In the Yatzachi Zapotec translation of the Gospel of John, any reference to the evangelist and presumed narrator is done in the first person.
The translator Inez Butler explains (in: Notes on Translation, September 1967, pp. 10ff.):
“In revising the Gospel of John in Yatzachi Zapotec we realized from the start that the third person references of Jesus to himself as Son of Man had to be converted into first person references, but only more recently have we decided that similar change is necessary in John’s references to himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ As I worked on those changes and questioned the informant about his understanding of other passages in the Gospel, I discovered that the reader misses the whole focus of the book as an eyewitness account unless every reference to the disciples indicates the writer’s membership in the group. In view of that we went back through the entire book looking for ways to cue in the reader to the fact that John was an eyewitness and a participant in a many of the events, as well as the historian.
“When the disciples were participants in events along with Jesus, it was necessary to make explicit the fact that they accompanied him, although in the source language that is left implicit, since otherwise our rendering would imply that they were not present.”
In this verse, the Yatzachi Zapotec says: “Simon Peter and I were following Jesus. And the ruler of the priests knew me. Therefore I was able to enter with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest.”
In the Yatzachi Zapotec translation of the Gospel of John, any reference to the evangelist and presumed narrator is done in the first person.
The translator Inez Butler explains (in: Notes on Translation, September 1967, pp. 10ff.):
“In revising the Gospel of John in Yatzachi Zapotec we realized from the start that the third person references of Jesus to himself as Son of Man had to be converted into first person references, but only more recently have we decided that similar change is necessary in John’s references to himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ As I worked on those changes and questioned the informant about his understanding of other passages in the Gospel, I discovered that the reader misses the whole focus of the book as an eyewitness account unless every reference to the disciples indicates the writer’s membership in the group. In view of that we went back through the entire book looking for ways to cue in the reader to the fact that John was an eyewitness and a participant in a many of the events, as well as the historian.
“When the disciples were participants in events along with Jesus, it was necessary to make explicit the fact that they accompanied him, although in the source language that is left implicit, since otherwise our rendering would imply that they were not present.”
In this verse, the Yatzachi Zapotec says: “Jesus said to us . . . And not one of us dared say to him, ‘Who are you?’, because we realized. . .”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 7:2:
Uma: “At that time, it was almost the big day of the Yahudi people called the Feast of Huts.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then the festival of the Yahudi was near when they live in little-shelters.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In a short time from then the Jews will celebrate the Feast that is called the Feast of the Shelters.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When it was near-in-time to the fiesta of the Jews called Field-shelters,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But when their fiesta called Fiesta of Shelters was near,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “But now it was near the time the Jews celebrated the celebration in which they made huts from branches.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “The festival was approaching when the Jews gathered together and erected their shelters in which they lived during the festival.”
Chol: “It was already near the time when the Jews celebrated, when they made temporary houses.”
Aguaruna: “The Jews’ festival was about to arrive when they celebrated, remembering when their ancestors made temporary shelters.”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “The time was approaching for the Jews to observe the festival of the little houses.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “And the festival of us Israelites was about to take place which is called the Feast of the House of Leaves.” (Source for this and four above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 1:5:
Uma: “This is the news that we (excl.) heard from Yesus and we (excl.) announce to you: God, he is light, there is not any darkness in him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This is what we (excl.) heard from Isa Almasi and we (excl.) also tell it to you: that God is truly light and there is no darkness in him. That means there really is no sin of his whatsoever.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I will cause you to understand what the Son of God caused us (excl.) to understand, that as for God, He is the source of life and there is no darkness at all in Him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “This is what we (excl.) heard from that-aforementioned Child of God and that is what we (excl.) make-known to you: God is like light/a light, for there is absolutely no darkness in him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This is that word which we (excl.) heard from the Son of God which we (excl.) are telling to you. As for God, what he is like is a bright light. There is no darkness at all with him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “This now is the word Jesus Christ taught us and this is what we tell you now: that God is very good and in no way can it be seen that there is anything wrong with him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “We heard (with attention) what Jesus Christ said and we proclaim it to you how he said that God, for his doing good, is like light. Not even a little bit is he like darkness.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “Then here is the word that Jesus Christ told us (ex), that God is Light, which wants to say, God is entirely good and there is no darkness with regards to him, not even a little.”
Tzotzil: “I will tell you the word of Jesus Christ how he told us. Thus he told us There is only sunlight in the presence of God. Not even a little bit is there darkness in his presence. Because God is straight-hearted, not even a little bit is there sin in his heart, he said.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:27:
Uma: “But you, relatives, you have received [emphatic] the Holy Spirit who is from Kristus, and that Spirit remains in your hearts. You no longer need another to teach you, for the Holy Spirit is the one who teaches you every sort of thing. His teaching is all true, there is nothing that is a lie. So, like he already taught you, remain in harmony with Kristus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But Almasi has already sent his Spirit into your liver, therefore you don’t need to be taught by anybody. God’s Spirit will teach you about all things. All his teaching is true. He does not lie. Therefore follow/obey all his teaching so that you will be one with Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But as for you, it’s not necessary that there be someone different to teach you for Christ has caused you now to be inspired by the Holy Spirit. By means of that, you can come to understand all that Christ wants you to understand. That which he causes you to understand is, by contrast, true and not a lie. That’s why it’s necessary that you hold fast to your being made one with Him as you have been taught.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But I know, mind you, that the Holy Spirit whom Cristo gave is always in you, so you don’t need someone-else to teach you. Because he teaches you all that you need to come-to-know and all that he teaches is true. Follow then what he is teaching (aforementioned) and continue moreover to believe in Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But as for you, Cristo has now caused you to be indwelled by the Espiritu Santo. Therefore since there is now this Espiritu Santo indwelling you, you no longer need to be taught by others concerning what is the truth. Because he now is the one teaching you all things, and there’s no teaching of his which isn’t true. Therefore obey this teaching of the Espiritu Santo, and hold fast to Jesu-Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit to help you. Therefore it is not necessary for anyone to teach you who I am telling you about. Because the Holy Spirit himself will teach you all who are true, all who are not true. And that which the Holy Spirit will teach you is what is true and not lies. Therefore only now have Christ fill your heart, because this is what the Holy Spirit teaches you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “Christ gave you the Spirit of God and he is constantly with you. You do not need anyone else to teach you because the Spirit is present teaching you everything. He speaks true words and does not lie. Be constantly present with Jesus Christ because that is what the Spirit has taught you.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “But we, the Good Spirit whom Jesus Christ gave us, He resides in our hearts. So we don’t need for anyone else to teach us. Because the Good Spirit of God resides in our hearts, he is what gives us an understanding in regard to everything we think about. And he is the one who speaks the truth and is no liar. And he tells us to habitually live with Christ, and we won’t depart from him.”
Tzotzil: “Jesus Christ gave us the Holy Spirit. Once and for all He is there in our hearts. Therefore it is not necessary that there be another our teacher because he teaches us all things. His word is true, he is not a liar. Just as the Holy Spirit has taught you, so stay in the presence of Jesus Christ.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:7:
Uma: “Relatives whom I love! Let us love one another, because love appears from God. All people who love others, they are the ones who are-children of God and who know God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My beloved friends, we (incl.) should love each other because love is from God. Whoever really loves, he is a child of God and he knows God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My dear brothers, it is necessary that we (incl.) thoroughly show our love for each other, for love comes from God. Anyone who has great love for his companions, he is the one who has been made the child of God and the friend of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “My friends, we love-one-another because God is where love comes-from. So the one who loves his fellow, that one is the child of God who knows him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “My dear ones, let us make sure that we value one another, because as for God, he is the source of this valuing. Well each one who values like this, it’s clear that he has as-it-were been given birth to by God and he now really knows him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my dear brethren, it is necessary that each of us loves our fellow-believers. Because he who loves his fellowman does what God has determined. He who loves his fellowmen is God’s child. And such a one is an acquaintance of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “You whom I love, we must love our fellows each of us the other because God causes us who are his children to love our fellows. If we love our fellows we are God’s children and we are acquainted with him.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “Loved ones, come let us love one another. Because love comes from God. And he who loves his fellow-man is born anew by God, and knows God well.”
Tzotzil: “You that I love, let us love one another because it is on account of God that we take on the character of a lover. (love) If we take on the character of a lover it is because we have been born again in the presence of God for sure. We know God.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:18:
Uma: “What we know: all people who are-children of God, they no longer do sins, for God’s Child guards them and the King of Evil-ones is not able to defeat them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “We (incl.) know that if a person is a child of God, he no longer sins because he is cared for by God’s Son and he is not carried-along/influenced by the leader of demons.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “We (incl.) know that there is one who has become a child of God who continually does evil, for he has been stregthened about by the Son of God, and Satan can no longer meddle with him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Therefore there are three things that we know. The first, we know that no child of God continues to sin, because the Child of God who is Jesu Cristo protects him, and Satanas has no way of touching him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “We really know now that as for those who have been as-it-were given birth to by God, they dont just go on doing sin, because they are now being taken care of by Jesu-Cristo who is the Son of God. It’s no longer possible/acceptable (for them) to be taken over again by Satanas.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “We know that the person who has God for his Father does not now live in the sin that he had been doing. Because the Son of God helps him where he goes, he does not let the devil spoil the person’s heart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “We know that any of us if we are children of God we are not evil doers, because Jesus Christ God’s son is covering-protecting us in order that the deceiver will not win out over us (in) causing us to believe (obey) him.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “We know that all whoever are born anew by God, don’t reside in sin. But God’s Son guards them, and the big-evil-one can’t remove them from God;”
Tzotzil: “We know that if we have been born again in the presence of God thus we do not now seek sin. Because God’s Son is caring for us thus the devil cannot molest us.”
Garifuna: “We know that the one who has become God’s offspring does not come to have the custom of sinning. God’s offspring will take care of that person. It is impossible for the devil to do anything with him.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
In the Yatzachi Zapotec translation of the Gospel of John, any reference to the evangelist and presumed narrator is done in the first person.
The translator Inez Butler explains (in: Notes on Translation, September 1967, pp. 10ff.):
“In revising the Gospel of John in Yatzachi Zapotec we realized from the start that the third person references of Jesus to himself as Son of Man had to be converted into first person references, but only more recently have we decided that similar change is necessary in John’s references to himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ As I worked on those changes and questioned the informant about his understanding of other passages in the Gospel, I discovered that the reader misses the whole focus of the book as an eyewitness account unless every reference to the disciples indicates the writer’s membership in the group. In view of that we went back through the entire book looking for ways to cue in the reader to the fact that John was an eyewitness and a participant in a many of the events, as well as the historian.
“When the disciples were participants in events along with Jesus, it was necessary to make explicit the fact that they accompanied him, although in the source language that is left implicit, since otherwise our rendering would imply that they were not present.”
In this verse, the Yatzachi Zapotec says: “And he saw Jesus pass by and said to us . . .”
