Following are a number of back-translations of John 6:10:
Uma: “Yesus said: ‘Tell them to sit down!’ So they said down using the grass as a mat, because there was much grass there. In the midst of those people, there were five thousand just counting men.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then Isa said to his disciples, ‘Tell the people to sit down.’ In that place there was a wide expanse of grass. They all sat down there. The men only, their number was five thousand. Women and children were still extra.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘Tell the people to sit down.’ And then they told them to sit down. It was a wide grassy place there, and five thousand was the number of the men alone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘Please have-them -sit-down,’ Jesus said to his disciples. There was much grass in their location there, and that’s where the many-people sat-down. The number of grown-men and young-men, it was about five thousand.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘Have those people sit down,’ said Jesus. There was a wide expanse of clear ground there. The people sat down, their number being about five thousand if the men alone were counted.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Then Jesus said, ‘Tell all of the people to sit down.’ There were about five thousand men who sat there in the grass.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Chol: “Jesus said, ‘Tell the men and women to sit down. There is grass.’ he said. The men and women sat down. There were 5000 men.” (Source: Larson 1998, p. 107)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:5:
Huehuetla Tepehua: “That one who gives understanding to the minds of men, he was like a light that shines where it is dark. But the one who walks where it is dark (the devil) couldn’t overcome him.”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “For people are in the evil way, as if to say, they are in darkness. But he illuminates people. The evil one did not prevail over that one who illuminates people.”
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “He is like a light which illuminates where it is dark. And the devil, he is of the darkness but he cannot conquer the light.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “The person who is the word has light for the hearts of mankind. Even though there is very much evil in this world where he arrived, the evil did not shut off his light.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Chol: “The light of the world shows itself in the midst of a very dark world. This very dark world was not able to put out the light.” Wilbur Aulie (in The Bible Translator 1957, p. 109ff. ) explains the use of “put out the light” (click here to display)
“The problem of multiple meanings is often involved in the rendering of figures. Some hold that Greek katelaben in John 1:5 means both ‘to grasp with the mind’ (i.e., ‘to comprehend’) and ‘to grasp with the hand’ (i.e., to overcome’). Many translators are obliged to make a choice here. In Chol there is no choice, since the darkness cannot comprehend, even metaphorically speaking. It was therefore rendered: ‘The darkness did not put out the light’.”
Uma: “That light shone/shines in the darkness, and the darkness was/is not able to kill it/him [NOTE: The verb ‘kill’ can be used of putting out a light or fire]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This light shines in darkness and the light can really not be put out by the darkness.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That light has illumined the darkness here upon the earth, and the light was not defeated by this darkness.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He has-been-steadily-illuminating the darkness, and the darkness, it is not able-to-defeat the light.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He gives-light/makes-clear like a light/lamp in darkness, but those who are in darkness, they don’t want to be shined-on by this light.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “The light shines in darkness and it is not able to be put out.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “This light lightens the darkness, and its light was not overcome by darkness. ” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mairasi: “That is the true Light which already arrived in this world to brighten people.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bariai: “The light shined in the dark place, yet it wasn’t possible for the darkness to surpass that light.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “That light shines in the darkness and that darkness doesn’t swallow (the) light.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 6:63:
Ojitlán Chinantec: “People live because their spirit is in them. A person’s flesh is worthless if the spirit is absent from the body. Those words that I told you give eternal life, the way a person’s spirit gives him natural life.”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “Well, the Holy Spirit, he is the one who gives eternal life. The life of just men can’t give life everlasting up in heaven. The words that I declare unto you are for your heart, and they give life everlasting.”
Chol: “That which is for our spirits gives us our lives. That which is for our body does not give us that. My words that I told you are for your spirit. They give you your life.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “It is the Spirit of God who gives life. The power/authority of man is useless. The words which I spoke to you come from the Spirit of God and give life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I tell you,’ said Isa, ‘it is God’s Spirit hep that causes us (incl.) to live. As for the power/strength of mankind there is no use (in it), it cannot make mankind alive. What I have taught to you causes life because this comes out from the Spirit of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The only one who can give life forever is the Holy Spirit. There is nothing that a body alone can do. The words which I said to you come from the Holy Spirit, and they can give life forver.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The one who gives life, it is God’s Spirit, not the body. The body is of no use there. As for what I have been saying to you, they are from God’s Spirit, so exactly that is what gives life, provided you believe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “These things that I am teaching, what they all come down to is (lit. there’s no other returning-place than) things concerning the spirit and life which is without ending. It’s true, the things referred to (lit. being caused to be hit) in this teaching of mine, those are from where this life can be gotten. It can’t be gotten from flesh which is eaten.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Only the Holy Spirit gives the new life. That which I told you means that you should believe in me, not that I was saying that you should eat me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:18:
Aguaruna: “Truly God is one who is not seen, but his Son, his beloved, the only one, that one is the one who causes us to know his Father.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “No one has ever yet seen God. His only Son whom God loves has taught mankind what God is like.”
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “The one who is the only Son of God since they love one another, that one has shown us how God is.”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “God truly loved his only Son. He is the one who showed how God is. “
Ojitlán Chinantec: “Very much his Father loved that only Son. That Son has pointed out God the Father.”
Chol: “. . . who is close to the Father’s heart, this is the one who has caused the Father to become known.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “There is no-one who has seen God. But his Only Child, Who lives always at his side, He is the one who explains / makes-clear God to us.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Nobody has seen God, but God is made known to mankind by his only Son, for he is really God and he is one with his Father. So-then there were people who went to Yahiya while he was bathing people on the other side of the river Jordan at the village Betani.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “No human being has ever seen God, however his only son, he has caused us to know his father God, because they are always companions.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “No one has-been-able-to-see God, but his only Child who is his Father’s companion continually, it is he who has made-him-known.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Really from long ago, there’s no one at all who has seen God the Father. But now it’s like we have seen him now, because concerning this God the Father has been made clear to us by this one-and-only Son of his whom he holds-very-dear.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Never has anyone seen God. The only Son of God who lives where the Father lives has told us about God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “No person whosoever[intensifier] has seen God the Father. But he was-made-known to us (incl.) by the one of a kind God who is always a companion with the Father.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mairasi: “No person at all has seen Great Above One, but His Only Child. He lives in equality with His Father and He Himself lives right with Him in the palm of His Hand. He Himself is the One Who reveals His Father’s Name and glory to us. ” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bariai: “Previously and since, no one saw God, yet that only-one God, who was living at his Father’s side, his mouth followed concerning to us (incl.) about God.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “There is no person who has seen God, but this child who derives from God is the one who has seen him. He was together with his Father and he revealed to us how God is.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 7:2:
Uma: “At that time, it was almost the big day of the Yahudi people called the Feast of Huts.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then the festival of the Yahudi was near when they live in little-shelters.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In a short time from then the Jews will celebrate the Feast that is called the Feast of the Shelters.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When it was near-in-time to the fiesta of the Jews called Field-shelters,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But when their fiesta called Fiesta of Shelters was near,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “But now it was near the time the Jews celebrated the celebration in which they made huts from branches.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “The festival was approaching when the Jews gathered together and erected their shelters in which they lived during the festival.”
Chol: “It was already near the time when the Jews celebrated, when they made temporary houses.”
Aguaruna: “The Jews’ festival was about to arrive when they celebrated, remembering when their ancestors made temporary shelters.”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “The time was approaching for the Jews to observe the festival of the little houses.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “And the festival of us Israelites was about to take place which is called the Feast of the House of Leaves.” (Source for this and four above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:20:
Yatzachi Zapotec: “He said to them clearly, ‘I am not the Christ, the person whom God is to send to help the nation of us Israelites.'”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “He said, ‘I am not the Christ, the chosen of God for a particular task.’ John showed the truth. He did not speak lies.”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “Well he admitted the truth. He immediately made it plain to them that he wasn’t Christ whom it was said God would send.”
Mezquital Otomi: “. . . I am not the Christ, whom God chose.”
Alekano: “Then not denying it, revealing it, he told them this: ‘I am not the Christ.'”
Chol: “John did not keep it a secret . . . ” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “Yohanes answered them plainly, he said to them: ‘I am not the Redeemer King.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Yahiya did not hide (anything) instead really confessed/spoke the truth, he said, ‘I am not the Almasi.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And this is what John said because he did not hide it. He said, ‘As for me, I am not the one chosen by God to rule.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Juan didn’t deny the truth of it but rather he admitted saying, ‘I am not the Messiah.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He really didn’t make-claims for himself but on the contrary he told the truth, saying, ‘It’s not I who am the Cristo who is that promised Savior King.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “John straightly spoke. He said, ‘I am not the Christ whom God appointed to rule.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 8:32:
Ojitlán Chinantec: “And you will know the nature of the truth. And you will be liberated on account of having accepted the truth.”
Huehuetla Tepehua: ” . . . and when you know the truth you will be taken from your servanthood.”
Aguaruna: “And when you do, you will know truth, and that truth will lead you to freedom.”
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “And you will know what is truth. And because of truth you will not be ruled over by anyone else.”
Chol: “You will begin to become acquainted with the truth of my words. My words are true. They will cause you to become free.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “You will know what my true words mean, and if you know what they mean, you will no longer be under the foot of evil like slaves.”
Lalana Chinantec: “. . . You will no longer need to work without pay like you do now.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “and if you are really my followers, you will really know the true teaching, with the result that you will be free.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “And you will know as to what is the truth from God. And this truth will free you from what is enslaving you.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You will know the true doctrine, and by means of this you will be set free from slavery.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “You will come-to-know the truth concerning me, and by-means-of this truth, you will-be-set-free.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “You will really recognize the truth, and this truth is what will release you.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “And you will know the true word and the true word will save you.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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)
