Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:2:
- Uma: “This is a sign so that we know who is controlled by the Spirit which is from God: all people who admit-confess that Yesus is the Redeemer King who became a man/human, those people are-children of God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Like this you can recognize the people that have God’s Spirit: whoever says that Isa Almasi came to the world in the body of a human/mankind, that person has God’s Spirit.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Any spirit which says that Jesus, the one God chose to rule, has become human, that spirit comes from God. By means of this, you can perceive the spirit which comes from God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “The way-that-you -can-distinguish whether the Holy Spirit is the source of what they are saying is this: if they acknowledge that Jesus is the Cristo who became a person, the Spirit of God is where it is from.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Like this is how you can know if it is the Espiritu Santo who was caused to indwell (us) by God who really is the one inspiring (lit.putting it in the mind of) a person. The one who testifies that as for Jesu-Cristo, he really became a real human and came down here to the world, it’s certain that the Espiritu Santo of God is inspiring him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “I will tell you how you can know whether it is true that the Holy Spirit put into the person’s mind the words he speaks or not. Everyone who says that Jesus Christ truly became human, that is one who truly speaks God’s word.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “This is how we may know if the Spirit of God is in the head-heart of a person: Everyone who says that Jesus Christ is God and he was born a man on this earth, we know that the Spirit of God is in his head-heart.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “We must know which word is really God’s Word. If it says that God’s chosen-One became a person and he is Jesus Christ, that is really the Word of God.”
- Tzotzil: “I will tell you how it is if we have received the Spirit of God. If plainly we say ‘Jesus Christ has come and took his body here in the world (became a person),’ we have received the Spirit of God for sure.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “The one who says, ‘Jesus Christ arrived with-his-very-body,’ says it by God’s Spirit. By that means we recognize God’s Spirit. Only the very one who says that is from God.”
- Yanesha’: “Here, therein you will know our Father, his following: Whichever is the one which admits that Jesus Christ was born as a human here on earth, that following comes from our Father.”
- Aguaruna: “‘Jesus Christ becoming person was born,’ saying, that thought it is of God. Like that you all are able to know ‘It belongs to God,’ saying.”
- Murui Huitoto: “Everyone who tells that Jesus Christ became a man pertains to God. From telling like this you will know God’s teller.” (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 5:13:
- Uma: “To you who believe in God’s Child I write this letter, so that you truly know that you have received good life forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “I write this to you so that you will be assured that you have everlasting life. This writing is for you the ones who trust in God’s Son.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You who have believed in the Son of God, I write to you so that you might know that you already have life without end.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “I have written these-things to you who believe in the Child of God so that you will come-to-know that you have in you the life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “As for these things, I’m writing them to you who believe-in/obey and trust the Son of God, so that you can be sure that as for you, you have life which is without ending.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “I write these words in the letter here that those who believe the Son of God will know that they have the new life forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “I have written these things to you, who now trust in God’s son, so you will know that you have eternal life.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “This I am writing to you so that you will know that you possess the new life, because (in that) you believe God’s Son.”
- Tzotzil: “Therefore I wrote you this, you (pl.) who have also believed the word of God’s Son in order that thus you know that you will live forever.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “I am writing to those of you who rest-the-whole-weight of your hearts on God’s Son. I am writing to you in order that you may learn (come to understand) eternal life, that which you possess.”
- Yanesha’: “These things I wrote to you, you who believe in our Father’s Son, then, thus will you know of a truth, that you will not always be in a mortal state (capable of dying), forever.”
- Aguaruna: “I’m writing to those of you who believe in God’s Son, ‘that they know they will always live,’ saying.” (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 3 John 1:11:
- Uma: “Friend! Don’t imitate what is evil. Imitate what is good. People who do what is good, they are-children of God [lit., relate-as-child-to God]. People who do what is evil, they do not yet know God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “My beloved friend, don’t join-in/imitate the bad customs but join-in/imitate the good customs. Whoever does good, he belongs to God. Whoever does bad, he doesn’t know God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My dear brother, let us not imitate evil behaviour like that, rather what we should imitate is good behaviour. As for anyone whose actions are good, he belongs to God. As for anyone, by contrast, whose behaviour is bad, God is not in his breath.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “My friend, don’t follow-the-example of what is bad but rather what is good. For the one who does what is good, he is the child of God, but as for the one who does what is bad, his thoughts are still far from God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Dear friend, dont you copy the evil doing of others, but rather whatever is good, that is for you (to do). Because as for the one who does good, he is harmonizing with God. But as for that one who does evil, he hasn’t comprehended what the nature/ways of God are.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my dear brother, do not do the evil which that one does. Rather do good. He who does good is the one who is God’s child. But he who does evil is not an acquaintance of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “You dear Gayo, do not do evil like the evil people are doing. Do only good like the good people do. If we do good we are God’s children, but if we do evil we are not yet acquainted with God.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “Loved-one, don’t follow the deeds of bad-characters, but earnestly follow the deeds of good-people. They who habitually do good, are born anew of God, but they who habitually do evil don’t know God.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “Brother whom I love, don’t be like the people who are not doing right, but be like those who are doing right. He who does right comes from God, but he who doesn’t do right doesn’t know God.” (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: “And we went up on a mountain with Jesus and we sat there with 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: “Then we left and went to a village called Ephraim which is near the desert. And we stayed there with 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: “Then Peter and I went to the cave-grave.”
Note that the English Living Bible (publ. 1971) translates the same way.
Following are a number of back-translations of John 10:17:
- Aguaruna: “I will die on behalf of my sheep saying, ‘I will arise from the dead again.’ Therefore my Father loves me.”
- Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “My Father loves me because I give my life and I take it again.”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “I give up myself for people to kill me, but afterwards I will come to life again. And my Father loves me more because I am pleased to do that.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “‘My Father loves me, because I give my life in order to find my life again.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “‘I am really loved by my Father God because I submit to dying so that I will be made alive again.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason that my father’s breath is very big toward me is because I will allow myself to be killed in the stead of those people who belong to me and he will raise me up again from the dead.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “‘My Father, he loves me, because I will give my life so that I will then come-alive again.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “I am really held dear by my Father because of this, that I will give my life/breath so that I may reclaim it again.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “My Father loves me because I give up my life for my sheep. And then I can again be alive.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:1:
- Uma: “My children, the reason I write this is so we won’t do sins. But if there is someone who commits sin, there is the one who acts-as-middle-man-for us before God the Father. He is Yesus Kristus the upright one.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “My children-grandchildren, I write this to you so that you don’t sin. But if there-is-someone who-does-sin, there is a go-between putting-us (dual)-right/reconciling us (dual) with our (dual) Father God. This go-between is Isa Almasi the straight/righteous one.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for you who are like my children, the reason I am writing to you is: so that your faith might be drawn tight and so that you might not sin. However, if there is anyone of us (incl.) who sins, we (incl.) have a datu who helps us before God our Father. Our datu is Jesus Christ who is very righteous.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “You who are my children, I have written this to you so you don’t sin. But if there is one of us who sins, there is (reassurance particle) Jesu Cristo who has absolutely no sin who speaks-with God the Father for us.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “You who are like my children, I am writing these things to you so that (emphatic) you no longer do sin. However, sometimes we do indeed happen-to-do-sin, but let us bear-in-mind that there is someone standing up for us there with God the Father. Jesu-Cristo, he being really righteous, he is this one who is standing up for us.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my children, I write you this word here in order that you will not commit sin. But if there be one who has the misfortune to commit sin, there is our spokesman there where the Father is. This one is Jesus Christ and he has no sin.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “My little children, these things I write you in order that you will not do evil. But if any of us should do evil, there is a person who speaks in favor of us before our father God, he is Jesus Christ the person who walks straight (is righteous).”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “My dear children who are believers, I am writing this paper to you. I’m telling you not to do sin. But if a believer does sin, there is our Helper, who is Jesus Christ, the Good-person, he will speak to the Father about us when we sin.”
- Tzotzil: “My children, I wrote thus to you in order that you not anymore sin. If there are those of you who have sinned, remember that Jesus Christ talks for us (on our behalf) before our Father God. He (Jesus Christ) has a straight heart.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Murui Huitoto: “You are as if you were my own children, therefore I am writing to you lest you do sin.”
- Candoshi-Shapra: “In order that you children not live bad, for that purpose I am writing this. However, if we live bad, there is a defender (one whose profession is to defend) for us at the Father’s. His name is Jesus Christ, the straight one.”
- Yanesha’: “My little ones, these things I write to you thus not will you sin. However, if when anyone sins, the one who speaks in the presence of Father for us, there is. That one is Jesus Christ who completely fitting is whatever he does.”
- Aguaruna: “My little children, I write to you. ‘That they not go to sin,’ saying; but when failing you go to sin, there is one who defends (saves through speaking) on your behalf, Jesus Christ, the blameless one. that one. He will defend, on your behalf, to our Father.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
