The passive construct in Ephesians 4:30 that is translated in English with “with which you were marked with a seal” is translated in Mokole as “he [the Holy Spirit] is the witness/sign of God on/in you.” Mokole grammar doesn’t know a passive voice and the translation has to therefore render anything that is passive in the Hebrew or Greek text with a grammatical subject. (Source: Hilary Deneufchâtel in Le Sycomore 17/1, 2024, p. 21ff. )
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “tithe” in English (which etymologically has the meaning of “the tenth”) is translated in Mokole as “(give) the tenth part.” This is the translation that most languages use that don’t use a specialized term like English does. See also complete verse (Hebrews 7:4) et al.
Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Leviticus 27:31:
Kupsabiny: “If there is a person who wants to buy those things to come back to him, let him add twenty in a hundred.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “And if anyone redeems anything by paying the value of [the LORD’s] one part in ten, he/she must increase it by one part in five.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “If a man redeems/buys-back the tenth of his crops/produce, he must pay its price and he is-to- still -add 20 percent of its price.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mokole: “If someone wants to buy back something of the tenth part that he gave, he will pay the priests its value as it is fixed and in each five one more.” (Source: Hilary Deneufchâtel)
English: “If anyone wants to buy back any of that tenth, he must pay to the priest what it is worth plus an additional 20 percent.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
