The Greek that is translated as “cup of cold water” in English is translated in Kekchí as “cup of good water.”
Francis Eachus (2006, p. 264) explains: “In Matthew 10:42 it speaks of giving ‘a cup of cold water’ in Christ’s Name. This was first translated literally. But when it was read to the group of helpers, the people gasped.
‘You can’t give a cup of cold water to someone. You will make them sick,’ they said. ‘People sometimes get stomachaches,’ they said, ‘from drinking cold water. We usually drink warm water or room-temperature water. Cold water is often used to refer to unboiled water and causes illness.’ So the verse was translated like this: ‘If anyone gives a cup of good water in my name…’”
The Hebrew that is translated in English as “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” or similar is translated in Toraja-Sa’dan with an established figure of speech: “I am the Lord your God who will not that His face is drawn as water is drawn” (i.e “who will not that a person treats Him without respect, or refuses to figure with Him, or dishonors Him, or in passing Him by honors others above him.”) (Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21 ff. ).
In Orma, the phrase is translated as “I, the Lord your God, will not tolerate if you bow down and worship them.” George Payton explains: “When we translated Exodus in Orma, we had difficulty translating ‘jealous’ in the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. The first commandments in vv.3-5 read, ‘You shall have no other gods before me. 4 ‘You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents…’
“Verse 5 says ‘I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God’ The word jealous/jealousy in Orma is hinaafa. This word brings two negative connotations. One is feeling envious of someone else’s property, or of the prosperity of their livestock or the produce of their farms. In other words, envy or coveting what someone else has but you do not. The word hinaafa can also refer to a jealous husband in a bad way. When a husband is always suspicious of his wife being unfaithful, he easily flies into a rage when she does something that triggers his suspicions, even if she is innocent. Sometimes the husband attacks her or someone else and harms them because of his jealousy. Hinaafa communicates that idea of blind rage, often unreasonable or irrational. We had to choose a different way to communicate God’s attitude. God promised to punish them if they worship any gods because He will not put up with them if they do. We ended up translating vv3-5: ‘Apart from me, you shall not worship any other gods. You shall not make a statue of anything in heaven or anything on earth or anything in the waters. I, the LORD your God, will not tolerate if you bow down and worship them. If you do, I will punish even the children for the sin of their parents…'”
In Chichewa “‘jealousy’ very commonly includes a prominent sexual component” so the solution there was to translated “(a God) who does not allow competition with me” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 127) and in Chamula Tzotzil it is not appropriate to use the usual word for jealousy of humans in relation to God when translating the Hebrew term that is translated as “jealous” in English versions. Here “I get angry with those who go with others” is used (source: Robert Bascom).
“The Kekchí language has a word for jealousy: cak xch’ol. When one is jealous, his heart becomes red. However, this has a very negative connotation and is something that God or Jesus would never do. Where God said in Scripture, ‘I am a jealous God,’ we had a problem. We had to be sure not to insinuate that God was bad or sinned. We had to find a way to express the real meaning of a ‘jealous God.’ Finally our translation helpers decided that God was expressing that He did not want anyone or anything else to be worshiped. Only He is worthy of praise and worship. So they translated the verse like this: ‘Do not bow yourselves down before any made gods, nor should you worship them. I am the Lord your God. I am strong. It does not arrive at my face (please me) when you give honor to someone else’ (Exodus 20:5).” (Source: Eachus 2006, p. 263)
The Hebrew, Greek and Ge’ez that is typically translated as “jealous” or “jealousy” in English is translated in Newari as “bursting of the heart” (source: Newari Back Translation) and in Kekchí as “heart becoming red” (source: Eachus 2006, p. 263).
The Greek that is translated as “married only once” or similar in English is translated created some confusion in Kekchí. “First, the verse was translated as being married to only one woman. One man then asked, ‘Is it alright to have more than one woman if we don’t marry but one?’ They explained that some believe that a man may have several ‘women,’ but he can be legally married to only one. So, the term for a legal marriage was dropped. The verse then stated that a deacon can have only one woman. And of course, they should be married legally.” (Source: Eachus 2006, p. 264)
The Greek and Ge’ez that is typically translated as “tempt” or “temptation” in English is translated in Noongar as djona-karra or “reveal conduct” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang) and in Tibetan as nyams sad (ཉམས་སད།), lit. “soul + test,” or in some cases as slu (སླུ།) or “lure / lead astray” (for instance in 1 Cor. 7:5 or Gal 6:1) (source: gSungrab website )
In Cherokee it is translated as “examined.” “‘Temptation’ is also translated using a traditional verb which means ‘to examine medically’ or ‘to interpret,’ as when divining or consulting a crystal. It expresses the idea that the tempted person is being ‘tested’ or examined.'” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 47)
In Kekchí, the word for “tempt” (alec) implies that the temptation was successful so here, especially in the narrative of Jesus’ temptation, the translation states that the temptation was unsuccessful (“Jesus never gave himself to be tempted”). (Source: Eachus 2006, p. 263)
For “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you,” see Acts 7:3.
In Kekchí, this was translated as “You will leave your country and your people and you will go to the land that I will show you.” Francis Eachus (2006, p. 265) explains: “In Genesis 12:1 we learned that we could not use the imperative form for the verbs in the same way as we do in English. In this verse, God was talking to Abram and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your people and go to the land that I will show you.’ When we used the imperative form of the verb, one of our translation helpers was puzzled.
‘Why was God angry with Abram?’ He went on to explain that the imperative form was too strong and could imply that God was angry with Abram. So, we had to change it to: ‘You will leave your country and your people and you will go to the land that I will show you.'” (Source: Eachus 2006, p. 265)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 2:4:
Uma: “The Lord Yesus is compared to a living stone. That stone was thrown away by men because they said it had no use. But in the sight of God, it/he is very expensive, and God chose him/it to be the main foundation stone. And you also, relatives, come to the Lord,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Come/Go/Cause-to-be close to Isa Almasi, the Lord. He is the one who gives life without end. He is figuratively the stone on which a house is erected. He was rejected by the people because there is reportedly no use for it/him, but he was chosen by God because he is the very best.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Submit yourselves to our Lord Jesus, who is the one who gives life forever. He is like a building stone which the carpenters will not accept. He was not accepted by people, however He is the one whom God has chosen, for He is very precious.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Come-near then to the source of life who is Cristo who can-be-compared to a living stone which makes-firm the house. This stone, it was rejected/refused by people, but he is the one whom God chose, and he is valuable and honored in his estimation.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As for this Cristo, he is really alive and what he is like is a smoothed/planed stone/rock which was not acceptable to the people. But he really was acceptable to God for he chose and really values him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Search to know more about Christ. He is like a stone which is the first to be built into the house of God. The people wanted to throw the stone aside, but God chose it in order to build his house.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Kekchí verses 4 and 5: “Gome to Christ, the very precious One who was chosen by God to give us life. Jesus Christ was appointed by God to serve like the big, very good stone which serves as the cornerstone of the house. And you, you are like the little stones that enter into the wall.” (Source: Eachus 2006, p. 266f.)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 2:5:
Uma: “so that you also are made by him to be like living stones that are used to build the worship house to God. He also made you holy priests. For like priests offer offerings/sacrifices to God, so also you offer your hearts to God, you consider it your offering to him. And that offering of yours does gladden his heart, because of the mediation of Yesus Kristus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Now you have already new life from God. Let yourselves be used by God figuratively as stones for building his house. The meaning of God’s house is all the people who follow/obey him and are ruled over by his Spirit. And work also for God figuratively like priests (imam) chosen by him. Your work for him is thanking and praising God. And your thanksgiving and your praise God will accept because of Isa Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for us (incl.) also who have been given life forever, let us submit ourselves to Him so that we also might become like building stones for a house where God will be worshipped. And in that house of His, He will make us to become sacrificers whom He has chosen. And then by means of the help of Jesus Christ, we can offer sacrifice. And the sacrifice which He desires is: we will worship Him by means of the Holy Spirit.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because of your coming-near to him, you also can-be-compared to living stones, because you are being used in-being-built-into a spiritual (naispiritoan) temple. You are also serving as God’s holy priests who are offering to him spiritual offerings with which he is content/pleased through Jesu Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well since you are now submitting to him, he has given you renewing of your lives, and a likeness of you also is smoothed rocks/stones too which the Lord is using as materials with which he is building a house which is a worship-place to God. He is also making you like priests who are secured/dedicated as belonging to God. However, what you(emph) are-to-be-using-to-worship is your serving and praising him, which pleases him because of what was done by Jesu-Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “You must want that God makes you to be a stone for the building of God’s house of prayer. And you are as though priests in order for you to pray to God. God approves of this because you believe in Jesus Christ.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Kekchí verses 4 and 5: “Gome to Christ, the very precious One who was chosen by God to give us life. Jesus Christ was appointed by God to serve like the big, very good stone which serves as the cornerstone of the house. And you, you are like the little stones that enter into the wall.” (Source: Eachus 2006, p. 266f.)
Saint Lucian Creole French: “You are rocks that are living also, so let God use you in that house he is building with his Spirit. You are priests God has set apart to do his work. God’s Spirit made it possible for you to be able to offer sacrifices God will accept for the sake of what Jesus Christ did.” (Source: David Frank)
