Following are a number of back-translations of John 15:8:
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “If you give very much fruit, if you do very much what God wants, in this manner you honor the Father and thus it shows that you are really my disciples.”
Aguaruna: “When you give much fruit and the people see that, they will say, ‘Surely he is Jesus’ follower.’ When you do this they will praise my Father.”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “In that way you make my Father big, doing much good so that people know that truly you are my disciples.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “My Father receives honor when you do very much the things which he likes and also you are showing that you are following me like you should, if you are doing very much the things that he likes.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “If you bear much fruit, my Father is made big. If like that your behavior, you are really my followers.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “If you do much good, my Father will be praised and it will also be known that you are truly my disciples.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If you continue fruiting, which is to say, if your works are always good, people will praise my Father God, and it will be known that you truly are my disciples.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “This is wherein-my Father -is-honored, if your faith has much fruit, and this also is how you will show that you are my disciples.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The praiseworthiness/glory of my Father is apparent when/if the fruit of your believing/obeying is plentiful and growing well in your life. If it’s like that, it’s proof that you are my disciples.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “My Father will be respected when you live good lives. This also will make it apparent that you are my learners.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 6:65:
Ojitlán Chinantec: “And also Jesus told those learners, ‘So I have already told you that nobody can come to me if my Father has not permitted it.'”
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “And he said, ‘For this reason I told you that no one can belong to me if my Father does not cause him to think that he will follow me.'”
Aguaruna: “This also Jesus said: ‘This is why I told you that only those given me by my Father will come to me.'”
Lalana Chinantec: “. . . unless the Father causes the person to follow.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “Yesus also said: ‘That is why I said earlier, not one person can come to me if they are not allowed by my Father.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “And he also said, ‘This is the reason why I said to you that nobody can follow me if my Father God is not the one giving him the desire (to do so).'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he continued speaking, and he said, ‘Because of this, I say to you that no one can follow me if he was not inspired by my Father God.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Then he went-on to say, ‘This is the reason I told you that no one is able-to-come to me to believe if my Father doesn’t permit it.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He added on more saying, ‘Well since there are those who don’t indeed believe-in/obey me, that’s why I said to you that there’s no one who can submit to me except he is shown-grace/mercy by the Father.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Then he said, ‘Therefore I have told you that no one is able to follow me unless the Father causes the person to follow.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:5:
Aguaruna: “But now, returning to the one who sent me I tell you this. Not even one of you says to me, ‘Where are you going?'”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “And even though I will return now where my Father is, the person who sent me, not one of you asks me what it means that I will return.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “But now, I am about to go to my Father who sent me, and there is not one of you who asks where I am going.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But now I am telling you because I am soon leaving, going back to the one who sent me. And none of you asks me as to where I am going.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But now I am returning to my Father who sent me and none of you asks me where I am going.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But I tell-it now, because I am returning to the one who sent me. And here none of you inquires as to where I am going?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus further said, ‘Today/now, I will now go home to the one who sent me, but there’s not even one of you who is asking about this where I will go home to.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now I am going and will live where my Father who sent me lives. Now none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 5:27:
Uma: “That woman had heard a lot of people speaking of Yesus. That’s why she said in her heart: ‘If only just his shirt/clothes I could touch, I’d be well!’ So she squeezed in among the many people and approached Yesus from behind, and she held/felt his shirt.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then she heard the news/talk about Isa. Therefore she went close to the back of Isa mixing with the people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The woman heard a report about Jesus, and she came crowding along also with the people to force her way behind Jesus so that she might grasp even the shirt of Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “She heard-reports about Jesus, and jostled/shoved-through the many-people to approach behind him. Then she touched his clothes.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “She had happened to hear the discussions of people concerning Jesus. Therefore what she did was she persevered to get close behind Jesus. She brushed her hand/arm against the clothes of Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Aguaruna: “She had heard-repeatedly people saying: “Jesus truly heals man” …” (Source: Larsson 1998, p. 81)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:14:
Aguaruna: “That word, when he arrived here, was born a human being, and in this way he lived with us. That completely good person was a speaker of the truth. And also we came to know his greatness because his Father, God, had said to his only Son, ‘You are great.'”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “The Person who is the Word was born human and he was with us. He loved mankind very much and he taught mankind all the true words of God. We saw him and we realized that he is the Person of greatest worth because he is the only Son of our Father God.”
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “And the One who is called Word, he became a Person, and he lived in our midst. And we saw how he had power. That power is that of the only Son of Father God. He is very kind and merciful and all which he says it is true.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “That Word, he became man[kind], and he lived among us (incl.). We (excl.) saw his power. That power of his he received from his Father, for He is the Only Child. [It is] from him that we know God and his grace [lit., white insides] to us.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then, the Word appeared/was-born here in the world having a human body and living among mankind. All love and truth was there with him. We (excl.) were-able to see his power and his brightness, and this his power and brightness were fitting for him for he is the only Son of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the one called the Word of God became human and joined himself to us. He is very gracious and his words are very true. We saw his great high rank which is the high rank of the only child of God. And as for that high rank of his, it was given to him by his Father God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The Word, he became a person and stayed-with us (excl.). He was consistently-compassionate and what he said was all true. We (excl.) saw his godhood which was the godhood of the only Child of God who came-from his Father.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This Jesus who is called Word, he became a human and then lived here in the world together-with us. His praiseworthiness/glory was experienced by our (excl.) eyes, this glory of his being the glory of the one-and-only Son/child of God the Father. We (excl.) also comprehended the big-size of his grace/mercy and that everything which he revealed/came-out-with is indeed truth.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “He who makes known how God is became a person. He lived here where we live. We saw that he is the greatest. He is the greatest because he is God’s only son. He spoke only what is true and he loves the people without limit.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “That which is-being-called the Word was-born and dwelt/joined-with us (incl.) here. We (excl.) have-seen his high-position as the only Child of the Father. He is very [intensifier] merciful and what he is-telling is pure truth.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mairasi: “This Message lived as a person, and He lived among us and we saw the height of His shining Glory. This person is the only Child of Our Father, He Himself has good insides and gave us goodness which is tuberfully correct.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bariai: “And the Talk became human, and so he came living in our (excl.) midst. And so we saw his light and his great power, it’s the light of the one child whose Father sent him to come. He was full of the action/practice of a soft interior and true talk.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “That word became a person, it came to live with us and we saw his greatness. That greatness is what a son who is only one, gets from where the father is. He loved people completely and brought the word of truth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Anindilyakwa: “And that same one who revealed God who was hidden from us, he became a human being like us. He was born, he had flesh and bones and then he lived here and went around with us people. He is rich in love, he was very kind and he kept on and on speaking the truth. We saw that he was the leading powerful and beautiful one, the one who was his Father’s one and only Son, the one who came from his Father to here.” (Source: Julie Waddy in The Bible Translator 2004, p. 452ff.)
