Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:50:
Uma: “‘Salt is very useful. But if its saltiness changes with the result that it is plain/tasteless, what else could make it salty? So also, you who follow me must be like salt: Don’t let your faith become weak. You must live in unity.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “He also said, ‘You do know that salt is really good. But if the salt has no more taste, it cannot become salty again. Therefore you also,’ he said, ‘you should be careful in order that you do not lose your reciprocal-respect and your reciprocal-harmony.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Not only that but salt is good because it makes food delicious, however, if salt loses its flavor, there is no way to bring back its flavor. And the same way, your works must be like salt so that you might be the means for making people better. And it is necessary that your relationship together with each one of you must become peaceful.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The salt, it has a purpose, but if it becomes-tasteless, it’s tang can definitely not be returned. So think about the use of salt and help-each-other so that you will be in-harmony.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Salt is good as long as it is indeed salty. But if it’s no longer salty, how can it be made salty again? Well as for you (pl.), you must make it your habit to be like the saltiness of this. For if you make your nature/ways like this, it’s for the benefit of one another. And persevere with being like-minded which will result in your fellowship/companionship with your fellowman being peaceful.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Mazaltepec Zapotec: “Salt gives flavor (makes food taste good). There is salt which is mixed with earth. This salt loses its flavor. If the salt loses its flavor, with what can we restore its flavor? You, my disciples, should be like good salt which does not lose its flavor. Thus you will be in peace among yourselves.”
Southern Puebla Mixtec: “Salt is good so that food will not go bad. But if the salt is not salty any more, how can we use it? We cannot. So you do like the good salt does. Care for your heart so that it will not go bad. You had better live at peace with one another.”
Korku: “Salt is good to make food acceptable, but if its saltiness is lost leaving only that which is not salt, it is no longer useful to make food acceptable. You also should have something like that in your own hearts so that you will be acceptable to one another and be at peace.” (Source for this and two above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “Salt preserves. If the preserving power of salt could be lost, we would no longer have salt to preserve itself. Peace is like salt. Have salt with you, that means: keep peace with one another.”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:6:
Umiray Dumaget Agta: “That which originates from the body of a person is the body of a person. That which originates from the Spirit of God is spirit.”
Aguaruna: “Those born from people are people. Those born by God’s spirit, they have God’s spirit.”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “All the children of human beings are human beings by birth. All who are born another time, this being the work of the Holy Spirit, these are new people.”
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “One who is a child of people, he has his flesh and bones. And one who has his new life by the power of the Holy Spirit, he has the Spirit of God.”
Chol: “He who is born of a mother is given a body. He who is born of the spirit is given life in his heart.”
Alekano: “One that people give birth to will surely have a person’s soul. One that the Spirit gives birth to, he will surely have the Spirit’s soul.”
Tenango Otomi: “A child, when it is born, if his parents are only people, is also only a person. But in order for a person to live anew, only the Holy Spirit can cause it.”
Lalana Chinantec: “People’s flesh and blood causes our flesh and blood to be alive when we are born. But the great Spirit of God causes our hearts to be alive.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “Man lives in this world, and is born from his parents. But the new life of his soul he receives from the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “What is born of mankind is mankind/human. But if a person is born again from the Spirit of God, he is made a child of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That which is born by means of a human is only human also, but that which is born by means of the power of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit lives in him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because the one to whom a person gives-birth, he is humanlike (connotes limited, sinful humanity), but the one by-contrast to whom the Holy Spirit gives-birth, he is spiritual (loan naispiritoan).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because the one given birth to by a human, he is indeed human, a slave yet to sin. But that one who has been given birth to again, for he has been given birth to by the Espiritu Santo, he is now free from that slavery.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “A child, when it is born and his parents are only people, is also only a person. But in order for a person to live anew, only the Holy Spirit is able to cause it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Huehuetla Tepehua: “Now they know that everything is yours, all the things that you gave me.”
Asháninka: “Now they all know that you are the author of all that you have taught me.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “And they already know that all these things that I do and all that I say come from yourself.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “Now, they know: all that you (sing.) gave to me, is definitely from you (sing.), Father.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “and they are sure that all you have given to me is truly from you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They now know that all that I am able to do comes only from you,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “and now they have come-to-know that you (sing.) are the source of all I have done and said.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Now they know that as for everything you entrusted to me, there’s no other place it came from but on the contrary it all came from you.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now they know that all I speak is what you told me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:6:
Uma: “When the sun got hot they withered until they became dry, because their roots were not deep.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “When the sun shone-brightly, immediately it drooped and because it’s roots were not deep, it withered.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But when the sun came out, the plants quickly withered because their roots could go down only a little way.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But when the sun rose-high, they wilted and withered, because their roots were insufficient.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But when the heat became scorching, they shrivelled because there was nowhere where they had been able to put down deep roots.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Mezquital Otomi: “And when the sun rose it dried up and died, because its roots had not grabbed.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 20:47:
Noongar: “They cheat widows and seize their houses, but afterwards, they want people to see them praying a long time! Their punishment will be worse!'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “They deceive widows and grab their houses. And they hide the evil of their behavior with long prayers. Their punishment will be very heavy.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “They cause difficulties for the widow women so that they will get their houses, and they worship for a long time, pretending that they are good people. Surely they will receive a great judgment in the afterworld.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for these teachers of the Law, they cheat widow-women in order to come to own the houses of those women, and their prayers are very long but these are used to cover up their evil deeds. God has great punishment for them in the future.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “They moreover deceive widowed women to thus get their possessions and even their houses while at the same time they make-their prayers -very-long in the sight of the many-people. In-the-future indeed (prophetic formula) their punishment will be heavier.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “And they also use up the livelihood of widow women by what they cause to be given by them. And because they want to cover their ways which are evil, they make their prayers last a long time. Their punishment really will be very heavy.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Ibaloi: “They wickedly take the possessions of widowed women, and when they go to their church they make long prayers, so that they will say that they are good people. Big is the punishment of God on them.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Lalana Chinantec: “For truly my flesh and blood give strength.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “Because my body is real food, and my blood is real drink.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “For my flesh is the real food and my blood is the real drink.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “for my body and my blood become food and drink forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because my body and my blood, those are the true food and drink.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because as for my flesh, it truly is food, and that blood of mine, it truly is drink.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Because my flesh truly takes the place of food for the people. And my blood takes away the thirst of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:7:
Uma: “Relatives whom I love! Let us love one another, because love appears from God. All people who love others, they are the ones who are-children of God and who know God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My beloved friends, we (incl.) should love each other because love is from God. Whoever really loves, he is a child of God and he knows God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “My dear brothers, it is necessary that we (incl.) thoroughly show our love for each other, for love comes from God. Anyone who has great love for his companions, he is the one who has been made the child of God and the friend of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “My friends, we love-one-another because God is where love comes-from. So the one who loves his fellow, that one is the child of God who knows him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “My dear ones, let us make sure that we value one another, because as for God, he is the source of this valuing. Well each one who values like this, it’s clear that he has as-it-were been given birth to by God and he now really knows him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen, my dear brethren, it is necessary that each of us loves our fellow-believers. Because he who loves his fellowman does what God has determined. He who loves his fellowmen is God’s child. And such a one is an acquaintance of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “You whom I love, we must love our fellows each of us the other because God causes us who are his children to love our fellows. If we love our fellows we are God’s children and we are acquainted with him.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “Loved ones, come let us love one another. Because love comes from God. And he who loves his fellow-man is born anew by God, and knows God well.”
Tzotzil: “You that I love, let us love one another because it is on account of God that we take on the character of a lover. (love) If we take on the character of a lover it is because we have been born again in the presence of God for sure. We know God.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
Candoshi-Shapra: “Ones whom I love, listen! Let’s love each other now. For love is of God. The one who habitually loves is in -the-state-of-having-been-born by-means-of-God. He learned of God.”
Yanesha’: “My loved ones, let us characteristically love one another. Love comes from our Father. All lovers are born from our Father and know our Father how he is.”
Aguaruna: “Ones I love, let’s love one another, because God causes us to love. He who loves is God’s child, being so he knows ‘God is like that,’ saying.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)
The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is transliterated “Levites” in English (only the Contemporary English Version translates it as “temple helpers”) is translated in Ojitlán Chinantec as “temple caretakers,” Yatzachi Zapotec as “people born in the family line of Levi, people whose responsibility it was to do the work in the important church of the Israelites,” in Alekano as “servants in the sacrifice house from Jerusalem place,” in Tenango Otomi as “helpers of priests” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.), in Chuj as “family of Levi,” and in Desano as “grandchild of Levi” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In American Sign Language with a sign that combines “temple” + “servant.” (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Levite” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
