Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:8:
Uma: “Yohanes, it was not he who was that light. The reason he came was to spread that light to all people.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Yahiya was not this light. But his mission/purpose for coming here was to tell about the light.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for this John, he is not the one who is that light, but rather he is the one who explains who the light is.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Juan was not the light itself, but rather the one who came to confirm/verify concerning the light.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “It isn’t that he was the one who was the light. He was caused-to-be-a-person because he would be testifying about this light.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “John is not that one who opens the hearts of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Ojitlán Chinantec: “John was not the one who illuminates people. He came to point out that one.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “It wasn’t John who brought light, but rather he came speaking about the person who brings light for mankind.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Hiligaynon: “Juan was not the light, but-rather he came/arrived to tell who is the light.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mairasi: “He himself was not that Light. But for the purpose of testifying about that Light he came.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bariai: “He wasn’t that light, but he came to expound talk about that light.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “John came and told the people concerning/about that light, but that light was not him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Colossians 4:2:
Uma: “Be faithful [lit., remain] praying, don’t stop saying thank you to God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then about praying to God, you really ought to persevere in praying and your thoughts/minds ought to be just/simply wholehearted while you are praying. You ought/must also thank God when you pray.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for all of you, pray strongly and carefully guide your thinking when you pray and always give thanks to God for his kindness to you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Persevere all of you in praying continually while also you are careful so that your thoughts don’t go-astray from what you are praying-about, and also thank God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This yet is more that I will say to you, be-persevering in prayer, and when you pray be thankful people. Think well what you are saying in your praying, not just doing-a-mediochre-job.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Endeavor to always pray to God. Never cease thanking God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Bariai: “You must hold strongly to prayer always. And in your prayers, you must be wakeful, and be thanking (lit. talking good to) God. (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Mairasi: “You guys must pray in truth and in regularly guarding, saying to Above-One “it’s a good thing [thanks].” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “cover over” (a figure of speech which is also employed in Hebrew, but which in many languages is not acceptable, because it implies “hiding” or “concealment”)
Warao: “not being concerned with him clean your obonja.” Obonja is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions” (source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.)
Martu Wangka: “throw out badness” (source: Carl Gross)
Kyaka: “burn the jaw bones” — This goes back to the pre-Christian custom of hanging the jaw bones of murdered relatives on ones door frame until the time of revenge. Christians symbolically burned those bones to show forgiveness which in turn became the word for “forgiveness” (source: Eugene Nida, according to this blog )
Koonzime: “remove the bad deed-counters” (“The Koonzime lay out the deeds symbolically — usually strips of banana leaf — and rehearse their grievances with the person addressed.”) (Source: Keith and Mary Beavon in Notes on Translation 3/1996, p. 16)
Ngbaka: ele: “forgive and forget” (Margaret Hill [in Holzhausen & Ridere 2010, p. 8f.] recalls that originally there were two different words used in Ngbaka, one for God (ɛlɛ) and one for people (mbɔkɔ — excuse something) since it was felt that people might well forgive but, unlike God, can’t forget. See also this lectionary in The Christian Century.
Amahuaca: “erase” / “smooth over” (“It was an expression the people used for smoothing over dirt when marks or drawings had been made in it. It meant wiping off dust in which marks had been made, or wiping off writing on the blackboard. To wipe off the slate, to erase, to take completely away — it has a very wide meaning and applies very well to God’s wiping away sins, removing them from the record, taking them away.”) (Source: Robert Russel, quoted in Walls / Bennett 1959, p. 193)
Gonja / Dangme: “lend / loan” (in the words of one Dangme scholar: “When you sin and you are forgiven, you forget that you have been forgiven, and continue to sin. But when you see the forgiveness as a debt/loan which you will pay for, you do not continue to sin, else you have more debts to pay” — quoted in Jonathan E.T. Kuwornu-Adjaottor in Ibadan Journal of Religious Studies 17/2 2010, p. 67ff. )
Kwere: kulekelela, meaning literally “to allow for.” Derived from the root leka which means “to leave.” In other words, forgiveness is leaving behind the offense in relationship to the person. It is also used in contexts of setting someone free. (Source: Megan Barton)
Merina Malagasy: mamela or “leave / let go (of sin / mistakes)” (source: Brigitte Rabarijaona)
Mauwake: “take away one’s heaviness” (compare sin as “heavy”) (source: Kwan Poh San in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 7:7:
Uma: “‘Ask of God, he will give it to us (incl.). Search for our (incl.) needs to God, we (incl.) will receive them. Don’t stop asking for the door to be opened, God will open the door for us (incl.).” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘Ask and you will be given, seek and you will find, ask to be let in and it will be opened to you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Keep on asking from God and he will give to you. Keep on looking, and he will cause you to find what you are looking for. Keep on calling, and he will open the door for you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus also said, ‘You should always be making-requests to God, and he will give you what you are requesting. Continue also to search and you will find what you are looking for. You should persist also in knocking and the doorway will be opened for you to enter.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘Persist with your (pl.) requesting from God because it’s certain you will be given to. Persist with your searching for what you need from him, for he will help you be able to find it. Plead to be allowed to enter his presence, for he really will respond-favorably.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “God will give you what you need. Ask for what you want. Concerning what you hunt for (need), you will find it. When you knock on the door in calling to God, it will be opened for you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Kuwaataay: “‘Pray, and you will be given; seek, and you will obtain; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Source: Kuwaataay Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “Jesus went on to say that, ‘When you ask, you are given, when you look for something, you get, and when you knock, it will be opened to you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Bariai: “Iesus spoke again like this, ‘Be asking God, and then he will give to you (pl.). Be searching for whatever thing from God, and then you will find it. Knock on the door, and then God will open to you.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Mairasi: “You must/should make requests, eventually [someone] will give [what you requested] to you guys. Look [for something], eventually you will find what you guys sought. Knock [and] call eventually the door will be opened for you guys.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Hiligaynon: “You ask it from God and he will give to you. You continue to come-near to him about your needs and you will be the recipients of it. You to God and he will-answer you.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 15:7:
Mairasi: “That is like this over there in Surga [Heaven] they will have very good liver [joy], when one bad person will make an end from doing bad things [repent], then but it is OK to not seek the ending [repentance] of four whole people and two hands and one hand and four [ninenty-nine] good people.” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Noongar: “I tell you, in the same way, Heaven will be very happy because one person turns away from his sinning, happier than for 99 good people who do not need to turn away.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “So also, when a sinner repents from his sins, the joy of the contents of heaven rejoicing over him is greater than their joy rejoicing over the ninety-nine people whose behavior is straight/upright, who do not need to repent.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I tell you,’ said Isa, ‘likewise also the ones in heaven will be more glad when one sinful person regrets and leaves his sin than they will be glad about ninety nine people who say that they are straight/righteous and don’t need to regret.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus said, ‘I tell you that in the same way also there will be much joy in Heaven if there is one law-breaker who abandons his evil-doings than if there are ninety-nine people who suppose mistakenly their activity is righteous and they don’t need to abandon their bad activity.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus concluded, ‘I tell you that greater is their happiness in heaven if one sinful-person repents than their happiness over ninety nine righteous people who don’t need to repent.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “What I will say to you really is true, that there is much more happiness in heaven about one sinner who repents/is-sorry and will now drop/give-up his sins. For it’s much more than for ninety nine who don’t repent/be-sorry for their sin because, in their mind, they have no sin.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 5:39:
Umiray Dumaget Agta: “You read the writings carefully because you mistakenly think that you will live forever because of them. These, however, are what tell of me.”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “It is necessary that you study well God’s words since you say that there you will find everlasting life up in heaven. And you will find that even there it talks about me.”
Lalana Chinantec: “You read where the word of God is written down, for you think that you will live forever because you have the word of God. But I am the one the word of God is speaking about.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “You study the contents of the Holy Book, because you say that you receive good life forever from that Holy Book. But the Holy Book itself also talks about me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “You really persevere studying the holy-book because you think that if you study you will find/obtain life forever in heaven. And-what’s-more this holy-book tells about me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You study the written word of God because you suppose mistakenly that by means of this you will be able to own eternal life. The written word of God testifies about me, however you don’t believe in me.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “You study-and-study what God caused-to-be-written long ago, because you mistakenly-think that if you do that, you will have life that has no end. But I of-course am the one that that-aforementioned writing talks-about,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “You keep going over and over the word of God in your writings, because you’re sure you will find there how life which has no ending may be yours. However as for these, they testify only concerning me.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “You earnestly study the Holy Book you have because you thus want to find out about the new life which is forever. And the one written about in that Holy Book you study is me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “You like reading the writings so much thinking that when you do like that you will get life everlasting. But these writings talk of how I am.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “You guys already definitely regularly study what’s inside the Holy Book because you guys think/assume: ‘By doing that we will certainly see the life-fruit place [salvation]’ you guys say. In this very same Holy Book it testifies about Me Myself.'” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 2:11:
Noongar: “‘Now this day, in the town of David, a Saviour (lit.: ‘One Bringing Life’) is born – Christ the Lord!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “Today in the town of King Daud, is born a King who lifts you from the punishment of your sins, he is Kristus, the Lord.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “There in Betlehem the town of King Da’ud of old the one who will save you is born this day. He is Almasi the Lord.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For on this night, there in Bethlehem which is the town of King David long ago, was born the Lord, who is the One chosen by God to rule. He is the One who will free you from the punishment of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because this night (lit. today night), has been born in the town of David the one who will save you people, the Messiah who is our Lord.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because your Savior has been born today in the town of David. He is the one who is the promised Cristo who is the Lord.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “It’s as follows: Today in Devit’s village, a woman gave birth to a male child. This child is Kristus your Chief who saves you (lit. retrieves you back).” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Mairasi: “Today in Daud’s village your life-fruit [salvation] king [Messiah] was already born, The One called Kristus Above-One.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 19:38:
Noongar: “God, he blesses the King. The King comes in the name of the Lord. Let peace be in Heaven! There, God sits, high and powerful!'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “They said in their praise: ‘The Lord God blesses the King who comes bringing his name!’ ‘Praise the Lord God who is in heaven, because he has given us goodness.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “They said, ‘We (incl.) praise this King, the one sent by God! There is peace in heaven and God is really praised!'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they praised they said, ‘Praise the king who is sent by the Lord! Our relationship to God is now peaceful! Praise God in heaven!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “They said, ‘May this king whom God has sent as his representative (lit. bodyness) be praised! Peace in heaven and may God be praised!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “What they were calling out was, ‘Praiseworthy is this King who was sent by God! We(incl.) have been reconciled again with God in heaven! Praise God in the high-part of the sky/heaven!'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “And they said, | ‘Chief God empowers this great chief who comes in his name!’ | ‘God has a smooth interior toward us(incl)! Let’s lift up God’s name who is living very high up!’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “They kept shouting saying, | Blessed is the Ruler who comes | in the name of God. | Peace comes from heaven. | Oh! How great God is.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “They themselves hooted and said: ‘We will see good! We magnify Your Name You Ratu [King] Who come with Above-One’s Name! There will be peace over there in Surga [Heaven]! And we will honor Great Above One magnifying His glory!’” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Hiligaynon: “They said, ‘The Lord is-blessing the King that he has sent! Our(incl) relationship with God is now good. Let us praise God!’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
