The Bible translators are doing well in their work. They were recently in Serbia (pictured above) taking classes on how to develop writing systems and how language is used in culture, as part of their studies to earn a Diploma in Bible Translation.

I’m working with some of the translators to do quality assurance checks on their drafts of 1 Kings in the Gurbet language (on Wednesdays), Mark in the Bayash language (on Thursdays), and 1 Peter in the Macedonian Arli language (on Fridays). It is interesting to be working simultaneously in three different genres: Old Testament narrative, New Testament Gospel, and New Testament Epistles. I often deal with different translation issues depending on the type of literature we are translating.

As an example from Old Testament narrative, yesterday in 1 Kings, I had the issue of how to translate “mother” in 15:9. This may seem like a simple question, but Hebrew uses the term “mother” to refer to all women ancestors, such that it could refer to one’s mother, grandmother, or great-great-great (etc.)-grandmother. As in the next verse, 15:10, it says that Asa obeyed God like his “father” David, even though David was his great-great-grandfather. We chose to translate 15:9 as “grandmother” due to the context and other passages that seem to indicate she was his father’s mother. This is a fairly common translation issue in OT narrative since it lists many events and frequently tracks genealogical relationships.

An example in the New Testament Gospels from yesterday was Mark 14:31. In narratives like this, there are many speakers involved, so it sometimes becomes difficult to know to whom the pronouns refer. Instead of translating: “But he was saying even more strongly, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you’. They all said the same”, we made it clearer to whom the pronouns refer by translating: “But Peter was saying even more strongly, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.’ All the disciples said the same.”

Another example from yesterday, in a New Testament Epistle, was 1 Peter 4:16: “But if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name.” The NT epistles often pack a lot of information into a few words; it might not be clear what “in this name” means, so we will make it clearer by rendering it as “but let him glorify God that he bears Christ’s name.”

Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and financial support!
Gratefully,

Todd & Pamala (Daniel, Ariela)