The Greek Romans 3:11 that is often translated in English as “there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God” is translated in Bilua as “Not anyone is understanding God directly/properly, and worships him straight.”
Language-specific Insights
do not be conformed to this world𖺗 but be transformed by the renewal of your mind
The Greek in Romans 12:2 that is translated in English as some form of “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” is translated into Bilua as “you must not follow this generation’s behavior, but you must allow God in your heart that he make you new in your life and thinking.”
The first part of this phrase (“(don’t be) conformed to this world”) is translated as “live doing as other people do who live here in the world” in Central Tarahumara, as “do like mankind does, people who are here on the earth” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “do like people in this sinful world” in Chicahuaxtla Triqui, and “the life of those who walk in sin” in Mezquital Otomi.
The second part (“be transformed by the renewal of your mind”) is translated as “let the way you think become new and changed” in Chicahuaxtla Triqui, as “change so that what you think may become new” in Sayula Popoluca, as “let God change your head-hearts in order that your thoughts will he changed” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “be different since the Holy Spirit has made your mind new” in Huehuetla Tepehua, and as “in a different way think well” in Central Tarahumara. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
they are a law to themselves
The Greek in Romans 2:14 that is often translated into English as “they are a law to themselves” is translated these ways:
- Bilua: “they follow their own law” (source: Carl Gross)
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “it is just as if they had a law in their hearts”
- Highland Totonac: “on their own they think of the law they should do”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “what their head-hearts tell them to do is like the law for them”
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “their very hearts is a law which issues orders to them”
- Tzeltal: “it is because there are commandments in their hearts”
- Sierra de Juárez Zapotec: “show that they themselves know what they ought to do” (source for this and five above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Uma: “their own hearts become like the Lord’s Law to them” (source: Uma Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “they have a Law there in their breath” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “their minds are like their law which directs them” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
See also a law unto themselves.
intercede for the saints according to the will of God
The Greek in Romans 8:27 that is translated into English as “(the Spirit) intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” is translated into Bilua as “(he) prays like God himself” (source: Carl Gross)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as tritt für alle Christen bei Gott als ihr Anwalt ein or “intercedes for all Christians before God as their advocate.”
the ends of the earth
The Greek that is translated as “the ends of the earth (or: world)” is translated in Bilua as “the bottom of the sky” (= horizon) (source: Carl Gross), in Western Highland Purepecha as “beyond the horizon” (source: Nida 1947, p. 158), and in Chicahuaxtla Triqui as “to the far horizons” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).
See also to the ends of the earth.
justification, justify
The Greek that is translated as “justify” in English is translated into Tzotzil in two different ways. One of those is with Lec xij’ilatotic yu’un Dios ta sventa ti ta xc’ot ta o’ntonal ta xch’unel ti Jesucristoe (“we are seen well by God because of our faith in Jesus Christ”) (source: Aeilts, p. 118) and the other is “God sees as righteous” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).
Other (back-) translations include:
- Bilua: “straigthened” (Romans 3:20: “Nobody can be straightened in God’s presence…”) (source: Carl Gross) (see also: righteous)
- Western Highland Purepecha: “he sees him with the goodness of his Son” (“justification”)
- Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “heart-straightening”
- Western Kanjobal: “having a straight soul” (source for this and two above: Nida 1952, p. 145)
- Central Mazahua: “no longer carrying sin in God’s estimation.”
- Rincón Zapotec: “come out good before God”
- Guhu-Samane: “God called one right” (source for this and two above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
- Isthmus Mixe: “to be put in an open place” (source: John Beekman & Harwood Hess in Notes on Translation, March 1963, p. 1ff.)
- Mairasi: “already straight: completely clean” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Uma: “straight in God’s sight” (Source: Uma back-translation)
- Yakan: “be reckoned straight/righteous by God” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Ekari: maa nigajawii (“deemed right through favor”) (source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37f. )
- Tzeltal: “exonerated of sin in God’s sight” (source: Marianna C. Slocum in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 49f. )
- Kwara’ae: “regarded as righteous” (source: Norman Deck in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 34ff. )
- Makonde: “”to be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) ” (note that righteous / righteousness is translated as “to be good in God’s eyes” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
- Manikion: “heart sits next to Jesus” (source: Daud Soesilo)
- Obolo: ben itip-oyerebet isan̄a: “take away condemnation” (source: Enene Enene)
- Kui: “obtaining release to become a righteous person” (source: Helen Evans in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. )
- Highland Totonac: “make free”
- Sayula Popoluca: “call righteous”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “clean hearts”
- Central Tarahumara: “make people to be right-doing”
- Tzeltal: “straighten heart” (Source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Warao: “straighten obonja.” Obonja is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions” (source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.)
sin revived
The Greek in Romans 7:9that is often translated into English as “sin revived” is translated into Bilua as “sin permeated my life.”
See also sin.
sigh
The Greek in Romans 8:26 that is translated into English as “sigh” is translated into Bilua as “turtle breathing.” (Source: Carl Gross)