OET interlinear MAL 2:6

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-collectivenouns

בְּ⁠פִ֔י⁠הוּ & בִ⁠שְׂפָתָ֑י⁠ו & הָלַ֣ךְ & הֵשִׁ֥יב

in/on/at/with,mouth,his & in/on/at/with,lips,his & walked & turned

Since Yahweh is referring to a group of people, it might be more natural in your language to use the plural form. Alternate translation: “in the mouths of the earlier priests … on their lips … they walked … they turned”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

תּוֹרַ֤ת אֱמֶת֙ הָיְתָ֣ה בְּ⁠פִ֔י⁠הוּ

instruction true she/it_was in/on/at/with,mouth,his

Yahweh is using the word mouth by association to mean what the priests said. Alternate translation: “He spoke the instruction of truth”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

תּוֹרַ֤ת אֱמֶת֙ הָיְתָ֣ה בְּ⁠פִ֔י⁠הוּ

instruction true she/it_was in/on/at/with,mouth,his

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of truth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “He taught the people true things”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠עַוְלָ֖ה לֹא נִמְצָ֣א בִ⁠שְׂפָתָ֑י⁠ו

and,wrong not he/it_was_found in/on/at/with,lips,his

The people of this culture commonly said that something was … found to mean that it existed. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and there was no iniquity on his lips”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

וְ⁠עַוְלָ֖ה לֹא נִמְצָ֣א בִ⁠שְׂפָתָ֑י⁠ו

and,wrong not he/it_was_found in/on/at/with,lips,his

Yahweh is using the word lips by association to mean what the priests said. Alternate translation: “and there was no iniquity in what he said” or “and there was no iniquity found in what he said”

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

וְ⁠עַוְלָ֖ה לֹא נִמְצָ֣א בִ⁠שְׂפָתָ֑י⁠ו

and,wrong not he/it_was_found in/on/at/with,lips,his

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of iniquity, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “and he did not say things that led people to do what was wrong”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

בְּ⁠שָׁל֤וֹם וּ⁠בְ⁠מִישׁוֹר֙

in/on/at/with,peace and,in/on/at/with,uprightness

If your language does not use abstract nouns for the ideas of peace and uprightness, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “Peacefully and righteously”

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הָלַ֣ךְ אִתִּ֔⁠י

walked with,me

Yahweh is speaking of how a person lives as if that were a path that he would walk along. Your language may have a comparable expression that you can use in your translation. You could also use plain language. Alternate translation: “he lived as I want people to live” or “he lived in fellowship with me”

Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

וְ⁠רַבִּ֖ים הֵשִׁ֥יב מֵ⁠עָוֺֽן

and,many turned from,iniquity

Yahweh is speaking as if iniquity were a place from which people could be turned away. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and he influenced many to stop committing iniquity”

Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מֵ⁠עָוֺֽן

from,iniquity

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of iniquity, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “from doing what is wrong”