The Greek in Mark 7:19 that is translated as “heart” and “stomach” in English is translated in Elhomwe as “heart” and “body.” In Elhomwe the plural form for “heart” is the same word as the Elhomwe word for “stomach.” To avoid confusion decided to translate “body” instead of “stomach.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In the English translation of Pakaluk (2019) is is translated as heart and gut.
The Greek that is translated with “moved with compassion (or: pity)” in English is translated as “to see someone with sorrow” in Piro, “to suffer with someone” in Huastec, or “one’s mind to be as it were out of one” in Balinese (source: Bratcher / Nida).
The English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019) uses “was keenly affected” in Mark 1:41.
The Greek πρασιαὶ πρασιαὶ (prasiai prasiai) that is typically not directly translated in English (the UBS Handbook says: prasia (only here in the N.T.) meant originally ‘a garden plot’; when used as here it means ‘in orderly groups,’ ‘in rows,’ ‘in ranks’) is translated as “looking like flower beds set side to side” by Pakaluk (2019) (the complete verse: And they sat down in groups of a hundred and groups of fifty, looking like flower beds set side to side).
Palaluk explains (p. 108f.): “These are fascinating lines [verses 39 and 40]. Mark uses two idioms that occur only here in recorded Greek literature: “dinner parties, side by side” and “looking like flower beds set side to side.” The phrase for the first is sumposia sumposia. A symposium is literally a drinking party, though we would say dinner party. The phrase for the second is prasiai prasiai. A prasia is a flower bed. Mark repeats each word so that the position of the words in the sentence, side by side, is like the position of the things represented by the words, side by side. It is very clever. But notice this. Jesus commands the disciples to seat everyone in groups like dinner parties. But in following the command, the disciples seat everyone in groups of fifty or one hundred, in rectangular formations. The first sentence records the Lord’s command; the second is Peter’s [Mark’s assumed source for the gospel] vivid description of how it looked after the fact. The contrast between the two expressions shows that Jesus would leave the details to the disciples’ discretion as they followed his command. The apostles are given scope to set down definite realizations of what the Lord intends.”
Wuest (1961) and Blakwelder (1980) offer similar translations. While Ruden (2021) does not, she explains in a footnote (p. 23): “To depict this unconventional feast, outdoor terms are whimsically combined with terms for an ordinary indoor social gathering. The arrangement of the diners here is literally ‘drinking parties drinking parties,’ ‘on the green greenery,’ and ‘garden plots garden plots.’ Two are expressions like the modern Greek plai plai for ‘side by side.'”
The Greek κύκλῳ (kuklo) that is typically translated in English as “about among” or similar is translated by the English translations of Ruden (2020) and Pakaluk (2019) as circuit (“he made a circuit through the villages”). Pakaluk (p. 102) comments: “We glimpse again Christ’s method. He liked to teach on the Sabbath in the synagogue. Perhaps he went to a new village each week, teaching there on the Sabbath, spending the following days healing the sick, visiting farming communities, going to isolated spots to pray, and instructing his disciples. After a couple of months, he could repeat the circuit to provide accountability and deeper instruction.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:8:
Uma: “Actually Yesus knew what was in their thoughts. That is why he said: ‘Why are your thoughts like that?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Immediately Isa knew what they were thinking and he said to them, ‘Why are you questioning like that in your liver?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then Jesus understood that that was what was in their minds, and he said to them, ‘Why are you thinking like that?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But Jesus knew nevertheless that that was in their minds, and he said, ‘Why are you thinking that?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But Jesus knew that which was in their minds. That’s why he said, ‘Why is like that in your minds?)” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Kim text for oral translation: “What is the easiest thing; it is that of saying to the paralysed: ‘Your sins have been forgiven’ or of saying ‘Get up, take your bed, go your going (go away)’?” (Source: Bayamy Tchande Awakde in The Bible Translator 2025, p. 23ff.)
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “So Jesus — who knows immediately in his spirit that this is how they are thinking about themselves — says to them: ‘Why are you thinking those things?'”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:29:
Uma: “When Yesus his disciples returned from that prayer house, they went to the home of Simon and Andreas. Yakobus and Yohanes also went with them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “After that, Isa went out of the prayer-house and entered the house of Simon and Andariyas. He was together with Yakub and Yahiya.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then Jesus and company left the church and went to the house of Simon and Andrew. James and John went also with them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When [plural] Jesus came-out of the synagogue, they went-directly to the house of Simon and Andrew. Santiago and Juan went also.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “On their coming out of the worship-place, Jesus and company went to the house of those brothers, Simon and Andres. Their companions in going there were Santiago and Juan.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Shipibo-Conibo: “Just then they went out of the small house to praise God in. Having gone out they went and arrived at the house of Simon and Andrew. James, John with them arrived.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
Balinese: “When they came out of the place of worship. Jesus went in the house of Andreas and Simon, followed by Jakub and Jokanan.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “Well, after they left the synagogue, they went directly to Simon and Andrew’s home, with James and John.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:16:
Uma: “There also were there several religion teachers who followed the Parisi teaching. When they saw Yesus eating with these people who had evil character, they said saying to his disciples: ‘Why does your teacher eat at-one-time tax collectors and sinner people!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “There were Pariseo there, teachers of the religious law. When they saw that Isa was eating together with the sinful people and the people collecting taxes, they said to the disciples of Isa, ‘Why does Isa mix in eating with the tax collectors and the other sinful people?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there were there also some Pharisees who were teachers of the law. And when they saw that Jesus was eating with these law breakers and tax collectors, they asked the disciples of Jesus, they said, ‘Why is Jesus eating and drinking with these cheating tax collectors and law breakers?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When the teachers of the law who were Fariseo (Pharisees) saw that Jesus was eating-with people like those, they said to Jesus’ disciples, ‘Why does he eat-with tax collectors and other sinful people?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This was seen by some of the explainers of law who were members of the Pariseo. Therefore they questioned those disciples of Jesus. They said, ‘Why does he join in eating with the money-grabbing official-receivers of payment to the government and those others who don’t fully obey our (incl.) laws?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “So some scribes who belonged to the party of the Pharisees, when they see that he is eating with public sinners and tax collectors, had a word with his disciples about it: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and public sinners?'”
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:6:
Uma: “Yohanes’ clothes were made of a domestic-animal called a camel. His belt was from leather. His food as grasshoppers and honey.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The clothes of Yahiya were woven camel’s hair and his belt was of leather (lit. cow hide). His food was locusts and honey.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now this John was shirted in cloth woven of camel’s hair and belted with dried skin. His food was locusts and honey.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Juan’s clothes were woven of camel hair and his belt was of rawhide. What-he-ate also was locusts and honey (lit. water) of the wild-bee.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The clothes of Juan were cloth made from the hair/fur of the kamelyo animal, and his belt was made from cow hide. Grasshoppers which are locusts and honey of bees were his food.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Balinese: “The clothes of Jokanan were made of camel’s hair, he had a belt of leather. his food was but locusts and honey of bees who shut out the sun [‘common expression for wild bees’]. ” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “Well, as for John, he was clothed in camel hair, with a leather belt around his waist. And for food he ate locusts and wild honey.”
