Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 3:9:
- Uma: “All people who are-children of God, they no longer do sins always, for they have received new life from God. They cannot do sin always, for they are-children of God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Whoever is a child (lit. are children) of God, no longer sins because God’s customs are already there in their livers. And because God is already their father, they no longer sin.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who has been made a son of God, he does not want to do evil for he inherently now resembles God. Since His Father is God, it is not possible that he will always be doing evil.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “So the person who truly is a child of God, he doesn’t continue to sin, because God’s mind/thoughts is what is in him. Because of God’s having given birth to him, it is not possible that he continue to sin.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Because as for whoever has been as-it-were given birth to by God, he doesn’t still continue to sin. Of course he will not deviate/do differently from this one who as-it-were gave birth to him. Well since God is now his Father, it’s not now possible/acceptable that he still keep on doing sin.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The children of God now do not commit sin because they have met up with the new life which God gives. Now they do not want to commit sin because they are the children of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Each one of us if we are children of God we are not evil doers, because God has renewed our head-hearts. And we cannot be evil doers any longer because we are children of God.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who is really born anew by God, does not habitually sin. He doesn’t habitually do sin, because he has taken the nature of God. And God never wants to sin. So he can’t habitually sin because he was born anew by God.”
- Tzotzil: “If we have been born again in the presence of God, we don’t any more seek sin because God has given us new life. We cannot seek sin because we have been born again in the presence of God.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “The person who is in-the-state-of-having-become a child of God only living bad, he doesn’t live, for he proceeds from God. He cannot live bad, for he is-in-the-state-of-having become-a-child by-means of-God.”
- Yanesha’: “All we who are born again from our Father are not characteristically sinful. We receive on him how he does (meaning his nature or likeness). We are born again from our Father, that’s why there is no way that we can be characteristically sinful.”
- Aguaruna: “Those who are born in God don’t live (stay) sin, because they possess God’s mind (that for hearting). He does not stay sin because he 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 4:18:
- Uma: “If we really know God’s love to us, we are no longer afraid of God. His complete love strengthens our heart so that we are no longer afraid. If we fear that God will punish [us], its meaning, we do not yet really know his love for us.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “True love is not mixed with fear because if we (dual) truly love God our (dual) fear disappears. Whoever fears, his love is not yet complete, because he is afraid that perhaps he will be punished by God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who loves God, it is not necessary that he be afraid of God, and since God’s love for us has no lack, he has removed already our fear of Him. The reason a person is afraid is because he expects God’s punishment on him, but as for that person who is afraid of God, God’s love for him has not yet been drawn tight in his mind.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “So long as there is love, it not possible that it be added-to with fear, because the love which has no lack, it blocks fear. So the person who is afraid because he is thinking about God’s punishment, that is the evidence that his love is still lacking.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For as long as our holding dear of God and valuing of our fellowman is true, we no longer have fear of punishment. Because, as for complete holding dear, it’s like it can bury/cover up this fear. Because what people really fear is, to be punished. Therefore if we are still afraid of being punished, it’s clear that our holding dear and valuing is still lacking.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The person who loves God from the heart does not then fear that God will be angry with him. How can you go on fearing when from the heart you love? A person fears that God will be angry at him when he doesn’t love from the heart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we love God there is nothing for us to fear. And if we love God as we ought, there is nothing left for us to fear, because it is like a punishment for us when we are afraid. And if we fear anything, we do not love God as we ought.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who fears the judgment, he fears it because he hasn’t yet known well the love that God does to him. God’s love removes fear. When we fear, we think God will punish us.”
- Tzotzil: “If we believe that God loves us, therefore we are not afraid. Because if we are afraid, it is because we think that God is going to punish us. If we believe that God really and truly loves us, not thus we think. Therefore if we are afraid it is because we have not believed that God loves us.”
- Candoshi-Shapra: “For if one fears punishment he is always agitated. The one who fears surely doesn’t love God completely.”
- Yanesha’: “Fear does not go with love. But this, if completely it fills us, love, our love throws out on us our fear. Fear goes with paying-back. If we are afraid, love does not fill us completely.”
- Aguaruna: “While staying (living, being) loving one is not able to be afraid, rather the one who loves causes fear to be lost. It is because of being able to be condemned (punished) therefore one fears. He who fears does not know well God’s love, therefore he is like that.”
- Murui Huitoto: “If we love God, we are not afraid of anyone. If we love Him very well, how will we fear Him? Whoever fears, is afraid of punishment. The one who is afraid still doesn’t love well.” (Source for this and three above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
- Sayula Popoluca: “He who loves God, doesn’t fear. Because he who truly loves God will not fear anything. Because he who fears will suffer. He who fears, he doesn’t truly love God.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.
- Eastern Arrernte: “The person who knows that God loves him does not fear God. But the person who fears that God will punish him, he does not yet know that God loves him very much.” (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 John 1:8:
- Uma: “That’s why you must be careful, lest you let-go-of your faith in the Lord Yesus, with the result that there is no use to our (excl.) work bringing the Good News to you. Keep believing in the Lord, so that you will get all the return/recompense of your faith in the future.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Therefore take care so that all that we (incl.) have labored for is not lost, but/instead that you will receive in-total/completely your reward from God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Be on your guard so that what you have worked so hard for might not be removed from you and so that the reward of God to you in the future might not be lessened.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Be-careful then so that what we (excl.) taught you that was correct does not come-to-nothing, because if you do that, the reward that you will get/enjoy in a future day will not be taken-away-from/lessened.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Therefore you need to be careful, so that what you’ve-worked-hard-for/suffered-hardship-for won’t be lost, but rather you will be able to receive the best reward.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Be careful in order that you will not lose what you are working at. You should want that you will be rewarded completely.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Do not believe them, because if you believe them, the benefit God wants to give to you because of our will be lost. Do you so that you will receive all the benefit which God wants to give to you.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “Guard yourselves so that no one will deceive you; and it will be lost what we have worked for. But continue well so that you will gain (earn, win) all that God wants to give you afterwards.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “Watch carefully that which we did among you so that you won’t lose it but rather you will receive all that which god has prepared for you.” (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: “After that we disciples went with Jesus to the little town of Judea. And while we stayed there, Jesus caused us to baptize people.”
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 we said to him . . .”
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 Peter made a sign to me for me to ask Jesus . . .”
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 those things happened, Jesus again showed himself to us disciples beside the Sea of Galilee which is also called Tiberias. This is the way he showed himself to us.”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:19:
- Uma: “Like this the testimony of Yohanes the Baptizer saying who Yesus is. The rulers of the Yahudi people in Yerusalem sent several priests and Lewi people to Yohanes. When they arrived at Yohanes, they asked: ‘The reason we (excl.) have come, is to ask you (sing.) who you (sing.) are. Are you (sing.) really the Redeemer King? ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “One day priests and helpers of the priests who were told-to-do-so by the leaders of the Yahudi in the city Awrusalam went to Yahiya to ask him who he was.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There were some people, priests and descendants of Levi, who came to John the Baptist. They were sent by the leaders of the Jews from Jerusalem so that they might ask John who he was.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “On one-occasion, there were priests and descendants of Levi who went to where Juan was. The leaders of the Judio (Jews) in Jerusalem sent them to go inquire of Juan as to who he was.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Once there were some sent by the leaders of the Jews who were taga Jerusalem. The ones they sent were priests and Levita who were their helpers, the workers in the Templo, because they were being caused to ask Juan what he was. This is the testimony of Juan which was his answer to them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The Jews who were leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and their helpers. These went to John to question him about who he was.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “The important people of our nation of Israel in Jerusalem sent some priests to the man named John, along with some other people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of us Israelites. They sent the people to John in order that they might know who he was.”
- Alekano: “When the Jews sent priests and those who were servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place, when they went to John and asked him saying, ‘Who are you? Are you the Messiah?’, he told them his own character.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
