Language-specific Insights

complete verse (John 3:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:6:

  • Umiray Dumaget Agta: “That which originates from the body of a person is the body of a person. That which originates from the Spirit of God is spirit.”
  • Aguaruna: “Those born from people are people. Those born by God’s spirit, they have God’s spirit.”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “All the children of human beings are human beings by birth. All who are born another time, this being the work of the Holy Spirit, these are new people.”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “One who is a child of people, he has his flesh and bones. And one who has his new life by the power of the Holy Spirit, he has the Spirit of God.”
  • Chol: “He who is born of a mother is given a body. He who is born of the spirit is given life in his heart.”
  • Alekano: “One that people give birth to will surely have a person’s soul. One that the Spirit gives birth to, he will surely have the Spirit’s soul.”
  • Tenango Otomi: “A child, when it is born, if his parents are only people, is also only a person. But in order for a person to live anew, only the Holy Spirit can cause it.”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “People’s flesh and blood causes our flesh and blood to be alive when we are born. But the great Spirit of God causes our hearts to be alive.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “Man lives in this world, and is born from his parents. But the new life of his soul he receives from the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “What is born of mankind is mankind/human. But if a person is born again from the Spirit of God, he is made a child of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That which is born by means of a human is only human also, but that which is born by means of the power of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit lives in him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because the one to whom a person gives-birth, he is humanlike (connotes limited, sinful humanity), but the one by-contrast to whom the Holy Spirit gives-birth, he is spiritual (loan naispiritoan).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because the one given birth to by a human, he is indeed human, a slave yet to sin. But that one who has been given birth to again, for he has been given birth to by the Espiritu Santo, he is now free from that slavery.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “A child, when it is born and his parents are only people, is also only a person. But in order for a person to live anew, only the Holy Spirit is able to cause it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 15:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 15:13:

  • Chol: “There is much love in the one who will give himself to die on behalf of his friends. There is no one who has more love than this.”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “If one is willing to die for a friend, he has loved that one to completion.”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “The biggest love is this, when a person gives up his life for a friend of his.”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Only upon very really loving their friend can they want to die in his place.”
  • Yanesha’: “There isn’t love which surpasses this: We let go of ourselves to die for our loved ones.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “If there is a person who gives his life so that his companion lives, his love is indeed big. There is no love greater than the love of a person who gives his life in order to help his companion.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If a person submits to die because of his love for his friends, there is no human love greater than this.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person who allows himself to be killed in order to free his friends, this is a sign that his friends are very dear in his breath. There is no dearness which can equal this.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “This is the largest love that a person is able-to-show, if he dies so that his friends may live.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “True valuing which can’t be exceeded is the valuing by a person who will give his life/breath in place of the life/breath of his friends.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The most important thing one can do when he loves his friend is to give his life for his friend.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

In Ogea the word for “love” is “die for someone,” echoing the content of this verse. (Source. Sandi Colburn in Hiolzhausen 1991, p. 22)

complete verse (John 3:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:17:

  • Chol: “But God did not send his Son here to earth in order to cause the world to be punished; he sent him here in order that they might find their salvation from God’s Son.”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “God sent his Son to earth here not so that he would decide about humans that they are guilty, but rather so that he would save mankind out of evil.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “It is not God’s purpose to send his Child here to the world in order to punish / condemn men. His intention in sending his Child here is in order to lift men from the punishment of their sins.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “God sent his Son to the world not to drop judgment on mankind but to take away their sins.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for God, he did not send me, his child, here to earth to punish mankind, but rather so that by means of me mankind might be set free.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because God didn’t send his Child to this world to sentence/condemn people, but rather that they would be saved through him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because the reason why God caused his Son to come here was not that people be sentenced to punishement, but on the contrary so that he could free/save these people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “God did not send his son here to earth in order to sentence the people. Rather he sent him here to earth that he save the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 17:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 17:10:

  • Chol: “All who belong to you also are mine. All who are mine are yours. My greatness has been shown in the believers.”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “All mine are yours and all yours are mine. We own them together. My glory appears in them.”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And all the people who follow me are your children. And thus it is, whoever are your children are also my children. I receive honor because of what they do.”
  • Central Pame: “. . . It is apparent that I am glorious when the people I rule live righteously.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “All people who are my portion are your (sing.) portion, Father. And all people who are your (sing.) portion are my portion. They are the ones who show the bigness of my life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All that are/is mine are/is yours and all that are/is yours are/is mine. And I am honored/made great by them, because they trust in me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for the people who belong to you, they are mine also, and all that are mine are yours also. And by means of them my power is known.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because all that-is/who-are mine is/are yours (sing.), and what is/are yours (sing.), is/are likewise also mine. And I am already being-honored/praised by-means-of them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “All the ones who are mine, these are indeed yours, and all who are yours, they’re mine too. And my glory is apparent in/to them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All those who are in my hand are in your hand. Those who are in your hand are in my hand. I will be looked upon favorably because of them.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:18:

  • Chol: “He who believes will not have to pay for his sins. He who does not believe, he is already beginning to pay for his sins because he does not believe on the name of the only Son of God.”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “The person who trusts in the Son of God, it is already determined about him that he does not have guilt, but the person who does not trust in him it is determined about him that he does have guilt. . .” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “People who believe in the Child of God, they are not punished/condemned. But people who do not believe, it is clear that they will be punished/condemned by God, because they do not want to believe in that Only Child of God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Whoever trusts in the Son of God will not be hit by the judgment of God. Those who do not trust, have already been hit by the judgment of God because they do not trust in Isa, the only Son of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who believes in me, he will not be punished by God, but those who do not believe in me, it is known beforehand that they will be punished. Because as for me, the only child of God, they have not believed in me.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore those who believe in him, they will emphatically not be punished. But those who don’t believe, they have already been sentenced/condemned to be punished, because of-course they didn’t believe in the only Child of God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As many as will believe-in/obey and trust-in/rely-on him will really not be sentenced with a sentence of punishment. But those who don’t believe/obey, they have already been sentenced to be given punishment, because they are not believing-in/obeying this one-and-only Son of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who believes the Son of God will not be sentenced. But he who does not believe, already is sentenced because he does not believe in the only Son of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Acts 5:29)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 5:29:

  • Uma: “Petrus answered with the other apostles of the Lord Yesus, they said: ‘We(excl.) still follow the command of God, not the command of man.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Petros and the other commissioned ones answered, they said, ‘What we (excl.) must obey is the command of God, not the command of man/humans.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Peter and the other apostles answered saying, ‘It is necessary that we obey the commands of God, not the commands which are made by people.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Pedro and his fellow apostles answered and they said, ‘It-is-emphatically -necessary that God is the one we (excl.) obey, not people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But Pedro and his fellow apostles replied. They said, ‘It’s essential that the will of God is what we (excl.) obey, not the will of men which is contrary to what he instructed us (excl.) to do.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “So Peter said, together with the other apostles, they say, ‘It is more necessary that we believe that which Father God has commanded us to do, rather than that which the people command us.'”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “Then Peter and Jesus’ sent ones answered: ‘By all means we are going to obey what God commands. If people command otherwise, we will not obey.'”
  • Morelos Nahuatl: “We must obey God before we obey men.”

  • Teutila Cuicatec: “We obey God’s commands for this is more important than the commands of the people of the world.”
  • Chol: “We (excl.) must obey God even though in doing this we (excl) disobey the commands of men.” (Source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

complete verse (John 3:30)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:30:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “It is necessary that it be known that he is the great one. But it is necessary that I be thought nothing of.”
  • Aguaruna: “He will be more surpassing. I will not be great, I will be small.”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “He must be honored by many people, but I will no longer be honored.”
  • Chol: “Christ must be the more important one. I must be made less important.”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “It is necessary that they follow Jesus more and more and that they follow me less and less.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “He is the one whose life must be made high, and my life must be made low.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He has to become greater/more honored but I have to become lower/less,’ said Yahiya.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For example, if there is a man being married, the bride belongs to him. As for the wedding arranger, his breath is very good when he hears that bridegroom talking with the one he has married. It’s like that also because it pleases me very much if many follow Jesus,’ said John. ‘It is necessary that mine should be removed.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It is necessary that he be-made-greater (lit. high) while-simultaneously I become-lower.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It’s necessary that he becomes praiseworthy/highly-praised, but as for me, I just become insignificant.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “That one, the people must know better that he surpasses, and I must be second more.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 6:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 6:2:

  • Uma: “Very many people followed him, because they saw all the miracles that he did, healing the sick.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “One day when the festival of the Yahudi was near again which they call Festival For-Remembering Isa crossed over to the other side of the lake Jalil which is also called lake Tiberi. Very many people followed him because they had seen his wonder-causing deeds when he healed the sick people. So-then Isa and his disciples went up the mountain and they set down there.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there were very many people that followed after him because they had seen the miracles which he did in curing sick people.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Extremely-many were the people who were following them, because they saw the amazing things that he was doing to those who were sick.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He was followed-after by many people because of those signs they were seeing which were amazing things which he was doing, which was healing sick people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Many people followed because they saw him healing the sick people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Chol: “Many went following Jesus because they saw the picture of his power which he showed on behalf of the sick ones.” (Source: Larson 1998, p. 107)