The passive construct in Ephesians 4:23 that is translated in English with “be renewed in the spirit of your minds” is translated in Mokole as “be completely new in liver and your mind.” Mokole grammar doesn’t know a passive voice and the translation has to therefore render anything that is passive in the Hebrew or Greek text with a grammatical subject. (Source: Hilary Deneufchâtel in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 21ff. )
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “tithe” in English (which etymologically has the meaning of “the tenth”) is translated in Mokole as “(give) the tenth part.” This is the translation that most languages use that don’t use a specialized term like English does. See also complete verse (Hebrews 7:4) et al.
Following are a number of back-translations of Ephesians 5:21:
Uma: “and we submit one to another as our [way of] respecting/honoring Kristus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Humble yourselves/cause yourselves to be low towards your companion because of your honoring Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Show respect, each one of you, to each other because of your respect for Christ.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Another-thing also, submit-to-one-another (lit. cause-yourselves -to-be-ruled-by-one-another) because of your respecting/esteeming Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “And something else also, be submissive to one another, the sign that you now have respect for Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now because you revere God, each of you help the others.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Mokole: “You who know the honor of Christ, bow your heads to one another.” Mokole grammar doesn’t know a passive voice and the translation has to therefore render anything that is passive in the active form. (Source: Hilary Deneufchâtel in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 21ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 27:31:
Kupsabiny: “If there is a person who wants to buy those things to come back to him, let him add twenty in a hundred.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “And if anyone redeems anything by paying the value of [the LORD’s] one part in ten, he/she must increase it by one part in five.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “If a man redeems/buys-back the tenth of his crops/produce, he must pay its price and he is-to- still -add 20 percent of its price.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mokole: “If someone wants to buy back something of the tenth part that he gave, he will pay the priests its value as it is fixed and in each five one more.” (Source: Hilary Deneufchâtel)
English: “If anyone wants to buy back any of that tenth, he must pay to the priest what it is worth plus an additional 20 percent.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
