The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated as “covet” in English is translated as “bulge your eyes over what is someone else’s” in Isthmus Zapotec (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), in Bura-Pabir with ngguka or “have strong desire for” which differentiates from silka or “jealous,” which refers not to one’s jealous attitude to one’s neighbor (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin), and in Newari´as “cause your eye to go to” (source: Newari Back Translation).
See also greed / covetousness.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 21:26:
- Kupsabiny: “A lazy person is eaten up by his desire the whole day wanting to get something,
but a righteous person is generous.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Newari: “Day and night they are only asking for more.
But righteous people
are always giving without being unwilling.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “A lazy man always desires that (he) can-receive, but a righteous man gives without holding-back.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “He continually lacks what he needs, but the righteous-one, he continually gives.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- English: “All during the day wicked people desire to obtain things,
but righteous people have plenty, with the result that they are able to give things generously to others.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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