“God our Father, you are our Boss, the biggest” Tataltepec Chatino (source for this and all above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
“Lord, Owner of All Power” in Hausa (source: Hausa Common Language Bible Back Translation)
“Lord who is mightier than all” in Hiligaynon (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
The Greek in Luke 4:34 that is translated as “Leave us alone! What have you to do with us?” or similar in English is translated idiomatically in the Hausa common-language version of 1979 as Wayyo! Ina ruwanka da mu? or “[Expression of surprise/sorrow] Where is your water with ours?” (Source: Yetunde Ofulue in The Bible Translator 1998, p. 201ff. )
The Hebrew that is translated in English as “a piece of wood” or similar is translated in Bura-Pabir as udzim laga or “a certain stick” and in the HausaCommon Language Bible as wani itace or “a certain tree.” Andy Warren-Rothlin explains the Hausa translation: “This is doubtless a right interpretation of this as referring to a particular medicinal plant, not just a random tree, as is suggested by some English translations.”
The phrase in Jeremiah 5:8 that is rendered into English translations as “they were well-fed lusty stallions” is translated into Afar as Yessemeeqe rakuubuy alal radam faxaah muxahiyya yekken.: “they became well-fed male camels making rumbling sounds (in their throats) in their desire to mount a female camel.” (On “stallion,” see also the story here.)
In the HausaCommon Language Bible the “stallion” is a bunsuru or “he-goat,” since horses are not well-known. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “horns (of the altar)” is translated in the French common language editions (1997 and 2019) as angles relevés or “raised angles” and in the Parole de Vie of 2017 as coins relevés or “raised corners.”
In the ArabicTMA translation it is translated as hayth tjllyat Allah (حيث تجلّيات الله) or “where God’s manifestation are” and in the HausaCommon Language Bible as “corners (of the altar).” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The Hebrew that is translated as “from the root of the snake will come forth an adder” in English is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible as irin ɗan da sarkin zai haifa, maciji ne wanda ya fi shi dafi or “the king will have a son like a snake which is yet more poisonous.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The Hebrew in Genesis 24:59 that is translated as “nurse” in English is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible as macen da ta yi goyonta or “woman who gave her support.” Since goyo means both “to support (a friend)” and “to back a baby” it covers the range of duties that are implicit here. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “hardened” or “stubborn” is translated in the HausaCommon Language Bible idiomatically as taurin kai or “tough head.”
Other languages spoken in Nigeria translate similarly: Abua uses oḅom ẹmhu or “strong head,” Bura-Pabirkəra ɓəɓal or “hard head,” Gokanaagẹ̀ togó or “hard/strong head,” Igedeegbeju-ọngịrị or “hard head,” Deragɨddɨng koi or “strong head,” Resheɾiʃitə ɾigbaŋgba or “strong head,” and in Chadian Arabicraas gawi (رَاسْكُو قَوِي) or “hard head” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
Other translation approaches include Western Bukidnon Manobo with “breath is very hard” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation) or Ixil with “callous heart” (source: Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 40).
