The Greek in 1 Thessalonians 5:3 that is translated as “peace and security” in English is translated in Enlhet as “no news.” “For when all is well there is ‘no news.’ Even when one sends a message to his family about one’s being well, it will be: ‘Tell them that coming from me there is no news,’ i.e. ‘everything is fine and I am well and safe.'” (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
glad
The Greek that is translated in English as “glad” or similar is translated in Enlhet as “innermosts are spread out.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
purification
The team that translated the New Testament into Paraguayan Guaraní (in the 1960s) had to translate the Greek that is translated as “purification” in English. Jacob Loewen (in The Bible Translator 1967, p. 33ff. ) tells this story:
“An interesting lesson regarding intelligibility grew out of the translation of Luke 2:22 speaking about ‘the days of purification’. Each of the translations carried rather high-flown euphemisms and no one seemed to be satisfied with the euphemism of the other. There was a mother of seven children present at the meeting, and so she was asked to complete the following sentence in what would be publicly acceptable Guarani: I have given birth to seven children. After each childbirth 1 observed a period of . . .. The mother of seven immediately came back with an expression which back-translated into English would mean the ‘forties’. It was a reference to the forty days of purification which local culture required. When the translators were asked how such an expression would sound in Luke 2, one of them objected: ‘Why, if we use that idiom, everybody would know what we are talking about!’ In the discussion that followed, the committee realized that it is the translator’s responsibility to provide a message which will speak the truth clearly.”
to the ends of the earth
The Greek in Acts 1:8 that is translated in English as “to the ends of the earth” or similar is translated in Enlhet as “everywhere” because it would have had negative spiritual implication in the worldview of the native language speakers if translated more literally. (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
See also the ends of the earth.
know everyone's heart
The Greek in Acts 1:24 that is translated in English as “(you) know everyone’s heart” or similar is translated in Enlhet as “(you) know everyone’s innermost.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
ministering spirits, spirits in the divine service
The Greek in Hebrews 1:14 that is translated as “spirits in the divine service” or “ministering spirits” in English is translated in Enlhet as “invisible spirits that help us.” “‘Invisible’ had to be made explicit to distinguish them from ‘wandering souls and ghosts’ which people ‘see’ and fear.” (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
will not be shaken
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “will not be shaken” or similar is translated in Enlhet as “innermost will not fall.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
gold and silver and precious stones and wood and hay and straw
The Greek in 1 Corinthians 3:12 that is translated as “gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw” in English is translated in Enlhet as “expensive things and ordinary things cheap.” (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )
In Matumbi, “silver and precious stones” as “valuable gems and valuable stones” (for instance rubies or sapphires vs. something like marble). The Matumbi word for “sliver” is used for “money” and the Matumbi don’t see a clear distinction between precious metals and rock. The word for “straw” is maakapi, i.e. the material left over after harvesting corn. It’s considered relatively useless but can be used to build a shelter, just like the Greek tat is translated as “straw.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)