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)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:14:
Huehuetla Tepehua: “Moses hung up the snake out where it was quiet. Well, also in the same way it is necessary that I should be hung up, I who am the friend of all men.”
Alekano: “Just like Moses a long time ago in the wilderness lifted up the thing made to look like a snake, they will surely lift up me the true man.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “‘Long ago in the wilderness, the prophet Musa made an image of a snake from brass, and he put it on the end of a wooden pole and stuck it in the ground to stand it up. Whoever was bitten by a snake, if they looked up at that brass image of a snake, they would live. So, like that brass snake was made high long ago, so also I the Child of Mankind must be made high,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Musa in old times, at the time when he was there in the lonely place together with the tribe of Isra’il, he made (a thing) in the shape of a snake from brass and lifted it up and hung it onto a post so that when the people who had been bitten looked at that snake would get well. Likewise I, the Son of Mankind, I also have to be lifted up onto a post and be killed,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus said again, ‘Long ago when Moses was still out in the land where nobody lives, he made a brass snake and he put it on wood and he raised it up. As for me, the older sibling of mankind, that is the same thing that is going to happen to me in the future because I also will be fastened to a wood and raised up.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “And what will happen to me, it is like what happened to the imitation/fake snake which Moses fastened-to and raised-up on a post when they were walking through the place with no inhabitants. Because I also who am Child of a Person, I must be fastened-to the cross and be-raised-up” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “And in the way in which Moises put-up-high what he’d made which was like a snake there in the wilderness, putting it on wood/tree which he set up, like that indeed is what will be done to me who am the One From Heaven Born of Man. They will nail me to a cross and then put-up-high like that snake which was made.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “There in the wilds, Moses made a metal snake and standing up a pole he raised it high. In like manner it will happen to the Man who came from heaven, it is necessary that the cross be stood up with him on it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.), in Chuj as “family of Levi,” and in Desano as “grandchild of Levi” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations of John 5:40:
Ojitlán Chinantec: “And you do not want to believe in me so that I might give you eternal life.”
Alekano: “But though you should come to me and have eternal life, you confusedly reject me.”
Lalana Chinantec: “Even though the word of God speaks about me, you are not willing to become my people. If you became my people, you would come to life.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “But even so, you still do not want to come to me, in order to receive that good life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But you do not want to follow me and-what’s-more I can give you life without end.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I would that you would believe because you would be given eternal life.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “and you still refuse to be-joined-to me so that I would give you life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But well, you just don’t want to follow/obey me so that I might give you life which has no ending.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “And you do not want to believe in me to have the new life.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 11:1:
Uma: “From there, the apostles of the Lord Yesus with the one-faith relatives in the land of Yudea heard that there were people who were not Yahudi people receiving the Word of God also.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The commissioned ones and the disciples of Isa throughout Yahudiya heard that the people who were not Yahudi had believed-obeyed the message/word of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The apostles there in the province of Judea and their companion Jewish believers, they heard that those who are not Jews had received the word of God which had been caused to be understood by them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When that was so, the apostles and their companions who believed in the many-towns in Judea, they heard-the-news that Gentiles had also received the word of God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The apostles and other believers in Judea heard news that there were people who weren’t Jews who had now believed the word of God. But there were some who heard that news who couldn’t accept it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Alekano: “After that, after talk that those who were not Jews had joined on to God’s word had spread, the other apostles and their Jewish brethren who were in Judea land heard it.” (Source: Larson 1998, p. 91).
Following are a number of back-translations of James 3:13:
Uma: “If there is in our midst a person whose thinking is good and whose heart is clear [i.e., aware, mature, wise], he must show his clearness of heart with his good behavior and with his character that appears from a humble [low] heart, like is fitting for people whose hearts are clear.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “If there is a person among you who has deep thoughts/wisdom and really understands, he should show his knowledge in his good works. And his liver should be lowly/humble for like that is a person whose thoughts/wisdom is truly deep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Any of you who are wise and have large understanding, he must show it by means of his good works. He must not consider himself high as he shows his wisdom by means of his good workds.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “If there is someone among you who is thinking/reflective and understanding, he should show his kind-of-wisdom in his good behavior/character and in his humbling (lit. lowering) himself in his doing what is good.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well who of you is knowledgeable and perceptive/understanding? It’s necessary that you prove it through your good nature/ways, and through the good things you are doing with meekness/patience which accompanies true understanding/wisdom.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “When there arises one who is wise, who thinks on the words he hears, it will be seen who such a person is because he does good. He does what he knows and is not arrogant in what he does.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Central Mazahua: “When anyone of you knows what is good to do and knows how, he will be careful how he will live and he will not make himself great. In that way people will notice that truly that one knows.”
Rincón Zapotec: “If there is among you a man who has great ability and he understands exceedingly, with complete humility he ought to show that he is thus by means of the good things he is doing.”
Alekano: ” . . . if he remains humble and does good things, he will demonstrate the substance of his wisdom.” (Source for this and two above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 6:17:
Uma: “Like this is the account of Yohanes the Baptizer’s death. King Herodes took and married Herodias, the wife of his own relative who was named Filipus. Many times Yohanes denounced Herodes because of his behavior, he said to him: ‘You cannot marry that sister-in-law of yours! That behavior of your breaks the Law of Musa.’ From there, Herodes ordered his soldiers to go capture Yohanes. They did capture him, bound him and put him in prison.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “For it had been King Herod hep who had commanded Yahiya to be seized and he had commanded him to be imprisoned. It happened like this: This King Herod had married his sister-in-law, Herodiyas, but his younger brother Pilip, the husband of Herodiyas, was still alive. So-then when they already had become-one, Yahiya scolded the king. Yahiya said to him, ‘It is not right/lawful (halal) if you are-one with the wife of your brother. You are sinning.’ Na, that was the reason why Herodiyas became-the-enemy-of/enemied Yahiya and wanted to kill him. But the king didn’t allow it,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Herod said that due-to what had happened before. Because he had had-Juan -arrested and had had-him-imprisoned in-chains due-to Juan’s admonishing him. Because Herod, he married his sister-in-law Herodias the wife of his younger-sibling Felipe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Herodes spoke like that because in the past, he was the one who had caused Juan to be arrested, bound and imprisoned, because of Herodias who was the wife of Felipe who was Herodes’ brother. For Herodes had grabbed-for-himself that sister-in-law of his.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Alekano: (includes vv. 17-20) “Herod previously took his younger brother Philip’s wife Herodias. After he did that, John telling Herod said, ‘your younger brother’s wife you have taken — it is not right.’ After he said that, on account of Herodias, Herod sent men and they went and seizing John’s hands arope in the rope house. After they did that, Herodias, being bad in her liver concerning John, desired to strike and kill him, but John remained a straight-going man, not having sin, and Herod perceived it and remained afraid concerning him, and since he guarded over him well, Herodias was unable to kill John. Herod, hearing John’s talk day after day, heard his two ears but enjoyed his insides rose up) hearing the talk he spoke.” (Source: Ellis Deibler in The Bible Translator 1968, p 14ff. )
Yagaria (includes v. 17) : “Herod at one time sent his soldiers, and they took John and put him in jail. Before that Herod took away the wife of this younger brother Philip and took her, and John told Herod thus: ‘That you take the wife of your younger brother, that is not good.’ Because he said that, Herod put John in jail.” (Source: Renck, p. 94)
“Hope is sometimes one of the most difficult terms to translate in the entire Bible. It is not because people do not hope for things, but so often they speak of hoping as simply ‘waiting.’ In fact, even in Spanish, the word esperar means both ‘to wait’ and ‘to hope.’ However, in many instances the purely neutral term meaning ‘to wait’ may be modified in such a way that people will understand something more of its significance. For example, in Tepeuxila Cuicatec hope is called ‘wait-desire.’ Hope is thus a blend of two activities: waiting and desiring. This is substantially the type of expectancy of which hope consists.
In Yucateco the dependence of hope is described by the phrase ‘on what it hangs.’ ‘Our hope in God’ means that ‘we hang onto God.’ The object of hope is the support of one’s expectant waiting. In Ngäbere the phrase “resting the mind” is used. This “implies waiting and confidence, and what is a better definition of hope than ‘confident waiting’.” (Source for this and above: Nida 1952, p. 20, 133)
Enlhet: “waitings of (our) innermost” (“innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind — for other examples see here) (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
Kwang: “one’s future is restored to one’s soul like a fresh, cool breeze on a hot day.” (Source: Mark Vanderkooi right here )
Noongar: koort-kwidiny or “heart waiting” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Anjam: “looking through the horizon” (source: Albert Hoffmann in his memoirs from 1948, quoted in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 7)
Ron: kintiɓwi or “put lip” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
Alekano: “wait not hearing two ears” (meaning to “wait without being double-minded” — source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
In Mwera “hope” and “faith” are translated with the same word: ngulupai. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
C.M. Doke looks at a number of Bantu languages and their respective translations of “hope” with slightly varying connotations (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 9ff. ):
Xhosa and Zulu: themba “hope, expect,” also “have faith in, rely upon”
Tswana: tsholofelo “hope, expect, look for confidently”
Southern Sotho: tshepo “trust, rely on, believe in, have confidence in”
“Unlike English, which uses the word hope broadly, the French language uses two words that derive from the word espérer (to hope): espoir and espérance. Both can first refer to something hoped for. In this sense, the word espoir usually refers to an uncertain object; that is, someone who hopes for something in this way does not have the certainty that it will happen (“I hope the weather will be nice tomorrow”). On the other hand, espérance describes what, rightly or wrongly, is hoped for or expected with certainty. It often refers to a philosophical or eschatological object (‘I hope in the goodness of human beings’; ‘I hope for the return of Jesus Christ’).
“When we speak of espoir or espérance, we then have in mind different types of objects hoped for. This difference matters, because both terms also commonly refer to the state of mind that characterizes the hopeful. And this state of mind will be different precisely according to the object hoped for.
“Having espoir for an uncertain yet better future in these difficult times may be a good thing, but it is not enough. Such hope can be disappointed and easily fade away when our wishes and expectations (our hopes) do not materialize.
“The opposite is true with espérance, which is deeper than our desire and wish for an end to a crisis or a future without pain and suffering. To face the trials of life, we need peace and joy in our hearts that come from expecting certain happiness. This is what espérance is: a profound and stable disposition resulting from faith in the coming of what we expect. In this sense, it is similar in meaning to the English word hopefulness.
“If we have believed in the Son of the living God, we have such a hope. It rests on the infallible promises of our God, who knows the plans he has for us, his children — plans of peace and not misfortune, to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). By using the two meanings of the word, we can say that the espérance that the fulfillment of his promises represents (the object hoped for) fills us with espérance (the state of mind).”
