The Greek in Acts 14:5 that is translated into English as “mistreat them and stone them” or something similar is is translated in Quetzaltepec Mixe with the existing idiomatic expression “whip and stone.”
Language-specific Insights
on a cushion
The Greek in Mark 4:38 that is translated as “on a cushion” in English had to be more specific in Quetzaltepec Mixe and is translated as “with his head on the cushion.”
“Cushion” is translated in Acoli as laten-wic and in Lango as aten wic, both meaning “head support” or “pillow.” (Source: Mildred Brown in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 31ff. )
what each should take
The Greek in Mark 15:24 that is typically translated as “what each should take” is translated in Quetzaltepec Mixe as “what each one that won would take” (assuming there were more soldiers than garments).
swear (promise)
The Hebrew in Genesis 25:33 that is translated as “swear” in English versions has been rendered in Quetzaltepec Mixe as “promise me using the name of God.”
See also swear / vow.
passed through
The Greek in Luke 4:30 that is translated in English as “passed through (the midst of them)” needs to be translated in greater detail in some languages, including Quetzaltepec Mixe, because it needs to be specified that Jesus first needed to free himself before he could “pass through the midst of them.”
stand over
The Greek that is translated as “stood over her” is translated in Quetzaltepec Mixe as “approached her” since leaning over her would be culturally inappropriate.
amazed / astonished / marvel
The Greek that is translated as “astonished” or “amazed” or “marvel” in English is translated in Pwo Karen as “stand up very tall.” (In John 5:20, source: David Clark)
Elsewhere it is translated as “confusing the inside of the head” (Mende), “shiver in the liver” (Uduk, Laka), “to lose one’s heart” (Mískito, Tzotzil), “to shake” (Southern Bobo Madaré), “to be with mouth open” (Panao Huánuco Quechua) (source: Bratcher / Nida), “to stand with your mouth open” (Citak) (source: Stringer 2007, p. 120), “ceasing to think with the heart” (Bulu), “surprise in the heart” (Yamba) (source for this and one above: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. ), or “have one’s mouth full” (Maan (source: Don Slager).
In Mark 5:20 and elsewhere where the astonishment is a response to listening to Jesus, the translation is “listen quietly” in Central Tarahumara, “forget listening” (because they were so absorbed in what they heard that they forgot everything else) in San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, “it was considered very strange by them” in Tzeltal (source: Bratcher / Nida), “in glad amazement” (to distinguish it from other kinds of amazement) (Quetzaltepec Mixe) (source: Robert Bascom), or “breath evaporated (or “escaped”)” (Mairasi) (source: Enngavoter 2004).
In Western Dani astonishment is emphasized with direct speech. In Mark 1:22, for instance, it says: “Wi!” yinuk, pi wareegwaarak — “They were all amazed, saying ‘Oh'” (source: Lourens De Vries in The Bible Translator 1992, p. 333ff. )
In Low German it is translated as grote Oken maken or “make big eyes” (sometime followed by: un kreegn dat Stillswiegen: “and became silent”) (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).
In the Kölsch translation (Boch 2017) it is translated as brummte de Lück de Kopp or “the heads of the people buzzed,” Bauklötz jestaunt, lit. “marvel toy blocks,” and vür Staune de Muhl nit mieh zojekräch or “so full of marvel that they couldn’t close their mouths again.”
In the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) it is often translated as baff vor staune or “speechless because of their marvel.” (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
See also amazed and astonished, astonished (Mark 6:51), and I’m astonished.
gods
The Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated as “gods” in English is translated into Pass Valley Yali as “the good spirits (of the deceased one).” (Source: Daud Soesilo)
The Greek in 1 Corinthians is translated in Quetzaltepec Mixe similarly with a term that makes clear that these are good or bad spirits, not gods which can be compared to God. (Source: Robert Bascom)