ayudara.
Cuando el enemigo te vio vencida,
se burló de verte en desgracia.
8 Tanto has pecado, Jerusalén,
que todos te desprecian.
Los que antes te admiraban
hoy se burlan al verte en desgracia.
¡Ahora derramas lágrimas,
y avergonzada escondes la cara!
9 ¡Asombrosa ha sido tu caída!
¡No hay nadie que te consuele!
Jamás pensaste en llegar a ser
tan despreciada,
y ahora exclamas:
«Mis enemigos me vencieron.
¡Mira, Dios mío, mi aflicción!»
10 Dueño de todas tus riquezas
es ahora tu enemigo.
Tú misma viste entrar en el templo
gente de otros pueblos,
aunque Dios había ordenado
que no debían entrar allí.
11 El pueblo entero llora
y anda en busca de pan.
Con tal de seguir con vida,
cambian sus riquezas por comida.
Llorando le dicen a Dios:
«¡Mira cómo nos humillan!»
12 Todos ustedes, que pasan y me ven,
¿por qué gozan al verme sufrir?
¿Dónde han visto a alguien
que sufra tanto como yo?
Cuando Dios se enojó conmigo,
me mandó este sufrimiento.
13 Intensa lluvia de fuego
ha enviado Dios sobre mí.
Mis huesos se han quemado,
y siento que me muero.
Dios me cerró el paso,
y me hizo retroceder.
Me dejó en el abandono;
mi sufrimiento no tiene fin.
14 Juntó Dios todos mis pecados
y me los ató al cuello.
Ya no me quedan fuerzas;
ya no los soporto más.
Dios me entregó al enemigo,
y no puedo defenderme.
15 En mis calles hay muchos muertos.
¡Dios rechazó a mis valientes!
Juntó un ejército para atacarme,
y acabó con todos mis jóvenes.
Dios me aplastó por completo;
¡me exprimió como a las uvas!
16 Ruedan por mis mejillas
lágrimas que no puedo contener.
Cerca de mí no hay nadie
que me consuele y me reanime.
Mi gente no puede creer
que el enemigo nos haya vencido.
El profeta
17 Un montón de escombros
es ahora Jerusalén.
Suplicante pide ayuda,
pero nadie la consuela.
Dios mismo ordenó
que sus vecinos la atacaran.
Jerusalén
18 Siempre Dios hace lo justo,
pero yo soy muy rebelde.
¡Escuchen, naciones todas!
¡Miren cómo sufro!
¡El enemigo se llevó prisioneros
a todos mis habitantes!
19 Ayuda pedí a mis amigos,
pero me dieron la espalda.
Los jefes y sacerdotes
acabaron perdiendo la vida.
Andaban buscando comida,
y no pudieron sobrevivir.
20 ¡La muerte me quitó a mis hijos
dentro y fuera de la ciudad!
¡Mira mi angustia, Dios mío!
¡Siento que me muero!
¡Tan rebelde he sido contigo
que estoy totalmente confundida!
21 El enemigo no esconde su alegría
porque tú, Dios mío, me haces sufrir.
Todo el mundo escucha mi llanto,
pero nadie me consuela.
¡Ya es tiempo de que los castigues
como me castigaste a mí!
22 No hay un solo pecado
que ellos no hayan cometido;
¡castiga entonces su rebeldía,
como me castigaste a mí!
¡Ya es mucho lo que he llorado,
y siento que me muero!

Traducción en lenguaje actual ® © Sociedades Bíblicas Unidas, 2002, 2004.

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

addressing God

Translators of different languages have found different ways with what kind of formality God is addressed. The first example is from a language where God is always addressed distinctly formal whereas the second is one where the opposite choice was made.

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

In these verses, in which humans address God, the informal, familiar pronoun is used that communicates closeness.

Voinov notes that “in the Tuvan Bible, God is only addressed with the informal pronoun. No exceptions. An interesting thing about this is that I’ve heard new Tuvan believers praying with the formal form to God until they are corrected by other Christians who tell them that God is close to us so we should address him with the informal pronoun. As a result, the informal pronoun is the only one that is used in praying to God among the Tuvan church.”

In Gbaya, “a superior, whether father, uncle, or older brother, mother, aunt, or older sister, president, governor, or chief, is never addressed in the singular unless the speaker intends a deliberate insult. When addressing the superior face to face, the second person plural pronoun ɛ́nɛ́ or ‘you (pl.)’ is used, similar to the French usage of vous.

Accordingly, the translators of the current version of the Gbaya Bible chose to use the plural ɛ́nɛ́ to address God. There are a few exceptions. In Psalms 86:8, 97:9, and 138:1, God is addressed alongside other “gods,” and here the third person pronoun o is used to avoid confusion about who is being addressed. In several New Testament passages (Matthew 21:23, 26:68, 27:40, Mark 11:28, Luke 20:2, 23:37, as well as in Jesus’ interaction with Pilate and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well) the less courteous form for Jesus is used to indicate ignorance of his position or mocking (source Philip Noss).

In Dutch and Western Frisian translations, however, God is always addressed with the formal pronoun.

See also female second person singular pronoun in Psalms.

Japanese benefactives (-sete)

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 show different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.

Here, -sete (せて) or “let/allow (for me)” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Honorary are / rare constructs denoting God (“tell”)

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 show different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are 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, tsuge-rare-ru (告げられる) or “tell” is used. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Lamentations 1:21

Hear how I groan: Hear, a command, is noted in the footnotes of Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation as being “They heard (or, listened)” in the Hebrew text. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project recommends translating “They heard how I groan.” However, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives the Hebrew only a “C” rating, meaning that there is considerable doubt about it. The context of the first unit as well as the unit beginning with Bring thou favor interpreting these as imperatives, as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. The question then becomes whether the command “hear, listen” is in the singular or plural. In view of the other singular imperatives in the context, it is preferable to understand these (“hear” and “bring”) as addressed to the LORD, as they are in the Syriac version. Therefore the Handbook recommends that translators follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. “Listen (you singular—Yahweh) to my groans.”

There is none to comfort me is nearly the same expression used in verse 2.

All my enemies have heard of my trouble: have heard is the same verb translated hear in the unit before. However, here there is no need to modify the Hebrew text. My trouble translates a general term meaning “evil, misfortune.” This is not the evil or trouble that Jerusalem does, but rather the trouble that has been forced on her. In some languages it will be clearer to say, for example, “All my enemies have heard how I am troubled” or “… the misfortune that has happened to me.”

They are glad that thou hast done it: they refers to Jerusalem’s enemies and thou to the LORD. In some languages it will be necessary to say, for example, “All my enemies have heard how you have made me suffer, and they are glad.”

Bring thou the day thou hast announced: Bring thou, as pointed out above, is in Hebrew “You (singular) have brought” (see also the footnotes of Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation). If the translator has followed the Handbook recommendation for the first unit of verse 21, the same should be done here; that is, the translator should follow Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, however, supports the unchanged Hebrew text here also (a “B” rating) and recommends “You have brought….”

In 1.12; 2.1, 21-22, the day refers to the time when God judged and punished Israel, without regard to the length of time this required. However, here that expression refers to the coming event of God’s judgment of Israel’s enemies. In some languages it is not possible to speak of “bringing a day” as if a day were a material object to be carried. Accordingly the translator must often say something like “Make the day dawn which you promised” or “You promised to make a certain day. Now keep your promise.”

And let them be as I am: them refers to Jerusalem’s enemies. And so this half-line may be translated, for example, “Let my enemies suffer as I have suffered.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on Lamentations. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

respectful form of "do" (nasaru)

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, nasaru (なさる), the respectful form of suru (する) or “do” is used. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )