complete verse (Leviticus 19:35)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 19:35:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not trick/take advantage of people when you measure length, weight or quantity of anything.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “’Do not cheat anyone when measuring, when weighing, or when counting. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “[You (plur.)] do- not -cheat when you (plur.) weigh, measure-the-length/size, or measure-volume.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “‘hen you are measuring things, to see how long they are or how much they weigh or how many there are,” (Source: Translation for Translators)

distance (long / wide / high)

The concepts of distance that are translated in English with “long,” “wide,” and “high/tall” are translated in Kwere with one word: utali. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Leviticus 19:35

Do no wrong in judgment: or “pervert justice” (New English Bible), “do no injustice” (An American Translation). This phrase may be taken as a reference to justice in general or to legal cases specifically. But the whole verse clearly implies that all areas of life are included. Moffatt gives the following rendering: “You must never act dishonestly, in court or in commerce, as you use measures of length, weight, or capacity.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .