Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:4:
Uma: “There was no way for them to get close to Yesus because it was full of people. That is why they climbed the stairs going to the top of the house, they lifted/pried-off the roof above Yesus, and they lowered their friend with his mat going into the house.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Because they could not come close to Isa because (there were) so many people, so-then they broke down the flat roof above the head of Isa. When they had made a way, they lowered the sick person on his stretcher.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They can’t get near to Jesus because of the many people who are gathered there, so then they made a hole in the roof above Jesus, and when the hole was already big they lowered the man on his hammock down to Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But they had no way to bring-him-near to Jesus because of the crowded-in people, so they climbed-up-with-him to the roof and they removed some of the roof directly-above Jesus. Then they lowered the stretcher on-which-the cripple -was-lying.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Those people weren’t able to get that person close to Jesus for (the house) was full of people. Without anything further, what they did was, they made-an-hole in the roof above Jesus. And then they let down that person they had carried, still on what-he-was-lying-on.)” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “While the people sat crushed together because they had no way to take and put him before (lit. in his eye) Jisas they climbed up above the house. They climbed up and removed the house roofing at Jisas stood and they tied a rope to that stretcher the man lay on and as they let him down he went down to before Jisas stood.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Kim text for oral translation: “As they could not find the way to bring him to him, they saw the flat roof there where it was, they went up there, they made a hole, they lowered the bed that the paralytic was lying on (with the help of ropes) gently, gently until putting it on the ground.” (Source: Bayamy Tchande Awakde in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 23ff.)
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “When they couldn’t bring him through, because of the crowd, they pulled away the roof above the spot where he was. And after they’ve dug up the tiles, they lower the pallet down — where this paralyzed man was lying.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:24:
Noongar: “That day the Son of Man, will come like lightning, flying across the sky, shining from side to side.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “Because when I really come back, my coming will be known all through the world. Like lightning that lights shines-on/lights-up the sky/air from one end to the other end, like that also on the day of my coming, I the Son of Man.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “For I, the Son of Mankind when I come here, my coming will be startling/sudden and all the people will see it, like a flash of lightning that suddenly illuminates the world from one end to the other.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “for my return will be like lightning which will light up the whole earth, and it can be seen by anybody.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because my return who am Child of a Person, it will be like the flashing lightning that can be seen in all directions.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For how the sky is lit up from the east to the west when it lightnings, that’s how it will be on my returning here, I who am the One From Heaven Born of Man/human.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “As the lightning flashes from one half of the sky to the other half and lights takes and goes up like that the Son of Man will become clear on his day.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:24:
Uma: “‘So, at that time, when that time of suffering has passed, all the powerful things in the sky will be shaken. The sun will turn dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will drop from the sky.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘Then in those days,’ said Isa, ‘when those difficulties are finished, the sun will become dark, and the moon will no longer shine.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And after that time of suffering is over, the sun will not shine and the moon also will not glow.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘When that time of hardship is finished, right after that the sun will-become-dark and the moon will not shine.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “When that hardship is ended, the sun will darken and the moon won’t shine either.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “Jisas told them another talk, ‘Look, at that time (when) that big heavy has finished the sun will become dark and the moon will not shine.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:25:
Uma: “‘So, at that time, when that time of suffering has passed, all the powerful things in the sky will be shaken. The sun will turn dark, the moon will no longer shine, the stars will drop from the sky.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The stars will fall from the sky and the different-kinds in the sky will leave their places.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the stars in the sky will fall, and everything in heaven shall be shaken.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The many-stars will also fall and all that is in the sky will be shaken.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The stars will fall from the sky/heaven, for the whole sky/heavens will be caused to quake/tremble by the strength of the supernatural-power of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “And then the stars will pluck out of the sky and fall down, and the strong doings that sit in the sky will tremble,’ he said.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 4:5:
Noongar: “Then the Devil took him up. In one moment, he saw everything, all the countries of all the kings of the World.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “After that, the King of Evil-ones carried him going to a high place. In just the blinking of an eye he showed him all the kingdoms in the world,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then Isa was taken by the leader of demons up to a very high place and he showed him all the places/countries in the world in one-shutting of the eye.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Satan took Jesus to a very high mountain and in a wink of an eye he showed him all of the kingdoms here on the earth.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When that was finished, then the Diablo led him to a high place and in-a-moment showed him all the nations in the world.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Another thing Satanas did was he caused Jesus to accompany him to a high mountain. And then he caused him to view in one glance all the kingdoms here under the heavens.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “And when it was done then he took him so that they ascended and went to an area very high up, and then quickly he showed him the big areas of all the great chiefs on earth.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “The Enemy (then) took Jesus along to the top of a certain hill/cliff and showed him in a vision/revelation all the countries.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “Then the malevolent spirit took Yesus to a very high place on top of a tall mountain. Then he quickly showed Him every village where kings ruled in the world.” (Source Enggavoter 2004)
Amele: “And then Seten took Jisas and they (dual) went up the mountain and very quickly he showed Jisas all the ground kingdoms.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 5:19:
Noongar: “But because of the crowd, they could not see a way to carry him inside the house. So they carried him up to the roof. They made a hole in the roof, and lowered his bed into the middle of the people in front of Jesus.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “But they could not all manage to enter, because the people were very crowded/tight. That is why they climbed the stairs carrying their companion going to the top of the house, they took off the roof and they lowered him with his stretcher going in front of Yesus in the midst of the people.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But because of the many people, there was no way for them, therefore they went up on the flat roof of the house and made an opening in the roof. Then they lowered the sick man on his lying-down-place into the center of the people before Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But since the people were so tightly packed there at the house, there was no way to pass that person there. So they went up on the roof and they made a hole in the roof above Jesus, and the hammock where the paralyzed person was lying, they lowered down in the middle of the people where Jesus was.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “but they absolutely couldn’t because-of the crowded-in people. So they climbed-up-with him on the roof and removed some of the roofing. After that they lowered what the cripple was lying on until it/he was set-down in the middle of the people right in front of Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But they couldn’t pass through because it was full of people. Therefore what they did was, they went up on the flat roof of that house and then made a hole in it, for they passed that man they were carrying through it and lowered him down, still on what he was lying on. They lowered him right into the presence of Jesus, there in the middle of that crowd.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “However because the men were pressed together they did not see a road to carry and go into the room of the house. Because of not they took him and climbed up the ladder to the top of the house and pulled open the top of the house and as they held and as he lay in the stretcher they fastened with a vine and let and went down vertically little by little went down went down and as Jisas stood in the middle of the group of men went down vertically and lay in his face (in front of him). ” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
The Hebrew and Greek terms that are translated as “circumcise” or “circumcision” in English (originally meaning of English term: “to cut around”) are (back-) translated in various ways:
Tetelcingo Nahuatl: “put the mark in the body showing that they belong to God” (or: “that they have a covenant with God”)
Indonesian: disunat — “undergo sunat” (sunat is derived from Arabic “sunnah (سنة)” — “(religious) way (of life)”)
Ekari: “cut the end of the member for which one fears shame” (in Gen. 17:10) (but typically: “the cutting custom”) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 7:36:
Noongar: “A Pharisee invited Jesus to eat and drink with him. And Jesus went to his house to eat and drink.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “There was a Parisi person, named Simon, called Yesus to eat at his house. Yesus really went to his house, they sat and ate.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “One day Isa was brought by one of the Pariseo to his house to eat. Isa went and sat down soon to eat.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there was there a Pharisee person who invited Jesus to eat in his house, and Jesus went. And when Jesus arrived there he sat down to eat.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “One day, there was a Pharisee named Simon who invited Jesus to eat-with (him) at his house. So Jesus went and sat-down-with (whoever was there) to eat.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “One day Jesus was invited by a Pariseo to eat at his house. Without anything further, Jesus went with him to eat there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Amele: “And then a Farisi man came in the afternoon/evening and asked Jisas to eat food with him. Jisas went to his house and sat to eat food.” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
