complete verse (Ruth 3:16 - 3:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 3:16-18:

  • Noongar: “When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, ‘How did everything turn out, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told Naomi all that Boaz had done for her. She said, ‘Boaz gave me six baskets of wheat because he said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law holding nothing in your hands.’ ‘ Naomi replied, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you know what happens, because this man will not lie down this day, only when these things happen.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
  • Eastern Bru: “Ruth went home to her mother in law, and her mother in law asked her: ‘How is it, child?’ And Ruth told her mother in law everything that Boaz had done. And Ruth said: ‘Here are six measures of grain he gave me to bring home to you. And he told me: ‘Don’t go home empty handed to your mother in law.’‘ Then Naomi answered: ‘ Child! Now we will wait until we know what will happen about this. Boaz is thinking about what to say to his kinsmen. But surely today he will finish this.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When Ruth arrived to her mother-in-law, she was-asked, ‘How-are-you(sg), child?’ Then Ruth told her everything Boaz had-done to/for her. And Ruth also said, ‘Boaz does- not -want me to go-home to you empty-handed/[lit. without nothing to bring], so he gave me these approximately/roughly six kilos of barley.’ Noemi said, ‘You(sg) just wait, child, until you(sg) will-know what really will-happen, for Boaz will- not [emphasis marker] -stop until he can facilitate this very day what you(sg) had-asked-for from him.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “When Ruth arrived home, her mother-in-law asked her, ‘My daughter, how did things go/Boaz act toward you?’ Then Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her and said to her. She also said to Naomi, ‘He gave me all this barley, saying ‘I do not want you to return to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’’ Then Naomi said, ‘My daughter, just wait until we see what happens. I am sure that Boaz will take care of the matter of your marriage today.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ruth 3:18

Be patient translates what is literally in Hebrew “sit down,” with emphasis upon being quiet and unworried. The implicit location is “here,” and therefore one may translate, as in New American Bible, “wait here.” However, the focus of attention is not so much upon the location as upon the attitude which Naomi thinks Ruth is justified in having. Accordingly, a translation such as be patient (as in Good News Translation) is recommended. One may also use a negative equivalent; for example, “do not worry” or “do not be concerned.”

How this all turns out is a very general expression and may be rendered as “what will happen,” “what will be the result,” “what will happen to you,” or “what will happen which concerns you.”

All turns out must suggest that the results will be known very shortly, and therefore in languages which have more than one future tense, it is important to use a future which designates activity or an event of the same day.

Will not rest today until he settles may be altered into an affirmative expression: “today he will certainly settle,” “he will surely take care of today,” or “he will today most surely arrange for.”

Quoted with permission from de Waard, Jan and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Ruth. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1992. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

3rd person pronoun with high register (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 third person singular and plural pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it” and their various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. While it’s not uncommon to avoid pronouns altogether in Japanese, there are is a range of third person pronouns that can be used.

In these verses a number of them are used that pay particularly much respect to the referred person (or, in fact, God, as in Exodus 15:2), including kono kata (この方), sono kata (その方), and ano kata (あの方), meaning “this person,” “that person,” and “that person over there.” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also third person pronoun with exalted register.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Ruth 3:18

Do not return to Naomi with nothing to give to her. (Easy English Bible)
-or-
He said that I must not go home without bringing a gift for you. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

3:18a

“Wait, my daughter,” said Naomi, “until you find out how things go: This verse part indicates that Naomi wanted Ruth to be patient until there was more news. She did not need to leave their home to seek news about Boaz’s actions, or to do anything more herself.

The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as how things go refers to the results of what Boaz said that he would do. Naomi was referring to whether Boaz or the other redeemer would act as the kinsman-redeemer and marry Ruth.

Here are some other ways to translate this verse part:

Naomi said to her, “Now be patient, Ruth, until you see how this all turns out. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then Naomi answered, “Child! We must wait until we know what will happen ⌊when Boaz talks with the other relative⌋.

3:18b

for: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces a reason clause and is often translated as “because.” Naomi told Ruth that she should be patient, because Boaz would most certainly do what he said that he would do. However, the idea of reason is not very strong here, so in some languages, it may be more natural to omit it.

he will not rest: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he refers to Boaz, so you could also use his name.

The expression will not rest is used here as a figure of speech. Naomi believed that Boaz would keep trying to settle this matter and would not stop until he did so.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

that man will not stop
-or-
Boaz will surely do what he needs to do (Easy English Bible)

unless he has resolved the matter today: This clause means that Boaz would not rest or stop until he resolved the problem of who would redeem Ruth. He would talk with the closer relative and then know whether that relative or Boaz would redeem Ruth. Naomi knew that Boaz would do what he said that same day. Either the closer relative would redeem and marry Ruth or Boaz would. By the end of the day, Ruth would know which would happen.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

until he solves the problem, ⌊which he will do⌋ today
-or-
until they decide the matter ⌊of your marriage⌋ today
-or-
until he has finished doing what he should do today (New Century Version)

has resolved: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as resolved more literally means “finished” or “completed.” Here it refers to a legal decision about what will happen. It could be translated as “decided.”

today: Naomi was putting emphasis on this word. She believed that Boaz would conclude this important issue on that day.

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