For more information see https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Berger_(Theologe)
The Greek that is usually translated as “the sun’s light failed (or: darkened)” in English is translated by the predominant US Catholic English New American Bible (1970, 1986) as eclipse of the sun. (Source: Jost Zetzsche)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated idiomatically with die Sonne versagte ihren Dienst or “the sun refused to be of service.”
The Greek that is translated in English with “remove the roof” is translated into Avaric with an existing term: t’ox bichize. “Demolishing a roof in order to reach the interior of a house is an entirely familiar action, used, for example, in assaults on strongholds and fortified buildings in wartime; there is even a special phrase for this in Avaric (t’ox bichize).” (Source: Magomed-Kamil Gimbatov and Yakov Testelets in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 434ff. .
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated with the professional term Dach abdecken or “unroof.” In Luke 5:19, the Greek text only implies the removing of the roof but Berger / Nord add deckten einige Ziegel ab or “remove some roof tiles” for clarification.
See also Mark 2:1-12 in Russian Sign Language.
Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Is there precedent for coming in through the roof in Mark 2:1-12 .
The Greek in Acts 27:17 that is translated as “lowered the sea anchor” in English is translated in Elhomwe as “lowered the cloth” “because of what follows about drifting” (see also Translation commentary on Acts 27:17). (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translates as Treibanker, eine Art Floß, dass die Fahrt des im Sturm treibenden Schiffs verlangsamte or “drift anchor, a kind of raft that slowed the speed of the ship drifting in the storm.”
See also anchor.
The Greek in 2 Thessalonians 3:11 that is sometimes translated in English as “busybody” is translated in Chokwe as mukwa moko a jiji or “he with the hands of a fly.” D. B. Long (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 87ff. ) explains: “This seems startling, but then these people have a firsthand knowledge of flies in large numbers, and thoroughly detest them. They say they dabble in everyone’s food and add insult to injury by rubbing their ‘hands’ first in front of them and then behind. So a busybody is always puttering in other people’s affairs and he does not always rub his hands in the same way: part of hit is behind his back, you are never sure that you know what he is doing.”
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated as “someone killing time.”
In the Catholic Mandarin Chinese Sigao version it is translated with a historical Chinese idiom: hàoguǎn xiánshì (好管閒事 / 好管闲事), lit. “easy talk (about) side matters.” (Source: Toshikazu S. Foley in Hong Kong Journal of Catholic Studies, 2011, p. 45ff.) Note that the Protestant Union Version uses the same idiom for “mischief maker” or “meddler” in 1 Peter 4:15.
The Greek in Revelation 12:5 that is translated as “snatched away” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “snatched from the hands of the mother.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is translated with entrücken or “transported (often used with a spiritual application).”
The Greek in John 18:38 that is translated into English as “What is truth?” is translated into Dogrib (Tłı̨chǫ) as Nàowo ehkw’ıı ayìı welè?: “What may the truth be anyway?”
Dwayne Janke (in Word Alive 2003, p. 16 ) tells the story of this translation:
“One challenging passage is John 18:37–38, where Christ tells Pontius Pilate that everyone on the side of truth listens to Him. In response, Pilate asks, ‘What is truth?’ and walks away.
“Jaap [Feenstra, an SIL translation consultant] turns to Alice [Sangris, a Dogrib co-worker for translation verification] after reading the verses. ‘Why, Alice, would he say, Nàowo ehkw’ıı ayìı awèidi? “What do you mean with truth?’?’
“Alice seems unsure. But after Marie Louise [Bouvier-White, a Dogrib translator] reads the verses again, Alice says, that to her, Pilate is asking a genuine question.
“‘It’s supposed to be a rhetorical question,’ Jaap replies. ‘Pilate is saying. We don’t even know what truth is.’
“Marie Louise catches onto the concept: ‘Pilate went out (of the room) because ‘truth’ doesn’t mean anything to him.’
“Mary [Siemens, another Dogrib translator] offers an optional wording that makes the Dogrib translation of Pilate’s question more sarcastic in tone. The group discusses and tweaks the phrasing, until in Dogrib it says: ‘What may the truth be anyway?'”
The German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) says Was ist denn die wahre Wirklichkeit? or “What then is the real truth (or: “true reality”).”
The Greek that is translated as “angel with a golden censer” or similar in English in Revelation 8:3 is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as ein Engel füllte Feuerbrand in sein goldenes Räucherfass or “an angel filled fire into his golden censer.”
In Revelation 8:5, what is translated in English as “the angel took the censer and filled it with fire” is translated as der Engel nahm das leergebrannte Räucherfass [und] füllte es erneut mit Feuerbrand or “the angel took the burnt-out censer and filled it once again with fire.”
The translators are attempting to close a logical gap in the text (i.e., there can only be smoke in Revelation 8:3 if there is fire in the censer).
The Greek in 1 Peter 1:12 that is translated as “into which angels long to look” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as “even the angels lean forward from heaven with great longing to catch a glimpse of it.”