complete verse (Mark 8:38)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 8:38:

  • Uma: “‘You dwell in the midst of evil people who do not follow me. But who[ever] is embarrassed to confess/admit that they follow me and are embarrassed of my teaching, I also will be embarrassed to confess/admit that he is my follower when I come from heaven. At that time, I the Child of Mankind will descend here with the holy angels, I will shine with the power of my Father.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Whoever is ashamed to say-in-front-of the people that he is my disciple, and that he follows my teaching, – and the people nowadays most of them are sinful and do not follow God, – I, the Son of Mankind, I will also be ashamed to recognize him as my disciple, when I come back here together with the holy angels surrounded by the brightness/glory of my Father God.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who is ashamed of me and ashamed of my teaching in this time when many people are wicked and reject God, I, the Older Sibling of Mankind, will be ashamed of him also when I return with my angels and I am clothed in the powerful shiningness of my Father God.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “People nowadays are thoroughly sinful. They have-left God to go look-for other god/gods. Whoever of them rejects me who am Child of a Person and my teachings, I will also reject him when I come, my companions being my holy angels and showing my Father’s honor.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The truth is, as for the mass of people today, their nature/ways are evil and they really don’t follow/obey the will of God. Well since it’s like that, whoever will be ashamed/embarrassed to submit to me and admit-the-truth of my word, then really I, who am the One From Heaven Born of Man/human, will be ashamed of him on my returning here, it then being evident that the praiseworthiness/glory of my Father is with me, and my companions being the very-far-from-ordinary angels.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “For these people are people who have left God and who do sin. And there are those who won’t associate themselves with me and my words before these people. And I’m the true relative of the people. But I won’t associate myself with the one not willing to associate himself with me. And so it will be when I come. I will become all glorious. And the angels who are clean in heart will come with me.”
  • Palantla Chinantec: “So don’t make that you won’t know me or my word if you want me to recognize you when I return, I who have become your fellow-man. Because I will make that I don’t know whoever made not to know me before their fellows who don’t fear God and are guilty of sin. Because I will return holding my Father’s staff [that is, not holding a literal staff but symbolical of authority], angels of heaven with me.” (Source for this and above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (John 1:33)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:33:

  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “I wouldn’t have realized who he was, but God, the person who sent me to baptize said to me, ‘You will see my Spirit come down where the person is who will cause my Spirit to be in your hearts to rule you.'”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: ” . . . ‘You will see the Holy Spirit who will come down from heaven. The Holy Spirit will come to rest on a man. He is the one who will send the Holy Spirit to people, as if to say, he will baptize with the Holy Spirit instead of water.'”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “I didn’t know who he was at first, but the one who sent me said to me: ‘You are going to see the Great Spirit descend on a person. The Great Spirit will remain on him. He is the one who will cause my Great Spirit to enter into people’s hearts. That’s how he will baptize people.’ That’s what he told me.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “There is also this testimony of Yohanes. He said: ‘At first I did not know that Yesus was the Redeemer King. But God ordered me to baptize people with water, and he said to me like this: ‘If you (sing.) should see the Holy Spirit come-down and land on a person, He will be the one who will baptize people with the Holy Spirit.’ So, I did see the Holy Spirit come-down from heaven in-the-shape-of a dove, land and come-to-rest on Yesus. That is why these are my words: Yesus, He is the Child of God.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I did not yet know him, but God who told me to bathe the people with water told me, he said, ‘When you see the Holy Spirit come down going to a certain person and remaining there with him, he is the one who will bathe mankind in a different way, he will send to them the Holy Spirit.’ ‘ Then Yahiya testified about Isa, he said, ‘I really saw the Holy Spirit come down from the sky like the shape of a dove alighting and remaining with Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And at first,’ said John, ‘I did not yet know that he was the prophesied king, but God who is the one who sent me that I might baptize by means of water, he told me beforehand, he said, ‘If you see a person upon whom the Holy Spirit comes down and doesn’t leave him, this is the person who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Previously, I-say, I didn’t know him. But then the one who sent me to go baptize-with water, he said, ‘The one whom you (sing.) see on-whom-my-Spirit -alights and remains, it is he who will baptize-with the Holy Spirit.’ And so it was that I saw the Holy Spirit like a pigeon/dove who came-down from heaven and stayed with/in him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I didn’t know that he was the one. But God who sent me to baptize in water, he’s the one who said to me, ‘You will see the Espiritu Santo who will descend on a person and enter-to-indwell him. Well, that one, that person is the one who will baptize, the Espiritu Santo being what he baptizes with.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Until then I did not know who was the Christ. But when I was sent to baptize with water, God told me, ‘That man you see that the Holy Spirit arrives upon, he is that one who will cause that the people will be empowered by the Holy Spirit.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 14:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 14:11:

  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “Believe my words. I and my Father are the same. Or if you still don’t believe just because I said so, believe because you have seen the works that I have done.”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “Believe that I and my Father are one thing. Or if you can’t believe just by my words, believe by means of what I have done.”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “You must believe that I walk with my Father. My Father walks with me also. But if you do not believe that, there is something which makes it evident. You have seen the miracles which I have done; therefore, on account of them you must believe.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “Believe me [emphatic], that I an in-harmony with my Father and my Father in-harmony with me. Even if you do not believe my words, believe because you have seen all that I do.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said, ‘You must believe what I said that my Father and I are one. If you do not believe because of these my words, just believe because of the deeds I have done.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Believe what I say to you that I am there to my Father and he is here to me. And if you can’t believe this because of what I tell you, believe it because of my works. Because as for my works, you will see from them that what I say to you is true.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore you should believe what I say to you that I am in my Father and my Father is also in me. And if you aren’t satisfied with what I say, you should still believe on-account-of the amazing-things I have been doing.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It is necessary that you (pl.) believe that I and my Father, we (excl.) are one living-entity. If supposing you don’t believe these things I am telling, however because of the deeds/works which I am doing it’s necessary that you believe it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Believe that just like I am, my Father is also, and just like my Father is, also I am. If you don’t believe just the word, then believe because of what I do.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Mark 2:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:19:

  • Uma: “Yesus answered them with this parable [lit., example words], he said to them: ‘As for people at a wedding feast, do they fast while accompanying the bridegroom? Of course not. While the bridegroom is still with them they do not fast.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa answered them in a parable. He compared his disciples to people at a wedding. He said, ‘Can the people at a wedding fast as long as the bridegroom is still there with them? No. As long as the bridegroom is still there with them they cannot fast.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus answered parabling, ‘If someone has-a-wedding-ceremony, do you think do-you-suppose (rhet. question) that the friends of the man-getting-married will not join-in-eating, whom he invited? They will certainly eat, because it is unseemly if they fast and the man-getting-married is still with them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied, saying, ‘Can the people fast who have been invited to a marriage-feast as long as that man whose marriage is being celebrated is still with them? Of course not.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Ebira: “Jesus said to them: ‘Can the people (the relatives and friends of) a man, who is in the process of getting a wife, fast while the husband is with them? They cannot fast when the husband of the girl is with them.'” (Ebira does not have formal terms for “wedding,” “groom,” and “bride”) (Source: Hans-Jürgen Scholz in Holzhausen 1991, p. 34)
  • Peñoles Mixtec: “Is it fitting that people who are at a wedding feast, that they won’t eat anything? No! They will eat a lot, because they are rejoicing with their friend who is going to marry his wife.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “Jesus said to them, ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom fast, when the bridegroom is with them? No. So long as the bridegroom is with them, they cannot fast.”

complete verse (Mark 12:39)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 12:39:

  • Uma: “They are happy to be seated in the honorable seats in the prayer houses. They are happy if they are seated in the good seats in the feasts.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If in the prayer-house, they want to sit in the seat for the respected people. Likewise if they are at a feast, their wish is to sit in the most prominent seat.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they are in the church, they want that they are the oens to be seated in the seats of high people. And they also want that they are greatly respected when they attend feasts.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They also choose the best seats in the sinagoga (synagogue), and when they go to join-in-eating, it has to be the important people that they go and sit-with.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And their favorite seats in the worship-place are the seats where important people are seated. It’s like that too at feasts.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Choapan Zapotec: “Also they want to sit where the respected people sit in the synagogue. Also when there is a fiesta, they want to eat first.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (John 3:30)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:30:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “It is necessary that it be known that he is the great one. But it is necessary that I be thought nothing of.”
  • Aguaruna: “He will be more surpassing. I will not be great, I will be small.”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “He must be honored by many people, but I will no longer be honored.”
  • Chol: “Christ must be the more important one. I must be made less important.”
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “It is necessary that they follow Jesus more and more and that they follow me less and less.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “He is the one whose life must be made high, and my life must be made low.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He has to become greater/more honored but I have to become lower/less,’ said Yahiya.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For example, if there is a man being married, the bride belongs to him. As for the wedding arranger, his breath is very good when he hears that bridegroom talking with the one he has married. It’s like that also because it pleases me very much if many follow Jesus,’ said John. ‘It is necessary that mine should be removed.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It is necessary that he be-made-greater (lit. high) while-simultaneously I become-lower.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It’s necessary that he becomes praiseworthy/highly-praised, but as for me, I just become insignificant.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “That one, the people must know better that he surpasses, and I must be second more.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (1 John 4:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 4:2:

  • Uma: “This is a sign so that we know who is controlled by the Spirit which is from God: all people who admit-confess that Yesus is the Redeemer King who became a man/human, those people are-children of God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Like this you can recognize the people that have God’s Spirit: whoever says that Isa Almasi came to the world in the body of a human/mankind, that person has God’s Spirit.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Any spirit which says that Jesus, the one God chose to rule, has become human, that spirit comes from God. By means of this, you can perceive the spirit which comes from God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The way-that-you -can-distinguish whether the Holy Spirit is the source of what they are saying is this: if they acknowledge that Jesus is the Cristo who became a person, the Spirit of God is where it is from.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Like this is how you can know if it is the Espiritu Santo who was caused to indwell (us) by God who really is the one inspiring (lit.putting it in the mind of) a person. The one who testifies that as for Jesu-Cristo, he really became a real human and came down here to the world, it’s certain that the Espiritu Santo of God is inspiring him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I will tell you how you can know whether it is true that the Holy Spirit put into the person’s mind the words he speaks or not. Everyone who says that Jesus Christ truly became human, that is one who truly speaks God’s word.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “This is how we may know if the Spirit of God is in the head-heart of a person: Everyone who says that Jesus Christ is God and he was born a man on this earth, we know that the Spirit of God is in his head-heart.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “We must know which word is really God’s Word. If it says that God’s chosen-One became a person and he is Jesus Christ, that is really the Word of God.”
  • Tzotzil: “I will tell you how it is if we have received the Spirit of God. If plainly we say ‘Jesus Christ has come and took his body here in the world (became a person),’ we have received the Spirit of God for sure.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)
  • Candoshi-Shapra: “The one who says, ‘Jesus Christ arrived with-his-very-body,’ says it by God’s Spirit. By that means we recognize God’s Spirit. Only the very one who says that is from God.”
  • Yanesha’: “Here, therein you will know our Father, his following: Whichever is the one which admits that Jesus Christ was born as a human here on earth, that following comes from our Father.”
  • Aguaruna: “‘Jesus Christ becoming person was born,’ saying, that thought it is of God. Like that you all are able to know ‘It belongs to God,’ saying.”
  • Murui Huitoto: “Everyone who tells that Jesus Christ became a man pertains to God. From telling like this you will know God’s teller.” (Source for this and two above: Mildred Larson in Notes on Translation, July 1965, p. 1-15)

prophet

Click here to view graphically

Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:

“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)

Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):

  • San Blas Kuna: “one who speaks the voice of God”
  • Central Pame and Vai: “interpreter for God”
  • Kaqchikel, Navajo (Dinė), Yaka: “one who speaks for God”
  • Northern Grebo: “God’s town crier” (see more about this below)
  • Sapo: “God’s sent-word person”
  • Shipibo-Conibo, Ngäbere: “one who speaks God’s word”
  • Copainalá Zoque: “one who speaks-opens” (a compound meaning “one who discloses or reveals”)
  • Sierra Totonac: “one who causes them to know” (in the sense of “revealer”)
  • Batak Toba: “foreteller” (this and all the above acc. to Nida 1961, p. 7)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “one who is inspired of God” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Alekano: “the true man who descended from heaven” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
  • Aguaruna: “teller of God’s word” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
  • Ekari: “person who speaks under divine impulse”
  • Mandarin Chinese: 先知 xiānzhī — “one who foreknows” (or the 1946/1970 translation by Lü Zhenzhong: 神言人 shényánrén — “divine-word-man”)
  • Uab Meto: “holy spokesman” (source for this and two above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Kouya: Lagɔɔ gbʋgbanyɔ — “the one who seeks God’s affairs” (source: Saunders, p. 269)
  • Kafa: “decide for God only” (source: Loren Bliese)
  • Martu Wangka: “sit true to God’s talk” (source: Carl Gross)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “word passer” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Obolo: ebi nriran: “one with power of divine revelation” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Mairasi: nonondoai nyan: “message proclaimer” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Highland Totonac: “speaker on God’s behalf”
  • Central Tarahumara: “God’s preacher” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Coatlán Mixe: “God’s word-thrower”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
  • French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
  • Cherokee: adolehosgi (ᎠᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ) or “discoverer of things,” a “term that was was traditionally applied to Cherokee medicine men or women who used divining.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 49)

In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)

About the translation into Northern Grebo:

“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)

In American Sign Language it is a person who sees into the future:


“Prophet” in American Sign Language (source )

In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

See also prophesy and prophesy / prophetic frenzy.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: How to Recognize a Biblical Prophet .

See also seer.