complete verse (Jeremiah 41:11)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Jeremiah 41:11:

  • Kupsabiny: “But/And when Johanan son of Kareah and all the military leaders heard of the sin that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done,” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Now, Johanan the child of Karea and his fellow/companion officials of the soldiers heard-of the killings of Ishmael.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But Johanan and all the other leaders of the Israeli soldiers who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia heard about what Ishmael and his men had done.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Jeremiah 41:11

It may be best to introduce this verse with some transitional statement like “When Johanan … heard what Ishmael had done” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

All the evil which Ishmael … had done is rendered “the crime that Ishmael had committed” by Good News Translation. However, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is sufficient with “what Ishmael had done,” since the context carries the sense that it was evil.

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 .