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: “When it was dark we disciples of Jesus went down to the edge of the water.”
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 they came out to meet us and him, they were carrying palm branches and they were crying out about his coming, saying . . .”
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: “At that time we did not yet understand the Word of God which is written saying that Jesus will come to life from among the dead people.”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 14:2:
- Ojitlán Chinantec: “In my Father’s house are many rooms for people to live in. If there were not many rooms, I would not have told you there were many. But there are, so I am going to get them arranged for you to live in.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “There where my Father is are many houses. If it wasn’t like that up in heaven, I would have told you that it wasn’t like that. I am going to fix up the houses that are going to be yours.”
- Aguaruna: “There is a lot of free space, able to be lived in, in my Father’s place. If that were not true I would not have told you it was! I am going in order to prepare your staying place.”
- Tsafiki: “Where my Father God lives are many houses to live in. It’s true. I’m not one who lies!”
- Navajo (Dinė): “Where my Father’s home is there are many houses. If it were not that way, would I have told you that it was? I am going there in order to prepare a place for you.”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Where my Father God is like a large house with many rooms. I would have told you if there were not rooms for you. And now I will return to prepare rooms for each of you.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling-places. I go to prepare your dwelling-places for you. If it were not like that, I would have told you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “There in the place of my Father God, there are many dwellings. If this were not true I would not tell you this. I am going to prepare your dwellings.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There are many places which can be lived in where my Father lives. For if this were not true I would not have said to you a while ago that I go to prepare a place for you to live in.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because there are many dwelling-places for people -where my Father -is-staying in heaven, and I am going there to go prepare your dwelling-place. If this that I tell you were not true, would I tell it?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “In heaven where my Father lives, it’s a dwelling-place with lots of room. This is really true, and I’m going ahead now to do what will cause you to be able to live there. If it’s not true, of course I wouldn’t say it to you.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “There at my Father’s house there are many places to stay. If there weren’t resting places, I wouldn’t have told you this. But now I am going to prepare a place for you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 2:6:
- Uma: “People who say they remain in harmony with God, their behavior must be like Kristus’ behavior.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Whoever says that he is one with God his conduct should be like Isa Almasi’s conduct when he was here in the world.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But if there is a person who obeys the commands of God, his holding God dear in his breath has been drawn tight. As for the person who says that he has a close relationship with God, it is necessary that his actions be righteous, just like the actions of Jesus were righteous. If this is what we (incl.) do, we know that we have been made one with God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “But as for the one who is following the words of God, he is the one whose love for God has no lack/fault. If then there is one who says that he has-joined/been-added-to/belongs to God, he must follow-the-example of Jesu Cristo. And if we do that, that’s how we know for sure that it is true that we have been joined to God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Therefore the one who says, ‘I am now holding fast to Jesu-Cristo, being really united/tied-together now with him,’ it’s necessary that he live his life like the way Jesu-Cristo lived, when he was still here under the heavens.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “He who says that he walks with God must necessarily live like Jesus Christ lived when he lived here.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we say that we are constantly present with Jesus Christ, we must do as Jesus Christ did.”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “If one says he is living with Christ, he must walk like Christ walked.”
- Tzotzil: “If we say ‘I am in the presence of God,’ then let us do like Jesus Christ did.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
- Candoshi-Shapra: “If a person says he abides with Jesus, like Jesus was, like that also he should live.”
- Yanesha’: “If anyone say, I, I am one with him, let him walk thus he used to walk.”
- Aguaruna: “He who ‘I am in Christ,’ saying, walking, the same as he did (like him) should walk.” (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 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.)
