Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Acts 26:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 26:24:

  • Uma: “While Paulus was still speaking, telling his defense, Festus jeered/hooted, he said: ‘You (sing.) are crazy, Paulus! Your (sing.) great cleverness has made [lit., carried] you (sing.) crazy.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “While Paul was speaking like that defending himself, Pestus shouted at him, he said, ‘Paul, you are already insane. Your knowledge is too much and that is what causes you to be insane.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now while Paul was still talking like this, Festus shouted out, and he said, ‘Paul, you are crazy! The thing that has made you crazy is your very much studying!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Upon Pablo’s saying that, Festus interrupted shouting, ‘You (sing.) are crazy, Pablo! Your (sing.) excessive learning is what has made-you (sing.) -crazy!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, Pablo had not yet ended that defence of his when Festo spoke loudly. He said, ‘You are possessed/insane, Pablo! What has caused you to be insane is the big size of what you have studied.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus shouted: ‘Paul, you are crazy! Because you study paper so much you are crazy!'” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

complete verse (Luke 5:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 5:16:

  • Noongar: “But Jesus went alone to the desert praying.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “But Yesus usually went to a deserted place and prayed.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But sometimes Isa left, going to (places) where not many people went to and there he spoke to God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But he left those many people and he went to a place where there were no other people, and there he prayed to God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But as for Jesus, he often went alone to isolated places to go pray there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But as for Jesus, he was always/often going to a wilderness place to pray there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 4:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:1:

  • Uma: “Relatives whom I love! Don’t immediately believe all people who say they have the Spirit of God. Discern first, if they are really from God or not. For many lying prophets are going-around everywhere/all-over.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “My beloved friends, don’t immediately believe if there are people saying that God’s Spirit is with them. You should first observe/take-notice-of their teachings so that you know if God’s Spirit is truly with them or not. Because many people have already appeared in all the countries of the world who pretend that they are prophets.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My beloved brothers, do not quickly believe a person who says he is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Test him first so that you might know whether the one who inspires him comes from God or not. The reason I say this is because there are now many who teach lies who have appeared here on the earth, and they are inspired by lying spirits.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “You who are my friends, don’t be-believing all who say that they are God’s spokesmen, but rather carefully verify whether it is true that what they are saying is from God, because there are many liars who say that they are God’s spokesmen who have come-out (i.e., appeared) in the collective-towns/countries in this world.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “My dear ones, don’t too-quickly/lightly believe the one who says, ‘As for this word of mine, it comes from the Espiritu santo, because he put it in my mind.’ It’s necessary that you first observe and ascertain-whether-it’s-true, so that you can be sure that what he said truly comes from God. Because now, many now are-claiming-falsely-to-be-prophets who are teaching people here under the heavens.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my dear brethren, don’t just believe every person who says that the Holy Spirit has put in his mind the word which he speaks. First make a judgment on the words he speaks in order that you know whether it is truly God’s word he speaks or not. Because many lying prophets are going all about.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “You whom I love, listen! Don’t just obey other (collective plural) words. Is it really proceeding from God? Test it first! For there are many false prophets (professional tellers of God’s Word) going around in the world.”
  • Yanesha’: “Not, my loved ones, you believe in all followings (meaning ways of thinking and believing and the acts connected with them), be measuring (testing) all followings thus will you know which ones come from our Father. There are many which would seem to pass on our Father’s word, however, it is not our Father’s word at all. These everywhere they appear on the earth.”
  • Aguaruna: “Ones I love; all other thoughts there are don’t believe, but try them ‘Does it truly belong to God?’ saying. There are many false tellers in this world here.”
  • Murui Huitoto: “You have been loved by me. Don’t believe the word of every speaker (teller). Because many false tellers go on the earth, test to see which tells pertaining to God.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)

complete verse (Acts 27:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 27:25:

  • Uma: “So, relatives, strengthen your hearts. Because I truly believe that what God said to me must happen.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore friends,’ Paul said, ‘make your livers strong. For I trust God that what was said to me will be fulfilled.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore,’ said Paul, ‘let’s not be afraid because I trust in God that whatever he has revealed to me, that is what will happen to us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Take-courage then, companions, because I have trust in God that all that he told me will be completely fulfilled.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore, companions, just strengthen/encourage your minds for I really believe that this will come true which the angel told me which had been said by God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 6:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:9:

  • Noongar: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you about our Law. What can we do on the Sabbath Day? Help people or hurt people? Save people or kill people? Which is a good thing to do?'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “From there, Yesus said saying to them: ‘I ask you first. According to the laws of our religion, which may we do on the Sabat Day: do good or evil? Help others or kill others?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then Isa said to the people, ‘I ask you, according to the law, what is fitting to be done on the day of-no-work, good deeds or bad deeds? Saving people or killing?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said to the Pharisees and teachers, he said, ‘What do you think? Which one of these is permitted to us in our Law that we should do on the day of rest? Is is that we should help a person who is in trouble, or should we do harm to him? Is it that we should help a person so that he would not die, or should we kill him?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “After that Jesus said to them, ‘There is please a -question-that-I -will-ask you. What does our law permit us to do on the day for-resting? To do good or bad? To save a fellow-man or kill?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus spoke, saying to them, ‘Well, I will question you. Which is in harmony with the law, to do good or to do evil on the Day of Rest? Is it to save life or to kill?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 5:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:12:

  • Uma: “Whoever is connected to his Child, they get that life. Whoever is not connected with God’s Child, they don’t get that life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore whoever has God’s Son (lit. is the there-place of God’s Son) has this life. But whoever has not God’s Son (lit. is not the there-place of God’s Son) does not have everlasting life.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who has become one with the Son of God has life without end. Anyone who has not become one with the Son of God, he has no life without end.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So the one who has been joined to the Child of God, he has in him the life that has no end, but as for the one who was not joined to his Child, neither will he enjoy/gain this life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for the one who is now united/tied-together with this Son of God, he is the one who has that life which is without ending. But as for the one who is not united with this Son of God, he certainly hasn’t got it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who walks with the Son of God now has the new life. But whoever does not walk with the Son of God now does not have the new life.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we trust in God’s son we have eternal life. If we do not trust in him, we do not have eternal life.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who lives with God’s Son has (possesses) the new life, but he who doesn’t live with God’s Son doesn’t have the new life.”
  • Tzotzil: “If God’s Son is in our hearts, thus we will live forever. If God’s Son is not in our hearts, thus we will not live forever.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “In the person in whom God’s Son lives, life also is (habitually). In the person in whom God’s Son doesn’t live, life isn’t (habitually).”
  • Yanesha’: “The one who receives his Son, receives therein he will not be in mortal state. But this one who does not receive his Son, does not receive therein he will not be in mortal state.”
  • Aguaruna: “He who possesses the son of God in his heart (thought), he takes life, but he who does not possess, he does not take life.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)

complete verse (2 John 1:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 John 1:2:

  • Uma: “We(excl.) love you because we (incl.) believe in the true teaching, and that true teaching we hold-on-to forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “because the true teaching remains in out (incl.) livers and will remain with us (incl.) forever.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason we (excl.) hold you all dear is because we (incl.) hold tight to the true doctrine, and as for this true doctrine, it will never be removed from us (incl.) forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “We love-one-another because the true teaching which remains in our minds forever has been stored in our minds.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “We(excl.) hold you dear because this truth has now been able to take root in our mind/inner-being, and it won’t separate from us till forever.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because all of us now have the identical belief. And we know certainly that this is true. This we will believe forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “We (ex) love you because we know what is true and we will walk with it forever.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “We (ex) love you because you plant in your hearts the true Word, which resides in our hearts, and will never be lost.”
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “We (ex) love you because we are acquainted with that which is true now. And we will never forget it.”
  • Garifuna: “From within the belief which we are within, we have come to love you (the source of our love for you is our belief). This belief will be with us forever.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (Acts 28:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 28:24:

  • Uma: “There were some who believed his words, there were some who did not believe.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Some of them were convinced by his words but the others did not believe.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And some of them, they believed what he said, however, the others, they did not believe.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There were those who were persuaded by what he was saying, but others however, they didn’t believe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for those explained to by Pablo, some believed, some didn’t.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)