complete verse (Psalm 118:19)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 118:19:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “Open for me the gates of righteousness,
    that I arrive to thank Jehovah.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “Open the gates of righteousness for me.
    Going in from there I will give thanks to the LORD.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “Open the gates of the temple of the LORD for me, for I will-enter/go-inside and will-give-thanks to the LORD.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “You (plur.) open for me the gates of the courtyard of the House of God,
    I will enter to say the LORD, thanks.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Nifungulie milango ya wanyofu,
    niingie kumshukuru BWANA.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “You gatekeepers, open for me the gates of the temple
    in order that I may enter and thank Yahweh.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Psalm 118 into Kabiyè

Following is a translation of Psalm 118 into dance and song in Kabiyè by Groupe Leleŋ. The video is followed by an English back-translation as well as the original Kabiyè text and a French back-translations. The leader (call) part is in standard type, the ensemble (response) is italicized.

His mercy endures forever! (2 times)
My dear ones,
His mercy endures forever! (2 times)
I say that
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
Where are the Jews? His mercy endures forever!
Praise the Eternal, His mercy endures forever!
Where are Aaron’s sons? His mercy endures forever!
Where are the Kabiye people? His mercy endures forever!
My dear ones
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
The Eternal is with me, His mercy endures forever!
I am not afraid, His mercy endures forever!
The enemy can do nothing against me, His mercy endures forever!
The Eternal is my strength, His mercy endures forever!
My dear ones
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
Enemies have surrounded me, His mercy endures forever!
In the name of the Eternal, His mercy endures forever!
I cut them to pieces, His mercy endures forever!
The Eternal is the victor, His mercy endures forever!
My dear ones
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
Yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, … [shouts of joy]
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
The enemy cannot push me, His mercy endures forever!
Shouts of joy go up, His mercy endures forever!
From the houses of the righteous, His mercy endures forever!
The Eternal is the victor, His mercy endures forever!
My dear ones
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
He saved me from death, His mercy endures forever!
Open the doors for me, His mercy endures forever!
That I may enter and praise him, His mercy endures forever!
Let us bow down before him, His mercy endures forever!
My dear ones
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
Yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, … [shouts of joy]
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)
Praise the Eternal, His mercy endures forever!
Praise be to the mighty God, His mercy endures forever!
Praise be to God, the victor, His mercy endures forever!
Let us rejoice, His mercy endures forever!
My dear ones
His mercy endures forever! (4 times)

Click or tap here to see the the text in French back-translation

Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (2 fois)
Mes chers,
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (2 fois)
Je dis que
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
Où sont les juifs? Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Louez l’Eternel, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Où sont les fils d’Aaron? Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Où est le peuple kabɩyɛ? Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Mes chers
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
L’Eternel est avec moi, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Je n’ai pas peur, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
L’ennemi ne peut rien contre moi, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
L’Eternel est ma force, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Mes chers
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
Les ennemis m’ont environné, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Au nom de l’Eternel, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Je les ai taillé en pièce, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
L’Eternel est le vainqueur, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Mes chers
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
Yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, … [cris d’allégresse]
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
L’ennemi ne peut pas me pousser, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Les cris de joie montent, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Des maisons des justes, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
L’Eternel est le vainqueur, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Mes chers
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
Il m’a sauvé de la mort, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Ouvrez-moi les portes, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Afin que j’entre le louer, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Prosternons-nous devant lui, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Mes chers
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
Yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, … [cris d’allégresse]
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)
Louer l’Eternel, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Que le Dieu puissant soit loué, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Que Dieu, le vainqueur soit loué, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Réjouissons-nous, Sa miséricorde dure à toujours!
Mes chers
Sa miséricorde dure à toujours! (4 fois)

Click or tap here to see the the text in Kabiyè

E-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ. (2 fois)
Taŋwaa mɩ,
E-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ. (2 fois)
Mɔntɔŋ se
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Yuuda nɩ́ma wɛ le? e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Ɛ́sa Mɛwɛtam, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Aarɔɔnɩ sɛyɩnaa wɛ le? e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Kabɩyɛ samaɣ wɛ le? e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Taŋwaa mɩ
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Mɛwɛtam wɛ mɔ-yɔɔ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Sɔndʋ ɛɛkpaɣ-m see, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Koyindu ɛɛpɩzɩ-m see, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Mɛwɛtam lɛ mon-ɖoŋ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Taŋwaa mɩ
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Koyindinaa pama mɔ-yɔɔ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Mɛwɛtam ɖoŋ taa lɛ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Mɔyɔka pa-taŋa, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Mɛwɛtam lɛ waɖʋ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Taŋwaa mɩ
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, …
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Koyindu eetuzuu-m see, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Laŋhʋlʋmɩyɛ kubusɩ kpaɣ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Kʋtʋʋzaa ɖɛsɩ taa se, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Mɛwɛtam lɛ waɖʋ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Taŋwaa mɩ
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Ɛlɩza-m sɩm nɔɔ taa lɛ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Ɛ́tʋlɩ-m nɔnɔsɩ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Mansʋʋ mansa Ɛsɔ se, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Ɖiluŋ ɛ-tɛɛ se, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Taŋwaa mɩ
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, yuguyi, …
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)
Pasa Mɛwɛtam, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Pasa ɖoŋ tʋ Ɛsɔ, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Pasa waɖʋ Ɛsɔ se, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Ɖɩmayɩ amaya, e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ!
Taŋwaa mɩ
e-ɖeulabʋ fɛyɩ tɩnaɣ! (4 fois)

Kabiye transcription and translation to French was completed by Mawèdong Amana, checking of Kabiye orthography and French translation was done by Kpatcha Hemou and Essokilina Tchamie, English translation by Sarah Jane Capper. Groupe Leleŋ members: Mawèdong Amana, Amen Kantchiliba, Joeline Awi, Essokélinam Komla Pakou, Matchapatcholo Soki.

The artists in these videos composed these songs by studying Psalms 6, 150 and 118 as well as Kabiye music and dance styles. They participated in a two-week workshop organized by SIL Togo-Benin in Kara, Togo in partnership with the master’s thesis research of Sarah Jane Capper for Dallas International University; the Association pour la Promotion des Saintes-Écritures en Kabiye (APSEK); and Scriptura.

Songs © APSEK 2024. CC BY-NC-ND

Translation commentary on Psalm 118:19 - 118:21

As noted in the introduction, in these verses the speaker (presumably the king) stands in front of the Temple and requests admission (verse 19); a voice from inside (perhaps Levites, who were the gatekeepers) states the condition for entering the Temple (verse 20); the king is admitted and praises Yahweh for having given him victory (verse 21).

It is better to keep each of the three verses in a separate paragraph, as Good News Translation does. In Revised Standard Version verse 21 is joined to verses 22-25, but it should be noted that in verse 21 the speaker is one person (I), while in verses 22-25 several persons are speaking (“our … us … we”).

Good News Translation has taken the gates of righteousness in verse 19a to mean “the gates of the Temple” (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Bible en français courant translates “the gates reserved for the faithful” and in a footnote identifies them as the Temple gates. See Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Open to me the gate of the Temple, through which the faithful are allowed to enter.” As in the case of verse 15b, New Jerusalem Bible translates “the gates of victory” here and “the victorious” in verse 20b; New English Bible has “the gates of victory” and “the victors”; Dahood has “the gates of victory” and “the triumphant.” This may be the meaning of the phrase, but it seems better to follow either Good News Translation “the righteous” in verse 15b, or Bible en français courant and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “the faithful”; or, best of all, translate here as Good News Translation has done in verse 15a, “God’s people.”

The expression the gate of the LORD in verse 20a may be understood as synonymous with the gates in verse 19a, emphasizing here that the gates lead to the sanctuary of Yahweh, according to Anderson. In some languages gate of the LORD suggests a gate that has the purpose of keeping the LORD out. Therefore it may be necessary to say “This is the door you enter to go to the LORD.”

The same verb “to thank” is used in verses 19b and 21a. Answered me in verse 21a means, as very frequently in the Psalms, “you responded to my request,” “you did what I asked you to do.”

Verse 21b is like verse 14b; in both places the psalmist is talking about the victory that God has given him in his battle against his enemies.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Psalm 118: Layer by Layer

The following are presentations by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview and the second an introduction into the exegesis of Psalm 118.


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Copyright © Scriptura

The overview in French (click or tap here to view the video):


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