Following are a number of back-translations of John 4:1:
- Uma: “The Parisi people heard that more and more people were going asking Yesus to baptize them becoming his followers, with the result that number of followers of Yesus surpassed the followers of Yohanes the Baptizer.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “So-then the Pariseo heard that many more people were reportedly becoming disciples of Isa and bathed by him than those that became disciples of Yahiya. (” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The Pharisees heard the news that Jesus was making more disciples and Jesus was baptizing more people than John was; however Jesus himself wasn’t baptizing, but it was his disciples. And when Jesus also heard this news he left the province of Judea and he returned to the province of Galilee.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “The Pharisees, they heard-reported that Jesus was reportedly persuading and baptizing more disciples than Juan.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “The Pariseo got news that many were the people who were being drawn to and baptised by Jesus, many more than to Juan.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The Pharisees knew that many learners were gathered by Jesus and that he baptized many more people than John.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “You whom I love, do not believe the words of just anybody who says that the Spirit of God is in his head-heart, but rather test them if the Spirit of God is in their head-hearts in order for them to speak true words. Many people are going about in this world lying saying they are proclaiming God’s word.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “Loved ones, we can’t believe all whatever word is said to be God’s Word. But you must taste (try out) the words, so that you will know if a word is truly the Word of God, or not. Because many deceiver prophets (word-passers) are walking here in the world.”
- Tzotzil: “You that I love, do not believe whatever word you hear. Be wise, listen if it is the same as God’s word. Because there are many here in the world who think wrongly they are saying God’s word.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)