Why in Chinese Bible (和合本), "you" was translated as "你" instead of "您"? For example, in 詩 篇 Psalms:
102:1       〔 困 苦 人 發 昏 的 時 候 、 在 耶 和 華 面 前 吐 露 苦 情 的 禱 告 。 〕 耶 和 華 阿 、 求 你 聽 我 的 禱 告 、 容 我 的 呼 求 達 到 你 面 前 。
102:2       我 在 急 難 的 日 子 、 求 你 向 我 側 耳 、 不 要 向 我 掩 面 ． 我 呼 求 的 日 子 、 求 你 快 快 應 允 我 。
I thought 您 is more polite and honorific and thus should be used when address Jehovah. Why was &quot;you&quot; translated as &quot;你&quot; instead of &quot;您&quot;?
&quot;I thought 您 is more polite and honorific and thus should be used when address Jehovah. Why was &quot;you&quot; translated as &quot;你&quot; instead of &quot;您&quot;?&quot;

你 is, in fact, the correct translation, not only linguistically; but theologically as well. Because God is Father, the familiar form of the second person is appropriate.
A little diversion on the English terms, &quot;thou&quot; is the singular form in Early Modern English, and &quot;you&quot; the plural. The plural form came to be used as a polite form of address later, and &quot;thou&quot; the singular and familiar form. Over time, &quot;you&quot; took over and now Modern English uses &quot;you&quot; as both singular and plural and that distinction between formal (polite) and informal (familiar) is lost.
The translation of the Bible into English has maintained the difference between formal and informal; and it is also correct to maintain the same when translating into Chinese, &quot;Thou/ thee&quot; (informal and familiar) as &quot;你&quot; and &quot;thy&quot; as &quot;你的&quot;. It is linguistically faithful. Theologically it is also the correct form since we are talking about a father-child relationship, and it is definitely not formal.