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: “Then I said to Peter . . . Then when Simon Peter heard me say to him . . .” The Alekano translation her also uses the first-person: “After that, I, the man Jesus loved, said this to Peter.”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:17:
- Chol: “But God did not send his Son here to earth in order to cause the world to be punished; he sent him here in order that they might find their salvation from God’s Son.”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “God sent his Son to earth here not so that he would decide about humans that they are guilty, but rather so that he would save mankind out of evil.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “It is not God’s purpose to send his Child here to the world in order to punish / condemn men. His intention in sending his Child here is in order to lift men from the punishment of their sins.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “God sent his Son to the world not to drop judgment on mankind but to take away their sins.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for God, he did not send me, his child, here to earth to punish mankind, but rather so that by means of me mankind might be set free.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because God didn’t send his Child to this world to sentence/condemn people, but rather that they would be saved through him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Because the reason why God caused his Son to come here was not that people be sentenced to punishement, but on the contrary so that he could free/save these people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “God did not send his son here to earth in order to sentence the people. Rather he sent him here to earth that he save the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 1:1:
- Uma: “The contents of this letter talk of the Word who gives life. The one who gives life, he already was from the first. We(excl.) heard him, we (excl.) saw him with our (excl.) own eyes. We(excl.) really did see him, we (excl.) touched/held him with our (excl.) hands.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “I write to you (pl.) about Isa Almasi, he is/who is the Word/Message that gives life. In the beginning of time yet really beforehand he was. We (excl.) heard him speak and we (excl.) saw him with these our (excl.) eyes. Yes, we (excl.) saw him and we (excl.) touched him with these our (excl.) hands.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I am writing to you about Jesus Christ. He was titled the Word which can give life forever. He existed before the world was created. But in spite of that, we (excl.) have seen Him, and we (excl.) have heard what He said. We saw Him and we took hold of Him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “In this letter, we (excl.) have something to tell you concerning the one who is called Word/Speech who is the source of life that has no end. He already-existed where God the Father was since the very-beginning, but he appeared as a person on this earth, so we (excl.) saw him clearly (lit. properly). We (excl.) also heard his words and we (excl.) touched him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “I am writing to you concerning Jesu-Cristo, he who is called Word/Speech who gives life which is without ending. He already existed long ago, when there was no world yet. And as for us (excl.) who are his disciples, we (excl.) really heard his words, and we (excl.) really saw him. We(excl.) got-to-take-a-good-look (at him) and got to touch/feel with our hands.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “I write here on paper about who Jesus Christ is, he who gives new life. This is the one who lived always, even before the things that are in existence were made. And we heard what he said when he spoke, and we stood where we could see him. Well, it is true that we saw him and touched him with our hands.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “We proclaim to you (pl.) about Jesus Christ the person who is the Word, he who gives eternal life. He was already present when the world began. We heard his words, we saw him and we looked at him and we touched him.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “I will tell you about the Word that gives new life to our hearts. The Word was already living at the very beginning. He is one and the same Jesus Christ whom we saw living here, and we heard what he said. Also we watched him with our eyes, and we touched him with our hands.”
- Tzotzil: “The one whose character is he is, (was from the beginning) we heard his words. We saw him. Many times we looked at his face. We touched him. It is the one called word that is in charge of all life.”
- Garifuna: “I write to you (pl.) concerning the one named Word, the one who gives life…” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “All of you listen. Word, the life-kind always existed from the very beginning. That’s what I’m telling you (plural) about. For we ourselves heard him. We ourselves saw him with our eyes and looked (in contemplation) on him. We ourselves touched him with our hands.”
- Yanesha’: “What there is from the beginning, it also, what we used to hear, what we used to see from our eyes, what we looked at, with our hands, too, we touched, this, of a truth, is Word (words, message) therein we completely live.”
- Aguaruna: “The Word which gives life, before – also always it lived (existed). Also we are those who heard that word, we are those who also saw him, and ‘how does he work?’ (what is he like?)saying we are those who have seen well, we are those who have also touch him, concerning that same one I write to you (plural).” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:23:
- Uma: “People who reject God the Child, they have no connection with God the Father. People who admit-confess that Yesus is the Child of God, they are connected with God the Father.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Whoever says that he does not believe-obey that Isa is God’s Son, he also does not believe-obey in God. Whoever confesses/makes-clear saying that Isa is really God’s Son, he also believes-obey in God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person who will not receive the Son of God, he will also not receive our Father God. And in the same way also, if there is a person who has already received the Son of God, he has also received our Father God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “For whoever does not acknowledge God’s Child, he of course doesn’t know his Father, but as for the one who does acknowledge the Child of God who doesn’t deny him, God the Father is in him as well.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Because whoever doesn’t testify that Jesus is the Son of God, it’s also not possible that he is accepted by God the Father. But he who testifies that this Jesus really is the Son of God, of course it’s true that God is his Father too.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Whoever says that Jesus is not the Son of God is not walking with God. But whoever says that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that one walks with the Father.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Whoever shoves the Son of God aside, our father God is not with him. The person who knows and says that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our father God is with him.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who denies in regard to God’s Son, then neither does he know God who is his Father. But he who believes his Son, also knows his Father.”
- Tzotzil: “If we say ‘Jesus Christ is not God’s Son,’ we have not believed Jesus Christ’s word. Then God is not our Father. If we say ‘Jesus Christ is God’s Son,’ we have believed Jesus Christ’s word and God is our Father.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “The person who habitually says, ‘No’ about God’s Son doesn’t fellowship with the Father either. The one who says, ‘I love the Son,’ fellowships with the Father also.”
- Yanesha’: “All who deny his Son, they have not received Father. The one who admits that his Son in Christ, he has already received also Father.”
- Aguaruna: “He who says ‘Jesus isn’t the Christ’ that one is not a child of God, however he who says ‘Jesus is Christ,’ that one is God’s child.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:3:
- Uma: “All people who don’t admit-confess that Yesus is that Redeemer King, they are not children of God. Those people are controlled by the influence/spirit that is from the Enemy of Kristus. You have heard the teaching that says that the Enemy of Kristus will arrive, and at this time he is already in the world.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “But whoever says that Almasi did not come in the body of a human/mankind, that person does not have God’s Spirit. But/instead it is seen in him that he follows the mind of the Opposing Almasi. You have been informed hep that this Opposing Almasi will come and now many people in the world follow the mind of the Opposing Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, if there is a spirit who says that Jesus, the one chosen of God, did not become a human, then that spirit does not come from God, but rather it comes from the enemy of Christ. You have already heard that there have appeared spirits which come from the enemy of Christ, and I tell you that they are now here in the world.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “But if they don’t acknowledge that Jesus is the Cristo who became a person, it is not the Spirit of God who is in them, but rather the thoughts that are the same as the One-who-Opposes Cristo. You have been hearing that he will come and already that which is opposing Cristo is now being taught.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “But as for the one who gives out that Jesus didn’t become a real human, it’s certain that it is not the Espiritu Santo of God who is putting in his mind what he will say. On the contrary, the truth is, it’s the inspiring by this opponent of Cristo, he whom you were told would come. And even now/today, there is opposition like this to Cristo here now in this world.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “But all who say that Jesus Christ did not become a human, then they do not walk with the Holy Spirit, rather it is the word of the enemy of Christ. And you have heard that it will come to be that the words of liars will spread through the earth. And now this word is spreading.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “The person who does not say that Jesus Christ is God and he was born a man on this earth, the Spirit of God is not in his head-heart. He thinks like the person who does contrary to Christ. You have already heard that the person is coming who does contrary to Christ, and now that person is already in this world.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “But whoever says that Jesus Christ is not God’s Chosen-One, and denies that he became a person, but then he doesn’t speak the Word of God. But he received the word of Christ’s enemy. And his word is a lie. We have heard that his word which is a lie was coming to the world, and now it has come.”
- Tzotzil: “If we say ‘Jesus Christ did not come and take his body here in the world,’ we have not received the Spirit of God for sure. We are of the same mind/heart with the enemy of Christ. You have heard that he is coming. He is already here in the world.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “The one who says, ‘No,’ about (to) Jesus is surely not of God. He is a false Christ, one of the ones of whom you heard it said they were coming. Right now they are in the world.”
- Yanesha’: “Whichever does not admit that Jesus was born as a human, this following does not come from the Father. But this is his following, the one who is mad at Christ, the one which you already heard he is to come. Now already he has appeared on this earth.”
- Aguaruna: “However others, thoughts which are not like that, do not belong to God. Those angry at (opposed to, hating) Christ, other they think. You heard that those will come, those now they have arrived in this world here.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:14:
- Uma: “We are brave to call out to God, for we know that he hears our request, as long as our request is according to his will.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “We (dual) are not afraid to come close to/approach God, because we (dual) are assured that whatever we (dual) ask of him he will really hear us (dual) if-only/as-long-as our (dual) requests follow his wishes/will.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for us (incl.) who have believed, our faith when we pray to God is big. We (incl.) know that if there is anything that we (incl.) ask for which is not contrary to what He wants, He will give it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “We also have boldness to pray to God, because we know for-sure that whatever we request from him that is in harmony with what he wants, he hears it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “And there’s no more need for us to be holding back from approaching him because we are now sure that, whatever we ask for which is in harmony with his will, he really will respond-positively.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “When we pray to God now we are brave, because we know for sure that if we ask for something that God wants to give us, then God will pay attention to what we say.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “And we are not afraid to pray before God, because God heeds us so long as what we ask is worthy of our asking him.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “We don’t fear to come near to God, because if what we ask for is in accordance with God’s will, we know that he hears well our word.”
- Tzotzil: “Because our hearts are the same with God (we are of the same mind as God), thus we are not afraid when we talk to him. We know that he grabs our words.”
- Candoshi-Shapra: “We rest-the-whole-weight of our hearts on Him. For when we ask for that which He Himself wants He himself hears us.”
- Yanesha’: “We, from our counting on him, we know that whatever we ask for which he wants, he, always he listens to us.”
- Aguaruna: “He who asks for what God desires, God will hear him, therefore fearlessly we are those who ask.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
- Garifuna: “Here is what we know/are sure God will do: If we ask with him as by means of his desire (in accordance with his will), he will hear us.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 3 John 1:12:
- Uma: “As for Demetrius [emphatic], all people praise him. He is indeed fit to be praised, for his behavior follows the true teaching. We(excl.), we (excl.) also praise him, and you know that our (excl.) praise is true.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “All people talk well about Demetiri. And because of his good deeds it is also seen that he follows the true teaching. I join in witnessing for him and you know that my witness is true.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “All people praise Demetrius. They can see by means of his acts that he is obeying the true doctrine. We also praise him, and you know that what we say is true.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “As for Demetrius, what people are saying about him is totally good. His manner-of-life also, it confirms his goodness, because what he is doing is in harmony with the true teaching. We (excl.) also, we (excl.) confirm/recommend him to you, and you (sing.) know that what we (excl.) say is true.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Well, concerning our brother in believing who is Demetrio, everybody is testifying concerning the good-quality of his work/doing. Because it’s clear from his life that he really is obeying well the true teaching. Well including us (excl.) also, like that too is our (excl.) testimony concerning him, and you know that this which we (excl.) mean is true.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “All the people speak well of Demetrius and it is true what I hear spoken of him. We also give our testimony that he lives good and you all know that it is true when we say something.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Everyone speaks well of Demetrio. It is obvious that he walks with the truth (heeds/obeys it). We (ex) also tell how he does what is good. And you know that we (ex) speak true words.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “All the siblings speak well of Demetrio, and all his deeds are in accord with the true Word. Also I say the same about the man, that he is good. And you know that I speak the truth.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “Everyone praises Demetrio, and we know he follows what is true. We (ex) also praise him, and you know what we (ex) speak is true.” (Source for this and two 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: “He was still talking to the woman when we his disciples arrived back. And we were surprised that he was talking to a woman, but not one of us asked him . . .”
