translations with a Hebraic voice (Joshua 6:3-5)

Some translations specifically reproduce the voice of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible.

English:
You are to go around the city, all the men of battle,
circling the city one time;
thus you are to do for six days,
while seven priests are to carry seven shofars of rams ahead of the Coffer.
But on the seventh day, you are to go around the city seven times,
while the priests sound blasts on the shofars.
And it shall be, at the drawing out of the ram’s horn:
when you hear the sound of the shofar,
that all the fighting-people are to shout a great shout,
and the wall of the city will fall down from below;
then the fighting-people are to go up, each one [straight] in front of him!

Source: Everett Fox 2014

German:
Umkreiset die Stadt, alle Kriegsmänner, rundum die Stadt, ein Mal,
so tue sechs Tage,
und sieben Priester sollen sieben Heimholerposaunen vor dem Schrein her tragen,
am siebenten Tag aber umkreiset die Stadt sieben Male,
und die Priester sollen in die Posaunen stoßen,
dann seis,
wann man mit dem Heimholerhorn langzieht,
wann ihr den Schall der Posaune hört,
auflärme alles Volk, ein großes Lärmen,
dann stürzt die Mauer der Stadt in sich zusammen,
und das Volk steigt hinauf, jedermann gradeaus.

Source: Buber / Rosenzweig 1976

French:
Contournez la ville, tous les hommes de la guerre,
encerclez la ville une fois. Vous ferez ainsi six jours.
Sept desservants porteront les sept shophars des Jubilés en face du coffre.
Le septième jour, vous contournerez la ville, sept fois.
Les desservants sonneront du shophar.
Et c’est au tir de la corne du Jubilé,
à l’audition de la voix du shophar,
tout le peuple ovationnera en grande ovation.
Le rempart de la ville tombera sur place,
et le peuple montera, chaque homme contre lui.

Source: Chouraqui 1985

For other verses or sections translated with a Hebraic voice, see here.

Translation commentary on Joshua 6:5

Depending upon the restructuring of the last sentence in verse 4, they may need to be rendered “the priests.” In fact the first sentence of this verse may need to be made more explicit: “When everyone has marched around the city seven times, the priests are to sound one long note on their trumpets.”

As soon as you hear it, all the men are … may need to be translated “As soon as you and the men hear it, all of them are…” or “… all of you are….”

It may be more effective to indicate the fall of the city walls by a new sentence: “The city walls will collapse, and the whole army will go straight into the city.” The whole army is the same group as all the men, and some languages may require clear identification. The Hebrew is something like Revised Standard Version, “and the people shall go up every man straight before him,” which seems to focus more upon the individuals within the groups than upon the group acting together. Accordingly the text may be translated, “Then the walls will collapse, and every man can go up into the city from the place where he happens to be standing.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Newman, Barclay M. A Handbook on Joshua. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .