The Hebrew in Genesis 3:1 that is translated as “crafty” or similar in some English is translated in Mwera as ugulumba: “mean, crafty or hypocritical.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
God remembered Noah
The Hebrew in Genesis 8:1 that is translated as “God remembered Noah” in English is translated in Makonde as “God did not forget Noah” to communicate that God had not completely forgotten and then suddenly remembered Noah. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
See also remember (Esther 2:1).
adoption
The Hebrew that is translated as “adoption” in English is translated in Makonde as “chosen by God to be his children” since there is no formal process of adoption in that part of Tanzania. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
let the marriage bed be kept undefiled
The Greek in Hebrews 13:4 that is translated in English “let the marriage bed be kept undefiled” or similar is translated in Alekano as “do not spoil the marriage” (source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1077) and in Makonde as “trust marriage.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
ankle
The Greek in Acts 3:7 that is translated as “ankle(s)” in English is translated as “the round bone of feet” in Tepeuxila Cuicatec or “necks of his feet” in Ayutla Mixtec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
In Elhomwe it is translated as “where the feet and legs meet” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext) and in Manza as kpoekû or “leg bump” (source: Troy Christopher Moore, MA Thesis 1998, p. 99 ).
“Feet and ankles” are translated in Matumbi as “legs.” “Foot” and “leg” are covered by just one term in this and some other Bantu languages. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
winnowing fork
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “winnowing fork” or similar in English is translated in Matumbi as “sifter” since that’s the tool that is used to separate chaff from grain. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with Schaufel or “shovel,” in other German translations as Worfschaufel , an outdated term for the kind of shovel that is traditionally used in German-speaking areas to separate chaff from wheat.
clean animals, unclean animals
The phrases that are translated as “clean animals” and “unclean animals” in English: The first draft into Maan had “animals not cursed” and “cursed animals,” which did not express correctly the idea of ritually pure and impure animals. So it was changed to “animals accepted by God for sacrifices” and “animals not accepted by God for sacrifices.”
In Kwere it is translated as animals “which are eaten” vs. “which are not eaten.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
In Makonde is is translated as halali and halamu, derived from the Arabic halal (حلال) and haram (حرام), used for permitted and and forbidden animals in Islam. The Makonde speakers are 90% Muslim and this was chosen because these are widely understood terms and because many of the permitted (clean) foods of Judaism and Islam match. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
