Language-specific Insights

complete verse (John 1:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:16:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “And since he has much love, for that reason we all receive many favors which he does for us.”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “His heart is good to the fullest. Therefore he makes his heart good to us day after day.”
  • Aguaruna: “He is truly goodness, and so he does good to us also.”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “He has done for us many kindnesses since he is very kind and merciful.”
  • Tojolabal: “He has everything, and he has given us many favors.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)Uma: “There is no end to his love, and from his love he blesses us all, there is no end to the blessing we receive from him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Because there with the Word is all the love, we (incl.) all also profit/have a share in his love and help. His love and help is added to us (incl.) all the time/increasingly.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since he is very gracious, the good thing which he blesses all of us with never stop.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “On-account-of his large mercy/kindness, he is continually blessing all of us who believe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Through the big-size of his valuing us, his grace/mercy keeps-on-coming to us.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All pertains to us what he gives. The favor he gives flows over us without limit.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Because of the big/great mercy/grace of Christ his blessings to us(incl) all just follow-one-after-another.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Mairasi: “is good insides are definitely very great, very good. That’s why we all already regularly receive goodness from Him Himself. He himself does not stop giving us His good insides.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Bariai: “For the action/practice of kindness was full in him. And this action of kindness of his, he transferred it to us (incl.) very greatly.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Kupsabiny: “We are all blessed completely because of the love which he has for us.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)

complete verse (Matthew 7:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 7:19:

  • Uma: “A tree that does not bear well is definitely chopped down and burned up. So also God will certainly punish those false/lying prophets. We (incl.) know that they are lying/liars if we look at the fruit of their work.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All trees that do not bear good fruit are chopped down and thrown in the fire and burned.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The tree whose fruit is bad is chopped down and burned.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “All trees with bad fruit will be cut-down at their (lit. its) base to then be-burned-as-firewood.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, each tree plant which is sick, whose fruit is not good, it will just be felled, for it will just be thrown on the fire.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “And all the trees which do not produce good fruit will be cut down and burned.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (2 Corinthians 1:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 1:15:

  • Uma: “So, because I said you really know the contents of my heart, that’s why I had a plan the other day [lit., yesterday] to visit you twice, so that you would get also get blessings twice. My purpose the other day [lit., yesterday], I would go first of all to visit you on my trip here to Makedonia, and when I returned from here again, I’d stop in on you again, so that you would help me on my trip going to Yudea.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I really expect that you will be boasting about me, therefore I planned to come and visit you twice so that you would receive good twice.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since I know that you certainly understand this, I decided that I would first visit you so that I might help you twice.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Since I have no doubts that you are happy with us (excl.), I decided that I would visit you twice koma in order that you would be twice blessed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now, because I have assurance of your happiness when we meet-each-other, I decided already back-then to go to you not just once, so that also not just once I could help you in your believing/obeying.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I thought that you looked well upon me, therefore I decided that I would go there and greet you two times.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 1:49)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:49:

  • Uma: “Natanael said: ‘You (sing.) really are the Child of God, Teacher. You (sing.) really are the King of the Israel people!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Natanael said to him, ‘Sir, you are the Son of God. You are the king of the tribe of Isra’il.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Nathaniel said, ‘Datu, you really are the Son of God! You really are the prophesied king of us descendants of Israel!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Whereupon Nataniel said, ‘Sir teacher, you (sing.) indeed surprised-realization are the Child of God. You (sing.) are the King of Israel.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Oh expl.’, said Natanael next, ‘Teacher, if that’s the way it is then, it’s true that you are the Son of God! You really are the King of the nation of Israel!'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Nathanael said, ‘Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the ruler of the Jews.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Matthew 8:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 8:22:

  • Uma: “Yesus answered him with this figure-of-speech: ‘Follow me! Let the dead people bury their fellow dead people.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But Isa said to him, ‘Let the dead ones be buried by those who don’t have eternal life.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “‘Not so,’ said Jesus. ‘The one who will bury the dead is the one who has not yet received eternal life. But as for you, you accompany me.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘Let-him-be,’ said Jesus, ‘so your (sing.) father’s companions who are as if they have died will be the ones to go bury him. But as for you (sing.), you (sing.) become my disciple.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But Jesus replied, ‘It would be good if you just come with me now. You leave the dead to be buried by others who are as if dead too because they don’t want to believe-in/obey me.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But Jesus said to him: ‘Let us go together anyway. Those people who can be said to have died in that they do not know God are the ones who can bury their fellow-dead persons.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (2 Corinthians 3:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 3:6:

  • Uma: “He gives us (excl.) ability to be his workers, who take his new Promise to mankind. That new Promise is not merely written laws. That new Promise is that he gives us (incl.) new life from the Holy Spirit. For if we want to be straight in God’s sight just by our following of written laws, we will certainly get death. But if we follow God from the power of the Holy Spirit, we will get good life forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He is the one who gave us expertise so that we could promote his new covenant. What God gave to mankind now is not a written law but his Spirit. The written law carries/brings death because mankind cannot follow it. But God’s Spirit carries/brings life without end.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For He is the one who gives us wisdom so that we might teach the new way which He established for His becoming one with mankind. And this new way was not given by means of the written Law, but rather it was given to us (incl.) by means of the Holy Spirit. For if the thing that we are depending on is our keeping the Law, then death without end is what we can expect. However, if the Holy Spirit is given to us (incl.), then a life without end is what we can expect.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because he is the one who made-sufficient our (excl.) ability to teach concerning the new agreement-that-he-proposed to people. This new agreement, it is not like the written law of Moses, but rather it is based on the work of God’s Spirit. Because the result of the written law, it is punishment that has no end, but God’s Spirit by-contrast, he gives life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “God is the one who raised us (excl.) up as teachers of his new initiated-agreement with people. This new initiated-agreement, it is not like God’s written laws which, with reference to doing, the people were indeed obeying but, with reference to the mind/inner-being, they were far from his will. Really if it’s like that, death which is punishment which has no end is the outcome. But if our following/obeying of God’s will is true/genuine, in that it’s not just in work/doing but rather really from their mind/inner-being which is concentrated, the outcome will be life without end.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “God it is who caused that I am able to tell the people of the new agreement which God made with people. This new agreement does not have written a lot of laws which it says the people must walk by. Rather the new agreement says that only the Holy Spirit is able to give new life to the people. Concerning the person who says that he will do all the words written in the law, it is punishment he meets up with because he has sin. But the Holy Spirit is the one who gives new life.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:5:

  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “. . . God cannot rule in the heart of a person if he has not been born another time.”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “The one who gives new life consists of water and of the Holy Spirit by the power of the Holy Spirit, he cannot go into where God reigns.”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: ” . . . He who doesn’t receive water again, and he who isn’t born again by the power of the Holy Spirit, he cannot go into where God reigns.”
  • Tataltepec Chatino: “Jesus said, ‘It is true what I tell you. It is necessary that a person be baptized with water and the Holy Spirit give him a new life. Then that person will be in God’s hand.” (John 3:6 included) (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘These my words are very true: If a person is not born with water and with the power of the Spirit of God, he will not become a person of God in his Kingdom.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa answered, he said, ‘Truly I tell you, if a person is not born from water and from the Spirit of God, he cannot enter the ruling/kingdom of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said again, ‘It is true what I say to you that a person can be included among the people whom God rules over only if he is born by means of water and by means of the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘This that I tell you (sing.) is true,’ answered Jesus. ‘If a person is not born by/with water and by/with the Holy Spirit, he can not join/belong-to the ruling of God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied, ‘This is the truth which I say to you. No one can be included in the kingdom of God unless he has been given birth to through/by water and the Espiritu Santo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said, ‘It is true what I tell you. It is necessary that a person be baptized with water and that the Holy Spirit give him a new life. Then that person will be in God’s hand.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Matthew 9:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 9:20:

  • Uma: “On the way, a woman came getting close to him from behind. That woman had bled continually for twelve years, there was not its stopping. She said in her heart: ‘Even if I just touch his shirt/clothes, I will definitely get well.’ From there she touched/held the bottom of Yesus’ shirt/clothes.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then there was a sick woman, blood was always flowing. She had this sickness already for twelve years. She approached Isa from behind and went and touched the edge of Isa’s robe/shirt.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Now there was a woman whose flowing-out blood had not dried-up for twelve years. She approached behind Jesus and touched the hem of his clothes.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Included among those who followed was a woman who for twelve years had been bleeding/menstruating abnormally. She persevered to get close behind Jesus. She brushed her hand/arm against what was attached to the hem of the cloak of Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “While Jesus was walking along, a woman who was sick approached him from the rear in order to touch the edge of his clothing. It was now twelve years she had suffered from menstrual bleeding.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)