The Greek in Romans 1:18 that is translated as “all ungodliness” in English is translated as “those who don’t think anything of God” in Huehuetla Tepehua, as “all those who don’t pay attention to him” in Isthmus Zapotec, as “all people who don’t believe in him” in Sayula Popoluca, as “all who do not pay attention to what God says” in Sierra de Juárez Zapotec, and as “those who do not respect him” in Hopi. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Language-specific Insights
one is tempted by one’s own desire
The Greek in James 1:14 that is translated as “one is tempted by one’s own desire” or similar is translated in Sayula Popoluca as “because every man is tempted when his heart begs him to do evil, and that evil pulls at our hearts.” (Source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
senseless minds were darkened
The Greek in Romans 1:21 that is translated as “senseless minds were darkened” or similar in English is translated as “stupid head-hearts became more stupid” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “little by little their innermost came to sit dark” in Sierra de Juárez Zapotec, and as “now they walk in darkness” in Sayula Popoluca. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
curse
The Greek that is translated as “curse” in English” is translated as “with our mouth we blaspheme (our fellowmen)” in Mezquital Otomi), as “speak evil of” in Sayula Popoluca, and as “ask for a calamity for” in Eastern Highland Otomi (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).
See also cursed, curse (noun), and I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.
justification, justify
The Greek that is translated as “justify” in English is translated into Tzotzil in two different ways. One of those is with Lec xij’ilatotic yu’un Dios ta sventa ti ta xc’ot ta o’ntonal ta xch’unel ti Jesucristoe (“we are seen well by God because of our faith in Jesus Christ”) (source: Aeilts, p. 118) and the other is “God sees as righteous” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).
Other (back-) translations include:
- Bilua: “straigthened” (Romans 3:20: “Nobody can be straightened in God’s presence…”) (source: Carl Gross) (see also: righteous)
- Western Highland Purepecha: “he sees him with the goodness of his Son” (“justification”)
- Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “heart-straightening”
- Western Kanjobal: “having a straight soul” (source for this and two above: Nida 1952, p. 145)
- Central Mazahua: “no longer carrying sin in God’s estimation.”
- Rincón Zapotec: “come out good before God”
- Guhu-Samane: “God called one right” (source for this and two above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
- Isthmus Mixe: “to be put in an open place” (source: John Beekman & Harwood Hess in Notes on Translation, March 1963, p. 1ff.)
- Mairasi: “already straight: completely clean” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Uma: “straight in God’s sight” (Source: Uma back-translation)
- Yakan: “be reckoned straight/righteous by God” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Ekari: maa nigajawii (“deemed right through favor”) (source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37f. )
- Tzeltal: “exonerated of sin in God’s sight” (source: Marianna C. Slocum in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 49f. )
- Kwara’ae: “regarded as righteous” (source: Norman Deck in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 34ff. )
- Makonde: “”to be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) ” (note that righteous / righteousness is translated as “to be good in God’s eyes” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
- Manikion: “heart sits next to Jesus” (source: Daud Soesilo)
- Obolo: ben itip-oyerebet isan̄a: “take away condemnation” (source: Enene Enene)
- Kui: “obtaining release to become a righteous person” (source: Helen Evans in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. )
- Highland Totonac: “make free”
- Sayula Popoluca: “call righteous”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “clean hearts”
- Central Tarahumara: “make people to be right-doing”
- Tzeltal: “straighten heart” (Source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Warao: “straighten obonja.” Obonja is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions” (source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.)
submit to God
The Greek in James 4:7 that is translated as “submit to God” in English is translated as
- “let God be in charge of your hearts” in Tzotzil
- “calm down before God” in Guhu-Samane
- “obey God” in Mezquital Otomi
- “give oneself over to God” in Sayula Popoluca
- “stick close to God” in Alekano (source for this and above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
- “you must be living underneath God and so be listening to/obeying his voice” in Bariai (source: Bariai Back Translation)
- “pay tribute to Above-One” in Mairasi (source: Enggavoter 2004)
See also not submit to God’s righteousness.
serious
The Greek that is translated in English as “serious” or similar is translated in the following ways:
- Sayula Popoluca” “to walk decently”
- Tenango Otomi: “to act so that they will be esteemed”
- Tabasco Chontal: “give them to do the right so that it will fall good to the mind of their fellow men”
- Isthmus Mixe: “that they shouldn’t go around just joking” (Source: John Beekman & Harwood Hess in Notes on Translation, March 1963, p. 1ff.)
expiation, propitiation, sacrifice of atonement
The Greek in Romans 3:25 that is translated as “sacrifice of atonement,” “expiation,” or “propitiation” in English is translated as “substitute in paying for our sins” in Tzeltal, as “God arranged for him to (die and) take away sin” in Hopi, and “God gave him (to die in order) to pardon us” in Sayula Popoluca. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
In Ajië, it is translated by a term which referred to a leaf used in traditional religion to heal a wound after the proper sacrifices had been made. (Source: Smalley 1991, p. 57 and Clifford 1992, p. 83ff.)
See also propitiation / atoning sacrifice, expiation, and atonement.