Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 4:12:
Kupsabiny: “It is a very fierce wind that comes from me. It is me God who judges them who is speaking.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This very strong wind came from me. Now, I will- now -say my punishment to them.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “They will be like a strong blast that I will send. Now I am declaring that I will punish/destroy you.’” (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.
A wind too full for this comes for me is considerably restructured by Good News Translation: “the wind that comes at the LORD’s command will be much stronger than that!” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “… it is too strong for that! It is a storm, and it comes at my command.” This interpretation understands for me to have the meaning “at my command” (so also Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation; New American Bible has “at my bidding”).
In the construction Now it is I, the pronoun I (the LORD) is placed in the position of emphasis. Good News Translation shifts to a third person reference, but brings out the emphatic nature of the pronoun by saying “It is the LORD himself….”
Speak in judgment upon them is translated “will state my case against them” by New English Bible. However, it seems better to understand this as a pronouncement of the judgment itself: “Now I myself am going to pronounce sentence on them!” (Jerusalem Bible).
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Jeremiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2003. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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