Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Luke 4:42)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 4:42:

  • Noongar: “The sun rose and Jesus left Capernaum, and went alone to the desert. People started looking for him, and when they saw him, they wanted to stop him and they asked him not to go away.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “The next day, Yesus went out from that town, going to a deserted place. Many people hunted for him until they found him. They asked that he no longer leave them behind.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When it was day already, Isa left and went to a place where there weren’t any people. The people looked for him and when they found him they urged him to stay.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when dawn came, Jesus left that town and separated himself to a place where there were no companions. But the people looked for him, and when they found him, they begged him, that he should not yet leave their village.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When it was light, Jesus left that town and went to an isolated place. So the people, they went looking for him. When they came-upon him, they urged (lit. hung-onto/restrained) him not to leave them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That night, when it was now dawn, Jesus went out and went to a wilderness place. But well, he was searched for by the people. When they had found him, they asked not to leave their place.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 3:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 3:7:

  • Uma: “My children, don’t you allow any of those who want to deceive you [to do so]. People who do God’s will, they are upright people, like Yesus is upright.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “My children-grandchildren, be careful so that you will not be led astray from the true teaching. Whoever does the straight/righteous, is straight as Almasi (is).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My children, it’s necessary that you do not listen to any lying person who would like to teach you. What is true is this: if there is a person who behaves properly, he is the righteous person just like Christ is righteous.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “My children whom I esteem, be careful so you are not deceived. Whoever continually does what is good, that is a righteous (lit. straight) person as is Cristo just the same.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “My like children, don’t let yourselves be misled by anyone. As for the one who does righteousness, he is righteous in the sight of God, like Jesu-Cristo who is really righteous.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my children, don’t let anyone deceive you into committing sin. The one who lives good is good like Jesus Christ is good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “My little children, we must not permit anyone to deceive us. If we do what we ought to do we walk straight as Christ walks straight (is righteous).”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “My dear children, don’t let ourselves be deceived. He who habitually does good, it is known that his heart is good, like Christ.”
  • Tzotzil: “My children, don’t let anyone deceive you. If what we do is good, it is because our hearts are straight like Christ’s heart is straight.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “Children, beware, don’t allow anyone to deceive you. The person who lives straight is a -straight-one. Like Jesus is a-straight-one like that he will be.”
  • Yanesha’: “Not, my little ones, you allow anyone to deceive you. Christ, the one who does that which is fitting, he is the one who is all good, thus like him, completely fitting whatever he does.”
  • Aguaruna: “My little children don’t be deceived by others. He who works good is good, like Christ is good;” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)

complete verse (Acts 27:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 27:6:

  • Uma: “In that town of Mira, the warchief of the soldiers found a ship from the town of Aleksandria that was going to the land of Italia. So he moved us to that ship.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “There was a ship which the captain saw there from the city of Iskandal soon to leave for Italiya and he made us (excl.) to ride there.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there the sergeant found another ship from Alexandria that was going to Italy, and he put us on it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “That’s where-Captain Julius -found a ship from Alexandria that was going to Italia, and that’s what we (excl.) rode-on.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When we arrived there, our boss who was that captain of soldiers found a ship which had come from Alejandria, which was going to Italia. Therefore he told us that we would sail on that one next.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 5:30)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 5:30:

  • Noongar: “Levi also invited Pharisees and teachers of the Law so they also came. They became angry about Jesus’ disciples, asking, ‘Why are you eating and drinking with tax collectors and other bad people?'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Seeing that, several religious leaders and religion teachers who followed the teaching of the Parisi people were continually grumbling. They said to Yesus’ disciples: ‘Why-in-the-world are you eating and drinking together/at-one-time with tax collectors and sinners?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “There were some Pariseo and teachers of the religious law, they also were Pariseo, who were not pleased, so they said to the disciples of Isa, ‘Why do you mix in eating together with the tax-collectors and other sinful people?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There were some Pharisees and some teachers of the Law who saw these people, and they said to the disciples of Jesus, they said, ‘Why do you all join in to eat and drink with cheating tax collectors and transgressors?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Whereupon some of the Pharisees and their companions who were teachers of the law, they criticized Jesus’ disciples saying, ‘Why do you eat-with and drink-with tax collectors and other sinful people?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, the Pariseo and their companions, the explainers of law, who observed this criticized. They said to the disciples of Jesus, ‘Why do you eat and drink together with money-grabbing official receivers of payment and those others who don’t fully obey our (incl.) laws?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 4:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:15:

  • Uma: “Whoever admits/confesses that Yesus is God’s Child, God remains in harmony with them, and they with God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Whoever confesses/says-it-is-true to people that Isa is God’s Son, he remains/is-steadfast with God and God remains/is-steadfast with him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is anyone who says he believes in Jesus the Son of God, God lives in him and he has become one with God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Child of God, he remains in God and God also remains in him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now, whoever testifies that as for Jesus, he is the Son of God, God really is holding fast to him and as for him, he is also holding fast to God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who says that he believes that Jesus is the Son of God is one who walks with God, and God will not depart from him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we say that Jesus is God’s son, God is constantly present with us and we are constantly present with God.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who speaks truly (the truth) that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in his heart, and the person lives with God.”
  • Tzotzil: “If plainly we say that Jesus is God’s Son, God is in our hearts. Therefore we are in the presence of God.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “God abides (keeps living) in the one who says, ‘Jesus is God’s Son.’ He also abides with God.”
  • Yanesha’: “The one who admits that Jesus is our Father’s Son, that is the one who is at one with our Father.”
  • Aguaruna: “‘Jesus Christ is God’s son,’ saying, one who tells, God is (lives) in him, and also He is (lives) in God.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)

complete verse (Acts 27:39)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 27:39:

  • Uma: “When it became light, the workers of the ship saw that the land was visible. But they did not know what the name of that place was. And they also saw, there was a corner of the sea with beach that was not rocky. That is why their plan was, if they were able, to go aground there.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When it was day, they did not recognize what island that was that they could see nearby, but they could see the sea going-inland/a bay which had sand at the shore. They thought, if possible they would let the ship go aground there on that sand.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when it was morning, as for that land which we had come near to, the workers there on the ship did not recognize it. They saw this inlet of the sea and there was there a sandy beach, and they thought that if it were possible, it would be good to land the ship there.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When it had dawned, the workers saw-in-the-distance the edge of the ocean. They were not able-to-distinguish what country it was, but they saw that its edge was indented and sandy/gravelly, and they thought that perhaps it would be possible for them to direct (lit. cause-to-walk) the ship there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When it was really light now, they didn’t recognize which that land was to which we had come close. But they saw that there was a beach. ‘Ah,’ they said, ‘probably that’s a sandy-cove.’ And then they discussed that if possible they would try to come into shore there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Luke 6:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:23:

  • Noongar: “You will become very happy when this happens, and dance joyfully, because God will give you many great things, things of his Heaven. These people, their ancestors did the same things to God’s prophets.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Because so also the actions of their ancestors persecuting the prophets long ago. So, if they do like that to you, jump-up-and-down, and make your hearts glad, because great will be the reward/blessing that your receive in heaven.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Their fathers did the same to the prophets. When the day comes that this happens to you, you will be very glad and you will jump because of your joy for your reward in heaven will be great.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: (includes verse 22) “Far better off are you if people are against you and they don’t accept you as their companion, and they treat you shamefully, and they talk about you and say that your custom is bad, because you follow me, the older sibling of mankind. This is what their ancestors did long ago to the prophets of God. Rejoice very much if this happens to you, because how very great will be God’s reward to you which you can look forward to in Heaven.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If they do that to you, you should be happy and jump from/with your happiness, because the reward that has been stored-away for you in heaven is extremely large. For what they do to you, that indeed also is what their ancestors have done to those who were prophets.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Be happy! Really jump-up-and-down for happiness if/when this happens, because really far from ordinary is what you will be rewarded with in heaven. Remember that like that indeed is how their ancestors treated the prophets of the past.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (2 John 1:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 John 1:5:

  • Uma: “So, I request to you (sing.), mother/woman, that we love one another. What I write here, it is not a new command. This command is a command that we have heard all along from the first.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, now I have to ask/request something of you, Woman: we (incl.) should love each other. This command is not new now but it has been here with us (incl.) since we (incl.) first trusted in Isa Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of that, sister, I beg you that we (incl.) might love each other. This is not a new command which I write to you, for this was given a long time ago when we first believed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But there is nonetheless that which I want to tell you: it is necessary that we love-one-another. This is not a new command, because we have been hearing it since the first.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now, Friend, there’s something I’d hopefully like to ask you (sing.) to do. As for this, it’s not a new command which I am writing, but rather that original command which was here with us from long ago, this that we value one another.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now, my dear sister, I want to say a word to you now. And this word I will tell you is not a new word, rather it is like the word you at first were ordered to do. Just the same is what I tell you now, that each of us must love all our fellow-believers.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And what we must do, woman, is to love our fellows each of us the other, because God commanded us to do that. As for this which I am saying we should do, it is not a new commandment, but something which we have known since we first believed.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “And now, you woman, chosen of God, I have something I want to tell you. And it isn’t new what I will tell you, but just like was told us at the beginning, that we love one another.”
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “Now, Señora, that which I am writing to you that you should do is not new, but that which you already knew from time past, where it says we should love one another. I ask you(sg) that you do as this says.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)