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 1:15:
Uma: “he said: ‘The time has almost arrived for God to become King on earth! Repent from your sins, believe the Good News.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘The time that was foretold has come,’ he said, ‘and the time of God’s ruling is near. Regret your sins and leave them now. And believe the good news.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he said, ‘This is the time when the long ago prophecies will be fulfilled because God will soon now rule over you. Give up your bad deeds and believe the good news.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He said, ‘The time that God designated has arrived. His ruling is near-in-time. Repent therefore of your sins and believe the good news.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He was teaching, saying, ‘The determined time has come. The kingdom of God is now close. Repent now of your sins and drop/give-up them. Believe/obey this Good News.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Balinese: “His words: ‘Now it is the time. the kingdom of God is already near. Change your minds and believe the good news.'” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “and saying that ‘It is the crucial moment: the Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe in the good news.'”
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 Mark 1:28:
Uma: “From there, the news talking-about Yesus was spread all over Galilea-land.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then his fame immediately became well-known in all the places there in the land Jalil.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And through this the fame of Jesus quickly spread through the whole province of Galilee.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “That being so, (news) concerning Jesus was rapidly reported-from-one-to-another in all parts of Galilea.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The news concerning Jesus spread very quickly over the whole area of Galilea.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
