Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Zechariah 4:3)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:3:

  • Kupsabiny: “There are two trees of olive which are near the thing for the lamps. One is at the right hand side of the bowl of oil, the other is at the left hand side.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “There are two olive trees near it. One on the right and one on the left."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “There-are two olive trees by it; one on the right of the bowl and the other on the left.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Furthermore, I see two olive trees, one at the right side of the lampstand and one at the left side.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Zechariah 4:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then I asked that angel who had been speaking to me, ‘What do these things mean, sir?’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “And I asked the angel who had been talking with me, "Oh my lord, what is this?"” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “I asked the angel who was-talking to me, ‘Sir, what (is) the meaning of these seven lamps?’ He answered,” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “I asked the angel who was talking with me, ‘Sir, what are these?’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Zechariah 4:5)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:5:

  • Kupsabiny: “He answered me, ‘Don’t you know what those things mean?’ I said, ‘I do not know, sir.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He answered, "You don’t know what this is?"
    I said, "I don’t know, my lord."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘Do you (sing.) not know what (is) the meaning of this?’ I answered, ‘No, sir.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He replied, ‘Surely you know what they are?’
    I replied, ‘No, I do not know.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Zechariah 4:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “He (then) said to me, ‘This is a word/message about Zerubbabel. The God of authority is saying to Zerubbabel, ‘You are not able to gain victory by your power or your strength alone, but you do like that in the power of my Spirit.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “He said to me, "This is the word of the LORD for Zerubbabel, ‘Not by power, not by might, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Then he said to me, ‘Before I answer your (sing.) question, listen-to this message of the LORD Almighty that you (sing.) are-going-to-tell Zerubabel:
    ‘Zerubabel, you (sing.) will-finish building the temple not by the power or by the strength/ability of a person, but by my Spirit.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then he said to me, ‘This is the message that Yahweh says that you should give to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah: ‘You will do what I want you to do, but it will not be by your own strength or power. It will be done by the power of my Spirit, says the Commander of the armies of angels.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Zechariah 4:7)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:7:

  • Kupsabiny: “Zerubbabel, every hindrance shall be removed before you even if it is big like a big hill. People shall rejoice on that day when the House of God is completed while saying: That is all, please.’ ’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O mighty mountain, what are you? Before Zerubbabel, you will become a level plain. Then he will bring out the capstone of the Temple and put it in its place, and the people will call out, ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Even-though the obstacle you (sing.) are-facing (is) as-big-as the mountain, it will-flatten-out. The temple will- really -be-finished, and as its last stone is-put-in-place, the people will-shout, ‘LORD, bless this!’ ’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Zerubbabel, you have many difficult matters to handle. They are like high mountains. But they will become easy to handle, as though they will become flat land. And you will bring to the temple the final stone to complete the rebuilding of the temple. When you do that, all the people will shout repeatedly, ‘It is beautiful! May God bless it!’’’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Zechariah 4:8)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:8:

  • Kupsabiny: “Then, God said to me,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The LORD said again,” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So through the angel, the LORD spoke to me” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Then Yahweh gave me another message.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Zechariah 4:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “‘Zerubbabel has started to build the House of God and he is the one who shall finish it. Then you (plur.) shall know that it was the God of authority who sent me to come to where you (plur.) are.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The foundation of this temple was laid by the hands of Zerubbabel. He himself will complete the work of building the Temple with his own hands.
    Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “that the temple will-be-finished under-the-management of Zerubabel, just-as its foundation started under- his -management. And when this happens you (plur.) will-know that the LORD Almighty is the-(one-who) sent me to you (plur.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “He said to me, ‘Zerubbabel laid the first stone in the foundation of the temple, and he will put the last stone in its place. When that happens, the people will know that it is I, the Commander of the armies of angels, who have sent you to them.’ And he said, ‘The seven bowls represent the eyes of Yahweh, who looks back and forth at everything that happens on the earth.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Zechariah 4:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Zechariah 4:10:

  • Kupsabiny: “Who is going to despise a small work on the first day? People will rejoice when they see Zerubbabel building with the last stone. (Those seven eyes shows the eyes of God that look at every place.)’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The LORD said, "Do not despise these small beginnings. But they will be glad to see the plumbline in Zerubbabel hand to continue the work."
    (The seven lamps of the lampstand are the eyes of the LORD looking all over the earth.)” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “There-are people who despise because still just little was-done to rebuild the temple. But they will-be-happy when they see Zerubabel putting the selected/chosen and last stone of the temple.
    Then the angel told me, ‘Those seven lamps/lights represent the eye(s) of the LORD that looks all-around the earth.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “No one should think that little things that are done at the beginning of a big project are unimportant. When the temple is almost finished being rebuilt, Zerubbabel will use a plumb line/string with a stone fastened to it to see if the walls they are building are straight; so when the people see that, they will rejoice.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)