Language-specific Insights

anyone who has committed sin will be forgiven

The Greek in James 5:15 that is translated as “anyone who has committed sin will be forgiven” or similar in English is translated as “if there is his sin the one who is healed his sin will be lost also” in Tzotzil, “that sick one has been healed, his sins the Father has pardoned” in Mezquital Otomi), and “and if sins are the cause of our sickness, it will be forgiven us” in Eastern Highland Otomi) (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.).

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

The Greek in 1 Corinthians 1:20 that is translated as “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” or similar in English is translated in Huixtán Tzotzil as “God has already shown that in vain speak those here in this world who mistakenly think they are wise.” Huixtán Tzotzil frequently uses the verb -cuy to express “to mistakenly think something” from the point of view of the speaker. (Source: Marion M. Cowan in Notes on Translation 20/1966, pp. 6ff.)

In Elhomwe “wisdom of this world” is translated as “wisdom of the people of this world.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

may be in you, might remain in you

The Greek in John 15:11 that is translated in English as “(my joy) might remain in you” or “(my joy) may be in you” is translated in Tzotzil as “these things I have told you in order that your hearts may be happy-untroubled like my heart is happy-untroubled.”

“If Jesus’ words in John 15:11 were to be translated literally (…) it would infer that Jesus had given all His joy away and so not have any Himself.” (Source: Marion Cowan in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 90)

See also we might become the righteousness of God.

after my heart

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The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “(man) after my (or: his) heart” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Teutila Cuicatec. “(a man who) respects what I want”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “whom I look well on”
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “who pleases my heart”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “thinks like I do”
  • Tzotzil: “with his heart the same as mine (we think the same way)”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “his heart and mine meet together”
  • Morelos Nahuatl: “a good man whom I like”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “does what I desire in my heart” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Kupsabiny: “a person my stomach loves” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Bariai: “a man who follows my mind (lit. interior)” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Mairasi: “one who has My throat and makes My liver good” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I am very pleased with his customs” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “his ways/nature really please me for they are really in harmony with my ways” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Listen!

The Greek in Mark 4:3 that is translated with “Listen!” or similar in English is translated in Tzotzil with the traditional story-beginning formula: “I tell you, hear how it is with a man.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also listen.

Let anyone with ears to hear listen

The Greek that is translated as “Let anyone with ears to hear listen” or similar in English was translated in Costa Rican Sign Language as “If you want to understand, understand!” (See also Mark 4:1-9 in Mexican Sign Language and Mark 4:1-9 in Russian Sign Language.)

Elsa Tamez (in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 59ff. ) explains: “A literal translation of this verse: ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ (Luke 8:8) is not appropriate for the Deaf community; it is difficult to understand and it can easily be misunderstood. Deaf people have ‘ears to hear’ but they cannot hear.”

In Tzotzil it is translated as “You all who with one heart want to learn, think about what I said,” in San Mateo Del Mar Huave as “Every one of you have heard this story. Now put it in your hearts,” in Gwichʼin as “He that will hear me, let him pay attention to me” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.), and in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as Denkt gut darüber nach or “Think about it carefully.”

In the German translation by Fridolin Stier (1989) it is translated as “Whoever has ears that are able to hear: listen.”

Willy Wiedmann rendered this phrase artistically in the following way:

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Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .

For other images of Willy Wiedmann paintings in TIPs, see here.

worries of the world / cares of this age

The Greek in Mark 4:19 that is translated as “worries (or: cares) of the world (or: this age)” in English is (back-) translated in a number of ways:

  • Kekchí: “they think very much about these days now”
  • Farefare: “they begin to worry about this world-things”
  • Tzeltal: “their hearts are gone doing what they do when they pass through world” (where the last phrase is an idiomatic equivalent for “this life”
  • Mitla Zapotec and San Mateo del Mar Huave: “they think intensely about things in this world”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi and Pamona: “the longing for this world”
  • Tzotzil: “they are very occupied about things in the world”
  • Central Tarahumara: “they are very much afraid about what will happen in the world”
  • Shilluk: “the heavy talk about things in the world”
  • Bariai: “things of the earth are making them worried (lit. to have various interiors)” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also end of the age / end of the world.