The Greek that is translated as “take up their cross” in English is translated in Galela as “let go of each of their desires in their hearts” (source: Howard Shelden in Kroneman 2004, p. 501).
In Korku it is translated as “take up trouble for me to the extent that he would be ready to give his life on the cross for me,” and in Chipaya as “be ready to suffer, even die.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:1:
- Uma: “Yesus also said: ‘Indeed I tell you: From among you here, some of you will not die before you see God rule with his power.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Isa said yet, ‘Truly I say to you, some of you who are here will not die if you have not first seen the ruling of God and his ruling is really powerful.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then Jesus spoke, he said, ‘Remember this. There are some of our companions here who will not die until the time when God reveals his chosen king whose power to rule mankind is very great.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Then he continued saying, ‘This that I say is true that there are those of you here whose death will not yet have occurred and they will see the power of God in his ruling.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “What Jesus further said to them was, ‘This which I will say to you really is true, that there are a few here today who won’t die until they have seen the arrival of the kingdom of God through his supernatural-power which can’t be equalled.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tzotzil: “…. ‘Truly I tell you, those of you who are gathered here, there will be some of you who will not die until you understand how God puts people under his orders with power.'”
- Korku: “… ‘The kingdom of God will come with power. Truly I say to you,there are some standing here who will see this before they die.'” (Source: for this and above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:50:
- Uma: “‘Salt is very useful. But if its saltiness changes with the result that it is plain/tasteless, what else could make it salty? So also, you who follow me must be like salt: Don’t let your faith become weak. You must live in unity.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “He also said, ‘You do know that salt is really good. But if the salt has no more taste, it cannot become salty again. Therefore you also,’ he said, ‘you should be careful in order that you do not lose your reciprocal-respect and your reciprocal-harmony.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Not only that but salt is good because it makes food delicious, however, if salt loses its flavor, there is no way to bring back its flavor. And the same way, your works must be like salt so that you might be the means for making people better. And it is necessary that your relationship together with each one of you must become peaceful.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “The salt, it has a purpose, but if it becomes-tasteless, it’s tang can definitely not be returned. So think about the use of salt and help-each-other so that you will be in-harmony.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Salt is good as long as it is indeed salty. But if it’s no longer salty, how can it be made salty again? Well as for you (pl.), you must make it your habit to be like the saltiness of this. For if you make your nature/ways like this, it’s for the benefit of one another. And persevere with being like-minded which will result in your fellowship/companionship with your fellowman being peaceful.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Mazaltepec Zapotec: “Salt gives flavor (makes food taste good). There is salt which is mixed with earth. This salt loses its flavor. If the salt loses its flavor, with what can we restore its flavor? You, my disciples, should be like good salt which does not lose its flavor. Thus you will be in peace among yourselves.”
- Southern Puebla Mixtec: “Salt is good so that food will not go bad. But if the salt is not salty any more, how can we use it? We cannot. So you do like the good salt does. Care for your heart so that it will not go bad. You had better live at peace with one another.”
- Korku: “Salt is good to make food acceptable, but if its saltiness is lost leaving only that which is not salt, it is no longer useful to make food acceptable. You also should have something like that in your own hearts so that you will be acceptable to one another and be at peace.” (Source for this and two above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:20:
- Uma: “‘There are also people who can be compared to seeds that fall in rich ground. They hear God’s Word, they immediately receive it. In those people God’s Word really does have fruit. There are some who have a little fruit, there are some who have much fruit, there are some who have very much fruit.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “But the other people, (they are) figuratively like good soil. They hear the message of God and they believe it. If in the figure of what was planted, the message of God which they heard bears fruit in their livers. Some have enough fruit, some much and some very much.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That which was planted which falls on good ground, that is like people who hear the word of God and believe, and the word does good in them. For some, the word does a little bit of good in them. And others, the word does a large amount of good in them. And others, the word does very much good in them.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “As-for the ones-that-fell on the good soil, they are those who are listening to God’s word while-simultaneously also they understand it, and the word has results in their lives. There are those with few results, there are (those with) measurably-more and there are also (those with) many.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “And as for this, what is meant by the good soil/ground which was scattered on, it’s the people who truly believe/obey the word of God which they heard. Well since it is taken to heart (lit. stored in their heads), that’s why their(emphatic) believing bears fruit, like those full-headed grain-stalks with thirty, sixty and a hundred grains each.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Mopán Maya: “As many as are planted in the good ground, these are like those told the word of God by the man. They are believing/obeying the word. They begin to become good men. It is exactly the same as a good plant. There are some whose goodness is coming out like a plant that is giving thirty fruits, etc.” (The phrasing here was changed because “bearing fruit” meant “bearing children”)
- Korku: “Some people are like the seed sown in good ground. They hear (obey) the word and follow it and are like plants that bring forth grain. In the way that the seed sown in good ground gave birth to thirty grains, sixty grains, or a hundred grains, in that same way the ones who acknowledge (follow obey) God’s word do very good work.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)