Kölsch translation (Boch 2017): nix zo Käue han or “have nothing to chew on” and singe Mage hät geknottert wie ne Hungk or “his stomach growled like a dog” (source: Jost Zetzsche)
German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Hunger überfiel ihn or “Hunger overtook (lit.: “attacked”) him” (in Matthew 4:2)
Kupsabiny: “hunger ate him” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “feeling tuber pains” (tubers are the main staple) (source Enggavoter 2004)
The Greek that is typically translated as “Blessed” in English is translated in the French 1985 translation by Chouraqui as En marche or “Rise up / Forward / Let’s get going.”
The Jewish scholar and inter-religious translator A. Chouraqui explains: “The first word of the Sermon on the Mount is, in most translations, the main obstacle to understanding Yeshua‘s message. Makarioi, the Greek says — “Blessed” — and this word immediately sends commentators off on the wrong track. The ‘Beatitudes’ are assumed to be something that should be possessed from the outset, whereas they will only be fully realized in the kingdom of Adonai. And Jesus did not say makarioi, but ashrei (see Psalm 1:1), an exclamation…from the root ashar which implies, not the idea of a vague and essentially hedonistic happiness, but the idea of uprightness, yashar — the uprightness of the person who is walking on a path clear of obstacles — the path that leads toward Adonai.” (Source: Watson 2023, p. 58)
Note that Psalm 1:1a is translated by Chouraqui as En marche, l’homme qui ne va pas au conseil des criminels — “En marche (see above), the man who doesn’t attend the council of criminals.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:21:
Noongar: “‘God will do good to you people hungry now. Your stomachs will be full! God will do good things to you people weeping now. You will laugh!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “You are fortunate who are hungry at this time, because you will be made-satisfied/full. You are fortunate who weep at this time, because you will be glad.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘How fortunate you are/good it is for you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied in the future. ‘How fortunate you are/good it is for you who are weeping now for you will laugh in the future.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Far better off are you who are hungry now, because God will satisfy your hunger in the future! Far better off are you who are sorrowful now, because you will rejoice in the future!” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘Fortunate are you who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. ‘Fortunate are you who are crying now, because you will smile/laugh.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “You can be happy who really want to do the will of God always, because he really will give you the ability to do it. You can be happy who cry, who sorrow because of sin done, for happiness will follow-in-succession.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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 Translator2002, 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.
Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.
In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.
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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).
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
hoi peinōntes nun ‘you who are hungry now.’ nun emphatically contrasts with the future tense of chortasthēsesthe. For peinaō cf. on 1.53.
chortasthēsesthe ‘you will be satisfied,’ here of men.
hoi klaiontes nun ‘you who weep now.’
klaiō ‘to weep,’ here metaphorically of a feeling of sadness.
gelasete ‘you will laugh,’ of a feeling of gladness.
Translation:
You that hunger, or, ‘you who are hungry,’ cf. on 1.53.
Now reinforces the present tense. To emphasize the contrast with the next clause it may be advisable to add a comparable adverb there, e.g. ‘afterward,’ ‘presently’ (Balinese, Tae’ 1933), or, ‘again’ (Batak Toba). The same is true in the next sentence.
You shall be satisfied, or, ‘you shall receive to the full,’ ‘you shall receive all food/goods you need.’
Weep. If the language has distinctive terms the translator can best choose one that is commonly used for weeping as a result of general disasters: in some cases it may be better to shift to a term for the emotion expressed by weeping, ‘be sad.’
Laugh, or where necessary, ‘be glad’ (for which see on 1.14).
Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.
Blessed are you: The word Blessed is the same word as in 6:20b. Translate it the same way in both places.
who hunger now: The phrase who hunger now refers to people who are literally hungry. They are hungry because they do not have enough food to eat. Luke focused on physical hunger.
Some Bible scholars also mention that hunger can be interpreted in both a literal way and also in a spiritual sense as longing for God and righteousness. If you have a word that could be interpreted either way, it may be appropriate here.
now: Luke used the word now to emphasize a present situation.
6:21b
for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason why the “hungry” are blessed. They are blessed because they will be satisfied. For example:
because you will be satisfied (New Century Version)
In some languages, no conjunction is necessary here.
you will be filled: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you will be filled literally means “you will eat your fill.” For example:
you will be satisfied (New International Version)
The phrase you will be filled is passive. It may be natural in your language to translate it with an active expression. For example:
You will have plenty to eat! (Contemporary English Version)
As with hunger, some Bible scholars mention that filled can be interpreted in both a literal way and also in a spiritual sense, as being satisfied by God. If you have a word that could be interpreted either way, it may be appropriate here.
will be: The Greek verb tense refers to future time. It is in direct contrast with the present situation (emphasized by “now”).
General Comment on 6:21a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of 6:21a–b. For example:
21aYou who are now hungry, 21bone day you will be satisfied, 21a⌊so⌋ you are blessed.
6:21c
Blessed are you: Translate this phrase the same way you did in 6:20b.
you who weep now: The phrase you who weep now implies sadness or sorrow. Another way to translate this is:
you people who are crying (Contemporary English Version)
now: As in 6:21a, Luke used the word now to emphasize a present situation.
6:21d
for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason why those who weep are blessed. They are blessed because they will laugh. For example:
because you will laugh with joy (New Century Version)
In some languages, no conjunction is necessary here. For example:
…you will laugh! (Good News Translation)
you will laugh: The word laugh here refers to laughing with joy. Being a part of God’s kingdom gives a person good reasons to laugh and rejoice. Some other ways to translate this are:
you will laugh with/from joy -or-
you will rejoice
will: The Greek verb tense refers to future time. It is in direct contrast with the present situation (emphasized by “now”).
General Comment on 6:21c–d
In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of 6:21c–d. For example:
21cYou who weep now 21done day you will laugh, 21c⌊so⌋ you are blessed.
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