The Greek in John 9:34 that is translated as “you were entirely born in sins” or similar in English is translated as “you were born completely evil” in Ojitlán Chinantec, “not even being born yet you were a sinner” in Aguaruna, “you have done sin from the time you were born” in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac, “you cursed one, you were born blind because of your evilness” in Yatzachi Zapotec, and “the way you were born shows that you are loaded with sin” in Rincón Zapotec.
(Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
The Greek in James 1:4 that is translated as “that you may be mature and complete” or similar in English is translated in Alekano as “your life will become whole,” in Rincón Zapotec as “finish becoming perfect,” and in Eastern Highland Otomi as “that is what will cause our hearts to be mature.”
(Source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
The Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Greek terms that are often translated as “worship” (also, “kneel down” or “bow down”) are likewise translated in other languages in certain categories, including those based on physical activity, those which incorporate some element of “speaking” or “declaring,” and those which specify some type of mental activity.
Following is a list of (back-) translations (click or tap for details):
Obolo: itọtọbọ ebum: “express reverence and devotion” (source: Enene Enene)
Ngäbere: “cut oneself down before” (“This figure of speech comes from the picture of towering mahoganies in the forest which, under the woodman’s ax, quiver, waver, and then in solemn, thunderous crashing bury their lofty heads in the upstretched arms of the surrounding forest. This is the experience of every true worshiper who sees ‘the Lord, high and lifted up.’ Our own unworthiness brings us low. As the Valientes say, ‘we cut ourselves down before’ His presence. Our heads, which have been carried high in self-confidence, sink lower and lower in worship.)
Tzeltal: “end oneself before God.” (“Only by coming to the end of oneself can one truly worship. The animist worships his deities in the hope of receiving corresponding benefits, and some pagans in Christendom think that church attendance is a guarantee of success in this life and good luck in the future. But God has never set a price on worship except the price that we must pay, namely, ‘coming to the end of ourselves.'”) (Source of this and the one above: Nida 1952, p. 163)
Folopa: “die under God” (“an idiom that roughly back-translates “dying under God” which means lifting up his name and praising him and to acknowledge by everything one does and thanks that God is superior.”) (Source: Anderson / Moore, p. 202)
Chokwe: kuivayila — “rub something on” (“When anyone goes into the presence of a king or other superior, according to native law and custom the inferior gets down on the ground, takes a little earth in the fingers of his right hand, rubs it on his own body, and then claps his hands in homage and the greeting of friendship. It is a token of veneration, of homage, of extreme gratitude for some favor received. It is also a recognition of kingship, lordship, and a prostrating of oneself in its presence. Yet it simply is the applicative form of ‘to rub something on oneself’, this form of the verb giving the value of ‘because of.’ Thus in God’s presence as king and Lord we metaphorically rub dirt on ourselves, thus acknowledging Him for what He really is and what He has done for us.”) (Source: D. B. Long in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 87ff. )
In the German New Testament translation Fridolin Stier (1989) it is consistently translated as “bow (to someone) deeply” (tief verneigen)
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:
For Mark 15:19 and Matt. 2:8 and 2:11: “uh’idma-rrama llia’ara” — “to kiss the fingernail and lick the heel”
For Acts 16:14: ra’uli-rawedi — “to praise-talk about”
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the exclusive form (excluding the addressee). (Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.)
In Rincón Zapotec, the pronoun needed an addition and was translated as “I, Luke, who write this, was there and I joined Paul” to clarify that it was not Paul who spoke. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 3:20:
Uma: “So relatives, repent from your sins and submit to the Lord God, so that he may forgive your sins. From there, the Lord God will strengthen your hearts and he will order Yesus to come to us. Because he is the one whom God decided upon from-the-start to become our Redeemer King.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then times of encouraging your livers will be coming/arriving from God, and he will send back into the world Isa, he is Almasi the one chosen to rule over you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he will send here to us Jesus, who is the one he chose to rule over us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because if you do that, God will cause-to-arrive a time of calming and strengthening of the mind/thoughts, and furthermore he will again send Jesus the Messiah whom he appointed previously to rule over us.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Provided you will do this, God will give you far-from-ordinary happiness and peace/protection of your mind/inner-being. And also, the day will come when he will again cause Jesu-Cristo to descend, that Savior whom God ordained to reign over us.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Chuj: “God will send again Jesus the second time because God has given remaining Christ’s office to be your savior.
Teutila Cuicatec: “Then he will send again Jesus, the one who is Christ, who was set apart for you since former times.
Morelos Nahuatl: “Then God will send Jesus Christ again. God chose him in order to save you from your sins.”
Rincón Zapotec: “God will send again Jesus, the Christ whom he designated since before to be your ruler.”
Tataltepec Chatino: “Then God will give orders to Jesus to come back again, Jesus whom God chose to be your boss.” (Source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of James 3:13:
Uma: “If there is in our midst a person whose thinking is good and whose heart is clear [i.e., aware, mature, wise], he must show his clearness of heart with his good behavior and with his character that appears from a humble [low] heart, like is fitting for people whose hearts are clear.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “If there is a person among you who has deep thoughts/wisdom and really understands, he should show his knowledge in his good works. And his liver should be lowly/humble for like that is a person whose thoughts/wisdom is truly deep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Any of you who are wise and have large understanding, he must show it by means of his good works. He must not consider himself high as he shows his wisdom by means of his good workds.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “If there is someone among you who is thinking/reflective and understanding, he should show his kind-of-wisdom in his good behavior/character and in his humbling (lit. lowering) himself in his doing what is good.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well who of you is knowledgeable and perceptive/understanding? It’s necessary that you prove it through your good nature/ways, and through the good things you are doing with meekness/patience which accompanies true understanding/wisdom.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “When there arises one who is wise, who thinks on the words he hears, it will be seen who such a person is because he does good. He does what he knows and is not arrogant in what he does.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Central Mazahua: “When anyone of you knows what is good to do and knows how, he will be careful how he will live and he will not make himself great. In that way people will notice that truly that one knows.”
Rincón Zapotec: “If there is among you a man who has great ability and he understands exceedingly, with complete humility he ought to show that he is thus by means of the good things he is doing.”
Alekano: ” . . . if he remains humble and does good things, he will demonstrate the substance of his wisdom.” (Source for this and two above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of James 3:18:
Uma: “People who like harmony and seek harmony, their behavior follows God’s will.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Whoever is a person who reconciles/causes-to-be-good his companions he is figuratively like a farmer/person-habitually-planting. What he figuratively plants is his deeds that please his fellow-men. He does not quarrel and his conduct towards his companions is good. The outcome/result of that what he planted is straight/righteous deeds.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Peace is like a seed. Those who settle conflicts plant it, and righteous activities are the harvest it brings.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Those who get-along-together while at-the-same-time they stop-from-quarrelling their fellows who are quarrelling, it’s as if they plant peace and orderliness, and when that-aforementioned which they have planted grows, its fruit is a righteous way-of-life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “And as for those who can make a way which can cause reconciliation, when they persevere for the good being-friends of their fellowman, righteousness is the result of it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “He earnestly tries to make peace with those who want to argue with him, then they can live good lives afterwards.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Rincón Zapotec “And those who endeavor to set in quietness the things that happen, they live peaceably in order that all of them may be righteous.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we make peace among our companions, then we will be at peace and will continually do good.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “And when we considerately reconcile our fellow men, it is as if we sowed seed that multiplies well more deeds that are good.” (Source for this and two above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
