The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that is translated as “cup” in English is translated in Sar with “calabash” (see here ) (source: Ngarbolnan Riminan in Le Sycomore 2000, p. 20ff. ) and in Bariai with “coconut shell” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
drink
In Telugu different verbs for humans drinking (tāgu / తాగు) and animals drinking (cēḍu / చేడు) are required.
complete verse (Revelation 18:6)
Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 18:6:
- Uma: “That is why I say, do also to that village like it has done to other people. Pay it back two times more than all its evil deeds. Prepare for that village torture two times as powerful as the torture it tortured other people with.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Do to her as she did to the people. The suffering that she caused people repay double. She influenced the people to taste her bad doings, she shall also be made to feel God’s wrath double strength.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The persecution she has done to you, you do also to her, but you must double your revenge upon her. Fill her cup with the anger of God for her to drink which will make her twice as drunk as that which she caused you to drink.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Therefore she will be recompensed and properly punished for that-aforementioned evil. All that she has done to hardship people, it will-be-paid-back to her. The strength of the alcoholic-beverage that she has given-others -to-drink, exactly that will be the strength of what-is-given-her -to drink.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For in the same way in which she caused suffering for others, she really will now be-paid-back. And not just paid back, but on the contrary twice as much will happen to her. And her cup will be filled with something extremely bitter, more bitter than what she has kept in store which she has been causing to be drunk, which means she will be caused by God to taste/try his far-from-ordinary anger.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The angels were told then: ‘Apply the punishment now. Concerning what suffering they caused other people, make them suffer double. Concerning the strength of the wine which they gave to other people, double the strength of the wine you make them drink.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 Revelation 18:6
It is not clear to whom God is speaking. At the beginning of verse 4 God speaks to his people in Babylon; but it does not seem likely that here God is telling his people to treat Babylon as she has treated them. So the command in this verse (repeated three times) may be directed to those who will destroy the city, either the angels or the ten kings of 17.16. But the Greek text itself gives no indication that the command in verse 6 is directed to someone else, and it would not be appropriate for a translation to add that information to the text. But the information can be given in a footnote.
Render to her as she herself has rendered: this means to do to her what she has done to others (the negative version of the “Golden Rule”). For this use of the verb “to give,” see Rom 12.17; 1 Peter 3.9. And for the whole passage see similar expressions in Psa 28.4; 137.8; Jer 50.15, 29. Another way of expressing this clause is “Whatever bad things the people of this city have done to others, you should do to them.”
Repay her double for her deeds: this intensifies the command in line 1: “pay her back two times as much as she has done” (see Isa 40.2; Jer 16.18).
The third line says the same thing as the second line, using the figure of a cup filled with strong drink: “fill her cup with a drink twice as strong as the drink she gave others.” The phrase double draught does not refer to the amount, “twice as much wine,” but to its potency, “twice as strong” (see the language of 14.10).
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• You must do bad things to Babylon just as she did to others. In fact, you should do twice as many bad things to her. You must pour wine into her cup that is twice as strong as the drink she prepared for others to drink.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Revelation to John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
SIL Translator’s Notes on Revelation 18:6
18:6a–7a
In 18:6–7a the speaker now urged someone to punish Babylon. It is not clear to whom the voice spoke. He used four different commands. Two commands urge them to give her a punishment that is equal to her sin. Two commands urge them to give her double the punishment. The four commands together urge them to fully and completely punish Babylon.
The four commands are all addressed to more than one person or being. If you must say to whom the speaker is speaking, use a general plural word. For example:
⌊You,
(plur)⌋ give back to her….
18:6a
Give back to her as she has done to others: The Greek clause is literally “Reward her as she also rewarded (you/others).” The context indicates that Babylon had done bad things, and these people were to do bad things to her in return. Other ways to translate this clause are:
Pay her back even as she has paid (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Do to her as she has done to others (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Give back to her as she has given (New International Version)
18:6b
pay her back double for what she has done: The Greek clause is literally “double the double according to her deeds.” It refers to punishing Babylon twice as much as she deserved for the evil deeds she did. Other ways to translate this clause are:
repay her double for her deeds (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Double her penalty for all her evil deeds (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
indeed, double the punishment for her deeds
18:6c
mix her a double portion in her own cup: This clause refers figuratively to punishing Babylon by doing twice the evil to her. It commands the people to do what she had done to others, but twice as much. For example:
in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her (New American Standard Bible)
In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Translate the literal meaning and explain its figurative meaning in a footnote. For example:
This saying refers figuratively to people punishing Babylon by doing what she had done to others, but twice as much.
• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
Punish her in the same ways that she did bad things to others, but punish her twice as much
You may then want to indicate the literal meaning in a footnote. An example footnote is:
Literally: “in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.”
• Explain the figurative meaning in your translation. For example:
⌊Punish her in the same ways that she did bad things to others, but⌋ give to her as if twice as much in her cup
mix her: At the time wine was often mixed with water and spices before drinking. There are several ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mix :
(1) It refers to mixing two or more liquids together. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:
mix…for her
(2) It refers to pouring something into a cup. For example, the Good News Translation says:
Fill her cup
(3) It refers to giving something. For example, the God’s Word says:
Give her
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because the lexicons support it.
The word mix refers here to getting the portion ready for the woman to drink. Other ways to translate this clause are:
prepare (New Century Version)
-or-
make
her: The Berean Standard Bible omits the word “for” in a natural English style. In many languages, this word must be explicit. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:
for her
a double portion: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a double portion :
(1) It refers to twice as much liquid (twice as much wine and water mixed together). For example, the NET Bible says:
double the amount
(2) It refers to twice as much wine but the same amount of water. For example, the Good News Translation says:
twice as strong
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because of the connection to the amount of her sins in 18:5 and “pay her back double” in 18:6b.
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