Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Genesis 43:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 43:22:

  • Kankanaey: “and there is also what we (excl.) have brought-along as payment for what we (excl.) will again buy. We-have-no-idea who put the money in our (excl.) sacks.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “We have also brought other silver to buy grain. We don’t know who put the silver in our sacks.'” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “We (excl.) still brought additional money in-order to-buy food. We (excl.) do- not -know who put our (excl.) money in our (excl.) sacks.'” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “We have also brought more silver with us to buy more grain. We do not know who put the silver in our sacks.'” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Genesis 44:31)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 44:31:

  • Kankanaey: “Then he continued to say, ‘So then sir, if I leave-behind my younger-sibling here and I do not arrive-with-(him) to my father, he will die from his sorrow, because he is already old and this our (excl.) younger-sibling is the place-of-concentration of his love.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “If [he] does not see him he will die. In this way we will be judged guilty for his death.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “very surely our (excl.) elderly father will-die in sorrow.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Genesis 46:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 46:1:

  • Kankanaey: “After that plural Jacob packed their belongings and they set-out taking-along also their livestock. They went first to Beerseba and that’s where Jacob offered animals to God, the God whom his father Isaac had worshipped.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Having packed all his goods, Israel went to Egypt. Having arrived in Beersheba he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Jacob set-out going to Egipto with his household and bringing all his possessions. When he arrived at Beersheba, he gave-offerings to the God of his father Isaac.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So Jacob left Canaan, taking with him all his family and possessions. When they arrived at Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to God, the one whom his father Isaac worshiped.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Genesis 47:18)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 47:18:

  • Kankanaey: “When the next-in-line years arrived, they went again to Jose and they said, ‘Sir, we (excl.) are not able-to-conceal/deny that our (excl.) money is already used-up and you (sing.) have already taken our (sing.) animals. There is already absolutely nothing that we (excl.) are able-to-give you (sing.) excepting our (sing.) bodies and our (sing.) land.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The next year they came again and courteously requested — ‘We will not hide our matter from you. All our money has been spent, all our domesticated animals have become yours. Now we have nothing else except our bodies and fields.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “After one year, the people again came to Jose and said, ‘(It is) not hidden from you (sing.) that we (excl.) do-not-have money anymore and our (excl.) livestock/animals are-there with you (sing.) now. Nothing at-all has- been-left/remains with us (excl.), aside-from ourselves/[lit. our ownselves] and the land.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “The next year they came to him again and said, ‘We cannot hide this from you: We have no more money, and now our livestock belongs to you. We have only our bodies and our land to give to you. We have nothing else left.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Genesis 49:10)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 49:10:

  • Kankanaey: “The descendants of Juda will take-one-another’s-places to rule until one takes-the-place who is worthy to receive the taxes of the nations and they will obey him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “The scepter will always be in the hand of Judah, his descendants will always reign. The nations will bring gifts to him, and they will come and pay reverence to him.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (sing.) will-continue to rule, Juda. The rulers will-come-from your (sing.) descendants. So the nations will-give taxes to you (sing.) and they will-obey you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “There will always be a ruler from the descendants of Judah. Each one will hold a scepter/staff to show that he has authority as a king. He will do that until the one to whom the scepter belongs comes, the one to whom the nations will bring tribute and show that they will obey him.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Nehemiah 2:1)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 2:1:

  • Kupsabiny: “One day, during the month of *Nisan in the twentieth year in the rule of Artaxerxes, I was giving the king wine. But before this day reached, I had never been depressed in front of the king.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “In the first month, which is-particularly the month of Nisan, on the 20th year of the reign of Artaserkses, I served wine to the king. Only that-(time) that he saw me sad.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When four months went (by), there was one-occasion when the king was eating and I showed that I was sad when-I-served him alcoholic-beverage. There-had-been- absolutely -no time-when-he-had-seen that I was sad previously,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “After King Artaxerxes had been ruling the Persian Empire for almost 20 years, during the spring/before the hot season of that year, when it was time to serve wine to him during a feast, I took the wine and gave it to him. I had never looked sad when I was in front of him before, but on that day he saw that I looked very sad.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Nehemiah 4:15)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 4:15:

  • Kupsabiny: “But when our enemies heard that we have discovered/known their plans, they knew/realized that God had exposed their plans. Then we all went back to building the wall.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “When our (excl.) enemies heard-the-news that we (excl.) knew their plan to attack us (excl.), and they realized that God ruined their plan, all of us (excl.) returned to our (excl.) work on the stone-wall.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Our (excl.) enemies came-to-know that we (excl.) knew their plan and God blocked-(it/them). When it was so, we (excl.) continued to build the fence.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Our enemies heard that we knew what they were planning to do and that God had spoiled their plans/prevented them from doing what they planned. But we were sure that God would defend us, so we all started to work on the wall again.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

complete verse (Nehemiah 8:9)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Nehemiah 8:9:

  • Kupsabiny: “All the people cried while listening attentively to what the law said. Then Nehemiah who was the area administrator/ruler, Ezra who was priest and secretary together with the Levites who were interpreters got up and said to the people, ‘Do not cry/weep on a day like this one! This is a holy day before the Lord who is your God.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “While the people were-listening to what the Law was-saying, they were-crying. Nehemias the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were-explaining to them the Law said to them, ‘This day is holy to the LORD your (plur.) God, therefore you (plur.) do- not -cry.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The people all-wept-simultaneously upon their hearing the law, then Nehemias the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the law, and the Levita who taught the people said, ‘This day is holy for Yahweh your God, so do not mourn and weep.’” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • English: “Then I, Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra, and the Levites who were interpreting what was being read to the people, said to them, ‘Yahweh your God considers that this day is very holy/sacred. So do not be sad or cry!’ They said that because all the people were crying as they were listening to the laws of Moses.” (Source: Translation for Translators)