Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 2:15:
- Uma: “In God’s sight, we (excl.) are like incense that is burned, that is smelled by all people. For we (excl.) are the ones he has sent to proclaim the News of Kristus to all people. To people who believe the Good News we (excl.) are like something fragrant, for we tell them the news that gives them good life forever. But to people who reject the Good News we (excl.) are like something stinking, for we tell them that God will punish them in hell. Who is able to do this work? With our own ability, no-one of course. [implied here and stated by Paul in 3:5]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “We (excl.) are like incense burned by Almasi for God. The news preached by us (excl.) is like a fragrance spreading to all people, the people who are saved and the people who are not saved.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since we have been made the messengers of Christ so that we might spread this news, God likes this very much, and this news comes to people who are being freed from punishment, and also those who are not being freed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because our (excl.) preaching concerning Cristo, it is like fragrant incense with-which-God -is-satisfied which all who hear are smelling, believers and non believers.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For because of our (excl.) teaching the Good News concerning Cristo, we (excl.) are like the most-fragrant-thing which pleases God, which can be smelled by the people who now have salvation/freedom, and those who will arrive at death which is punishment which is without ending.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “God looks well on my spreading the word about Christ. When the incense burns, its smell is smelled by all the people. Like this is the word I speak now, all the people hear the word, alike for those whose souls are saved and alike for those who will go to punishment, all hear the word.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Warlpiri: (verses 15 and 16) “We Apostles did Christ Jesus give to God like special meat which they burned and gave to God long ago in order to placate him. Many people whom God is keeping safe, and many others who are still going away from him, the whole lot of them we tell the Good News. People who are going the wrong way from God, they hear the Good News. After that, they say that it is bad like meat that has gone off and smells bad, like that. Other people whom God is keeping, they also hear that Good News. After that, they say this, ‘The Good News, it makes us alive. It is really good just like the way grass smells after the rain.’ That is true.” (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 2:6:
- Uma: “In the Holy Book the Redeemer King [Messiah] is compared to a rock that God chose. Like this its sound: ‘I chose an expensive rock, I plant it on Sion Mountain, I made it the main foundation stone. Whoever believes in that stone, they will not have-a-fall / be-disappointed.’ [an idiom that means that you were counting on someone to do something and that person ‘lets you down’]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Because the holy-book says hep, ‘I have chosen a very valuable stone, to-be/which-is used to make the house firm/strong in the city/town Siyon. Whoever trusts in it/him will really not be made ashamed.’ This stone is a parable/figure-of-speech. It means Isa Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For there is a written Word of God which says, ‘There is a king whom I have chosen and He is like a very precious stone. I will place Him in the town of Zion. He is like a strong stone upon which a house is built. Anyone who trusts in Him will not be disappointed, for He is the one to be trusted.’ This is the written Word of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “We know that these-things are true, because there is that which God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘Look, I have chosen a most-valuable stone which I have erected in Zion which makes-firm the house. Even anyone who believes in him, he will absolutely not be shamed.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Because it says in what is contained in the writing which is the word of God, ‘Consider this. There is someone whom I have chosen, whom I am setting up in Sion who is like a far-from-ordinary smoothed stone/rock which is the main-support of a house. As many as trust in him really won’t be let down.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “It is written in the Holy Book that God says: ‘There in Zion I will put a stone in place which will be for the corner of my house. It is a chosen stone, and it is supremely valuable. He who believes in him, there will never come the day that he will say that it isn’t true what he believes.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- The Greek text of 1 Peter 2:6-7 is translated in Martu Wangka (combined with verse 7) “The Father’s talk from a long time back, is like this, ‘Some people will make a shade and they will stand up two forked sticks. And then they will get another long strong stick and lay it across (on those other two). And they will get that same strong stick and throw it down thinking mistakenly that it is rubbish. The Father from above will take that stick which was thrown down and make a shade out of it. After that we will see that very good shade which was made from that stick.'” (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 6:23:
- Uma: “But if our (incl.) eye is cloudy, it’s like our (incl.) sight is dark. So, if the Lord enlightens our (incl.) heart, and we (incl.) make it dark again, it will really be pitch dark. [lit., no kidding its pitch darkness.]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “But if our (dual) seeing is clouded, that means our (dual) works are bad, our (dual) whole body is like dark. If we (dual) say/think that our (dual) body is light but in fact/surprise it is dark, then it is really very dark.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But if we are blind, which is to say, if we are wicked, it’s as if we are benighted. And if we are blinded because of our wickedness, then our way is dark indeed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “But if your (sing.) sight/viewpoint is bad, it is as if your (sing.) mind is extremely dark. So if you (sing.) say/think that your (sing.) mind is lighted but unexpectedly it is dark, surely it is extremely dark!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “But if your eye has a defect, of course in your sight all is darkened/unclear. Well this which I am saying that the eye is like the lamp of the body, what is being alluded to here is your mind/inner-being. For as long as it’s your own will and good-situation here in the world that you are giving priority to, alas, it’s really very darkened/unclear in your mind/inner-being.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “But if you don’t open your understanding, then you do not truly know what is the good by which you must live. Then how bad is the darkness where you walk (live), because your thoughts are not opened for you to know the good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Martu Wangka: “If you think to do bad things, then you will be bad and you will be ignorant of the Father.” (Source: Carl Gross)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) verses 22 and 23: “The eye is light for the whole body. When the eye is clear, the whole body is brightly illuminated; when it is dim, the body is dark. If your own light does not dispel the darkness within you, how great is the darkness outside!”
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 2:16:
- Uma: “In God’s sight, we (excl.) are like incense that is burned, that is smelled by all people. For we (excl.) are the ones he has sent to proclaim the News of Kristus to all people. To people who believe the Good News we (excl.) are like something fragrant, for we tell them the news that gives them good life forever. But to people who reject the Good News we (excl.) are like something stinking, for we tell them that God will punish them in hell. Who is able to do this work? With our own ability, no-one of course. [implied here and stated by Paul in 3:5]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “To the ones who are not saved our (excl.) preaching is like a bad smell that causes them to die. But for those who are saved, our (excl.) preaching is like a fragrance that gives them life. This doing is hep really difficult. It almost cannot be done by humans.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for the people who will not let themselves be freed, we let them know that death without end is their punishment. And as for those people who are asking Christ to free them, we let them know that what is given to them is life without end. But it seems as if there’s nobody who’s worthy to spread this news.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “As for the people who are being saved, its smell is fragrant to them, because it leads to their life which has no end which Cristo gives. But as for those who are being-lost, it stinks to them like the stink of a dead-one, for their not believing, it leads to their punishment that is forever. This work of ours (excl.) is extremely important. Who indeed is capable of doing it?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Well now, to the people who are not paying-attention-to/taking-seriously this salvation, it’s like what they can smell repulses them, therefore that is what leads them to death which is punishment which has no end. But to those who will be saved, it’s fragrant, therefore life which has no ending is what they will arrive at. Well since it’s like that, who has ability to do well this work of teaching the Good News?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the people who will be punished, this word they hear is as though poison accompanies it. But concerning the people whose souls are saved, this word they hear is beautiful and their hearts understand that this is the word by which they find the new life. Whoever could arise who knows of himself how to accomplish such work?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Warlpiri: (verses 15 and 16) “We Apostles did Christ Jesus give to God like special meat which they burned and gave to God long ago in order to placate him. Many people whom God is keeping safe, and many others who are still going away from him, the whole lot of them we tell the Good News. People who are going the wrong way from God, they hear the Good News. After that, they say that it is bad like meat that has gone off and smells bad, like that. Other people whom God is keeping, they also hear that Good News. After that, they say this, ‘The Good News, it makes us alive. It is really good just like the way grass smells after the rain.’ That is true.” (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 2:7:
- Uma: “The Redeemer King is like the/a stone that is indeed expensive to you who believe in him. But people who do not believe in him will certainly encounter disaster, with the result that words of the Holy Book long will have come to pass that say: ‘That stone was thrown away by the builders of the house. But actually that stone is the one that became the main foundation stone.’ And” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “This stone is of real great value for you the ones believing in him. But the ones who don’t believe in him, finally/eventually they will know that it is true, surprise, what is written in the holy-book saying, ‘The stone that was rejected by the people who make houses because they said it is of no use, that one is the stone of ultimate usefulness.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now as for this king who is like a stone, He is very precious to us (incl.) who have trusted in Him, however as for all who will not believe, by means of them has been fulfilled the written prophecy which says, ‘As for that building stone, the carpenters threw it away. But it has now become the stone which alone can make the house right.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “So as for you believers, you join-in-experiencing (non past) Cristo’s greatness (lit. highness). But as for those who don’t believe, they should remember what God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘The stone which the ones-building the house rejected, that’s what God has turned-into the most-valuable stone which makes-firm the house.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Therefore he is really dear to you now, you who now believe/obey him. But to the ones who don’t believe/obey him, that which was said in the writing has been fulfilled, which is, ‘The rock which was not acceptable to the housebuilders, that very one is what was used as the main support of the house.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Now you believe in Christ, now you will know that he is supremely valuable. But it is written about that which will happen to those who do not believe in that it says: ‘This stone which the builders threw away, there is no other stone like this chosen stone.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- The Greek text of 1 Peter 2:6-7 is translated in Martu Wangka (combined with verse 6) “The Father’s talk from a long time back, is like this, ‘Some people will make a shade and they will stand up two forked sticks. And then they will get another long strong stick and lay it across (on those other two). And they will get that same strong stick and throw it down thinking mistakenly that it is rubbish. The Father from above will take that stick which was thrown down and make a shade out of it. After that we will see that very good shade which was made from that stick.'” (Source: Carl Gross)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the addressee).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
In the Owa translation, an exclusive form is used. (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 6:24:
- Uma: “‘There is no-one who works for two bosses. Because one he will love, one he will hate. One he will follow his commands, one he will deny/refuse. So also we (incl.), we (incl.) cannot follow God’s will/desire, and at the same time [lit., and on one-side] continually gather the stuff of the world.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “‘There is no servant who can be slave to two masters, for he will hate the one and love the other one, or he will really obey/follow the one and not pay attention to the other one. If money is what is most valuable to you, you cannot also work for God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for a slave, it can’t be that he has two owners, because if two are in charge of him he’ll respect the one and be angry with the other. And if not, he will be disgusted with one and he will love the other one. In the same way, if the thing that’s precious in your breath is wealth, it is also not possible that God is precious in your breath.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “‘It is not possible that a slave have two masters (lit. a slave’s masters be-twoed), because he likes/loves the one and dislikes the (other) one. He esteems also the one while-simultaneously looking-down-on the (other) one. Therefore it is not possible that you simultaneously serve God and money.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For the truth is that there’s no servant at all who can serve two masters. For maybe he will hate one, only the other being whom he holds dear, or if not, only one master will be served truly by him, the other he will insult/belittle. Well it’s like that too, that as long as collecting possessions is the emphasis of your (pl.) mind, it’s really not possible/acceptable for you to truly serve God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “A person cannot have two bosses. If there are two bosses, then one he will love and not the other. For one of the bosses he will do what he is ordered, but for the other boss he will not do what he is ordered. It is like that for your hearts, you cannot have two things to give your hearts to. Either your hearts go out to God or your hearts go out to money.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Martu Wangka: “A working-bloke can only be for one master, not for two. If two masters speak to him, to the working-bloke who belongs to one, and he says do this here, then the other says do that over there. One working-bloke will unsuccessfully think what to do — that working-bloke will sit good for one boss and correct for him and he will sit disliking bad for the other boss (not co-operating with his requirements). If you all sit like that, you can’t sit for the Father and also for belongings and money — you should only sit correct for the Father and follow him.” (Source: Carl Gross)
Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 3:1:
- Uma: “But don’t you say that we (excl.) are praising ourselves again here/now! We(excl.) are not like some of those religion teachers there [with you (implied in locational)]. When they arrive in your village, they show letters of praise from others so that you will receive them. And if they leave your village, they also request praise letters from you. We(excl.) don’t need to get letters like that.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Perhaps you say that we (excl.) make ourselves great again so that we (excl.) might be accepted by you. We (excl.) are not like the others. We (excl.) don’t have to carry letters that we (excl.) are truely gurus (religious teacher) when we (excl.) go to visit you, or to ask for a letter from you when we (excl.) go to a different place.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Perhaps you are thinking mistakenly that this is just only our boast. We are not like others who teach, because you won’t accept them if they have no letter which they can show which says that their activities are not bad. And in the same way also, they are not accepted by other people if they have no letter like that which comes from you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Maybe you think/say that here we (excl.) are boasting-about ourselves (excl.) again, but is it indeed-the-case (RQ implying of course not) that we (excl.) need to do that? Is it indeed-the-case that we (excl.) need letters to introduce (lit. make-known) ourselves to you? Is it also necessary that we (excl.) have-you -write something that we (excl.) will show to people in other towns/countries where we (excl.) go? That (empathy particle) is what others are doing, but we (excl.) don’t need to.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Maybe you mistakenly-thought that we (excl.) are praising ourselves so that you will accept us (excl.). What’s this, are we (excl.) like others who need a letter to show to you which testifies to the good-quality of their ways/nature, or a letter which is your testimony concerning their ways/nature which they will show to others they are teaching?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Let it not be said that I speak this word in order to boast. Do you think that it is necessary for me to carry a letter to deliver to you which tells that the word I do is good? Or that you need to give me a letter to take with me which says that the word I do is good, like some need?” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Warlpiri (verses 1-3) “You people talk and reckon that I am just boasting and calling myself big. But me, you people know me as a Church Apostle. I am not like many others who reckon that they themselves are Apostles. They show you papers/letters with their names so that you can look at them and know, so they reckon, that they are Apostles. And as for me, I am not asking you so that you can give me a paper like that so that I can go around showing it. You people are like a paper with story that God wrote in my heart. When other people see you, they think about me as God’s Apostle. And they know you also that you are like a letter that Christ Jesus wrote on paper. He did not write the story on stone with something like charcoal. In your hearts he wrote it with God’s Holy Spirit, God who is really alive. This certainly is the paper I show to people.” (Source: Carl Gross)
