Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:44:
Uma: “don’t talk to anybody about what happened here. First go show yourself to the priest, so he can see that you (sing.) are well, and carry your (sing.) offering according to commands that are written in the Law of Musa, so that it will be clear to all the people that you (sing.) are really well.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Isa said to him, ‘Be sure (pa’in) not to tell to anybody (lit. even to who) about my healing you. Instead go show your body/self to the priest and sacrifice as Musa has commanded, making it a sign to the people that you are really healed.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus strictly commanded him saying, ‘Don’t tell anybody yet what has happened to you, but rather go to God’s sacrificer so that he might see that you are healed. And give him the sacrifice that Moses commanded a long time ago so that everybody might know that you are really healed.’ And then Jesus sent him away.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘Don’t you (sing.) be relating this to even any person but rather go to show-yourself (sing.) to the priest so he will see that your (sing.) sickness is removed. Then give to him what Moses commanded that you (pl.) offer to God so that the many-people will thereby-know that you (sing.) have truly become-good/clean.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘Now please don’t tell anyone, but on the contrary go there at once to the priest to have him examine you. And then give the thank-offering, according to what was commanded by Moises, which is like a testimony to people that you are now well.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Sending him away he said: Look! he said. A single one a single thing do not tell. Just go. Having gone, make the man who speaks to God for them 10 see you. That which Moses told to give, give; that they might know.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “and warned sternly thus: ‘Don’t tell it to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest(s), and offer the offering for the cleansing of your stain, according to the orders of Moses, as a proof to them.'” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “And he says to him, ‘See that you say nothing about this to anyone. But go immediately, present yourself to a priest, and bring with you, for the fact that you are now clean, the offering which Moses set down as public evidence.'”
The Greek that is translated as “Son of Man” is mostly used by Jesus to refer to himself as well as in the prophecies of Daniel and Enoch (see Enoch 17:34 et al). It is translated in the following languages as (click or tap for details):
Tzotzil: “I who am equal with men” or “The Older Brother of Everybody” (“expressing the dignity and authority of the Messiah and the universality of his work”)
Tenango Otomi: “The Man Appointed” (i.e. the man to whom authority has been delegated) (source for this and preceding: Beekman, p. 189-190, see also Ralph Hill in Notes on Translation February 1983, p. 35-50)
Aguaruna: “One who was born becoming a person” (source for this and two above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Older Sibling of Mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Child of a Person” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “One From Heaven Born of Man/human?” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Man who came from heaven” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “One who God sent, who was born a human” (a direct translation would have suggested “that the father is unknown due to the indiscretions of the mother” and where “he is the son of people” is used when one wants to disclaim responsibility for or relationship with a child caught in some mischief — source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Kâte: Ŋic Fâri Wâtuŋne or “the man who is a true support” (source: Renck, p. 106)
Mezquital Otomi: “The son who became a person” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Alekano: “The true man who descended from heaven” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
Central Tarahumara: “One who has been stood up to help” (“This suggests that Christ has been given authority to some appointed task. A very generic word, help, was selected to fill in the lexically obligatory purpose required by the word which means to appoint or commission. Usually this word is used of menial tasks but not exclusively. The choice of this generic term retains the veiled reference to the character of Christ’s work which He intended in using the ‘Son of Man’ title.”)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “He who is relative of all people.” (“The Triqui word for relative is a rather generic term and in its extended sense sometimes is diluted to neighbor and friend. But the primary meaning is relative.”)
Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “The Person who Accompanies All People” (“The literal equivalents ‘son of man’ and ‘son of people’ were both rejected because of the false inference of natural birth involving a human father. Furthermore, it was necessary to expand any translation of the Bible by the addition of the pronoun ‘I’ so as to clarify the fact that Jesus is using the third person in referring to Himself. A common expression used by the Cuicatecos when difficulties befall someone, is to say to that one, ‘don’t worry, we are accompanying you.’ By this they mean they share that person’s sorrow. When wedding guests arrive at the home of a son who has just been married, they say to the father, ‘We have come to accompany you.’ By this they mean that they have come to share the father’s joy. These expressions do not refer to ordinary physical accompaniment, which is expressed by a set of different verbs. For example, visits are always announced by some such greeting as, “I have come to visit you,’ ‘I have come to see you,’ or ‘I have come to ask you something.’ The desire to accompany a friend on a journey is expressed by saying, ‘I will go with you.’ Translation helpers used the verb ‘accompany’ in constructing the phrase ‘I, the Person who Accompanies All People.'(…) It reflects the fact that Jesus closely identified Himself with all of us, understands our weaknesses, shares our burdens, rejoices with us in times of gladness, etc.”) (source for this and the three preceding: Beekman in Notes on Translation January 1963, p. 1-10)
Guhu-Samane: “Elder-brother-man” (“Since the term denotes an elder brother in every way such as honor, power, leadership, representation of the younger, etc. it is a meaningful and fitting — though not ostentatious — title.” Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. )
Navajo (Dinė): Diné Silíi’ii — “Man he-became-the-one-who” (“This terra presented a difficulty not only in Navajo but also one peculiar to all the Athapaskan languages. It lies in the fact that all these languages, so far as we know, have a word phonetically similar to the Navajo diné which has three meanings: ‘man, people in general,’ ‘a man,’ ‘The People’ which is the name the Navajos use for themselves. (The name Navajo was first used by the Spanish explorers.) Although it seemed natural to say diné biye’ ‘a-man his-son,’ this could also mean ‘The-People their-son’ or ‘a-Navajo his-son,’ in contrast to the son of a white man or of another Indian tribe. Since the concept of the humanity of Christ is so important, we felt that diné biye’ with its three possible meanings should not be used. The term finally decided on was Diné Silíi’ii ‘Man he-became-the-one-who.’ This could be interpreted to mean ‘the one who became a Navajo,’ but since it still would impart the idea of Christ’s becoming man, it was deemed adequate, and it has proven acceptable to the Navajos.”) (Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
Toraja-Sa’dan: “Child descended in the world” (“using a poetic verb, often found in songs that [deal with] the contacts between heaven and earth”) (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Obolo: Gwun̄ Ebilene: “Child of Human” (source: Enene Enene).
Mairasi: Jaanoug Tat: “Person Child” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Costa Rican Sign Language: “It was impossible to translate the expression ‘Son of Man.’ The son-man sign simply means ‘male child.’ The Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO) team opted for an interpretation of the term and translated it ‘Jesus.'” (Source: Elsa Tamez (in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 59ff. )
Lokạạ: wẹẹn wạ ọnẹn or “son of a person.” “This translation is symbolic in that it uses indigenous Lokạạ words. However, since the publication of the New Testament in 2006, this phrase has gained popularity within contemporary Lokạạ society as an expression to describe an important person whose career is going well. In the New Testament, the phrase ‘son of man’ is used to describe Jesus as prototypically human, but the Lokạạ phrase is now being used to describe an exceptional person in Lokạạ society.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
In many West African languages, using a third person reference as a first person indicator is common practice with a large range of semantic effects. Languages that use the exact expression “son of man” as a self-reference or reference to another person include Lukpa, Baatonum, Mossi (“son of Adam”), Yoruba (“son of person”), Guiberoua Béte, or Samo. (Source: Lynell Zogbo in: Omanson 2000, p. 167-188.)
In Swahili the expression Mwana wa Mtu or mwana wa mtu or “son/daughter of human person,” which is used by several Bible translations, also has “the idiomatic meaning of ‘a human being’” (source: Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole in An Intercultural Criticism of New Testament Translations 2013, see here). The same is true for the Lingala expression Mwana na Moto — “son/daughter of human person.” (Ibid.)
In Balinese “we are again bordering on theological questions when we inquire as to which vocabulary shall be used to translate the texts where Jesus speaks of himself as ‘the Son of man.’ One of the fixed rules governing the use of these special vocabularies is that one may never use the deferential terms in speaking of oneself. This would be the extreme of arrogance. Now if one considers the expression ‘Son of man’ primarily as a description of ‘I,’ then one must continually indicate the possessions or actions of the Son of man by Low Balinese words. In doing this the mystery of the expression is largely lost. In any case the vocabulary used in most of the contexts would betray that Jesus means the title for himself.
“However, a distinction can actually be made in Balinese between the person and the exalted position he occupies. For example, the chairman of a judicial body may employ deferential terms when referring to this body and its chairman, without this being taken as an expression of arrogance. Considered from this standpoint, one may translate in such a way that Jesus is understood as using such deferential words and phrases in speaking of himself. The danger is, however, that the unity between his person and the figure of “the Son of man” is blurred by such usage.
“On request, the New Testament committee of the Netherlands Bible Society advised that ‘the sublimity of this mysterious term be considered the most important point and thus High Balinese be used.'”
“One of the first things that we did in working through the earlier part of the New Testament was to decide on how we would translate some of the more difficult technical terms. It was immediately obvious that something must be done with the translation of ‘the Son of Man,’ since the literal rendering anak manusia (literally ‘child of a man’) held absolutely no meaning for Malay readers. We felt that the title should emphasize the divine origin and authority of the one who used this title, and at the same time, since it was a title, we decided that it should not be too long a phrase. Finally, a phrase meaning ‘the One whom God has ordained’ was chosen (yang dilantik Allah). It is interesting to note that the newly-begun Common Indonesian (Alkitab Kabar Baik, published in 1985) has followed a similar route by translating ‘the One whom God has chosen’ (yang depilih Allah).”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:23:
Uma: “At that time, there was a person who was possessed [lit., ridden] by an evil spirit, he also entered into that prayer house, and he shouted:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then a person/man entered the prayer-house who was demon possessed.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And while Jesus was still teaching, suddenly there came into the church a man afflicted by a demon.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “There was a man there whom an evil-spirit had possessed (lit. fastened/adhered-to, same in all references).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Suddenly/unexpectedly there was a person who was possessed by an evil spirit who shouted out in that worship-place.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Just then too a certain man was in their small house to praise God in, a ruinous demon possessor. Thereupon he screamed. (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:1:
Uma: “This is the Good News, the story of the life of Yesus Kristus, the Child of God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This is the good news about Isa Almasi, the Son of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Isaiah, the former prophet of God long ago, wrote what God said to his Son, and that was the beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, Son of God. God said, ‘There will be in the future a person whom I will cause to go ahead of you, and I will cause to announce that you will soon arrive.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “This is the beginning of the good news concerning Jesu Cristo the Child of God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As for this, it tells the Good News concerning Jesu-Cristo, that he is the Son of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:34:
Uma: “There were many people whom he healed of their many kinds of sicknesses. Also many demons that were possessing people he expelled. But he did not permit the demons to speak, because they knew that he was the Child of God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Many people who had all kinds of sickness were healed by Isa and also many demons were cast-out (lit. caused-to-get-out) by him. He commanded the demons not to speak for they really knew as to who Isa was.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus healed many who were sick with many kinds of diseases. There were also many demons he caused to go away from people. And those demons, Jesus would not allow them to speak, because they knew who Jesus really was.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “And he healed the many who were sick of many-kinds of sicknesses. He also caused-the many evil-spirits -to-leave while-simultaneously making-them-be-quiet, because they knew who he was.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Many who were sick were healed by Jesus, no matter what kind of illness they were asking help for. Many also were the evil spirits he drove out. He did not allow the evil spirits to speak because they were well-aware of who he really was.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Then he arranged many sick ones, those with mixed sicknesses. Thereupon he expelled many demons. He did not permit the demons to speak, since they knew him.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “Many were healed by Him. who were ill by various sicknesses, moreover many demons were expelled. and they were not allowed to speak. because they knew Him already.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “So he healed the many townspeople who were sick –suffering from diseases of every description. He cast out many devils. He did not permit the devils to say anything, because they knew him.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:13:
Uma: “Forty days he was there. While he was in that field, the King of Evil-ones tempted him. Wild animals were with him, and angels took care of him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Forty days (and nights) he was tempted there by the leader of demons. There were also forest animals there but Isa was cared for by the angels.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus stayed there for forty days, and Satan tested him to see if he might sin. And there were also there harmful beasts, but the angels of God came to Jesus and took care of him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He stayed there for forty days while-simultaneously also Satanas (Satan) tried-repeatedly to tempt him. There were also fierce animals where he was, but (reassurance particle) there were angels who were helping him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Forty days was how long he was there. He was tempted/tested by Satanas as to whether he could-be-caused- by him -to-fall (into sin, fig.). There in that place there were wild animals, but Jesus was being served by angels.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “He stayed in that area for a duration of forty days, and Satan was testing him. He was living with the wild animals, and anggelos came and helped him.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “He stayed there for forty days without anything he was eating. Satan tempted him while he was there. When Satan had left, (the) angels of God came and helped him.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “There at-this-place where there were no other people the Headman-of-the-malevolent-spirits regularly tempted him, there were wild jungle-meat around him, and angels whom Great Above One sent regularly cared for him. He stayed there until finally two complete persons [40 = 2 people = 40 fingers & toes] days.” [For the counting system, see body part tally systems.] (Source Enggavoter 2004)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Then he was where no house is, forty days. While there, Satan wanted to make him do evil. He was also among biting things. Then the word bringers made him eat.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “Forty nights long He was in the barren field, tempted by Sang [‘Sang’ is a personal article that is often attached to the names of persons or powers that are characteristic of the normal, human, every-day world] Satan. There He was in the midst of wild beasts, served by the heavenly messengers.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “And he was in the desert for forty days, where he was put to the test by Satan. He faced dangerous animals. And the angels ministered to him.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:45:
Uma: “But in fact, when that person left, he continually talked everywhere about his having been healed by Yesus. The result was that Yesus was no longer able to enter into town because so many people crowded around him. He stayed outside town in empty place(s). But even so, there was still no end to the people coming from many towns wanting to meet him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But the man who had had leprosy went and he really told about his healing and he made this well-known. Therefore Isa could no longer go into the towns exposing (lit. come-out) (himself) to the people, but he was just there in the places not inhabited by people. But the people went there to him from all the places.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However when that person left he told everybody what has happened to him. Because of this, Jesus could no longer go openly when he went to the villages because many people would gather together. Jesus just roamed around in the country and people came out to him from everywhere.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But he did not obey but rather he went repeatedly-relating what was done to him. The result of it was that Jesus was not able-to-go to the towns lest people in large-groups go to meet him, but rather he stayed in isolated places that had no inhabitants. But even though that was so, the many-people went nevertheless to where he was from all places.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But as that person went, he told everyone how that illness of his stopped. Therefore what happened was, Jesus could no longer go in the town openly because large numbers of people would come to him. He was now outside the town only, in the wilderness places. The people were going to him from every place.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “But having gone, he began to speak much to them. He began to widen that word out. When he did thus, Jesus could not arrive visibly at any village. But he was where no house is. Then they came to him from every place.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “But when that man had gone away from there, he told these things hither and thither and made them known, so that Jesus could not enter the city publicly, but was staying outside the city, in desert places. There the people from here and there came to Him.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “But as soon as he left, he began to proclaim it loudly, spreading his story far and wide. Well, that is why it was no longer feasible for Jesus to enter villages openly. Instead, he stayed outside, in desolate places. And people everywhere came to him.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:24:
Uma: “‘Ee Yesus, Nazaret person! What do you (sing.) want to do to us? Maybe you (sing.) want to destroy us? I know you (sing.), that you (sing.) are the holy Messenger from God.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “He shouted/screamed, he said, ‘Do not trouble us (excl.), Isa, man of Nasaret. You have nothing to do with us (excl.). Have you come here to destroy us (excl.)? I know as to who you are. You are the only-one who is holy who is sent from God.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when he saw Jesus, he shouted saying, ‘You, Jesus of Nazareth, what business do you have with us demons? Maybe the reason you came here is to destroy us. I know who you are. You are the Son of God!'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He immediately-shouted saying, ‘Terrors! (expression used of things to be feared) Jesus from-Nazaret, why are you (sing.) disturbing us (excl.)? Have you (sing.) come do-you-suppose to punish us (excl.)? I know you (sing.) of-course. You (sing.) are the holy Child of God.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He said, ‘What is your interfering with us (excl.), Jesus of Nazaret? What have you come here for? Will you now wipe us out? I really know who you are. You are the the far-from-ordinary one who was entrusted/sent by God!'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Ari! he screamed. What will you do to us, Nazareth Jesus? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are. You are the spotless man, him of God.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “He cried as follows: ‘Ah, Jesus man of Nasaret, what are you going to do with all of us? Your coming is only to destroy us. We know who you really are. Yes, you are the Holy One whose origin is from God.'” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “saying, ‘What business do you have with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.'”
