For “Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.” see 1 Peter 3:10, 1 Peter 3:11, and 1 Peter 3:12.
Note that this quote in the New Testament is not taken from the Hebrew Bible but from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) which translates into English as ” What person is he who wants life, coveting to see good days? Stop your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous, and his ears are toward their petition. But the Lord’s face is against evildoers, to destroy the remembrance of them from earth.” (Translation by NETS — for the Greek version see the title’s tooltip)
The Hebrew text of Psalms 9/10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119, and 145 uses acrostics, a literary form in which each verse is started with one of the successive 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. According to Brenda Boerger (in Open Theology 2016, p. 179ff. ) there are three different reasons for acrostics in the Hebrew text: “for ease of memorization,” the representation “of the full breadth and depth of a topic, all the way from aleph to taw (tav),” and the perception of “the acrostic form as aesthetically attractive.” (p. 191)
While most translations mention the existence of an acrostic in a note or a comment, few implement it in their translation. The Natügu translation is one such exception. Boerger (see above) cites a strong tradition in singing the psalms and the fact that Natügu, like Hebrew, also has 22 possible initial letters as motivating factors to maintain the acrostics in that language.
Click or tap here for the complete psalm in Natügu
1 Awi-zvzbo mz Yawe,
X tramawxu nzglqpx-krnge nide.
2 Bilvz-zvzx Yawe mz nabznge,
Murde nimu kx nzaetqbz drtqmu na-abrtzlvzamu da kcng tqaleleng.
3 Clve Yawe doa x da amrlx. Naglqlzku drtqde.
X napipx-lxblr-ngrgu nzetu-krde.
4 Da kcng tqmwxlrtix, arlapxpebz Yawe ninge mz da lcng amrlx.
Murde mzli kc tqkrka’-ngrbo bade, ayzlumle natqnge.
5 Elr! Na-abrtrpzmu drtwrmu mz Yawe, murde ma drtqmu tqmya,
X na-abrtzlvzamu nzokatr-krde nimu.
6 Gct, mzli kc nzmnc-krnge tqtrka-ngrde, arlapxq ninge,
Mz nzatutr-krm nzkrka’-krnge.
7 Ili! Enjrl ne Yawe arlapxle leplz mzli kc drtqdr tqetq-ngrde,
Murde aclvele krkcng tzmyatitrlr Yawe.
8 Jzsamu ena nzmrlzkr Yawe x na-abrtr-krbzmu drtwrmu bade.
Murde krkcng tqaclveleng nzabrtz-zvzng.
9 Kxnzvz-nqblqlr natq Yawe nzrngiscng da amrlx.
Delc nimu leplz nedeng na-amrlue-ngrnamu nide.
10 Laion kx nzxplrng nzkrlzlr nzbrtalengr,
Leplz kx nzvz-nqblqlr Yawe, trpnzngr da kx mrbrpxm badr.
11 Mrlxngeng x inyxngeng, lalztqmamu bange,
Murde na-alvztrpo bamu kxnamu nzamrluengr Yawe.
12?Nike suti drtwrm?
?Nzlungr kxmrlz kxboi?
13 Obq zpwx, x bzkq pokiaq.
Bzkq ycmne-atrkatiq leplz,
14 Prszpx nqmq kxtrka. X ale zvz da kxmrlz.
X nasuti drtwrm nzmnc-zpwx-krmu badr leplz mz nrwx.
15 Rlxtibz ncblo kxtubq mz Yawe nzokatr-krde nide.
X Yawe sa naxlrbzle nzkrka’-krde mz nzaclve-krde nide.
16 Sa napnanatile krkcng tzale-zvzng da kxtrka.
Trobqpwzu badr x mzli kc nabz-ngrdr, ani txpwz nzmrbrtrkr mz drtwr nidr. 1 Pita 3:10-12
17 Takitrde nzxlr-krbz Yawe natq leplz kxnztubqng mzli kc tzyrni-ngrbzlr bade,
Murde ngi nqmq krde nzokatr-krde leplz nedeng.
18 Vz zvz nzesolvzti-krde krkcng drtwrdr tqvz,
X nzamnc-lrpi-krde krkcng nabzdr tqyrnibu.
19 Wzpxtx zlwz nzkxpukr ncblo kxtubq.
A’ Yawe sa na-arlapxle nide mz da lcng amrlx.
20 X mz nzaclve-zpwx-krde nide,
Trpnzngr nrvr ngrdeng kx nztavxi. Jon 19:36
21 Yawe sa na-ayrplapxle kxdrka’-ngrng kcng tztrkalr-ngrdr kxnztubqng.
X nqmq krdr lc tqtrka sa nanibq-moule nidr.
22 Zvz Yawe nztu-krbzle mz nibr kxnzawz nedeng.
X trpnzngr nzayrplapx-krde krkcng tzabrtrpzlr drtwrdr bade.
The English Bible translation by Ronald Knox (publ. 1950) maintains most Hebrew acrostics (even though Knox’s translation itself is based on the Latin text of the Vulgate rather than the Hebrew). Due to the higher number of letters in the English alphabet, it skips the letter V, X, Y, and Z.
2 At all times I will bless the Lord; his praise shall be on my lips continually.
3 Be all my boasting in the Lord; listen to me, humble souls, and rejoice.
4 Come, sing the Lord’s praise with me, let us extol his name together.
5 Did I not look to the Lord, and find a hearing; did he not deliver me from all my terrors?
6 Ever look to him, and in him find happiness; here is no room for downcast looks.
7 Friendless folk may still call upon the Lord and gain his ear, and be rescued from all their afflictions.
8 Guardian of those who fear the Lord, his angel encamps at their side, and brings deliverance.
9 How gracious the Lord is! Taste and prove it; blessed is the man that learns to trust in him.
10 It is for you, his chosen servants, to fear the Lord; those who fear him never go wanting.
11 Justly do the proud fall into hunger and want;✻ blessing they lack not that look to him.
12 Know, then, my children, what the fear of the Lord is; come and listen to my teaching.
13 Long life, and prosperous days, who would have these for the asking?
14 My counsel is, keep thy tongue clear of harm, and thy lips free from every treacherous word.
15 Naught of evil cherish thou, but rather do good; let peace be all thy quest and aim.
16 On the upright the Lord’s eye ever looks favourably; his ears are open to their pleading.
17 Perilous is his frown for the wrong-doers; he will soon make their name vanish from the earth.
18 Roused by the cry of the innocent, the Lord sets them free from all their afflictions.
19 So near is he to patient hearts, so ready to defend the humbled spirit.
20 Though a hundred trials beset the innocent, the Lord will bring him safely through them all.
21 Under the Lord’s keeping, every bone of his is safe; not one of them shall suffer harm.
22 Villainy hastes to its own undoing; the enemies of innocence will bear their punishment.
23 The Lord will claim his servant as his own; they go unreproved that put their trust in him. (Source )
(Note that in the Hebrew version, 34:1-22 is lettered 34:2-23, which is followed by Knox)
In the second half of the psalm (verses 11-22), the psalmist becomes a teacher, instructing his listeners about the right way to live, that is, the commandments and laws of the Hebrew faith, succinctly expressed as the fear of the LORD (see Pro 1.7; 2.5; 9.10; etc.; see also Psa 19.9).
Sons is the traditional term used by a teacher speaking to his students (see Pro 1.8; 2.1; 3.1). Some translations have “children,” which, if taken literally, conveys the wrong idea. In some languages unnecessary ambiguities would be created by translating in the manner of Good News Translation or Revised Standard Version. In order to make clear that those addressed are learners, one must often say, for example, “my students” or “you who learn from me.”
The questions in verse 12 are rhetorical and are meant to stimulate the interest of the reader. Desires translates the verb that occurs in noun form in 1.2, where it is translated “delight” (Revised Standard Version) and “finds joy” (Good News Translation). Here New English Bible has “delights in life.” The verb translated covets is usually represented by “love”; here it means “desires, wishes, wants.” “Long life and happiness” (Good News Translation) combines many days … enjoy good into one phrase; it may be expressed in different ways: “a long and happy life”; see New Jerusalem Bible “years of good fortune.” Verse 12 may be restated as a negative statement in some languages; for example, “There is no one who does not want to enjoy life….” These two questions may also be translated in some languages as positive statements: “Everyone wants to enjoy life.” In languages which require a reply to a rhetorical question, a reply must be given at the end of each question; for example, “Everyone!” Or, if the kinds of questions are used that Good News Translation has, the answer will be “Of course!”
Verses 12-16a are quoted in 1 Peter 3.10-12 essentially as they appear in the Septuagint translation of this passage.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.