Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Luke 4:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 4:20:

  • Noongar: “Jesus closed up the scroll, gave it to the worker, and sat down. In the synagogue, all the people were watching him.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “After he read that earlier, he rolled that letter back up, he offered to the lord of the work, and he sat down to teach. All the people in the house of prayer watched him together, they wanted to hear his words.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then he shut the holy-book and gave it back to the helper and sat down. All people in that prayer house fixed their eyes on him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus rolled up the book, and He handed it to the one who had handed it to him, and He sat down in order to teach. And all the people there, they looked carefully at him because they wanted to listen.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When Jesus had finished reading that, he rolled up the book again and returned it to the one who was serving, and after that he sat down to teach while meanwhile all the people in the synagogue gazed-fixedly-at him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, he rolled up again that written-on-thing, returned it to the one-in-charge and then sat down. On him was the looking of all the people there in that worship-place, their eyes not being moved.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 2:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:14:

  • Uma: “I write to you my children, because you know our Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know the one who was from the first. I write to you young-men and young-women, because your faith is strong, you take-to-heart God’s Word, you have defeated the evil-one(s).” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I write to you, my children-grandchildren, because you know your Father God. I write to you old people because you know Almasi, he was before the beginning of time. I write to you young men, because you are strong in your liver. The word/message of God is steadfast in your liver and you are not carried-along/influenced by the temptations of the leader of demons.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason I write to you older people, is because you are the friends of Christ. He existed before anything was created. The reason I write to you young people is because your faith is strong and because the Word of God cannot be removed from your minds and because you have defeated Satan.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I will please repeat again the reason why I wrote to you. As for you my children, I wrote to you, because you know our Father. You fathers/elders also, because you know him who already-existed since the very-beginning. You young-men also, because you are strong, God’s words are stored in your minds and you have moreover defeated Satanas.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I am writing to you elders/parents because you indeed know him who existed already from long ago when there wasn’t yet any world. I am writing to you young-folk because your believing/obeying is strong. The word of God is remaining with you, and well, you have now been able to have victory over that Epitome of Evil.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the old people, I write this word to you here in the letter because you have come to know him who was living before all the things that exist were made. Concerning the young men, I write this word here in the letter because now you are firm in that you believe God’s word in your hearts. And now you have won against the devil.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “This letter I have written to you parents of children because you are acquainted with Jesus Christ the person who is present since the beginning. Likewise I have written to you young people because you endure not doing (keep from doing) evil. The word of God is constantly in your thoughts, and you have won out over the deceiver.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “I’m writing to you, you men, because you know him who was living when unending time. I’m writing to you, you boys, because you are strong. The Word of God dwells in your hearts and you have overcome the big-evil-one.”
  • Tzotzil: “You who are already old (men), because you have already known Christ whose character is he is, therefore I have written you this.. You who are young men still, because there is already the strength of your hearts therefore I have written to you this. God’s word is in your hearts therefore all the time you conquer the devil.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “I am writing to you adults. For you learned Him who has always first continuatively existed. I am writing to you young men for you are strong, for God’s Word lives in your hearts and you overcome the evil one.”
  • Yanesha’: “The ones (male) with children, now already you know he is the one who is from the beginning, that’s why I write to you. Young men, you are strong. Our Father his word you embody, you went and surpassed the devil, that’s why I write to you.”
  • Aguaruna: “Big ones (adults), I am writing to you because you are the ones who know him, the one who always lives, ‘He is like that’ saying. Young-men you are strong, and you are those, who complete God’s Word, the devil you are also victorious over, therefore I also write to you.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)

complete verse (Acts 26:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 26:16:

  • Uma: “But now, stand up! I have appeared to you (sing.) now, because I have an intention for you (sing.): I have chosen you (sing.) to become my worker and my witness. You (sing.) must announce to other people what you (sing.) have seen today and what I show to you (sing.) in the days to come.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But get up (and) stand,’ he said. ‘The reason I have appeared to you is, because I have chosen you to be my servant. You must tell the people about your seeing me this day and about other things which I will show you in the future.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Get up. I have appeared to you so that you might be made my servant. Tell other people about my appearing to you today and tell also that which I am going to show you in the future.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “All-right, get-up, because I have appeared to you (sing.) in order to appoint you (sing.) to serve me by going to confirm your (sing.) seeing of me today and what I will show you (sing.) in a future day.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Now get up and stand. I have come to see/meet you today for I will make you my servant and testifier of this which you have seen and of more things which I will show you in the future.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 5:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 5:8:

  • Noongar: “Simon and the others were surprised because they had caught many fish.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “When Simon Petrus saw the power of Yesus, he kneeled in front of him, he said: ‘Do not any longer come-close to me, Lord! Because I am a sinner!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Simon Petros saw these many fish, he prostrated at Isa’s feet and he said, ‘O Sir, go away from me for I am sinful.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Simon Peter, when he saw what had happened, he kneeled down to Jesus saying, ‘Datu, it’s better if you stay far away from me because I am very much a sinner.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When Simon Pedro saw that-aforementioned which had happened, he knelt to Jesus and said, ‘Lord, please leave me, because I am admittedly sinful.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Simon Pedro observed that, he kneeled down in front of Jesus. He spoke saying, ‘Go far from me, Lord, because I am really sinful.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 3:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 3:17:

  • Uma: “For example there is a person who has the stuff of this world, and he sees his relative lacking something, and he just looks dry at him [i.e., looks and does nothing], certainly that person does not love as God [does].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If there is a person who has his livelihood and sees his fellow-man in need and does not help the need of that fellow-man, that means that he does not love God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is anyone of us (incl.) who has the means to help his companion who is in difficulty, but he does not help him, it is not possible that God is dear in his breath.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But if there is a person and he finds-out that he has a brother who lacks what he needs and-meanwhile he doesn’t pity-him/show-him-benevolence, is it indeed the case (RQ implying of course not) that he loves God?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But if we just ignore the hard circumstances of our siblings in believing, because even though we have the means, we are hoarding for ourselves what would be used to help them, if it’s like that how can we say we hold God dear?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Suppose a person who owns a lot of things sees that his brother is in need. If he does not pity him so that he gives what is needed, then how ever can he say that he loves God in his heart then?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we have things and we know that our fellow is in need to use them and we do not pity him, we cannot say that we are loving God.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “But if one has something that he has, but his sibling is lacking necessities, and if he doesn’t do love to him, but the love of God is not in his heart then.”
  • Tzotzil: “If there is what is ours here in the world, if we see that poor him our brother, if we do not pity him even a little, it is in vain we say that we love God.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “If (a person) himself doesn’t lack anything, yet looks on (without acting) while his brother is in need and doesn’t pity him, does God’s love ever dwell in that one? Of course not!”
  • Yanesha’: “However, if we, all kind of things we have here on the earth, if we see our countrymen something needing, we, we do not have pity on him, how does it fill us, our Father, his love, in our hearts?”
  • Aguaruna: “He who possesses things, and does not have mercy on his brother who suffers, ‘I love God,’ saying, for nothing he says it.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)

complete verse (Acts 27:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 27:17:

  • Uma: “After we had pulled up that small boat on to the ship, we tied it well so that it would not be lost. After that, the ship also was just tied-around with ropes so that it would be strong. From there, because the workers on the ship were afraid lest our ship hit sand in shallow water that was close to the land of Libia, that’s why they lowered the sail and they allowed the ship to be blown by the wind.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They took the lifeboat on board the ship and then they bound the body of the ship with ropes so it would not break open. They also lowered the sail because they were afraid the ship might run aground in the shallow water there near Libiya. And they already allowed/abandoned the ship to be carried along by the wind.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They lifted it up and put it on the ship. And then they tied up the ship with some ropes so that it might not fall apart, and since they were afraid that the ship might break apart if it hit the shallow land which is near the shore of the land of Libya, they took down its sail, and they just never minded the ship as to where the wind would carry it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “That being finished, they wrapped the ship with large ropes so that its planks would not come-apart. They also lowered the sail (Ilo. loan layag) so that the ship would be blown slowly, because they were worried lest it hit/land-on ridged sand/gravel across-from Sirtis.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “After having pulled it up, what they did next was, they put big ropes right around what we were sailing in. And then because they were afraid of being driven by the wind on to the big pebble-ridge which was opposite Libia, they the took down their wide sail, and as there was nothing more which could be done, just allowed themselves to be driven by the wind.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 6:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:1:

  • Noongar: “The Sabbath Day came. Jesus walked in a wheat field. His disciples began picking heads of grain. They rubbed the heads in their hands and ate the seeds.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Once Yesus and his disciples passed through a garden/field on Sabat Day, the worship day of the Yahudi people. While they were passing through that garden, his disciples picked wheat fruit, they rubbed it so the skin would come off, and they ate-it-raw.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “One Saturday, the day of-no-work for the Yahudi, Isa and his disciples walked through a field. As his disciples were passing by, they broke of (some) of the fruit of the field and after they had taken it out of the husks ate it uncooked.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “On a certain Saturday day, Jesus and company went through the fields; that was the day that was commanded long ago by God to the Jews, that no one should work on that day because it was the day of rest. His disciples picked off the ears of wheat (trigu), rubbed them together and then they ate the grains.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “On one Saturday which was the resting-time of the Jews, plural Jesus were walking-through the rice-fields which were planted with wheat. And his disciples were picking-off the grains in order to rub-them-in-their-hands and husk-them-with-their-teeth (i.e. to eat).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Once when it was the Day of Rest, the walk of Jesus and his disciples passed through a wheatfield. What his disciples did was, they picked heads of wheat and crushed-them-in-their-hands for they were eating it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 5:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:4:

  • Uma: “For all people who are-children of God defeat the power/authority of the evil-one(s) in this world. We have defeated the power/authority of the evil-ones with our faith.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “because whoever is a child of God (lit: are children of God they) he defeats all kinds of temptation in the world. That is what we (incl.) defeat the temptation in the world with, our trust in Isa Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “for, as for us (incl.) who have now become sons of God, we can now defeat Satan who controls here in the earth; and our defeat over him is our faith in Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “because whoever is a child of God, he is continually defeating that which is on this earth which is opposed to God. And our means-of-defeating, it is our faith.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because as for each one who has been as-it-were given birth to by God, he is now able to be victorious over the rule/hold over him of evil here in this world/land. We can have this victory through the strength of our believing-in/obeying and trust in Jesu-Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because all who are God’s children depart from the evil here in this world. The belief that we have is what wins over the evil here on earth.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we are God’s children we endure to draw away from the evil which is here in the world so it does not win out over us. And because we trust in Jesus Christ, therefore we endure to draw away from the evil which is in this world so it does not win out over us.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “Because whoever is born anew of God, overcomes the world. And we overcome the world by our faith.”
  • Tzotzil: “Because we have been born again in the presence of God, therefore all that is here in the world has been conquered by us. On account of our faith (its believing our hearts) is conquered by us all that is here in the world.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “The one who is in-the-state-of-having-become-a-child by-means-of-God keeps on overcoming the world. Through our having rested the whole weight of our hearts on Him we overcome the world.”
  • Yanesha’: “All who are born again from our Father, they surpass that which is on the earth. From our counting on our Father, that is how we surpass that which is on the earth.”
  • Aguaruna: “because God’s children are victors over those of this world here. They overcome because they believe.”
  • Murui Huitoto: “Everyone begotten by God has defeated those of the earth. Because we believe God, we defeat those of the earth.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)