Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 6:23:
- Uma: “But if our (incl.) eye is cloudy, it’s like our (incl.) sight is dark. So, if the Lord enlightens our (incl.) heart, and we (incl.) make it dark again, it will really be pitch dark. [lit., no kidding its pitch darkness.]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “But if our (dual) seeing is clouded, that means our (dual) works are bad, our (dual) whole body is like dark. If we (dual) say/think that our (dual) body is light but in fact/surprise it is dark, then it is really very dark.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But if we are blind, which is to say, if we are wicked, it’s as if we are benighted. And if we are blinded because of our wickedness, then our way is dark indeed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “But if your (sing.) sight/viewpoint is bad, it is as if your (sing.) mind is extremely dark. So if you (sing.) say/think that your (sing.) mind is lighted but unexpectedly it is dark, surely it is extremely dark!'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “But if your eye has a defect, of course in your sight all is darkened/unclear. Well this which I am saying that the eye is like the lamp of the body, what is being alluded to here is your mind/inner-being. For as long as it’s your own will and good-situation here in the world that you are giving priority to, alas, it’s really very darkened/unclear in your mind/inner-being.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “But if you don’t open your understanding, then you do not truly know what is the good by which you must live. Then how bad is the darkness where you walk (live), because your thoughts are not opened for you to know the good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Martu Wangka: “If you think to do bad things, then you will be bad and you will be ignorant of the Father.” (Source: Carl Gross)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) verses 22 and 23: “The eye is light for the whole body. When the eye is clear, the whole body is brightly illuminated; when it is dim, the body is dark. If your own light does not dispel the darkness within you, how great is the darkness outside!”
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Thessalonians 4:7:
- Uma: “Because what was God’s intention in calling us (incl.), relatives? He did not call us (incl.) in order to do wrong. He called us (incl.) and he gave us his Spirit who is holy, in order that our lives be holy. So anyone who refuses this teaching, is not refusing men. It is God [emp.] he is refusing.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “For we (incl.) were not chosen by God so that we (incl.) do bad/do immoral things, but he wishes that we (incl.) are holy/clean.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For God has made us believers in him so that our activity might become worthy of a person who belongs to him. He does not want our activity to be immoral.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because God did not choose us (incl.) in order for us to do what is filthy but rather so that we would follow a holy way-of-life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For God has determined that we will live lives which are righteous/straight, not lives which disgust him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Because God called us in order that we live for good. God does not want that we live for evil.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “The fact that God has called us does not mean that nothing else matters, but that he has called us into holiness, and that means distinction, in which everything does matter.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 9:50:
- Uma: “‘Salt is very useful. But if its saltiness changes with the result that it is plain/tasteless, what else could make it salty? So also, you who follow me must be like salt: Don’t let your faith become weak. You must live in unity.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “He also said, ‘You do know that salt is really good. But if the salt has no more taste, it cannot become salty again. Therefore you also,’ he said, ‘you should be careful in order that you do not lose your reciprocal-respect and your reciprocal-harmony.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Not only that but salt is good because it makes food delicious, however, if salt loses its flavor, there is no way to bring back its flavor. And the same way, your works must be like salt so that you might be the means for making people better. And it is necessary that your relationship together with each one of you must become peaceful.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “The salt, it has a purpose, but if it becomes-tasteless, it’s tang can definitely not be returned. So think about the use of salt and help-each-other so that you will be in-harmony.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Salt is good as long as it is indeed salty. But if it’s no longer salty, how can it be made salty again? Well as for you (pl.), you must make it your habit to be like the saltiness of this. For if you make your nature/ways like this, it’s for the benefit of one another. And persevere with being like-minded which will result in your fellowship/companionship with your fellowman being peaceful.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Mazaltepec Zapotec: “Salt gives flavor (makes food taste good). There is salt which is mixed with earth. This salt loses its flavor. If the salt loses its flavor, with what can we restore its flavor? You, my disciples, should be like good salt which does not lose its flavor. Thus you will be in peace among yourselves.”
- Southern Puebla Mixtec: “Salt is good so that food will not go bad. But if the salt is not salty any more, how can we use it? We cannot. So you do like the good salt does. Care for your heart so that it will not go bad. You had better live at peace with one another.”
- Korku: “Salt is good to make food acceptable, but if its saltiness is lost leaving only that which is not salt, it is no longer useful to make food acceptable. You also should have something like that in your own hearts so that you will be acceptable to one another and be at peace.” (Source for this and two above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “Salt preserves. If the preserving power of salt could be lost, we would no longer have salt to preserve itself. Peace is like salt. Have salt with you, that means: keep peace with one another.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 13:41:
- Uma: “‘Be careful, you who disparage. You will be surprised seeing my deeds, in the end you will be punished with death. Because at this time, I do something that is very powerful. Yet you refuse to believe it, even though someone explains it to you.’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “‘You who do not believe, and who make fun/mock, look/watch-out. You will be very amazed at what-I-do, and you will perish,’ says God, ‘because while you are yet alive, I will do (something) and you will not believe it, even if you are told.’ ‘” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “‘You who scorn, you’ll be very surprised at what I am going to do. And you will die because there is that which I will do which you will see. However, you will not believe it even though there is someone to explain it to you.’ ‘” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “‘Listen, you who ridicule, because I will do something in your lifetime that will be an amazement to you, but you will nevertheless die, because you do not believe that it will be done, even though there is someone who-tells-it correctly to you.’ ‘ That was the ending of what Pablo said to them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “which says, ‘Listen to this, you who habitually-insult. You really will be amazed at what will come to you which will cause your downfall/being-permanently-lost. Because I will do something in your time which, even if it keeps being told to you what I will do, you won’t acknowledge it as true.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “‘I will accomplish something so great in your lifetime that when someone tells you about it, you will stand there with your mouths open and not believe it and think it’s madness. And then you will perish.'”
For the Old Testament quotes, see Habakkuk 1:5 (from the Greek Septuagint).
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 6:34:
- Uma: “So, let’s not be busy thinking about what will happen tomorrow. This day enough/complete its trouble, don’t any longer add more to it thinking about what will happen tomorrow.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for your worries will only become many. Your worries/troubles about today are enough.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t be troubled about the difficult things which will happen to you at a later day, for you should only think about that on the day it happens. Only think about what happens to you today.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Therefore don’t be worrying about difficulties that you might experience tomorrow. Wait (lit. later) so-that tomorrow, then you will face the difficulties that will arrive on that day. Because the difficulties we experience each day are sufficient. Let’s not (lit. even-if we don’t) add-to them.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “And well, don’t agitate your mind/thinking about how tomorrow will be. Just trust that to God. The hardships of this day are enough for your mind/thinking. Well, why add agitating yourselves about what hardships may come tomorrow?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Now do not worry about what you will go through tomorrow. For each day had problems which a person must pass through. Just seek for how you get through the problem of the day when it comes.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “So do not burden yourselves with worries for the next day. For every day that God makes, he provides anew. And each day also carries its own burden.”
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Thessalonians 5:7:
- Uma: “Because people who sleep and get-drunk, sleep and get-drunk at night.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “It is at night hep that people sleep and it is also at night that the people who drink are always drunk.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He who sleeps, sleeps in the night, and he who gets drunk, also gets drunk in the night.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because the night is the sleeping-time of people and the getting-drunk-time of drunkards.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For isn’t it so that night is the time when people sleep and get drunk?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Those who sleep sleep in the night. Those who get drunk get drunk in the night.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “Both who sleep at night and who are drunk at night belong to the darkness.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 7:32:
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “Perhaps with children on the playground who accuse each other of being spoilsports. Some say: ‘We wanted to play wedding with you and played music, but you didn’t want to dance to it.’ The others say: ‘We wanted to play funeral, but you didn’t want to cry along.’”
- Noongar: “They are like children sitting in the market. One side calls to the other, ‘We sang for a wedding but you did not dance! We sang for a funeral and you didn’t weep.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
- Uma: “They are like children to sit at the edge of the main-road, who continually call-back-and-forth with their companions, they said: ‘We encourage you to play-the-flute, You do not want to be glad together-with us (excl.). We encourage you to weep, You also do not want to cry together-with us (excl.).'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “They are like children sitting in the market playing wedding and funeral. They call to their companions, they say, ‘We beat the drums/rhythm for you, but you did not dance. We wailed but you did not weep.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “because the children sit in the market-place playing, and they call to each other saying, ‘We are beating the drum for you but you will not dance, and we are wailing, but you will not join in.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “They are like children playing in the plaza who will absolutely not be satisfied. They say to their companions, ‘We (excl.) were certainly playing-the-gongs, but you refused to dance. So we sang-funeral-songs, but you still refused to join in.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “They’re like children sitting at their playing-place and calling to their friends they play with. They’re saying, ‘Whatever we (excl.) do, it doesn’t suit you (pl.). We play stringed-instruments for you but you don’t dance. We sing songs sung at burials but you don’t cry.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 21:26:
- Uma: “That advice Paulus indeed believed / paid-attention-to. The next day he did go with those four to do the religious ceremony of cleansing of the body. After that he entered the House of God and said to the priest how many more days it would be before [lit., how many more day and only then] the time of their cleansing would be finished. Because when the time of their cleansing was finished, Paulus and his four companions must each bring his sacrifice.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Then Paul took the four men and the next day they went together to perform the Yahudi customs about purification. After they had done that, Paul went to the temple to tell the priests as to when their purification would be fulfilled, and as to when each one of them would offer-sacrifice to God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the next day Paul went with these men, and he took part in their fulfilling the custom of purification. Paul went into the House of God so that he might let them know how many days yet before their purification would be finished, because when that was finished there would be an offering given by each one of them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Therefore on the next morning, Pablo accompanied those-aforementioned four men, and he joined in what they did to begin to cleanse their bodies. Then they went to the Temple, and Pablo told the priest the date of its (the cleansing) conclusion, in order that that’s when-his four companions -would-butcher and -would-get-balded.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Well, that which the overseers said was okay with Pablo, therfore the following day, he caused those four persons to accompany him to the Templo. When they had done their custom of cleansing, in which Pablo had also joined in, they then went in to the priest and informed him of what day that cleansing would be ended and then they would each bring his share of the sacrifice and thank-offering which would be burned. But as-had-been-said, Pablo would be the one responsible for paying.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “Paul then took care of the Nazirites the following day, submitted to their ritual rules and went to the temple regularly. He promised them that he would pay for the sacrificial animals for each of them and thus promised them the end of their Nazirite period.” (see also under a vow)
