Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:11:
- Uma: “This is God’s testimony: he gave us good life forever, and this life we get only from his Child.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “This is the witness of God that he has given us (incl.) life without end and this everlasting life is given to us (dual) because of his Son.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “God has said that He would give us life without end; and this life comes from His Son Jesus. This is God’s witness to us (incl.).” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “What he said is this: he has given us the life that has no end, and the source of this life is his Child.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Because this is what his testimony is. Life which is without ending is the gift of God to us, and this can be ours through our believing-in/obeying and trust in this Son of his.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “And God testifies to us that he gives us the new life forever and this new life he gives us when we believe the Son of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “This word is what God says: He has given us eternal life, and we have eternal life because we are joined together with his son.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “And here is the Word that was spoken: That God gave us the new life of our hearts that will never end, and his Son gave us this life.”
- Tzotzil: “Thus God has told us that he has given us life forever. It is on account of His Son that there is our life forever.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “This is the witness: God has given us eternal life. This life is (habitually) in His Son.”
- Yanesha’: “This is what his causing-to-know is: our Father, he went and gave us therein thus we will not always be in a mortal state (capable of dying) forever. This life from his Son, he gives us.”
- Aguaruna: “What God tells is this, ‘You always live, I say to you, because my child will cause you to live.'” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
1 John 5.12″
Following are a number of back-translations of 3 John 1:9:
- Uma: “There was a letter of mine to all our one-faith relatives there [where you are]. But Diotrefes [emphatic], he doesn’t pay-attention-to our (excl.) words, for he always make-important [lit., puts uphill] his own position [lit., seat].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “I sent a letter there to the trusters in Isa Almasi, but Diyotrepes, the person who wants to be their leader does not even pay any attention to what I said in the letter.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I wrote to the believers there, however Diotrephes will not listen to my commands. He wants that he should be the only one to give orders.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “There is that which I wrote previously to the congregation of believers there, but Diotrefes has not paid-any-heed because he doesn’t acknowledge our (excl.) authority. He wants of course that he be the leader there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “I sent the believers there a letter, but Diotrefes took no notice of me, because what he really wants is that he is the one acknowledged as leader.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “I wrote another letter to send to the people who gather there in the church. But Diotrephes wants to be leader there where the believers are, and he does not pay attention to what I say.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “I have written to you who are gathered together worshipping God. But Diotrephes wants to be the most important person of all among you and he does not heed us (ex).”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “I sent a paper to your gathering. But Diotrephes who wants to be first (eminent) there, doesn’t like me, and doesn’t want what I say.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “I already wrote a letter to the people of Christ who are there (implying where you are), but Diotrephes wants to rule over them and he doesn’t pay any attention to me.” (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: “The father of the child, when he heard that we had arrived in Galilee from Judea, came before 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: “And Mary when she arrived where we were saw 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: “Then he said to me, “Love my mother here like your own mother.” And from that day I took her and made her like one of my own family.”
Note that the English Living Bible (publ. 1971) translates the same way.
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: “Therefore the word was passed around among the people who trusted Christ that I would not die. But Jesus did not tell Peter that I would not die, but rather he said to him, ‘If I want him to still be living when I come again, why are you bothered by it?'”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 8:32:
- Ojitlán Chinantec: “And you will know the nature of the truth. And you will be liberated on account of having accepted the truth.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: ” . . . and when you know the truth you will be taken from your servanthood.”
- Aguaruna: “And when you do, you will know truth, and that truth will lead you to freedom.”
- Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “And you will know what is truth. And because of truth you will not be ruled over by anyone else.”
- Chol: “You will begin to become acquainted with the truth of my words. My words are true. They will cause you to become free.”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “You will know what my true words mean, and if you know what they mean, you will no longer be under the foot of evil like slaves.”
- Lalana Chinantec: “. . . You will no longer need to work without pay like you do now.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “and if you are really my followers, you will really know the true teaching, with the result that you will be free.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “And you will know as to what is the truth from God. And this truth will free you from what is enslaving you.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You will know the true doctrine, and by means of this you will be set free from slavery.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “You will come-to-know the truth concerning me, and by-means-of this truth, you will-be-set-free.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “You will really recognize the truth, and this truth is what will release you.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “And you will know the true word and the true word will save you.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 1:9:
- Uma: “If we confess/admit our sin(s), God will fulfill his promise to us, and he will do what is upright: he will forgive our sin(s) and clean us from all our wrongs.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “But if we (dual) confess/say-it’s-true our (dual) sins to God, he forgives our (dual) sins, and he cleanses our (dual) livers from all bad we (dual) do/did. Because this is what God promised and his doing is straight/righteous.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If we admit our sins to God, it is not possible that He will not forgive us, for He is righteous and faithful to His promise. He will cleanse us from all our behaviour which is not righteous.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “But if we confess/admit to God our sins, he will forgive these sins and he will cleanse (gen. word for clean) us from all that is filthy (applied to moral as well as physical filth). He can be trusted to do that and it is moreover correct/proper if that is what he does.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “But if we admit our sins to God, we may be sure that he will forgive us for these, and he will cleanse us from all our evil, because he is wholly truth and really righteous/straight.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “But if we tell God that we have sins, then he will forgive our sins and acquit us from all the evil we have. Because God will do what is proper for him to do, he will forgive us just as he said he would.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we confess before God the evil which we are doing, he will forgive our guilt and blot out all the evil we are doing, because he completes (does) what he says and he walks straight (is righteous).”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: But if we tell our sins, God is right, when he forgives us, because Christ paid (for them). And he will clean us of all evil. And in that way God will fulfill what he said.”
- Tzotzil: “God is straight-hearted therefore if plainly we tell him our sins he loses (pardons) our sins for us. He continually washes out all the evil of our hearts. Because it comes to pass that thus he has told us.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “If we tell our sins to God, He having completely cleansed us, He himself will then be content (will not remember them). For God always has one straight word. For He is one whose character it is to straight.”
- Yanesha’: “If when we admit our sins, our Father completely he forgives on us our sins, completely he erases from us all that is not fitting. He, his words always come to pass, he completely fitting whatever he does, that’s why he forgives us.”
- Aguaruna: “But if we tell (confess) about ourselves, our sins, God forgives us, being so he eradicates all our sin. He completes, also he is good (righteous) being so he eradicates it.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
