Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to thresh

The Hebrew in Hosea 10:11 that is translated in English translations as “a trained heifer that loved to thresh” is translated into Afar as “As a camel that goes by its nose follows a person” (no threshing in Afar culture, but a camel with a rope around its mouth obediently follows the person leading it.)

let them be overthrown before you

The Hebrew in Jeremiah 18:23 that is rendered in English as “let them be overthrown (or: tripped) before you” is translated into Afar as “make them as a tree eaten by termites. When you are angry don’t be merciful.” Termites are a big problem destroying wood in the Afar region. (Source: Loren Bliese)

See also moth.

tingle

The Hebrew in Jeremiah 19:3 that is rendered in English versions as “the ears of everyone who hears of it (disaster) will tingle” is translated into Afar as “(disaster) that will make the bodies of the people who hear it perspire.” (A different bodily reaction associated with frightening news in Afar idiom.)

Haman hurried to his house mourning and with his head covered

The Hebrew and Greek that is rendered in English translations as “Haman hurried to his house, mourning and with his head covered” was translated into Afar as Haaman wacarriyih namma gaba amol luk isi buxah arduk yuduure.: “Haman, having both hands on his head in shame, returned to his home running.” (Shame is shown by placing both hands on top of one’s head.)

In Newari it is translated as “Haman, however, being ashamed, with bursting heart, hurried back to his own house” (source: Newari Back Translation).

See also shake the head.

heifer, stallion

In Afar “you frisk about like a heifer on the grass, and neigh like stallions” is translated as Qaysok cayya iyyeh xobbaaqa gaalih innah xobbaqten. Canak cayye mooyuh innah kaqitten.: “You frisk like camels satisfied with grass, and jump like goat kids satisfied with milk.” (Horses don’t survive in the Afar desert, but camels thrive.)

pledge loyalty

The Hebrew in 2 Samuel 15:33 that is translated in English versions as “pledged their loyalty to Absalom,” or “the hearts have gone after Absalom” was translated into Afar as ‘Ku kabut gacennooh ko’lih rabenno’ ‘yaanam axcuk yenen.: “They were saying, ‘We will go with you and we will die with you.’ (Direct speech is used instead of general descriptions of speech acts. The pledge to even die with one’s leader in battle is a typical expression of loyalty.)

stall

The phrase in Malachi 4:2 that is rendered as “go out from the stall” in some English translations is translated into Afar as ogok yifdigen rugaageh: “calves released from a tether” (nomads use tethers rather than stalls for animals).