The first line of verse 28 presents only one serious difficulty in the use of the abstract form of “life,” paths that lead to life. In many languages there is simply no general noun for “life,” only verbs for “living.” This does not, however, seriously hamper the translation of this passage, for one may render this as “you have shown me the paths which I must take in order to live” (or “to truly live,” for there is a qualitative element involved in this use of “life”).

In a number of languages a noun such as presence (literally “face”) cannot be the instrument by which an agent can do anything. However, one can semantically restructure this to read, “because you are with me, I have complete joy.” This indicates that the real agent of the state is “you.” This can be made even more specific by rendering “because you are with me, you cause me to be completely happy.”

The phrase fill me with joy is impossible to render literally in some languages. “To be full” only specifies the completeness of the event of joy, and this in turn is only an expression of a state, that is, “being happy.” The final clause may, therefore, be rendered as “because you are with me I am completely happy” (or “very very happy,” with an expression of intensive degree).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .