The Greek in James 1:18 that is translated as “first fruits of his creatures” or similar in English is translates in Central Mazahua as “first of his people,” in Yatzachi Zapotec as “the first harvest which they gather to give to God,” or in Rincón Zapotec as “a first harvest of all that which God himself made.”
(Source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
The Greek in Romans 1:18 that is translated as “suppress the truth” in English is translated as “will not permit other people to know what is true” in Yatzachi Zapotec as as “very much don’t want to hear the true words of God” in Huehuetla Tepehua. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
The Greek in Romans 8:38 that is typically translated as “powers” in English is translated as “important people on earth here” in Yatzachi Zapotec. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
See also complete verse (Romans 8:38).
The Greek terms that are translated as “reconcile” and “reconciliation” in English are translated in various ways. Nida (1952, pp. 140) says this:
“The North Alaskan Inupiatun describe reconciliation in the simple terms of ‘making friends again.’ That is to say, ‘God was in Christ making friends again with the world.’ The Uduk in the Sudan express this same truth, but in the rather interesting phrase ‘meet, snapping fingers together again.’ This expression is derived from the Uduk’s practice of snapping fingers together when they meet each other. Instead of shaking hands, they extend their thumbs and middle fingers and snap fingers together, but only friends will do this. Men who have something against each other refuse to acknowledge each other in this way. And so it is that the natural man is an enemy of God; he refuses to snap fingers with God, but God has come to reconcile man to Himself and through Jesus Christ has brought man into fellowship with Himself. Man and God may now meet ‘to snap fingers together again.’
“The Tai Dam of Indo-China employ quite a different figure of speech. They say that reconciliation consists in ‘rubbing off the corners.’ This does not refer to social acceptability, but to rubbing off the corners so that two objects, meant for each other, will fit together. Man is regarded as being incapable of fitting into the plan and fellowship of God because of the sin which has deformed him and which stands out as an ugly growth on his personality. The corners of iniquity must be rubbed off so that man may be reconciled to God and made to fit into God’s eternal plan for the world.”
Other translations include:
The Greek in John 21:15 that is translated as “feed my lambs” in English is translated as “teach my people my words, as if to say you will feed my little sheep” in Ojitlán Chinantec, “teach my word to the men who are like lambs” in Huehuetla Tepehua, “help those who believe in me” in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac, “teach the people who have just begun to trust in me” in Yatzachi Zapotec and “now do like a shepherd does. Take care of the people who believe in me” in Tenango Otomi.
(Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
See also tend my sheep.
The Greek in Romans 1:21 that is translated as “senseless minds were darkened” or similar in English is translated as “stupid head-hearts became more stupid” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “little by little their innermost came to sit dark” in Sierra de Juárez Zapotec, and as “now they walk in darkness” in Sayula Popoluca. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translation of 1John 3:24:
Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we are doing what he commands, we are constantly with God, and God is constantly with us. And we know that he is constantly with us because he has given us his Spirit.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “Whoever does what he says, lives with God, and God also resides in his heart. And we know that we live with God because he gave us his good Spirit.”
Tzotzil: Because if we obey his commands, we are in his presence. God is in our hearts. Because is in our hearts the Holy Spirit that God has given us, therefore we know that God is in our hearts.”
Source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.
The Greek in John 9:34 that is translated as “you were entirely born in sins” or similar in English is translated as “you were born completely evil” in Ojitlán Chinantec, “not even being born yet you were a sinner” in Aguaruna, “you have done sin from the time you were born” in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac, “you cursed one, you were born blind because of your evilness” in Yatzachi Zapotec, and “the way you were born shows that you are loaded with sin” in Rincón Zapotec.
(Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)