Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 2:6:
Uma: “But there is also your good behavior: since you also hate the character/behavior of those who follow the teaching of Nikolaus, which I also hate.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But I am also pleased with you because you hate the doings of the people who follow Nikolai, in the same way as I hate their doing.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There is also that which you are doing that I like because the bad works of Nicolaitans anger you as they anger Me also.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But there is however that-which-I-like-about you, because you hate what the Nicolaita are doing which I indeed also hate.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But there is indeed something which pleases me about you, your nature/ways which are like mine in that you hate the disgusting deeds of the Nicolaita.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Yet there is a word about what you do which I look well upon. It is that you do not even a little bit look well upon the words taught by the people of Nicholas. I too do not look well on that word.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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.
Here is one more word of praise, perhaps to soften the severity of the censure in verse 5.
Yet this you have: “But you have this in your favor,” “This, however, is to your credit,” “But I will praise you for this,” or “Here is a good thing that you are doing.”
You hate the works of the Nicolaitans: they also appear in 2.15, in the letter to Pergamum. The word means “the followers of Nicolaus,” but there is no way of deciding who this Nicolaus was, if indeed he was a real person and not a fictitious character. Aside from what is said about the Nicolaitans here and in 2.14-15 (and perhaps in 2.20, 24), there is no precise information on their origin or activities. Most commentators see them as Gnostic teachers who, on the basis of their doctrine that the material and spiritual realms are completely separate, taught that immoral conduct does not affect the spiritual life. Hate may be expressed as “despise,” “not like to look at,” or idiomatically in some languages as “heart is not warm towards.” Here the works, as in the other instances (verses 2, 5), mean everything they do and are.
Which I also hate: it is well to have this come at the end, to make for the proper emphasis. Good News Translation “as much as I do” is a possible way of making the comparison.
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 .
But you have this to your credit: The Greek clause is literally “But you have this.” Here it introduces something good that the believers in Ephesus were doing. So the Berean Standard Bible and some English versions add the phrase to your credit or a similar phrase. Other ways to translate this clause are:
Yet this you do have (New American Standard Bible) -or-
But you have this in your favor: (New International Version) -or-
But a good thing you have/do is this:
2:6b
hate: The word hate indicates that the believers in Ephesus strongly disliked and avoided the practices of the Nicolaitans. Other ways to translate this word are:
detest (Revised English Bible) -or-
are angry with
works of the Nicolaitans: The word works refers to deeds that the Nicolaitans did because of the beliefs of their group. Very little is known about the Nicolaitans and what wrong beliefs they had. Perhaps they claimed to follow Jesus but also followed pagan practices and sexual immorality. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the deeds of the Nicolaitans (New American Standard Bible) -or-
what the Nicolaitans do (Good News Translation) -or-
the ⌊evil/immoral⌋ ways of the Nicolaitans
the Nicolaitans: The name Nicolaitans probably means “followers of Nicolaus.” However, it is not certain who this Nicolaus was. The English ending “–ans” means “the people of.” You should spell the name of the group as your language allows. For example:
the people/followers of Nicolaus -or-
the Nicolait group
2:6c
which I also hate: This clause indicates that Jesus also hated the practices of the Nicolaitans. Other ways to translate these words are:
the way I do too -or-
as I hate what they do
This clause tells the reader more about the Nicolaitans. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that there are other groups called Nicolaitans and Jesus only hated this group. If that is true in your language, translate this clause so that it tells more about the Nicolaitans. One way to do that is to start a new sentence here. For example:
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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