Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:1:
- Kupsabiny: “How bad it is for you Jerusalem, this bad smelling city with its rebellious people.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Woe to the rebellious and defiled city!
Woe to the city that is filled with oppressors!” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Zefanias said, ‘Jerusalem (is) pitiful/in-great-need-of-mercy! Its residents rebel (against) God and do dirty/unclean things, and its leaders/[lit. heads] oppress/persecute.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:2:
- Kupsabiny: “(It) does not listen and certainly does not want to be corrected. (It) does not trust in God and does not want his help” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “She does not obey,
she does not accept discipline.
She does not trust in the LORD,
she does not go near to her God.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “They do- not -obey anyone, and they do- not -want to be-taught. They do- not -trust and come-near to the LORD their God.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:3:
- Kupsabiny: “(Its) leaders are like a lion that roars and (its) judges/advisers are like wild dogs that leave nothing of what they have caught.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Her leaders are roaring lions.
Her rulers are wild wolves,
they will not leave
until tomorrow morning.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Their officers seem like a roaring lion and their leaders/[lit. heads] seem like a violent/fierce dog who looks for his/her something-to-devour at night-time, and he/she finishes- (it) -up his/her victim and none (was) left in the morning anymore.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:4:
- Kupsabiny: “(Its) prophets are arrogant and (they) are deceitful. The priests have defiled the things set apart for the house of God. (They) have broken the law of God.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Their prophets are irresponsible
and they are unworthy people.
Their priests defiled the holy place
and they twist the law of God to their own things.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Their prophets (are) rushing/hasty-into-something-without-thinking-consequences and cannot be-trusted. Their priests defile/[lit. make-dirty] the temple and they disobey the Law of God.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:5:
- Kupsabiny: “But God is still in this city, and he does not do anything bad/wrong. He shows every day his righteousness, but sinners are not ashamed.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “The LORD righteous living within them,
he never injustice.
He showed his justice every morning.
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “But (it is) still there the presence of the LORD in their city. The LORD does what (is) right and he does- not -do what (is) not right. Everyday/[lit day-day] he shows/reveals what (is) right, and he does- not -stop it. But the wicked people continue still to do bad (things) and they (are) not ashamed.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:6:
- Kupsabiny: “God is saying, ‘I have wiped away other communities and overturned their protected/fortified cities. Their roads are deserted/desolate with no one passing through. Their cities have become deserted so that no person lives there.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “‘I have destroyed all the nations.
their strongholds are demolished.
their streets deserted,
no one passing the way.
Their cities are totally destroyed
then in their empty no one is left people.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “‘Now, the LORD says, ‘I have-destroyed the nations; I have-destroyed their cities as-well-as its stone-walls and towers. There (was) none left of their residents, so there (was) no man/person anymore who can-be-seen walking in their streets.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “Yahweh says this:
‘I have destroyed many nations;
I have destroyed their strong/high city walls and towers.
Now I have caused the streets in those cities to be completely deserted ;
the cities are ruined.
There are no people still alive in the cities;
they are all dead.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:7:
- Kupsabiny: “Then, I thought that my people of Jerusalem would obey me and accept to be corrected. If they had done like that they would not have been punished. But (they) continued to do sin in every way.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “I thought, ‘Truly he fears me,
and she accepts my discipline.’
After that her refuge will not be destroyed.
Nor will My punishment come upon her.
but to do all kinds of bad things
they are more hasty."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “Because of this which I have-done I thought that my people will- now -respect me and they will- now -receive/accept my rebuke to them, so-that their city will- not -be-destroyed as what I had-destined them. But they in-fact still sinned greatly.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “So I thought to myself,
‘Because of what I have done to those other nations,
surely the people of Jerusalem will revere me now,
and they will accept my correcting them/my telling them to quit doing what is wrong.
If they do that, I will not destroy their houses;
I will not punish them like I said that I would do.’
But in spite of knowing how I punished those other nations,
they were still eager to get up early each morning
and continue to do evil things.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zephaniah 3:8:
- Kupsabiny: “So, you just wait, the day is coming when I shall expose the sins. I have decided to gather the communities and their kings and punish (them) in my anger. The whole land/world shall be destroyed on account of my anger.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Therefore the LORD says,
‘Wait for me
until I stand up for to testify.
I have decided gather the nations
and the kingdoms,
and I gave my anger to them,
to pour out all my great anger.
Because of the whole earth will be consumed
by the fire of my jealousy.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “‘ ‘Therefore you (plur.) who (are) faithful who come-from-Jerusalem, you (plur.) just wait for the day that I will-accuse the nations. Because I had- already -decided that I will-gather the nations and (the) kingdoms so-that I will-show to them my great anger which (is) like fire that will-devour the entire world.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- English: “Therefore I, Yahweh, say,
‘Wait for the day in which I will testify in court about your evil things.’
I have decided to gather the people of the kingdoms of the earth
and cause them to know that I am very angry with them.
All over the earth I will punish and destroy people;
my being angry with them because I am jealous/want people to worship no other god is like a raging/very hot fire.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
