25But Hezekiah did not respond according to the benefit done to him, for his heart was proud. Therefore wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.
The name that is transliterated as “Judah” or “Judea” in English (referring to the son of Jacob, the tribe, and the territory) is translated in Spanish Sign Language as “lion” (referring to Genesis 49:9 and Revelation 5:5). This sign for lion is reserved for regions and kingdoms. (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. and Steve Parkhurst)
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that is transliterated as “Hezekiah” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the signs for “king” and “facing the wall” referring to Isaiah 38:2. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
In Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign that signifies a model, a parameter for his life, referring to “he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, just as his ancestor David had done” of 2 Kings 18:3. (Source: Missão Kophós )
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of 2 Chronicles 32:25:
Kupsabiny: “But Hezekiah became proud and refused to give thanks to God as was needed. Then, God became angry with him, the people of Judah and those of Jerusalem.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “But Hezekiah became very proud. Even though the LORD had done so much for him, he did not give thanks to the LORD for that. So Judah and Jerusalem had to bear the LORD’s anger.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “But Hezekia became proud and he counted-as-no-value the goodness that the LORD had shown to him. So the LORD became-angry to him and to those of/from-Juda and of/from-Jerusalem.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “But Hezekiah was very proud, and he did not thank Yahweh for being kind to him. Therefore Yahweh was angry with him and and punished him and the people of Jerusalem and other places in Judah.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
The common Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse is properly translated But in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation since what happened is contrary to the readers’ expectation.
Hezekiah did not make return according to the benefit done to him: This literal translation may be misleading in many languages. Contemporary English Version spells out the meaning perhaps too strongly by saying “he refused to thank the LORD for everything he had done for him.” Better renderings are “Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him” (New Living Translation) and “Hezekiah did not thank God for his kindness” (New Century Version).
For his heart was proud means simply “he had become too proud.” This clause explains why Hezekiah did not respond in gratitude to God’s goodness. In some languages this clause will go more logically before the statement that he was ungrateful rather than after it. Good News Translation provides a good model if this is the case.
Therefore wrath came upon him and Judah and Jerusalem: This clause gives the consequence of Hezekiah’s pride and resulting lack of gratitude. The wrath is “the LORD’s wrath” (New International Version, Revised English Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) as the next verse makes clear. For the writer this wrath probably points to the later exile into Babylonia. Parole de Vie reorders this clause in a helpful way by saying “and the LORD became angry with him, with Jerusalem and with all the kingdom of Judah.” As in this model, Judah and Jerusalem may be better expressed as “Jerusalem and the rest of Judah.”
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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