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 began to wash our feet. And he wiped our feet . . .”
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: “After he had said that he blew at us and said to us . . .”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:10:
- Uma: “He is the one who was-used-as-a-hand by God to create this world. But when he arrived in the world, the people in the world did not know him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “But even though the Word is already here in the world and the world hep was created by him, the Word was not known/recognized by the people in the world.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now Christ arrived on the earth. By means of him the earth was created; but mankind did not recognize who he was.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “But even though he was in this world and God created all that is here through him, people nevertheless didn’t recognize him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Well he truly came, and he lived here on earth. But well, even though he was the one who created people, yet they didn’t recognize/acknowledge him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “This one, the Son of God, lived here on the earth. Even though he made the earth, the people didn’t know who he was.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Aguaruna: “He made the world. Having done that, he lived here in this world, but the ones from this world didn’t recognize him as Christ.”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “The person who is the Word was present in the world; and even though he made the world, the people in the world didn’t realize who he was.”
- Lalana Chinantec: “He was living in the world but the people of the world never came to know who he was, even though he is the one who made the world.” (Source for this and two above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Hiligaynon: “He arrived here in the world. And even-though the world was made through him, the people of the world did- not -know/recognize him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
- Mairasi: “He Himself lived in this world, and He Himself made this world by Himself, but this world did not recognize Him.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Bariai: “He was living on earth. By him, God made everything on earth. Yet the people of the earth didn’t know him.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
- Kupsabiny: “That Word came to the world that was created through him, but the world didn’t know who he was.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 21:25:
- Ojitlán Chinantec: “If all that he did should be written, I am of the opinion that the books wouldn’t even all fit in the whole world here.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: ” . . . If all of them, all things were all written, no doubt they wouldn’t be able to be contained in this world, the writings where it was written what Jesus did.”
- Aguaruna: “But writing each one, there wouldn’t be a place to put the paper here in this world.”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “If all of them were written one by one, there would be an extremely great number of books.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “There are still many other [things] that Yesus did. If for example everything that he did was written in books, I think that even if the whole world were-used-to-store-them-in, they probably could not fit, because there would be very many books.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Isa has done very many other deeds that are not written. If they were all written in a holy-book, I figure all the holy-books that would have to be written would not fit here into the world.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus did many other things. If all of them were written down, even the whole world would not be big enough to hold the books that would be written.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “There are admittedly many more-things that Jesus did. If they were all to be written, even the entire world, it would perhaps not be-able-to-contain the many-books in which they were written.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “There are other and many more things which Jesus did. Supposing they were all written, I am sure that the whole world which is here under the heavens wouldn’t be able to contain the number of books in which they would be written.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Jesus did many other things which if I had written down on paper each one, I suppose the earth wouldn’t hold the books that I would have written.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:12:
- Uma: “Children, I write to you this letter, because your sins are forgiven because of the Lord Yesus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “I write to you my children-grandchildren, because your sins are already forgiven because of Isa Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I write to you, my children, for your sins have been forgiven because of Christ.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “My children, I have written this to you because your sins have already been forgiven on-account-of Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “I am writing to you who are like my children because your sins have now been forgiven, for Jesus took-the- punishment-for them on the cross.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my children, I write this word to you here in the letter because God has now forgiven your sins because of Jesus Christ who died on your account.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “I am writing to you my little children because God has already forgiven us. He has forgiven us because Jesus Christ paid for our guilt.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “I’m writing to you, my dear children, because you know your sins have been forgiven, by what Christ did.”
- Tzotzil: “My children, because your sins are forgiven because of Jesus Christ, therefore I am talking to you by letter.” (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 3:15:
- Uma: “All people who hate their relatives, they are the same as killers [emphatic]. And you know, relatives, that murders do not get good life forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Whoever hates his fellow-man it is as if he has killed. And you know that a murderer has no everlasting life.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who acts against his companions, God considers him to be like a murderer; and we (incl.) know that if there is a person who wants to murder, he has not yet come to own life forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “For the one who hates his brother/cousin is like the murderer just the same, and we know of course that the murderer, he doesn’t have the life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Because whoever ignores/spurns his sibling in believing, he is the same as a murderer of his fellowman. Isn’t it indeed so that you know already that, whoever is a murderer of his fellowman, he really doesn’t have life which is without ending?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Everyone who hates his brother is like as though he were a murderer. And you know that not one murderer meets up with the new life.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Any of us if we hate our fellows, before God we are like murderers. And we know that no one who is like that has eternal life.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who hates his sibling is a murderer. And you know that there is no murderer who has (possesses) the new life.”
- Tzotzil: “If we hate the brethren, we have already become killers. You know that whoever kills he has not received life forever.” (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 5:3:
- Uma: “For if we love God, its meaning, we follow his command(s). Yet his command(s) is/are not difficult to follow.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “The meaning of loving God is, one should follow/obey his commandments. And it is not difficult to follow/obey his commands,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Our true love for God is our obeying His commands, and His commands are not hard to obey” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because the way we love God, it’s our obeying his commands. And his commands, they aren’t difficult to obey,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “This is what is meant by our holding God dear, we are obedient to his commands. Because as for these commands of his, they are not excessively heavy.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Because the person who loves God is one who does all that God commands. And what all God commands, he does not look upon as being hard, rather he does it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we love God we will do what he commands. And what he commands is not difficult for us to do.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “If we really love (esteem) God, we will do as he says. And his Word isn’t difficult.”
- Tzotzil: “Because if we love God, we obey his commands. His commands are good. They are like a load that we do not find heavy.” (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 3 John 1:1:
- Uma: “This letter is from me the Elder, I send it to my friend Gayus, whom I truly love.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “This letter/writing is from me the Elder of the trusters in Isa Almasi, I send this to you Gayus, my friend whom I love.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for me the old person, I write to you, Gaius, my friend whom I hold very dear.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “My esteemed Gaius, I who have written this, it’s Juan who is a leader of the believers. My love for you (sing.) who are my friend is from-the-heart. May your (sing.) life there be good and your (sing.) body also be strong like the strength of your (sing.) faith.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “My friend Gayo whom I truly hold dear, there-with-you is my letter, I who am the senior-elder.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “I lead in relation to God’s word, I greet you my dear friend Gayo. I truly love you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “I in my old age am writing to you dear Gayo. Truly I love you.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “I am the Old-Man Leader, I am sending this paper to you, dear Gaius, loved one. And also I love you in regards to the true Word which we (dual) believe.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “I am an old man. I am writing this letter to a friend of mine, (whose) name is Gayo, whom I truly love.”
- Garifuna: “I, an elderly person, write to my friend the one named Gayo (necessary to avoid the connotation of writing to a rooster), the one whom I love. I love you with all my heart (genuine love).” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
