Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Micah 6:3:
Kupsabiny: “God is saying, ‘Oh, my people, what have I done to you (plur.)? In what way have I burdened you (plur.)? Answer me.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “Oh, my people what have I done to you? How have I burdened you with a heavy load? Answer me. ” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “‘My people, what sin have I done to you (plur.)? Did I cause- you (plur.) -to-be-burdened? You (plur.) answer me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “My people, what have I done to cause trouble for you ? What have I done to cause you to experience difficulties? Answer me!” (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.
This verse begins the actual words of the Lord, so Good News Translation has added the words The LORD says to make this clear. The Lord opens his case, but instead of a series of accusations, he starts with questions that are defensive in nature. It is as though Israel were accusing the Lord rather than the other way round. The assumption is that the people by their conduct have already acted as though the Lord had not kept his side of the covenant. Therefore he asks his questions, My people, what have I done to you? How have I been a burden to you? to demand an explanation of their apparent grievances. To be a burden is literally “to weary” or “to make someone tired.” It can be translated as “to give trouble to” or “to make someone’s life difficult or heavy.”
The questions are followed by the command Answer me, but the people give no answer. (Compare the German common language translation [Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch], “Why do you not answer?”) The implication is that, since the people really have nothing to complain about, they cannot answer, and so their behavior is not justified. Once this point has been made, the way is open for the Lord to state how he has kept his side of the covenant and blessed his people. This makes the people’s failure to serve the Lord stand out very clearly, and thus the whole paragraph (verses 3-5) amounts to an indirect but very effective accusation.
In other places, sentences that are questions in Hebrew can often be replaced by statements that convey the same meaning. However, in this passage such a procedure is unlikely to work. Here the questions are real questions, not merely rhetorical ones, and the absence of any answer to them is part of the logical development of the paragraph. If this form of argument will not be clear in the receptor language, it may be helpful to include a sentence at the end of verse 3 to the effect that “you cannot answer me.” Verse 4 can then begin with some expression of strong contrast such as “Far from being a burden to you, I have helped you (or, done only good to you). I brought you out of Egypt….”
Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
In 6:3–5, the LORD stated his charge/accusation against the people. In 6:3, he asked how he had wronged them. The people had no answer. In 6:4–5, he related significant events from Israel’s past that show how he had blessed them, not wronged them. The implicit charge/accusation is that the LORD had kept the covenant but they had not.
6:3a
My people: Starting with this clause, the LORD addressed his people directly. Some versions make it explicit that the LORD is speaking. For example:
The Lord says, “My people…” (Good News Translation)
Here the phrase My people is a term of address (vocative). Some versions have added the word “O” to make it explicit that this is a vocative. Use a term of address that is natural in your language when a person speaks to a group of people.
The pronoun My probably drew attention to the covenant relationship between the LORD and his people. He was their LORD and they were his people.
what have I done to you?: In this question the meaning of the Hebrew word for done is broad and can refer to many actions. However, in this context the phrase to you means “against you.” So with this question the LORD asked in what way he had done something against them. Some versions make this meaning explicit. For example:
“My people! What wrong have I done you? (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures) -or-
“My people, how have I wronged you? (NET Bible)
6:3b
Testify against Me: In Hebrew, this phrase means “respond to me” in many contexts. However, in the context of legal actions it means “give evidence against me.”
Many versions translate this phrase as “Answer me.” However, if your language has a specific legal term for a response during a court trial, consider using that term here. For example:
Testify against Me. (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures) -or-
Bring your charges! (Revised English Bible)
how I have wearied you!: In Hebrew, the word wearied means to cause someone to become impatient or frustrated. The LORD asked in what way he had done this to them.
Here are some other ways to translate this question:
What have I done to make you tired of me? (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
How have I been a burden to you? (Good News Translation)
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