Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 141:4:
Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Do not allow my heart to be pulled to evils;
to do disgusting works
together with people who do evils;
do not allow me to eat with them their delicious things.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Newari:
“May my mind not go toward evil things
to do bad work with evil people.
May I not want to eat their delicious food.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon:
“Keep me/Lit. Keep- me -away from doing evil and from taking-part in what the wicked ones do.
Keep me/Lit. Keep- me -away from sharing-together/participating in their feast.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Laarim:
“Do not let me want to do bad things
or to do bad things with bad people,
don’t allow me also to taste
sweet things which they give me.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Zuia moyo wangu kufanya dhambi,
nisitende matendo mabaya,
nisiwe pamoja na watenda dhambi,
nisile hata mara moja vyakula vya katika sikukuu yao.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
English:
“Prevent me from wanting to do anything that is wrong,
and from joining with wicked men when they want to do evil deeds.
Do not even allow me to share in eating delightful food with them!” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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 show different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, yō ni shite (ようにして) or “do so (so that) / make it like” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
In these two verses the psalmist asks God to protect him from temptation to speak evil (verse 3) or do evil (verse 4). Verse 3 is composed of two parallel and synonymous lines; in poetic language the psalmist asks God to Set a guard and to keep watch at his mouth, at the door of (his) lips, so that he will not utter any sinful words. The word translated door occurs only here in the Old Testament. In languages in which the metaphors of verse 3 will be readily understood, they should be used. However, the word “mouth” has a wide range of meanings in many languages, and there is considerable probability of misunderstanding. If that is the case, the translator may find an equally good metaphor, and if that fails, it will be best to say, for example, “Do not let me speak evil words.” There is no intensification between the two lines of verse 3. This means the translator has more freedom to keep both lines or to reduce them to one, if that is stylistically necessary.
In verse 4 the psalmist prays that God will keep him from doing wrong. The Hebrew text has four half-lines (see Revised Standard Version); Good News Translation has reduced them to three, avoiding needless repetition (also Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The language is “Do not turn my heart to an evil matter (or, word),” a plea that recalls the petition in the prayer taught by Jesus, “lead us not into temptation.” The thought behind the language is the possibility that God may test a person by allowing that person to be faced with sin. The word translated any evil is literally “an evil word (or, matter),” and so it may be taken to mean “word” (so Dahood, Bible de Jérusalem, New Jerusalem Bible); New English Bible has “sinful thought,” which is possible, since heart was thought of as the organ of thinking.
Good News Translation has combined Revised Standard Versionwicked deeds and iniquity into “in their wickedness.” This may have to be recast in some languages to say, for example, “in the evil things they do.”
The last line, let me not eat of their dainties, is a prayer that God will not allow the psalmist to take part in the feasts of evil people. It can be understood as a resolve, “I shall not sample their delights!” (New Jerusalem Bible). These feasts could have been purely social affairs, but it is possible that they were religious meals, in which case they would have been, in this context, meals at sacrifices offered to idols (see 69.22). The word translated dainties occurs only here in the Old Testament. Since eat of their dainties and Good News Translation‘s “take part in their feasts” refers to pagan religious eating, it will be necessary in many cases to make this clear; for example, “Do not let me eat with them at their religious feasts,” or “… when they eat to worship their gods,” or “Keep me from eating….”
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 .
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 show different degree of politeness is through the choice of an imperative construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
In these verses, the honorific form kudasai (ください) reflects that the action is called for as a favor for the sake of the beneficiary. This polite kudasai imperative form is often translated as “please” in English. While English employs pure imperatives in most imperative constructions (“Do this!”), Japanese chooses the polite kudasai (“Do this, please.”). (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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