complete verse (Psalm 75:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Psalm 75:10:

  • Chichewa Contempary Chichewa translation, 2002/2016:
    “I will cut the horns of the wicked
    but the horns of the righteous will be uplifted.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
  • Newari:
    “God says, "I will destroy the power of the wicked,
    and I will increase the power of the righteous."” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon:
    “He will-make- the ability of the wicked -disappear/vanish,
    but he will-increase the ability of the righteous.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Laarim:
    “I will cut out all the horns of bad people
    but instead I will lift up the horns of good people.” (Source: Laarim Back Translation)
  • Nyakyusa-Ngonde (back-translation into Swahili):
    “Mungu anasema, ‘Nitaondoa nguvu ya watenda dhambi,
    lakini nitaziimarisha nguvu za wanyofu.’” (Source: Nyakyusa Back Translation)
  • English:
    “He will destroy the power of wicked people,
    but he will cause righteous people to become more powerful.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

righteous, righteousness

Click here to view graphically

The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “upright(ness)” and “just(ice)”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Sayula Popoluca: “walk straight”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo (Dinė): “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • (San Mateo del Mar Huave: “completely good” (the translation does not imply sinless perfection)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Makonde: “doing what God wants” (in a context of us doing) and “be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) (note that justify / justification is translated as “to be made good in the eyes of God.” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Gerechtheit, a neologism to differentiate it from the commonly-used Gerechtigkeit which can mean “righteousness” but is more often used in modern German as “fairness” (Berger / Nord especially use Gerechtheit in Letter to the Romans) or Gerechtestun, also a neologism, meaning “righteous deeds” (especially in Letter to the Ephesians)
  • “did what he should” (Eastern Highland Otomi)
  • “a clear man, good [man]” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), devout, and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

Translation commentary on Psalm 75:9 - 75:10

The psalm closes with an affirmation of praise to God, the just judge. Verse 9 returns to the first person, but now it is the psalmist, who continues speaking from verse 6 onward. In some languages it may be necessary to make clear that “I” represents the psalmist; for example, “I who write these words will rejoice…” or “the psalmist says, ‘I will rejoice….’ ”

In verse 9a the Masoretic text has “I will tell (or, proclaim),” which Good News Translation has taken to have the God of Jacob as object (so New Jerusalem Bible, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, New English Bible); but some take the object to be what precedes (New International Version) or what follows, that is, verse 10 (Weiser, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant). The translator is free to follow either.

Instead of the Masoretic text “I will proclaim,” Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint I will rejoice as a closer parallel to I will sing praises in the next line. New English Bible, following a suggestion of G. R. Driver, takes the Masoretic text consonants to represent another verb (not appearing elsewhere in the Old Testament) meaning “magnify, glorify.” For God of Jacob see comments on 20.1. The God of Jacob must often be rendered “the God whom Jacob worshiped.” For sing praises see 7.17b.

In verse 10 in the Masoretic text, God is the speaker (“I will break” in line a); Good News Translation has translationally used the third person “He will break” (likewise Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). The translations that have in verse 10 “I will cut off” (New International Version, New English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible) take the psalmist to be the speaker (following from verse 9). But the speaker is God. Bible en français courant takes verse 10 to be the song of praise the psalmist sings. Translators should follow Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version, which have maintained the psalmist’s point of view in verse 10. Some modern translations indicate that the Hebrew has “I,” but this is probably not necessary.

Horns (as in verses 4-5) means “power” and should be so translated; the power of the wicked will be destroyed by God, while that of the righteous “will be increased.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .