Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 23:26:
Kupsabiny: “My child, listen to me and stay/live as I do.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “O my son! Give me your heart. and keep your eyes on my path.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Child, listen to me carefully/[lit. good], and follow my way-of-living.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “My child, be-thorough/careful to listen-to what I say and also look-at my way-of-life so that you (sing.) may follow-it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
“My son, give me your heart”: This wording, which is followed by New Revised Standard Version and New International Version, seems like an appeal for affection or devotion. But the Hebrew term “heart” refers to a person’s center of thought and commitment, and this is better rendered “mind” in English. So the line calls for the young person’s careful attention: “pay close attention” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version) or “pay attention to me” (New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible). For “My son” see 1.8.
“And let your eyes observe my ways”: As the footnote in Revised Standard Version indicates, there is a variation between the written Hebrew text “delight in my ways” and the way that the text has traditionally been read, “observe my ways.” Both make good sense in this context, and some English translations follow each of them. Hebrew Old Testament Text Project favors the written text (“C” rating) and suggests the rendering “be pleased with my ways.” In either case the meaning intended is more than the literal statement about “your eyes”; the appeal to the young person is really to “learn from what I do” or “follow my example.” So Good News Translation has “let my life be your example” and Contemporary English Version “gladly follow my example.”
Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
This saying begins with a general command: the father urges his son to carefully follow his advice (23:26). This command applies specifically to Saying 17, but it may also introduce Saying 18. In 23:27–28, the father warns his son about the dangers of getting involved with an immoral woman.
23:26
This verse contains parallel commands that are similar in meaning. They refer to inner and outer parts of the body. Together they emphasize that the son should heed his father’s instruction and follow his example.
26a My son, give me your heart
26b and let your eyes delight in my ways,
23:26a
My son: See how you translated this phrase in 23:15.
give me your heart: In Hebrew and in English, this command has a figurative meaning. It indicates here that the son should pay close attention to his father. He should listen to him carefully and heed his advice. Another way to translate this command is:
Pay close attention, son (Good News Translation)
For similar commands that use the word heart, see the note for 23:19b.
23:26b
and let your eyes delight in my ways: There is a textual issue here with the verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as delight in. There are two options in the Masoretic Text:
(1) The first option is the verb “observe ” or “keep.” It means that the son should observe and follow his father’s character and conduct. For example:
and let your eyes observe my ways (English Standard Version)
(2) The second option is the verb “delights in.” It means that the son should take pleasure in his father’s character and conduct. For example:
let your eyes take pleasure in my way (New Jerusalem Bible)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most versions. The LXX, Vulgate, Syriac, and Targum also follow this option. However, option (2) also has good version and commentary support. If you use footnotes for textual issues, you may want to add a footnote. For example:
Another way to understand the meaning of these words in Hebrew is: “may you delight in my conduct.”
Some other ways to translate the meaning of option (1) are:
and watch closely what I do (New Century Version)
-or-
and let my life be your example (Good News Translation)
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