Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 5:13:
- Uma: “‘You who follow me can be compared to salt, which brings goodness [broad word sometimes used to mean salvation] to mankind. But if you do not follow my teaching, you are like salt that is tasteless, it cannot be made salty again, and there is no longer its usefulness, with the result that it is discarded and stepped on.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “‘You who follow me are like salt for all mankind. But when/if the salt has no more taste, it will not become salty again. There is no use for it anymore. Then it is just thrown out and the people walk over it.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You, my disciples, you are like salt which is that which makes food good, because you are the means of making all-mankind good. However if the flavor is removed from salt, there is no way to bring its flavor back, and there is no use to salt which no longer has any flavor. It is thrown out and people inadvertently walk on it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Jesus continued to teach and said, ‘You are what-can-be-compared to salt for the people on this earth. But if salt becomes-tasteless it is impossible to return its saltiness (same word as sour/bitter). It is useless, therefore it will be thrown-away and people will step on it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Jesus continued his teaching saying, ‘You (pl.) who obey the will of God, an illustration of you is salt, that being really necessary here in the world. Well suppose this salt becomes tasteless, how can its saltiness be caused to return again? Isn’t it useless now? Of course it will just be thrown away. What will happen to it is that it will just be being trodden on by people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Salt has the work that when it is put on something it keeps it from spoiling. You must do like this in the world so that because you live here it will keep down the evil which people do. But when salt has lost its strength, it is not able to salt anything again. Then it is worth nothing, it is then thrown away, people step on it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Martu Wangka: “Jesus told them a small talk like this, ‘Meat becomes good from salt. That salt is good. Salt which has laid around on the ground becomes bad and then becomes bad rubbish. You all sit like good salt — you who are my relatives. Others, when they see you sitting well, they will gather together with you and they will follow me, Jesus. You will sit like good salt.'” (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 2:16:
- Uma: “In God’s sight, we (excl.) are like incense that is burned, that is smelled by all people. For we (excl.) are the ones he has sent to proclaim the News of Kristus to all people. To people who believe the Good News we (excl.) are like something fragrant, for we tell them the news that gives them good life forever. But to people who reject the Good News we (excl.) are like something stinking, for we tell them that God will punish them in hell. Who is able to do this work? With our own ability, no-one of course. [implied here and stated by Paul in 3:5]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “To the ones who are not saved our (excl.) preaching is like a bad smell that causes them to die. But for those who are saved, our (excl.) preaching is like a fragrance that gives them life. This doing is hep really difficult. It almost cannot be done by humans.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for the people who will not let themselves be freed, we let them know that death without end is their punishment. And as for those people who are asking Christ to free them, we let them know that what is given to them is life without end. But it seems as if there’s nobody who’s worthy to spread this news.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “As for the people who are being saved, its smell is fragrant to them, because it leads to their life which has no end which Cristo gives. But as for those who are being-lost, it stinks to them like the stink of a dead-one, for their not believing, it leads to their punishment that is forever. This work of ours (excl.) is extremely important. Who indeed is capable of doing it?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Well now, to the people who are not paying-attention-to/taking-seriously this salvation, it’s like what they can smell repulses them, therefore that is what leads them to death which is punishment which has no end. But to those who will be saved, it’s fragrant, therefore life which has no ending is what they will arrive at. Well since it’s like that, who has ability to do well this work of teaching the Good News?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the people who will be punished, this word they hear is as though poison accompanies it. But concerning the people whose souls are saved, this word they hear is beautiful and their hearts understand that this is the word by which they find the new life. Whoever could arise who knows of himself how to accomplish such work?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Warlpiri: (verses 15 and 16) “We Apostles did Christ Jesus give to God like special meat which they burned and gave to God long ago in order to placate him. Many people whom God is keeping safe, and many others who are still going away from him, the whole lot of them we tell the Good News. People who are going the wrong way from God, they hear the Good News. After that, they say that it is bad like meat that has gone off and smells bad, like that. Other people whom God is keeping, they also hear that Good News. After that, they say this, ‘The Good News, it makes us alive. It is really good just like the way grass smells after the rain.’ That is true.” (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 5:45:
- Uma: “Because if [we do] like that, we (incl.) have followed the behavior of God, our (incl.) Father who is in heaven. For God’s has a good heart [i.e., is kind] to all people: he makes the sun appear on good people and on evil people. He causes rain to fall on people who are straight and on people whose hearts are crooked.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “so that your customs will resemble the customs of God your Father in heaven. For God causes the sun to shine equally for the good people and the bad people. And he gives rain to the straight/righteous people and to the people who do bad.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if you do this, you will be like our Father God who is in heaven. Because as for God, he not only causes the sun to shine on the righteous people, but also on those who are not righteous, and it is not only the people whose doings are good that he gives rain to, but also those whose doings are bad.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “so that you will be counted as children of our Father in heaven. Because as-for him, he allows the sun that he created to shine on the good people and likewise also on the bad. He also sends the rain in order that the land of the righteous people and likewise also the not righteous will-be-rained-on.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For as long as you do that, it’s clear that you are true children of your Father who is in heaven. Because he causes the sun to rise so that all people will be shined on, whether their ways are evil or good. Like that too he causes it to rain on the straight/righteous and those who aren’t.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “If you do the words I tell you, then it will appear that you are children of your Father who is in heaven. Because concerning the sun God made, it is not only where the good people live that it does good, it is also where evil people live that it does good. Concerning the rain, it is not only where the good people live that it rains in their fields, it also rains on the fields of the evil people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 4:13:
- Uma: “In the Holy Book is written like this: ‘Because of my faith, I dare/am-brave-to speak.’ That also [is what it is like (implied)] for us (excl.). We(excl.) believe in the Lord God, so we (excl.) are-brave-to speak.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “There is written in the holy-book which says, ‘I trust in God that he will help me, therefore I tell this to my fellow-men.’ Na, we (excl.), we also trust in God and we (excl.) tell this to the people,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There is a written word of a person in which he says, ‘I believed in God and I will tell why I believed.’ And what we are doing is just like that. For because of our faith in God, we tell about why we believe.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “There is something written in the word of God that says, ‘I believed God, therefore there is that which I said.’ Like that indeed also is our (excl.) faith, because even though we (excl.) are hardshipped, we (excl.) nonetheless say what we (excl.) believe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Our (excl.) trust in God is really big. This trust of ours (excl.), (it’s) like the trust of that David in the past who wrote like this, ‘My trust in you is big, that’s why I spoke.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “There in the Holy Book is written a word spoken by a person who said: ‘Concerning the word I believe, this is the word I must tell the people’ he said. I also now do the same in that this word which I believe is that which I tell the people now.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
For the Old Testament quote, see Psalm 116:10.
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 6:29:
- Uma: “But I say to you: even King Salomo with all of his riches/wealth, his clothes were not like the beauty of those flowers there.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “And I tell you for sure, even Sultan Sulaiman the richest one in old times, could not dress as beautifully as one of these flowers.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But true is what I say to you, that even King Solomon long ago who was very rich and famous, the beauty of his clothing didn’t amount to one little fingernail beside the beauty of these flowers.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “but I tell you that even King Solomon whose riches were extreme, he had no clothing like the beauty of one of these flowers.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “But the truth is that even king Solomon who was highly-spoken-of for the greatness of his wealth, he couldn’t clothe himself to outdo these flowers.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “I tell you this word here, that like King Solomon, very good is the clothing he wore, yet he doesn’t approach the beauty of the flowers.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 6:6:
- Uma: “In all this, it is clear that we (excl.) are indeed God’s workers, for our (excl.) behavior is holy, we (excl.) know God’s Word, we (excl.) are patient, our (excl.) hearts are good to others, the Holy Spirit works in our (excl.) hearts, we (excl.) love others from our (excl.) heart.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “We (excl.) also show that we (excl.) are truly servants of God because of our good customs. We (excl.) are good (petten), we (excl.) know the true teaching, we (excl.) are not easily angry and we (excl.) have pity/are kind. It is clear that God’s Spirit is here with us (excl.) and that our (excl.) love to our (excl.) fellow-men is true/genuine.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “We have avoided filthy activities; we properly understand the word of God, we are forgiving and we are helpful to everybody. The Holy Spirit guides us. We show our favor to everyone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “It can also be seen that God is the one we (excl.) serve on account of our (excl.) clean behavior, our (excl.) knowing God, and our (excl.) patience and kindness to our (excl.) companions. It can also be seen because of our (excl.) ability that the Holy Spirit gives, our (excl.) sincere/heartfelt love,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “It can also be recognized that, as for us (excl.), (we are) God’s true servants by our (excl.) good lives, by our (excl.) acknowledging of God and our (excl.) understanding of the truth that comes/came from him, and by our (excl.) ways/nature which are meek/patient and gracious to our (excl.) fellow men. It can also be seen in the strength of the help of the Espiritu Santo to us (excl.), in our (excl.) true valuing of everyone,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “That which shows well that I do the work of God is that I walk good. And this good news, I know well about it. And I endure all that people do to me. And I have kindness towards people. And the Holy Spirit helps me so that I can do the work of God. And truly I do love all the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “Nevertheless, I try to remain God’s property, I strive for theological insight, I try to be patient and friendly, because I want to act according to the Holy Spirit and show my love without hidden motives.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 5:4:
- Uma: “And if we become able to endure, we can defeat temptation, to-the-point-that God likes our behavior. And if we know that God likes our behavior, our hope in God gets stronger-and-stronger.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “If/when we (incl.) endure our (incl.) hardships, God is pleased with us (incl.). And if/when we (incl.) know that God is pleased with us we (incl.) are assured that there is (something) good that we (incl.) expect/hope-for from God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if we are able to endure, this pleases God; and when we know that God is pleased with our behavior, then it is absolutely true that there is something good which we can expect.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “And when we have endured hardship, it is confirmed that our faith is steady/persevering. And if our faith is persevering, we expect that God’s plan for us will be fulfilled.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “When we endure all the suffering we go through then God looks well upon us. When God has looked well upon us then we know that there will come the day we will see the good he gives.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “And when we are strong in enduring trouble, then we will indeed be proven men, and if we are proven men, then we will wait for God to do well with us.”
- Teutila Cuicatec: “When we find patience it comes out that we are good, when it comes out that we are good we hope in God.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Mairasi: “Furthermore that fact of our having well-split bones [diligence] will increasingly work in our liver until we will experience good life/behavior. Then that good life/behavior which we experience will work in our liver with the result that our vision resting place [hope] will increasingly certainly get strong.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:14:
- Aguaruna: “That word, when he arrived here, was born a human being, and in this way he lived with us. That completely good person was a speaker of the truth. And also we came to know his greatness because his Father, God, had said to his only Son, ‘You are great.'”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “The Person who is the Word was born human and he was with us. He loved mankind very much and he taught mankind all the true words of God. We saw him and we realized that he is the Person of greatest worth because he is the only Son of our Father God.”
- Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “And the One who is called Word, he became a Person, and he lived in our midst. And we saw how he had power. That power is that of the only Son of Father God. He is very kind and merciful and all which he says it is true.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “That Word, he became man[kind], and he lived among us (incl.). We (excl.) saw his power. That power of his he received from his Father, for He is the Only Child. [It is] from him that we know God and his grace [lit., white insides] to us.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “So-then, the Word appeared/was-born here in the world having a human body and living among mankind. All love and truth was there with him. We (excl.) were-able to see his power and his brightness, and this his power and brightness were fitting for him for he is the only Son of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the one called the Word of God became human and joined himself to us. He is very gracious and his words are very true. We saw his great high rank which is the high rank of the only child of God. And as for that high rank of his, it was given to him by his Father God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “The Word, he became a person and stayed-with us (excl.). He was consistently-compassionate and what he said was all true. We (excl.) saw his godhood which was the godhood of the only Child of God who came-from his Father.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “This Jesus who is called Word, he became a human and then lived here in the world together-with us. His praiseworthiness/glory was experienced by our (excl.) eyes, this glory of his being the glory of the one-and-only Son/child of God the Father. We (excl.) also comprehended the big-size of his grace/mercy and that everything which he revealed/came-out-with is indeed truth.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “He who makes known how God is became a person. He lived here where we live. We saw that he is the greatest. He is the greatest because he is God’s only son. He spoke only what is true and he loves the people without limit.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Hiligaynon: “That which is-being-called the Word was-born and dwelt/joined-with us (incl.) here. We (excl.) have-seen his high-position as the only Child of the Father. He is very [intensifier] merciful and what he is-telling is pure truth.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Mairasi: “This Message lived as a person, and He lived among us and we saw the height of His shining Glory. This person is the only Child of Our Father, He Himself has good insides and gave us goodness which is tuberfully correct.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Bariai: “And the Talk became human, and so he came living in our (excl.) midst. And so we saw his light and his great power, it’s the light of the one child whose Father sent him to come. He was full of the action/practice of a soft interior and true talk.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Kupsabiny: “That word became a person, it came to live with us and we saw his greatness. That greatness is what a son who is only one, gets from where the father is. He loved people completely and brought the word of truth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
- Anindilyakwa: “And that same one who revealed God who was hidden from us, he became a human being like us. He was born, he had flesh and bones and then he lived here and went around with us people. He is rich in love, he was very kind and he kept on and on speaking the truth. We saw that he was the leading powerful and beautiful one, the one who was his Father’s one and only Son, the one who came from his Father to here.” (Source: Julie Waddy in The Bible Translator 2004, p. 452ff.)
