The Greek in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 that is translated as “but also in power and in the Holy Spirit” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with sondern auch als Wundermacht, als wunderbare Gabe des Heiligen Geistes or “but also as miraculous power, as a wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit.”
we were buried with him by baptism into death
The Greek in Romans 6:4 that is translated as “we were buried with him by baptism into death” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with wir steigen in das Taufwasser hinein wie in ein Grab or “we step into the baptismal waters as into a grave.” The translators explain (p. 160): “The problem of interpretation here is: what does baptism have to do with ‘being buried’ with Christ ‘unto death’? — Either one emphasizes the metanoia (repentance) aspect of baptism, in which case it is like a departure and dying to everything in the world. Or you go beyond repentance and focus on the rite. We have followed the latter because Paul refers to the rite here.”
giving thanks to God the Father through him
The Greek in Colossians 3:17 that is translated as “giving thanks to God the Father through him” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with wenn ihr Gott, dem Vater, das Dankgebet sprecht, dann nennt Jesus als Mittler or “when you say the prayer of thanksgiving to God the Father, name Jesus as the mediator.”
anxious and bothered about so many things
The Greek in Luke 10:41 that is translated as something like “worried (or: anxious) and bothered about many things” is translated in Tzeltal as “doing all kinds of things has gone to your heart and you have difficulty because of it” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel) and in Bariai as “You are concerned (lit. your interior is here and there) and worried (lit. you have various interiors) about very many things” (source: Bariai Back Translation).
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated idiomatically as ich will dir anerkennen, dass du vor lauter Machen und Tun nicht weiß, wo dir der Kopf steht or “I will acknowledge that you don’t know where your head is because of all the doing and making.”
The term that is translated as “worried (or anxious)” in English is often translated idiomatically. Examples include “eating for oneself one’s heart” (Shona, version of 1966), “black with worry” (Chichewa), “breaking one’s head” (Sranan-Tongo), “hanging up the heart” (Bulu), “crumbling in one’s abdomen” (Western Kanjobal), “one’s stomach is rising up” (Farefare), or “one’s mind is killing one” (Navajo (Dinė)). (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
See also troubled / perplexed and worry and see also Seat of the Mind for traditional views of “ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling.”
your kingdom come
The Greek that is translated in English as “your kingdom come” is translated in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) as “the time will come when God is boss.”
John Harris (in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 100ff. ) tells the genesis of this phrase: “An interesting Australian example is the phrase ‘your kingdom come,’ a well-known but incomprehensible signed passage in the Lord’s Prayer as widely used by professional signers interpreting at churches, weddings, funerals and public events. The closest back-translation of their usual signing was ‘the place (area sign) of your king (crown sign) will come.’ Having studied Luke 11:2 with the consultant, the Auslan translators came to understand the phrase as referring to the coming rule of God. They developed a new set of signs back-translated as ‘the time will come when God is boss.’ This phrase is now being picked up by the professional signers.”
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated with lass uns und andere deine Herrschaft anerkennen or “may we and others acknowledge your reign.”
See also hallowed be your name.
pods
The Greek in Luke 15:16 that is translated as “pods” in English is translated in Elhomwe as makattha, a term given to all kind of peelings, which are given to pigs. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with Johannisbrotbaum-Schoten or “carob pods,” the kind of pods that likely would have been fed to pigs in Palestine.
The Carob Ceratonia siliqua is a very common tree found throughout the Mediterranean area and also in Arabia, Somalia, and Oman. It is native to Israel, where it was called charuv, according to Jewish religious writings of the first few centuries after Christ. Arabs call it kharrub.
In Bible times, as now, carob trees were found in the coastal plain and in the foothills (Shephelah) and on the eastern slopes of Galilee and Samaria. The carob seed pods are filled with a sweet moist pulp that was popular with poor people. The pods were also used to feed animals. That is probably the basis for Jesus’ statement that the prodigal boy in the parable looked hungrily at the carob keration (“pods”) that he had to feed to the pigs (Luke 15:16).
The carob tree is an evergreen with dark green leaves and many low leafy branches that hide a short trunk. The crown of the tree is round and may reach as high as 12 meters (40 feet). As is the case of the acacia, the date palm and the fig, the carob tree is a lonely representative of a large tropical family (in this case the pea sub-family Caesalpinioideae) that found its way into parts of Israel many millennia ago. The trees in this family are legumes, that is, they put nitrogen into the soil by way of little nodules on the roots. As the tree ages, the trunk be-comes twisted. In contrast to many other trees of the Bible lands, this one bears flowers in autumn, and the seed pods form the following summer. The mature pod is dark brown and about 15-25 centimeters (6-10 inches) in length and 2.5-3.5 centimeters (1-1.5 inches) broad.
If indeed the “pods” of Luke 15.16 were carob pods, it would certainly indicate that they were not considered high-class food. The tree is also called “St. John’s bread” on the belief that John the Baptist must have eaten these fruits when he lived in the desert of Judea. It is quite likely that John did eat carob pods. However, the suggestion that the “locusts” in Mark 1:6 were locust bean pods is not correct, since John probably did eat locusts, as some people in the world still do today. Ironically, carob pod pulp, which was once the “food of the poor” has become, in the last few years, an expensive “health food” in England and America! The word “carat” used in weighing diamonds comes from the Greek name of this tree, since the seeds were used as a standard for measurement. They typically weigh about two hundred milligrams.
Since the Greek word for carob does not actually occur in Luke 15:16, and keration could possibly refer to some other sort of pods, we cannot actually name a species here. If translators have a word for the edible seed pods of trees, they should use it. Otherwise they will have to use something like “fruit of wild trees.” In study notes translators may wish to refer to major language terms, for example, French caroube, Spanish algarrobo, Portuguese alfarroba, and Arabic kharrub.
Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)
as I said to the Jews
The Greek in John 13:33 that is translated as “as I said to the Jews” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as wie ich es schon den anderen Juden gesagt have or “as I already told the other Jews.”
here is a call
The Greek that is translated as “Here is a call” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as der entscheidende Maßstab ist or “the decisive factor (or: “measure”) is.”