Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 20:11:
Kupsabiny: “I gave them my will, and showed them my laws because the person who obeys those words shall get life.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “There, I gave them my commands and regulations/statutes that they should follow so-that they would-live.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “I gave them all my laws and decrees , in order that they would obey them, and as a result they would live for a long time.” (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.
I gave them my statutes and showed them my ordinances: At Mount Sinai God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and other laws for the people of Israel. The Hebrew words for statutes and ordinances are almost synonymous and may be translated “laws,” “rules,” or “commands” (see the comments on 5.6). The Hebrew verb rendered showed is literally “caused to know,” so it may be translated “taught” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or “told … about” (New Century Version).
By whose observance man shall live is literally “which the person will do and he will live by them.” The Hebrew word for man refers to human beings in general, not just males. God has already stated the idea that a person’s life depends on obeying his laws and commandments (see 18.9). Live here refers to the Israelites avoiding punishment and being able to live in the Promised Land. It does not refer to eternal life, as Luke 10.28 does. For this reason Good News Translation‘s model for this clause (“which bring life to anyone who obeys them”) can be a little misleading. A better model is “It is when people keep these rules and commandments that they live.”
Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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