Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Numbers 29:35:
Kupsabiny: “On the eight day of the festival meet together to honor me. A person is not to do work on this day.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “On the eighth day your Large Assembly must take place. On that day no daily work may be done. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘On the eight day, you (plur.) do- not -work but-rather you (plur.) are-to-gather to worship the LORD.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “‘On the eighth day of the festival, you must again gather together to worship me, and do not do any work on that day.” (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 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).
On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly: Since this is the second gathering for worship during the Festival of Shelters (see verse 12 for the first one), it may be better to render this clause as “On the eight day of the festival you shall have another solemn assembly” or “… gather again for worship.” Another possible model is “On the eighth day have a closing meeting” (New Century Version). Even though the Hebrew expression for solemn assembly differs from the one rendered “holy convocation” in verse 12, it is similar in meaning. The Hebrew term here occurs only occasionally in the Pentateuch, where such an assembly is dedicated to the LORD (see also Lev 23.36; Deut 16.8).
You shall do no laborious work: See at 28.18.
Quoted with permission from de Regt, Lénart J. and Wendland, Ernst R. A Handbook on Numbers. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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