Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Timothy 2:5:
Uma: “God is only one, and only one also is the Middleman who causes-to-be-in-harmony God with mankind. That Middleman, he is man[kind] too, he is Kristus Yesus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “There is only one God and there is also only one who-goes-between God and mankind to reconcile them, he is Isa Almasi our (incl.) fellow human being.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There is only one God, and there is only one Datu between God and people. And our Datu is the person Jesus Christ.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He wants that because there is only-one God and only-one also who speaks-with him for all people. He is the person Cristo Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because God is one-only, there is no other. And only-one also is the one who has been dedicated/made-sure to stand up for people where God is, only Cristo Jesus who became a man.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “There is only one God. And concerning the one who can bring together God and the people also there is only one person, this one is Jesus Christ.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Mairasi (verses 5 and 6): “Because there is only one Great Above One! Furthermore there is only one Leader of Peace, He is the Person Kristus Yesus. He is the One who lives between people and Great Above One right now. This very One Himself gave Himself as the price for releasing all people from malevolent spirit. Also when the day comes for releasing us He Himself will live as the witness saying: ‘Very definitely I already paid the complete price for this!’” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
“beg” or “ask,” (full expression: “ask with one’s heart coming out,” which leaves out selfish praying, for asking with the heart out leaves no place for self to hide) (Tzotzil)
“raise up one’s words to God” (implying an element of worship, as well as communication) (Miskito, Lacandon) (source of this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
“speak to God” (Shilluk) (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
“talk together with Great Above One (=God)” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter, 2004)
“beg” (waan) (Ik). Terrill Schrock (in Wycliffe Bible Translators 2016, p. 93) explains (click or tap here to read more):
What do begging and praying have to do with each other? Do you beg when you pray? Do I?
“The Ik word for ‘visitor’ is waanam, which means ‘begging person.’ Do you beg when you go visiting? The Ik do. Maybe you don’t beg, but maybe when you visit someone, you are looking for something. Maybe it’s just a listening ear.
When the Ik hear that [my wife] Amber and I are planning trip to this or that place for a certain amount of time, the letters and lists start coming. As the days dwindle before our departure, the little stack of guests grows. ‘Please, sir, remember me for the allowing: shoes, jacket (rainproof), watch, box, trousers, pens, and money for the children. Thank you, sir, for your assistance.’
“A few people come by just to greet us or spend bit of time with us. Another precious few will occasionally confide in us about their problems without asking for anything more than a listening ear. I love that.
“The other day I was in our spare bedroom praying my list of requests to God — a nice list covering most areas of my life, certainly all the points of anxiety. Then it hit me: Does God want my list, or does he want my relationship?
“I decided to try something. Instead of reading off my list of requests to God, I just talk to him about my issues without any expectation of how he should respond. I make it more about our relationship than my list, because if our personhood is like God’s personhood, then maybe God prefers our confidence and time to our lists, letters, and enumerations.”
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning (click or tap here to read more):
For Acts 1:14, 20:36, 21:5: kola ttieru-yawur nehla — “hold the waist and hug the neck.” (“This is the more general term for prayer and often refers to worship in prayer as opposed to petition. The Luang people spend the majority of their prayers worshiping rather than petitioning, which explains why this term often is used generically for prayer.”)
For Acts 28:9: sumbiani — “pray.” (“This term is also used generically for ‘prayer’. When praying is referred to several times in close proximity, it serves as a variation for kola ttieru-yawur nehla, in keeping with Luang discourse style. It is also used when a prayer is made up of many requests.”)
For Acts 8:15, 12:5: polu-waka — “call-ask.” (“This is a term for petition that is used especially when the need is very intense.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 18:14:
Mairasi: “Like that for any of these little children’s self to dry up [to perish] is not My Father Who is in Surga [Heaven]’s throat [will]’ said He.” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Uma: “So also your Father in heaven, he does not like it if there is one from these little children who is far from Him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “A person does not want that one of his animals gets lost. Na, like that is also your Father in heaven, he does not want that even one of these small children happens-to-go-far from God.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It is just the same also with our Father in heaven, because he doesn’t want that there is even one only of these children who are not freed from punishment.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “So also with your Father in heaven who does not want even one of the lowest of people to be separated from him.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Like that indeed, your Father there in heaven doesn’t want even one to go astray of these ones who cause themselves to be like a small child who believes in me.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Thus it is like your Father who is in heaven, he does not want that even one of these children will be lost.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 19:32:
Noongar: “They went to the village and saw everything which Jesus had said.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “Those two disciples really did go, and they found [it] definitely like what Yesus had said to them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then the ones he told to, went to that village and they saw all as Isa had told them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then those whom he sent, when they arrived there, it was exactly as Jesus said. They saw the donkey there.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “They went then and all that Jesus had told them came true.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Those two who were sent set out. They found that asno which was referred to just as Jesus had said.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “Okay, he sent the two of them to go and then they saw everything like he spoke to the two of them about.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “The disciples went and found the donkey as Jesus had told (them).” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “Yesus’ two disciples already departed [and] went and they saw according to whatever He Himself had said.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Hiligaynon: “Therefore the two of them left and what Jesus told them was really/[intensifier] fulfilled.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:3:
Uma: “And they saw something that was like fire resembling tongues, that spread/crept and touched/landed on each one of them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then they saw (something) like flames of fire scattering, and being placed on each one of them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they all saw something which looked like flames of fire which separated from each other and came to rest on each one of them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “And they saw something-like fires that separated to go alight on each of them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Then they saw what was like flames of fire which settled on each of them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Isthmus Mixe: “Then something small like a tongue, like a flame, appeared to them. Each one of their heads was sat upon by it.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Hiligaynon: “Then they saw flames of fire which where like tongues which scattered and alighted on each one of them.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mairasi: “Then they themselves saw fire flames scatter all around until eventually they landed right on top of them.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bariai: “And they saw something like tongues of fire disperse and go up onto each one of them.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “Things like flames of fire came on the disciples and stopped/settled on their heads.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
The Greek, Latin, Ge’ez, and Hebrew that is translated as “shepherd” in English is translated in Kouya as Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ — ” tender of sheep.”
Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains:
“Then one day they tackled the thorny problem of ‘shepherd’. It was problematic because Kouyas don’t have herdsmen who stay with the sheep all the time. Sheep wander freely round the village and its outskirts, and often a young lad will be detailed to drive sheep to another feeding spot. So the usual Kouya expression meant a ‘driver of sheep’, which would miss the idea of a ‘nurturing’ shepherd. ‘A sheep nurturer’ was possible to say, but it was unnatural in most contexts. The group came up with Bhlabhlɛɛ ‘yliyɔzʋnyɔ which meant ‘a tender of sheep’, that is one who keeps an eye on the sheep to make sure they are all right. All, including the translators, agreed that this was a most satisfactory solution.”
Other translations include:
Chuj: “carer” (there was no single word for “shepherd”) (source: Ronald Ross)
Muna: “sheep guard” (dhagano dhumba) (there was no immediate lexical equivalent) (source: René van den Berg),
Mairasi: “people who took care of domesticated animals” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 4:4:
Noongar: “But Jesus said, ‘The Bible says, ‘People don’t live only on bread’.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “Yesus answered: ‘In the Holy Book it is written like this: ‘Man does not live from just food.’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Isa answered him, he said, ‘It is written in the holy-book it says, ‘It is not just food which causes mankind to live.’ ‘” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus answered, ‘There is a written word of God which says, ‘Food is not the only thing that men live by, or stay alive with.’ ‘” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But Jesus answered (him) saying, ‘The written word of God says, ‘It’s not only food that is a means-of-life for people.’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But Jesus answered him, saying, ‘Isn’t it so that what God said is written, which says, ‘It isn’t just only food which makes people live.”” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “And then Iesus answered his talk like this, ‘The talk of God’s book says, ‘A man isn’t able to receive good living by eating bread alone.’ ‘” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “Jesus replied, ‘But the writings of God say, ‘(A) person does not live by food alone.’ ‘” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “In Above-One’s Holy Book it is written: ‘People’s living will not be from only tubers’ it says.'” (Source Enggavoter 2004)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:3:
Uma: “He is the one God used-as-his-hands to cause-to-be all that was caused-to-be. There is not one thing that became without Him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Everything was created by the Word by/from the command of God. There was nothing created whatever here in this world/universe if not from the Word.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “All the things that God created were through this Word, and there was nothing that was created if it wasn’t by means of him, the Word of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He was the one whom God had-make all that exists, and absolutely nothing was made except (lit. if not) through him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “By the strength of his supernatural-power, all things were laid-down/spread-out (i.e.existed). The truth is, there was nothing at all which was created-supernaturally of which he wasn’t the one who created.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “He made all the things there are as God wanted them to be. Of all the things there are, there isn’t one that he didn’t make.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “Through him, all things were-made, and nothing at-all[intensifier] was-made that was not through him.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mairasi: “He Himself is the One Who made all things. If He Himself were not there then none of this would have come into existence.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bariai: “By him, God made everything to come forth. And everything which came forth, it didn’t come forth by any other way. It came forth by him alone.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “Everything was created through him. If he had not existed, everything which has been seen/come into existence would not have been seen.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
