The Greek that is translated as “Let anyone with ears to hear listen” or similar in English was translated in Costa Rican Sign Language as “If you want to understand, understand!”
Elsa Tamez (in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 59ff.) explains: “A literal translation of this verse: ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ (Luke 8:8) is not appropriate for the Deaf community; it is difficult to understand and it can easily be misunderstood. Deaf people have ‘ears to hear’ but they cannot hear.”
In Tzotzil it is translated as “You all who with one heart want to learn, think about what I said,” in San Mateo Del Mar Huave as “Every one of you have heard this story. Now put it in your hearts,” and in Gwichʼin as “He that will hear me, let him pay attention to me.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Willy Wiedmann rendered this phrase artistically in the following way:
The Greek that is typically translated with a generic expressions such as “he who,” “whoever,” or “if anyone” in English is translated with the plural form (“they”) in Daga. “A literal translation of these conveys the idea that one specific unnamed individual is being dis cussed. Thus, for instance, in John 5:24 ‘he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life’ meant in Daga that there was one fortunate individual to whom it applied.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 14:35:
Uma: “It no longer has any use at all, fertilizing plants or or being-used-for-whatever. It is better that it is just thrown away. Whoever of you has ears, listen well!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “It has no use anymore. It cannot even be used as fertilizer (lit. to make the soil fat). Instead the people will just throw it out. Na,’ said Isa, ‘amey-amey (expression of stern instruction) listen when something is said to you.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there’s no more value to it because it can’t even be used for fertilizer, and it’s thrown away. It’s necessary that you understand these things you have heard.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Therefore it has absolutely no use even in the soil or for fertilizer. It must be thrown-away. You who are listening, think-about what you have heard!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “It really has no more use, for it isn’t even possible/acceptable as a fertilizer (lit. fattener of soil). Therefore it will just be thrown away. Well, since what ears are for is listening, it’s necessary that you listen well to this which I am saying.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
oute eis gēn oute eis koprian eutheton estin ‘it is fit neither for the ground nor for the manure-heap.’ For euthetos cf. on 9.62. The clause is best understood as meaning, ‘it is neither directly nor indirectly useful as manure’ (cf. Klostermann, Grundmann).
kopria ‘dungheap,’ ‘manure-heap’ (cf. 13.8).
exō ballousin auto ‘they throw it away,’ without specific indication of place or agent.
ho echōn ōta akouein akouetō ‘he who has ears to hear, let him hear,’ cf. on 8.8.
Translation:
The negative of it is fit has been rendered, ‘it cannot (or, can nowhere) be used,’ “it is no good” (Phillips, similarly Pohnpeian, Sranan Tongo), ‘it is worthless’ (Ekari, similarly Zarma), ‘it is useless’ (one West Nyanja version, lit. ‘is without work’; similarly Shona 1963, lit. ‘it has no work to do’).
For the land, i.e. the farmland, the fields. The meaning of the preposition may have to be stated more explicitly, cf. e.g. ‘to manure (lit. fatten) the soil’ (Sranan Tongo).
For the dunghill, or, again more explicitly, ‘to keep (it) on the dunghill’ (Sranan Tongo), ‘to mix (it) with manure, or, compost, dry grass’ (cf. 13.8).
He who … hear, see the note on 8.8.
Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.
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