Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Luke 15:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 15:7:

  • Mairasi: “That is like this over there in Surga [Heaven] they will have very good liver [joy], when one bad person will make an end from doing bad things [repent], then but it is OK to not seek the ending [repentance] of four whole people and two hands and one hand and four [ninenty-nine] good people.” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: “I tell you, in the same way, Heaven will be very happy because one person turns away from his sinning, happier than for 99 good people who do not need to turn away.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “So also, when a sinner repents from his sins, the joy of the contents of heaven rejoicing over him is greater than their joy rejoicing over the ninety-nine people whose behavior is straight/upright, who do not need to repent.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I tell you,’ said Isa, ‘likewise also the ones in heaven will be more glad when one sinful person regrets and leaves his sin than they will be glad about ninety nine people who say that they are straight/righteous and don’t need to regret.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus said, ‘I tell you that in the same way also there will be much joy in Heaven if there is one law-breaker who abandons his evil-doings than if there are ninety-nine people who suppose mistakenly their activity is righteous and they don’t need to abandon their bad activity.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus concluded, ‘I tell you that greater is their happiness in heaven if one sinful-person repents than their happiness over ninety nine righteous people who don’t need to repent.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “What I will say to you really is true, that there is much more happiness in heaven about one sinner who repents/is-sorry and will now drop/give-up his sins. For it’s much more than for ninety nine who don’t repent/be-sorry for their sin because, in their mind, they have no sin.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:20:

  • Uma: “The fifth a striped white and reddish stone called unam stone. The sixth a dark red [lit., burnt red] stone called sardisstone. The seventh a shiny stone yellow like gold that is called ratna cempaka stone. The eighth stone is green/blue like the egg of a jikura’ bird, called beril stone. The ninth a bright yellow transparent stone called krisolitstone. The tenth a stone that is green/blue like the top of the banana-tree that has just opened, called krisopras stone. The eleventh is a stone that is grayish like the sky called lazuardi stone. [NOTE: Umas call the color of the sky gray, not blue/green], And the twelfth is a stone that is transparent and purple,called kecubung stone.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “the fifth one an orange precious-stone, the sixth one a red precious-stone, the seventh one a yellow precious-stone, the eighth one a green precious-stone with a pattern, the ninth one a bright yellow precious-stone, the tenth one a greenish-yellow precious-stone, the eleventh one a deep blue precious-stone and the twelfth one a really purple precious-stone.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the fifth was sardonyx, the sixth was carnelian, the seventh was chrysolite, the eighth was beryl, the ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was jacinth, and the twelfth was amethyst.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the fifth sardonika, the sixth karnelia, the seventh krisolito, the eighth berilo, the ninth topasio, the tenth krisoprasio, the eleventh hasinto, and the twelfth amatista.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “onise was the fifth, the sixth kornalina, krisolito was the seventh, berilo was the eighth, the nineth topasyo, krisopraso was the tenth. The eleventh was hasinto, and amatista was the twelfth.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The fifth stone was a mixed stone mixed with white called onyx. The sixth stone was a red stone called carnelian. The seventh stone was yellow stone called quartz. The eighth stone was a green stone called beryl. The ninth stone was a yellow stone called topaz. The tenth stone was a greenish stone called chalcedony. The eleventh stone was a blue stone called turquoise. The twelfth stone was a purple stone called amethyst.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Romans 16:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 16:15:

  • Uma: “My greetings to Filologus and Yulia, to Nereus and his female relative, and to Olimpas with all the believers in the Lord Yesus with them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Tell also Pilologo and his wife Juliya, and Nereyo and his sister and Olimpas and all their companions belonging to God that I remember them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Greet also for me Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and also Olympas and their fellow subjects of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Tell also my greetings to Filologus and Julia, Nereus and his female sibling, and Olimpas and God’s people who are their companions.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Please greet for me Philologus with Julia, with Nereus and his sister and Olympas and all the rest of our brethren who live there.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 16:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 16:7:

  • Noongar: “Then he asked the next person, ‘You also – what must you give the boss?’ ‘1000 containers of wheat’, he said. The worker told him, ‘Here is your account. Write 800.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘After that, and he said to the second one: ‘And you (sing.), how much is your (sing.) debt?’ ‘He answered: ‘One thousand sacks of rice.’ ‘That servant said: ‘Here is your (sing.) letter of debt, write just eight hundred sacks.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And he said to another one, ‘You, how much is your debt?’ He said, ‘One hundred sacks rice.’ Then he said to him, ‘Here is your account, write here eighty.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then another one arrived, and this servant asked him how much his debt was, and he answered, ‘A thousand baskets of wheat.’ And the servant said to him, ‘Here’s the list of things you owe; sit down here and change it to only eight hundred baskets.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He said also to another, ‘You (sing.) also then, how much is your (sing.) debt?’ ‘One thousand gantas of wheat,’ he answered. Then the employee said, ‘Here, take your (sing.) receipt and write eight hundred.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “He questioned the next one. ‘So as for yours,’ he said, ‘how much is your debt?’ ‘Oh, it’s a big one,’ was his reply, ‘for it’s one hundred sacks of wheat.’ ‘Well, here is your piece-of-writing with your debt. Write a new one. Write only eighty.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 Corinthians 1:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 1:20:

  • Uma: “What is the use of clever people? What is the use of Yahudi religion teachers? What is the use of people in this world who are skilled in speaking? In God’s sight, the cleverness of mankind is just all stupidity.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Now, if this is so, how are/what about the people with deep knowledge? How are/what about the people with high learning? How are/what about the people considered to be expert debaters by mankind? There is no use. Because God explained/caused to understand that human knowledge is useless as far as he is concerned.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And we understand from this that there is no vlaue of the wisdom of those who are wise; there’s also no value in the understanding of those who have studied, and those who know how to speak here on the earth. For God has made it known that the wisdom which comes from here on the earth has no value with him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “What then is the status of the wise person and the teacher of the law and the one who is a skilled debater who are on this earth? Because God has already shown that their earthly wisdom is of no value.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well since it’s like that, what shall we say concerning the knowledgeable here in this world? Or those teachers who have studied a lot concerning the laws of Moises and those who really know how to debate? Is it not so that God has caused it to be comprehended that the perception of this world concerning what can save people is just nonsense/stupidity?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Here on earth there live people who say they have wisdom. There live people who say they are teachers. There live people who say they know well about all there is here on earth. But God says that the wisdom of these people is of no value.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 17:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:8:

  • Noongar: “No! You say to him, ‘Prepare my meal, then put on your right clothes and stand here to serve my food. Then you can eat your meal.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Of course not. Surely we say like this: ‘Prepare my food! Put on clothes that are not dirty. Wait for me while I drink and eat. When I am finished eating, only then do you (sing.) eat.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Surely not. Instead that is what you say to him, ‘Change your clothes and prepare my food so that I can eat. When I have finished, then you can eat.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That’s not the way, because what you will say is, ‘Wash your hands and cook for me, so that I may eat.. And you may eat when I have finished eating.’ ‘” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “No indeed, but rather you (sing.) say, ‘Go change so you (sing.) will then prepare what I will eat and place-it-before me until I have finished-eating, then you (sing.) also will eat.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Of course not. On the contrary, what you will order is that you will say, ‘Go ahead, serve my evening meal and get changed to wait-on/take-care-of me while I eat and drink. You just eat when I have eaten already.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 Corinthians 3:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 3:5:

  • Uma: “As for me and Apolos, we (excl.) are just God’s servants/ordered-ones, who led-you-by-the-hand to believe in the Lord Yesus. We(excl.) each do the work that the Lord has caused-us-to-carry [on our shoulders].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Who is Apollos and who am I that you should make us (excl.) your leaders? We (excl.) two are simply servants of God. We (excl.) preached to you and therefore you trusted in Isa Almasi. We (excl.) only did what God had commanded each one of us (excl.).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You think about this. As for me, Paul, who am I? And who also is Apollos? We are just servants of God. By means of us He caused you to believe; we just carry out the orders that He gives us, and that’s all that we do.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Think-about this. Who really is Apollos? Who really am I? We (excl.) are God’s messengers and that’s all. We (excl.) admittedly are the ones whom God used to persuade you to believe, but we (excl.) only did the work that God entrusted to each (lit. one and one) of us (excl.).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, tell me, who is Apolos and (who is) this Pablo? Is it not so that we (excl.) are just the Lord’s servants whom he used so that you would believe/obey him? We just carried out the work which he had entrusted to us.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning me, Paul, along with Apollos, what power do we have that people should follow us? We are just workers for God. We have just done the work that causes you to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But each of us, that concerning that work God gave us to do, that is what we do.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 18:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 18:3:

  • Noongar: “A widow was also living in that place. She always went to the judge. She begged the judge to help her to get what she should get, saying, ‘You help me fight this bad man!'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “In that town also, there was a widow. She had gone many times before that judge bringing her case, she said: ‘Please help me confront my enemy.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “In that place there was also a widow woman who had a problem/a case. This woman always went to the judge asking for help and begged that he would show her truth/that she was in the right. She said, ‘Do help me so that my opponent will not win.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And in that town, there was also a widow-woman who always went to the judge because she begged his help. She said to the judge, ‘Help me so that my enemy will not take away my possessions.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There was also a widow in that town who kept-going to him to beg for her legal-rights saying, ‘Please help-me so that my enemy doesn’t defeat-me.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Also in that city there was a woman who was a widow who kept going to that judge, for she was asking for straightness/justice because of someone who was causing her hardship/suffering.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)