Language-specific Insights

they are a law to themselves

The Greek 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 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.”

do not be conformed to this world𖺗 but be transformed by the renewal of your mind

The Greek 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, aw “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.)

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:

sin revived

The Greek that is often translated into English as “sin revived” is translated into Bilua as “sin permeated my life.”

See also sin.

sigh

The Greek that is translated into English as “sigh” is translated into Bilua as “turtle breathing.”