The Greek that is translated “like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind” or similar in English is translated in Duna with the local figure “like the wind moving the leaves of the tree backwards and forwards.” (Source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1077.)
Language-specific Insights
Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to give it water?
The Greek that is translated in English as “Does not each of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?” or similar is translated in Duna as “As on working days, on sabbath days too, you untether your oxen and asses and take them to drink water.” Glenda Giles (in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 238ff. ) explains: “I found that in the Duna language by translating this literally I excluded the right meaning. All my translation helpers understood my translation as meaning that the animals were watered only on the sabbath. To avoid this exclusion of right meaning I had to expand my translation.”
he must be well thought of by outsiders
The Greek that is translated in English as “he must be well thought of by outsiders” or similar is translated in Duna as “You must appoint a man of whom not only the Christians, but outsiders too, speak well.” Glenda Giles (in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 238ff. ) explains this expansion: “I found that translation helpers understood this as excluding the need for an elder to be well thought of by Christians too.”
God would justify the Gentiles by faith
The Greek that is translated in English as “God would justify the Gentiles by faith” or similar is translated in Duna as “along with the Jews, God would justify the Gentiles too by faith.” Glenda Giles (in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 238ff. ) explains: “Here a literal translation excludes in the Duna mind God’s intention to justify both Jews and Gentiles by faith.”
when I left Macedonia
The Greek that is translated in English as “when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone” or similar is translated in Duna as “When I left your Macedonia ground no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving except you only.” Glenda Giles (in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 238ff. ) explains: “The Philippian people lived in Macedonia province. If, however, this verse is translated into Duna with no possessive pronoun modifying Macedonia, the possibility of Macedonia being where the Philippians lived is excluded from the minds of Duna readers. To avoid this exclusion of right meaning it is necessary to [add a pronoun to ‘Macedonia.’]”