Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 1 Chronicles 17:14:
Kupsabiny: “I shall make his rulership to be established and his house shall stand strong forever.’ ’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “I will make him ruler over my house and my kingdom forever.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I will-have- him -rule over my people and kingdom, and his descendants will-reign forever/[lit. until whenever].’ ’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “I will cause him to rule over my people , and his kingdom will endure forever.’ ’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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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 shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
But I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom for ever: But renders the common Hebrew conjunction. Various other versions likewise have a contrasting conjunction at this point since there is a contrast between what God did in regard to Saul and what he will do for Solomon (so New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible). However, many modern versions have no overt connector here (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Jerusalem Bible). Here my house most likely refers to the people of Israel. For I will confirm him in my house, Parole de Vie has “I will keep him at the head of my people.” It is possible to take the words my house and my kingdom as hendiadys, meaning “my royal house,” that is, Israel. But more likely, the two nouns have different referents; my house refers to either the people of Israel or the Temple, and my kingdom refers to the nation of Israel.
And his throne shall be established for ever: See Psa 89.36-37. This statement confirms the same promise as found at the end of verse 12, where it is stated in active rather than passive form. In those languages that have no passive or where it would be unnatural, translators may repeat the rendering in verse 12. It is clearly God who is the agent of this action. The Hebrew expression translated for ever does not literally mean “without end.” It means “a very, very long time.” But the writer may well have believed that a descendant of David would rule again in Jerusalem following the return of the people from the Babylonian Exile. The Davidic dynasty did end in 587 or 586 B.C. when Babylonian armies destroyed Jerusalem and carried off King Zedekiah into captivity (see 2 Chr 36.17-20). Writers of the New Testament understood the royal line of David to continue forever in the person of Jesus (see Matt 2.1-6; 21.9; Luke 3.31).
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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