Copainalá Zoque

vain (worship)

The Greek that is translated into English as “vain” or “in vain” in English is (back-) translated in various ways:

Cashibo-Cacataibo: “say I am important, but they do not believe it”
Kekchí: “has no meaning when they praise me”
Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona: “uselessly”
Copainalá Zoque: “uselessly they remember”
Farefare: “their religion is their mouth”
Southern Subanen: “their worship has no meaning”
Tzotzil: “they say they love me, but this means nothing”
Southern Bobo Madaré: “they worship me but they do not mean what they say”
Central Mazahua: “it is of no value that they honor me”
San Blas Kuna: “their thinking is not in their hearts” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
Mairasi: “tribute of theirs for me [which] will-be-on-their-own” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Guhu-Samane: “with the front teeth of their mouths they worship me” (“‘In vain’ caused puzzlement [because] why should their efforts to worship God produce no results, try as they may? [But the idiom] ‘with the front teeth of their mouths they worship me’ comes from the picture of one who is making a pretense at eating food, hence their deceit is apparent.’ Source: Ernest L. Richert in Notes on Translation December 1963: p. 4-7; reprinted in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff.)

council

The Greek that is translated as “council” or “Council” in English is (back-) translated in a variety of ways:

Tzeltal: “officials who gather together”
Copainalá Zoque: “those who think together”
Amaganad Ifugao: “those who take charge of the affairs” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
Ekari: “place for speech-making/discussion”
Tae’: “great assembly”
Sranan Tongo, Javanese: “(high) tribunal”
Marathi: “assembly of their Judgement-court” (source for this and three above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Lalana Chinantec: “the people who judge”
Chichimeca-Jonaz: “the elders who give them advice”
Morelos Nahuatl: “junta”
Isthmus Mixe: “church judges”
San Mateo del Mar Huave: “big meeting”
Ayutla Mixtec: “council” (source for this and five above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

helmet

The Greek that is translated in English as “helmet” is translated in Copainalá Zoque as “metal cap.” (Source: William Wonderly in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 14ff.)

full armor

The Greek that is translated in English as “full armor” or similar is translated in Copainalá Zoque as “full metal suit.” (Source: William Wonderly in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 14ff.)

hypocrite

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The Greek and Hebrew terms that are translated as “hypocrite” in English typically have a counterpart in most languages. According to Bratcher / Nida (1961, p. 225), they can be categorized into the following categories:

those which employ some concept of “two” or “double”
those which make use of some expression of “mouth” or “speaking”
those which are based upon some special cultural feature
those which employ a non-metaphorical phrase

Following is a list of (back-) translations from some languages:

Highland Totonac, Huautla Mazatec, Lacandon, Cuicatec, Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “two faced”
Obolo: ebi isi iba: “double-faced person” (source: Enene Enene)
Tzeltal, Chol: “two hearts”
Pame: “two mouths”
San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “two heads”
Kekchí: “two sides”
Shipibo-Conibo: “double (or “forked”) tongue”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “double talk”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “to talk false”
Copainalá Zoque: “to lie-act”
Kituba, Amganad Ifugao, Chuukese: “to lie”
Toraja-Sa’dan: “someone whose lips are fair” (i.e. “gracious”)
Mossi: “to have a sweet mouth”
Mazahua: “to have a swollen mouth” (from too much speaking)
Tai Dam: “to have a straight mouth and a crooked heart”
Kongo: “the bitterness of white” (an idiom based on the fact that white-wash looks nice but tastes bitter)
Malagasy: “to spread a clean carpet” (an expression used in Madagascar to describe one who covers up the dirt of an unswept floor just before the arrival of guests)
Zanaki: “those who make themselves out to be good”
Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “those who deceive” (this and all examples above acc. to Bratcher / Nida 1961, p. 225)
Kafa: “one who makes as if his belly is clean” (source: Loren Bliese)
Agatu: ɔcɛ gigbefu — “disguised person acting a part” (source: Mackay, The Bible Translator 1962, 211f)
Mairasi: “deceiver person” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bauzi: “good on top person” (source: David Briley in Kroneman (2004), p. 502)

The English version of Sarah Ruden (2021) uses “play-actor.” She explains (p. li): “A hupokrites is fundamentally an actor. The word has deep negativity in the Gospels on two counts: professional actors were not respectable people in the ancient world, and traditional Judaism did not countenance any kind of playacting. I write ‘play-actor’ throughout.”

preach

The Greek terms that are translated into English as “preach” are regularly rendered into Aari as “speaking the word of salvation.” (Source: Loren Bliese)

Other languages (back-) translate it in the following manner:

Chinese: “chuandao 傳道” (“to hand down the Way (or: the Logos)”)
Kekchí: “declare the word”
Kpelle “speak God’s word”
Tzeltal: “he explains, they hear” (“the goal of all preachers”)
Copainalá Zoque: “a preacher is ‘one who speaks-scatters'” (a figure based on the scattering of seed in the process of sowing) (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
Shilluk: “declare the word of of God.” (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)

In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:

For Acts 9:20, 10:42: “nakotnohora”: “talk about” (“The generic term for preaching.”)
For Acts 8:4, 8:5, 8:25: “rodkiota-ralde’etnohora” — “bring words, give news about.” (“This term is used when the preacher is moving from place to place to preach.”)

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

Kingdom (of God / heaven)

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The German Good News Bible (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) (1st edition: 1968, 2nd edition: 1982, 3rd edition: 1997) says this about the translation of the Greek expressions that in English are often translated as “kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven” respectively:

“An example for how a term evolved is the rendering of ‘heavenly kingdom’ or ‘kingdom of God.’ A verbatim translation will be misunderstood by most readers today: as if it talks about a kingdom that is located in heaven, when in reality it refers in the Bible to God being the ruler, to that area in which that rule has been realized and everything that human beings can expect because of that. Dependent on the context, the term is therefore translated differently in this present version: When it focuses on the presence of God’s kingdom it is rendered as ‘God establishes his rule’ (Gott richtet seine Herrschaft auf), when the focus is on the future it is translated as ‘Once God finalizes his creation (or ‘work’) . . . ‘ (Wenn Gott sein Werk vollendet . . .), and when the focus is on that finished creation it is ‘God’s new world’ (Gottes neue Welt).” (p. 299)

The respective translation choice in that German translation:

Likewise in the Gurung translation the term was also, depending on context, rendered in four different ways:

God’s power at work in the world,
the personal response to God, in obedience and receiving blessing,
God’s future open ruling of the world,
the ultimate blessings of God’s rule in heaven.

(Source: Warren Glover in The Bible Translator 1978, p. 231ff. — here you can also find a comprehensive list of examples where which translation was applied.)

Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages:

Tzeltal: “persons like these will reach God’s government” (as in Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16: “the Kingdom of God belongs to those”) or “the jurisdiction of God” (in the sense of where God has the authority)
Copainalá Zoque: “like God to rule over”
San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “agree to God reigning over”
Kekchí: “power (or authority) of God”
Laka: “God’s commanding”
Javanese: “the rule of God”
Huave: “where God rules”
Huastec: “God as ruler”
San Blas Kuna: “God’s government”
Navajo: “what God has charge of”
Sayula Popoluca: “to have God rule over”
Tzotzil: “to have God as chief”
Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “the leadership of God”
Wayuu: “where God is chief” (this and examples above in Bratcher / Nida)
Fuyug “God’s clan”
Mono: “sana lala’aha nang” – “area of chiefly rule”
Martu Wangka: “The Father looks after his own relatives” (source for this and the two preceding: Carl Gross)
Caribbean Javanese: Kratoné Allah (“God’s seat (of a king)”)
Sranan Tongo: Tiri fur Gado (“the Ruling of God”) or Kownukondre fur Gado (“King’s land of God”)
Eastern Maroon Creole: A Nyun Tii fu Massa Gadu / Saramaccan: Di Njunjun Tii u Gadu (both: “the New ruling of God”) (source for this and 2 above: Jabini 2015)
Umiray Dumaget Agta: “protectorate of God” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Lalana Chinantec: “how God is the boss of people’s hearts”
Chuj: “everything which is in God’s hand” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

In Mairasi, a language “where people would rather say something in a new way than in an old way,” there are a number of translations, including “Great Above One’s (=God) rule,” “His power,” “His control,” or “His place of authority/power.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)

In Q’anjob’al, the translators stumbled on an additional difficulty. Newberry and Kittie Cox (in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff.) explain: “‘The kingdom of God’ may be translated ‘where God supervises’ (or literally ‘guards’). However, in Mark 10:15 and Luke 18:17 it is not possible to speak of ‘receiving the kingdom of God,’ for this would imply that one simply takes over the responsibility for guarding God’s country while He rests. Accordingly, the translation is adapted to meet the cultural and linguistic requirements of the language by the form ‘receive God as king.’

living oracles, living words

The Greek that is translated as “living oracles” or “living words” or similar in English is translated in the following ways:

Eastern Highland Otomi: “word of God that will never finish”
Copainalá Zoque: “word that told us how to live”
Isthmus Mixe: “good words for us that we might obtain the good life”
Ayutla Mixtec: “words of life”
San Mateo del Mar Huave: “word of God”
Rincón Zapotec: “the law which spoke of life” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the indestructible words of God” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)

deny oneself

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The Greek that is translated with “deny himself” or deny oneself” is according to Bratcher / Nida “without doubt one of the most difficult expressions in all of Mark to translate adequately.” These are many of the (back-) translations:

Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “to not accept self”
Amganad Ifugao and South Bolivian Quechua: “to forget self”
North Alaskan Inupiatun: “to have no regard for oneself”
Toraja-Sa’dan: “not bother oneself about oneself”
Huautla Mazatec: “to cover up oneself”
San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “to not worship oneself”
Tzeltal: “to stop doing what one’s own heart wants”
Yaka: “to let go that which he wants to do himself”
Cashibo-Cacataibo: “says, I will not do just what I want to do”
Tzotzil: “to let him say, I do not serve for anything” (in the sense of having no personal value)
Sapo: “to not do what is passing through his mind”
Central Mazahua: “to not take constant thought for himself”
Tabasco Chontal: “to quit what he himself wants”
Highland Totonac: “to undo one’s own way of thinking”
Dan: “to put his own things down”
Kekchí: “to despise himself”
Kituba: “to refuse himself”
Javanese: “to turn his back on himself”
Southern Bobo Madaré: “to disobey himself” (in the sense of denying one’s own wishes)
Huastec: “to leave himself at the side”
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “to leave his own way”
Loma: “to take his mind out of himself completely”
Panao Huánuco Quechua: “to say, I do not live for myself”
Mitla Zapotec: “to say No to oneself” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
Copainalá Zoque: “forgetting self”
Huallaga Huánuco Quechua: “declaring I do not live for myself” (source: Nida 1952, p. 154)
Galela: “put self down” (source: Howard Shelden in Kroneman 2004, p. 501)
Mairasi: “to shuffle out of one’s vision (=forget) everything which is one’s own” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Q’anjob’al: “does not belong to himself any longer” (source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff.)

stiff-necked, uncircumcised in heart and ears

The phrase that is translated into English as “you stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears” is translated into Afar as “You dry stones that nothing enters, and people who have hearts that refuse God, and ears closed saying we didn’t hear God’s message.” (stiff-necked > dry stones, uncircumcised in heart > hearts that refuse God, uncircumcised ears > ears closed to hearing God’s message) (Source: Loren Bliese)

Other translations for “uncircumcised in heart and ears” include:

Rincón Zapotec: “it doesn’t enter your hearts or your ears. You are like those who don’t even believe”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “hard are your hearts and not a little bit open are your ears”
Morelos Nahuatl: “you have your heart as unbelievers, you do not want to hear God’s word”
Highland Popoluca: “you never wanted to do God’s will, never truly believed”
Teutila Cuicatec: “you are just the same as those who do not believe God’s word because you do not obey”
Huichol: “you have not been marked with God’s sign in your hearts or in your ears (you are unruly and unsubmissive like an untamed, unbranded bronco)”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “you do not have the word-sign in your hearts. Your ears are clogged”
Copainalá Zoque: “you just don’t understand”
Isthmus Mixe: “your hearts and minds are not open” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Kaqchikel: “with your hearts unprepared” (Source: Nida 1964, p. 220)

as numerous as the sand on the seashore

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “as numerous as the sand on the seashore” or “as numerous as the sand by the sea” in English is translated in Bauzi as “as many like the tree flowers of the jungle” (source: David Briley in Kroneman 2004, p. 539), in Afar translated as mari mangah arrooqih gide akkuk yeneeniih: “are as numerous as gravel” or loowo sinni: “not countable” (source: Loren Bliese), in Angal Heneng as “like the hairs on a dog” (Source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1077), and in Copainalá Zoque as “their number is like ants” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation, March 1965, p. 2ff.).

apostle, apostles

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The Greek term that is translated as “apostle(s)” in English is (back-) translated in the following ways:

Eastern Highland Otomi, Tzeltal, Western Kanjobal, Western Highland Purepecha, Navajo, Copainalá Zoque, Chol, Balanta-Kentohe, English (original meaning of “apostle”): “the sent ones”
Kituba, Pamona, Mezquital Otomi, Central Pame: “messengers”
Ngäbere: “word carriers”
Southern Subanen: “those commanded to carry the message”
San Blas Kuna: “witnesses to God” (meaning “those who speak up and out for God” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida, except Balanta-Kentohe: Rob Koops)
Mairasi: sasiri atatuemnev nesovnaa or “sent witnesses” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Ekari: “one-who-goes-and-tells-for-someone” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Khmer: Christtout (“messenger representing Christ”) or when Jesus addresses them: Tout robas Preah Ang (“his messengers-representatives”) (source: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 233ff.)
Pwo Karen: “eyeballs” (i.e., “right-hand men”) (source: David Clark)
Tzeltal, Coatlán Mixe: “spreader-of-words”
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “one who goes about preaching the good word” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Ayutla Mixtec: “those who bore the word of God’s mouth”
Chichimeca-Jonaz: “elders messengers” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)