lion

There are no lions in Bawm country, so the Bawm Chin translation uses “a tiger with a mane” where the Greek term for “lion” is used and in Sranan Tongo the “roaring lion” in 1 Peter 5:8 is a krasi tigri, an “aggressive tiger.”

In the Kahua culture, lions are not known either so the Kahua translation used “fierce animal.”

In 1 Peter 5:8, the Uripiv translation uses “a hungry shark” instead of a roaring lion.

Sources: David Clark for Bawm Chin and Kahua, Japini 2015, p. 33, for Sranan Tongo, and Ross McKerras for Uripiv)

Translation commentary on Sirach 27:28

Good News Translation‘s paragraph break here is good.

Mockery and abuse issue from the proud man: This line can be understood in two very different ways (a small textual problem contributes to the difficulty): Either proud people mock and abuse others (the second line states their punishment), or proud people will be mocked and abused by others (the second line repeats the idea of this line). The Handbook believes the first interpretation is correct, and suggests Good News Translation as a model: “Arrogant people insult others and make fun of them.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation have footnotes on this problem, but in our opinion neither is necessary. If a translator feels more comfortable with a note, Good News Translation‘s footnote is more helpful.

But vengeance lies in wait for him like a lion: Here vengeance is personified. It will be difficult to use this figure in some languages. Since a person is going to take this vengeance, Good News Translation brings the person in view, and has the person “waiting like a lion for a chance to take revenge on them.” The Greek does not actually say, however, that any particular person is lying in wait. A better model is “But sometime, as suddenly as a lion jumping out of hiding, someone is going to take revenge on them.” For lion see 4.30.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Sirach. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.