complete verse (Leviticus 23:31)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 23:31:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not do any work. This law goes/continues to the descendants.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “It is not OK for you to do any kind of work. No matter where you live, This is your law forever from generation to generation.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “So [you (plur.)] rest and fast starting from the setting-of-the-sun of the day on the ninth day of that month until the following the setting-of-the-sun of the day. You (plur.) and your (plur.) descendants in generations to come coming/future generations must obey these regulations/decrees/[lit. what-is-to-be-followed], wherever you (plur.) live.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You must not work at all! You must always obey those instructions/commands, and you must obey them wherever you live.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Leviticus 23:31

You shall do no work: instead of repeating word-for-word the prohibition found in verse 28 and alluded to in verse 30, good style may require that it be phrased in a different way here. One may consider a general statement like “All work is forbidden” or “No work is allowed.” Good News Translation chooses to leave it implicit in this case.

It: the pronoun is translated “This regulation” in Good News Translation and refers to the prohibition of work on the Sabbath, which is stated in verse 28 and repeated again at the beginning of this verse.

A statute for ever …: see 3.17 and 10.9.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .