For the phrase “pursue peace,” see Hebrews 12:14.
Which of you desires life . . .
For “Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” see 1 Peter 3:10, 1 Peter 3:11, and 1 Peter 3:12.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as ” What person is he who wants life, coveting to see good days? Stop your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous, and his ears are toward their petition. But the Lord’s face is against evildoers, to destroy the remembrance of them from earth.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
acrostic in Psalm 34
The Hebrew text of Psalms 9/10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145 uses acrostics, a literary form in which each verse is started with one of the successive 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. According to Brenda Boerger (in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. ) there are three different reasons for acrostics in the Hebrew text: “for ease of memorization,” the representation “of the full breadth and depth of a topic, all the way from aleph to taw (tav),” and the perception of “the acrostic form as aesthetically attractive.” (p. 191)
While most translations mention the existence of an acrostic in a note or a comment, few implement it in their translation. The Natügu translation is one such exception. Boerger (see above) cites a strong tradition in singing the psalms and the fact that Natügu, like Hebrew, also has 22 possible initial letters as motivating factors to maintain the acrostics in that language.
Click or tap here for the complete psalm in Natügu
1 Awi-zvzbo mz Yawe,
X tramawxu nzglqpx-krnge nide.
2 Bilvz-zvzx Yawe mz nabznge,
Murde nimu kx nzaetqbz drtqmu na-abrtzlvzamu da kcng tqaleleng.
3 Clve Yawe doa x da amrlx. Naglqlzku drtqde.
X napipx-lxblr-ngrgu nzetu-krde.
4 Da kcng tqmwxlrtix, arlapxpebz Yawe ninge mz da lcng amrlx.
Murde mzli kc tqkrka’-ngrbo bade, ayzlumle natqnge.
5 Elr! Na-abrtrpzmu drtwrmu mz Yawe, murde ma drtqmu tqmya,
X na-abrtzlvzamu nzokatr-krde nimu.
6 Gct, mzli kc nzmnc-krnge tqtrka-ngrde, arlapxq ninge,
Mz nzatutr-krm nzkrka’-krnge.
7 Ili! Enjrl ne Yawe arlapxle leplz mzli kc drtqdr tqetq-ngrde,
Murde aclvele krkcng tzmyatitrlr Yawe.
8 Jzsamu ena nzmrlzkr Yawe x na-abrtr-krbzmu drtwrmu bade.
Murde krkcng tqaclveleng nzabrtz-zvzng.
9 Kxnzvz-nqblqlr natq Yawe nzrngiscng da amrlx.
Delc nimu leplz nedeng na-amrlue-ngrnamu nide.
10 Laion kx nzxplrng nzkrlzlr nzbrtalengr,
Leplz kx nzvz-nqblqlr Yawe, trpnzngr da kx mrbrpxm badr.
11 Mrlxngeng x inyxngeng, lalztqmamu bange,
Murde na-alvztrpo bamu kxnamu nzamrluengr Yawe.
12?Nike suti drtwrm?
?Nzlungr kxmrlz kxboi?
13 Obq zpwx, x bzkq pokiaq.
Bzkq ycmne-atrkatiq leplz,
14 Prszpx nqmq kxtrka. X ale zvz da kxmrlz.
X nasuti drtwrm nzmnc-zpwx-krmu badr leplz mz nrwx.
15 Rlxtibz ncblo kxtubq mz Yawe nzokatr-krde nide.
X Yawe sa naxlrbzle nzkrka’-krde mz nzaclve-krde nide.
16 Sa napnanatile krkcng tzale-zvzng da kxtrka.
Trobqpwzu badr x mzli kc nabz-ngrdr, ani txpwz nzmrbrtrkr mz drtwr nidr. 1 Pita 3:10-12
17 Takitrde nzxlr-krbz Yawe natq leplz kxnztubqng mzli kc tzyrni-ngrbzlr bade,
Murde ngi nqmq krde nzokatr-krde leplz nedeng.
18 Vz zvz nzesolvzti-krde krkcng drtwrdr tqvz,
X nzamnc-lrpi-krde krkcng nabzdr tqyrnibu.
19 Wzpxtx zlwz nzkxpukr ncblo kxtubq.
A’ Yawe sa na-arlapxle nide mz da lcng amrlx.
20 X mz nzaclve-zpwx-krde nide,
Trpnzngr nrvr ngrdeng kx nztavxi. Jon 19:36
21 Yawe sa na-ayrplapxle kxdrka’-ngrng kcng tztrkalr-ngrdr kxnztubqng.
X nqmq krdr lc tqtrka sa nanibq-moule nidr.
22 Zvz Yawe nztu-krbzle mz nibr kxnzawz nedeng.
X trpnzngr nzayrplapx-krde krkcng tzabrtrpzlr drtwrdr bade.
© 2008, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. All rights reserved.
There are two Dutch translations that maintain the acrostic: Naardense Bijbel (publ. 2004) and the Tot Lof van God by Frans Croese (publ. 2010).
Click or tap here for the complete psalm in the Dutch translations
Naardense Bijbel:
1
(v. David,
toen hij zijn verstand verdraaide
voor het aanschijn van Avimelech,- ✡
die hem wegjoeg,
zodat hij kon gáán.)
2
Altijd zal ik zegenen de Ene, ✡
steeds
ligt zijn lof mij voor in de mond.
3
Bij de Ene prijst mijn ziel zich gelukkig,- ✡
mogen gebukten het horen
en zich verheugen!
4
Geeft met mij grootheid aan de Ene, ✡
laat ons zijn naam eenparig roemen!
5
De Ene zocht ik
en hij heeft mij geantwoord, ✡
aan al wat ik duchtte
heeft hij mij ontrukt!
6
En wie opkeken naar hem, zij straalden, ✡
geen schaamrood kleurde
hun wangen.
7
Fluisterend kon deze gebogene nog roepen
en de Ene hoorde, ✡
uit al wat hem benauwde
heeft hij hem gered.
8
Gelegerd is de engel van de Ene
rondom wie hem vrezen, ✡
en hij redt ze uit.
9
Hoe goed de Ene is: proeft het en ziet! ✡
Zalig de kerel
die toevlucht zoekt bij hem!
10
Ja gij, zijn heiligen, vreest de Ene!- ✡
want er zal geen gebrek zijn
voor wie hem vrezen.
11
Kommer en honger leden
welpen van leeuwen, ✡
maar de zoekers van de Ene:
niets van alle goed zal hun ontbreken.
12
Laat u leiden door mij, zonen, en hoort; ✡
de vreze voor de Ene
zal ik u leren!
13
Mannen met behagen in leven, wie niet?- ✡
die lengte van dagen minnen,
het goede willen zien:
14
niet nalaten je tong te hoeden voor kwaad, ✡
je lippen
voor het spreken van bedrog!
15
O wijk voor het kwade, doe het goede, ✡
zoek naar vrede, jaag die na!
16
Rechtvaardigen:
de Ene houdt zijn ogen op hen, ✡
zijn oren
richten zich op hun geroep.
17
Pijnlijk is het aanschijn van de Ene
voor daders van kwaad, ✡
hij snijdt hun gedachtenis van de aarde af.
18
Schreeuwden zij: de Ene hoorde, ✡
aan al hun benauwingen
heeft hij hen ontrukt.
19
Terzijde staat de Ene
gebrokenen van hart, ✡
hij redt verbrijzelden van geest.
20
Vele zijn de rampen
voor een rechtvaardige, ✡
aan die alle
ontrukt hem de Ene,
21
wakend over elk van zijn botten, ✡
daarvan zal niet een
worden gebroken.
22
Zelf echter zal het kwaad
de booswicht doden ✡
en zullen haters van een rechtvaardige
hun schuld boeten.
23
Maar de Ene koopt
de ziel van zijn dienaren los,- ✡
geen schuld voor
al wie toevlucht zoeken bij hem!
Tot Lof van God translation:
Op naam van David, toen bjj zich aan Abimelech als verward bad voorgedaan, waarop die bent wegjoeg en bij heenging.
2
Altijd, alom, allerwegen, zo wil ik Hem zegenen, Jehovah!
Aanhoudend is Zijn lofzang in mijn mond.
3
Beroemen wil mijn ziel zich op Hem, op Jehovah,
zachtaardigen luisteren verheugd.
4
Daarom, verheerlijkt Jehovah met mij,
laat ons gezamenlijk Zijn naam hogelijk prijzen.
5
Ernstig zocht ik Jehovah en Hij antwoordde mij,
uit al mijn verschrikkingen bevrijdde Hij mij.
6
Fantastisch! Ze keken naar Hem uit en straalden;
rood, maar beslist niet van schaamte, was hun gelaat!
7
Hij, Jehovah, Hij luistert waar de ellendige Hem aanroept;
uit al zijn noden zal Hij hem redden.
8
Inderdaad, het is Jehovah’s engel die zich legert
rondom hen die Hem vrezen; Hij is het die hen verlost.
9
Ja, proeft en ervaart dat Jehovah goed is;
hoe gelukkig, de man die toevlucht zoekt bij Hem!
10
Koestert daarom vrees voor Jehovah, al Zijn heiligen,
voor hen die Hem vrezen is er geen enkel gebrek.
11
Liepen jonge leeuwen uitgehongerd rond,
wie Jehovah zochten, ontbrak het aan niets van al het goede.
12
Maar nu dit, mijn kinderen, komt luisteren naar mij,
laat mij jullie Ieren omtrent de vrees voor Jehovah.
13
Natuurlijk, wie wil er niet, waar men het leven liefheeft,
die dagen genieten om inderdaad het goede te zien, allicht.
14
O, hoedt uw tong voor slechtheid,
uw lippen voor bedrieglijke spraak.
15
Pas op, mijd het slechte, beoefen het goede veeleer,
zoek de vrede, jaag die vooral na.
16
Richten Jehovah’s ogen zich op wie rechtvaardig zijn,
Zijn oren zijn op hun noodkreet gericht.
17
Slaat Jehovah’s aangezicht gade wie het kwade bedrijven,
dan toch veeleer om hun gedachtenis op aarde af te snijden.
18
Toen zij echter [de rechtvaardigen dus] schreeuwden,
toen heeft Jehovah geluisterd, uit al hun noden bevrijdde Hij hen.
19
Uit al hun noden! Jehovah is nabij degenen wier hart gebroken is;
redding bewerkt Hij voor degenen wier geest verbrijzeld is.
20
Voor de rechtvaardige zijn er heel wat rampspoeden,
maar van dat alles zal Jehovah hem stellig bevrijden.
21
Werkelijk, al diens beenderen zal Hij beschermen,
niet één ervan zal worden gebroken.
22
Zo zal rampspoed degenen doden die doortrapt gewetenloos zijn,
zij die de rechtvaardige haten, zullen daar ook voor boeten.
23
Stellig, Jehovah zal de ziel loskopen van hen die Hem dienen; niets te boeten valt er daarom voor hen, voor allen die toevlucht zoeken bij Hem!
With thanks to Thamara van Eijzeren
The English Bible translation by Ronald Knox (publ. 1950) maintains most Hebrew acrostics (even though Knox’s translation itself is based on the Latin text of the Vulgate rather than the Hebrew). Due to the higher number of letters in the English alphabet, it skips the letter V, X, Y, and Z.
2 At all times I will bless the Lord; his praise shall be on my lips continually.
3 Be all my boasting in the Lord; listen to me, humble souls, and rejoice.
4 Come, sing the Lord’s praise with me, let us extol his name together.
5 Did I not look to the Lord, and find a hearing; did he not deliver me from all my terrors?
6 Ever look to him, and in him find happiness; here is no room for downcast looks.
7 Friendless folk may still call upon the Lord and gain his ear, and be rescued from all their afflictions.
8 Guardian of those who fear the Lord, his angel encamps at their side, and brings deliverance.
9 How gracious the Lord is! Taste and prove it; blessed is the man that learns to trust in him.
10 It is for you, his chosen servants, to fear the Lord; those who fear him never go wanting.
11 Justly do the proud fall into hunger and want;✻ blessing they lack not that look to him.
12 Know, then, my children, what the fear of the Lord is; come and listen to my teaching.
13 Long life, and prosperous days, who would have these for the asking?
14 My counsel is, keep thy tongue clear of harm, and thy lips free from every treacherous word.
15 Naught of evil cherish thou, but rather do good; let peace be all thy quest and aim.
16 On the upright the Lord’s eye ever looks favourably; his ears are open to their pleading.
17 Perilous is his frown for the wrong-doers; he will soon make their name vanish from the earth.
18 Roused by the cry of the innocent, the Lord sets them free from all their afflictions.
19 So near is he to patient hearts, so ready to defend the humbled spirit.
20 Though a hundred trials beset the innocent, the Lord will bring him safely through them all.
21 Under the Lord’s keeping, every bone of his is safe; not one of them shall suffer harm.
22 Villainy hastes to its own undoing; the enemies of innocence will bear their punishment.
23 The Lord will claim his servant as his own; they go unreproved that put their trust in him. (Source )
(Note that in the Hebrew version, 34:1-22 is lettered 34:2-23, which is followed by Knox)
Another English translation that maintains the acrostic is by Gordon Jackson (The Lincoln Psalter, 1997):
All my days I will bless the Lord;
always my lips shall speak good of his kindness.
Being his, I will glory in him;
let the humble hear and join in praise with me.
Come, all who are minded to honour his name
and let us share together our hallelujahs.
Duly I prayed to him when I was in need;
duly he answered and set my mind at rest.
Each one who seeks him eventually will find him;
he will light up their faces with sudden joy;
For the poor in spirit have a Father in heaven,
and all his wealth is at their command.
Guardian angels are night and day on hand
to preserve God-fearing souls in hardship.
He is the man of supreme taste among men
who has for himself tasted the goodness of God.
In fear of the Lord there is prosperity;
having God, what more can you have?
Just men find in him whatever they need,
but the others are never satisfied.
Knowledge is good, and the first thing you should know
is your place, with God above you.
Life and all of its blessings you can have
if you set store by a few well-tested maxims:
Mind your tongue, so it doesn’t lead you astray,
so it never licks the allurement of a lie;
Never do what you think wrong; always do what you should;
let peace be precious to you, and help others to it;
Open are the eyes of the Lord to the needs of the honest,
and open his ears to their prayers;
Pronounced on the workers of wrong is the sentence of God,
even before they do it their doom is determined;
Ready to help the just, though, before they ask;
he is impatient to hear their prayers, and help them;
So keenly he shares the tears of the broken-hearted,
so keen to lift the spirits of the downcast;
Through all the troubles that fall to a good man’s lot
the Lord sustains him and turns them into blessings;
Unbroken his bones and his spirit,
however much tested and tried;
Vainly the wicked assault him,
they hate him and kill him in vain;
Yes, the Lord will set free the souls of those who love him,
and acquit the failings of any who trust in him.
Another published English translation with acrostics is The Psalms Chronologically Arranged by the “Four Friends” (C.T. Arnold, A.W. Potts, F.E. Kitchener, S. Philpotts) of 1870.
Another 19th century translation with maintained acrostics is the German 1883 commentary and translation by Franz Delitzsch . Unlike the other translations, he translates the acrostics of this and the other acrostic psalms by following an approximation of the German sound of the 22 letters (alef/א = a; bet/ב = b; gimel/ג = g; dalet/ד = d; he/ה = h; vav/ו = u; zayin/ז = s; chet/ח = h; tet/ט = t; yod/י = i or j; kaf/כ = k; lamed/ל = l; mem/מ = m; nun/נ = n; samech/ס = s; ayin/ע = e; pe/פ = f; tsadi/צ = z; qof/ק = k; resh/ר = r; shin/ש = sch; tav/ת = t).
complete verse (Psalm 34:14)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 34:14:
- Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
“Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation) - Newari:
“Stay far away from evil, and do good.
Try to live maintaining good relationships with everyone.” (Source: Newari Back Translation) - Hiligaynon:
“He/She should stay-away from evil and do good.
He/She should-try to be good always his/her relationship with his/her fellow-being.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation) - Eastern Bru:
“He must do away with bad works and do good works instead. He must search out peace and follow after peace.” (Source: Bru Back Translation) - Laarim:
“Leave bad matters and do good things.
Look for peace, then you stay well.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation) - Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
“Aache kufanya mabaya, bali afanye mazuri.
Aitumaini amani na kuifuata sana.” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation) - English:
“Turn away from doing evil, and do what is good!
Always try hard to enable people to live peacefully with each other.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Translation commentary on Psalm 34:13 - 34:14
The virtues recommended as a prescription for a long and happy life are: avoid malicious talk and lies (verse 13); cease doing evil and do good; and strive for peace (verse 14). In verse 13 your tongue and your lips are used synonymously and mean “to talk,” “to say something.” In some languages it may be appropriate and effective to speak of “tongue and lips” (see Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). In some languages it will be necessary to give content to “speaking evil”; for example, “Do not speak evil words” or “Do not say evil words about other people.”
Depart from evil must not be used as if one is departing from a place. In some languages the idea of avoiding evil is “Put your back where people do bad deeds,” or stated negatively, “Don’t turn your face toward evil.” Do good must often be completed with some grammatical complement, making explicit what is being done; for example, “Do things that cause good for people” or “Act in the way that is good for people.”
The word peace here is not merely the cessation of hostility between people; it is the presence of the conditions that make for prosperity, health, happiness, and the common welfare. Good News Translation “with all your heart” represents the force of the second verb, “to pursue (peace)”; Bible en français courant has “(Seek peace) diligently.” Seek peace and “strive for peace” must often be restructured so that the actors of peace are made explicit; for example, “work hard so that people will have peace.” In some languages having peace is described metaphorically; for example, “work hard so that people’s hearts will sit quietly within them” or “… so that people’s hearts will sit in the shade.”
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 34: Layer by Layer
The following is a presentation by the Psalms: Layer by Layer project, run by Scriptura . The first is an overview and the second an introduction into the poetry of Psalm 34.
Copyright © Scriptura
Copyright © Scriptura
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