Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 10:2:
Kupsabiny: “I shall write on those stones the words that were on the stones of before, those that you broke into pieces. You shall put those stones into that box.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “On those tablets I will write the words that I wrote on the earlier tablets that you smashed. After that you are to put the tablets into the Ark."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “I will-write on this flat stone the words which I also wrote on the first stone that you (plur.) broke. Then you (plur.) are to put them in the box.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “I will write on those tablets the same words that I wrote on the first tablets, the ones that you broke. Then you can put them in the chest.’” (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.
The words that were on the first tables: the words are the ten commandments (see verse 4), as they were on the earlier occasion (see 9.10). However, translators are urged to use a more general translation here, such as “the same words” (Contemporary English Version), or “what I wrote” (Good News Translation).
Which you broke: see 9.17.
Put them in the ark: “put them in the Box” (Good News Translation), or “put these stones in the chest” (Contemporary English Version).
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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