The Greek in John 7:37 that is translated as “let anyone who is thirsty come to me (and drink)” had to be made more explicit in Ixcatlán Mazatec. Here it adds “to satisfy their thirst” since “and drink” will likely give the impression of drinking alcohol.
delight (verb)
The Hebrew in Psalm 37:4 that is translated as “(take) delight” in English is translated in North Alaskan Inupiatun as “look for your happiness.”
death vs. life
The terms in the verse in 2 Corinthians that are translated as “death” and “life” in English are translated in Ixcatlán Mazatec as “physical death” and “spiritual life.”
The verse in Ephesians (in English: “dead”) is comparably translated as “spiritually dead.”
prophesy
The Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek that are translated in English versions as “prophesy” are translated into Anuak as “sing a song” (source: Loren Bliese), into Balanta-Kentohe as “passing on message of God” (source: Rob Koops), and into Ixcatlán Mazatec with a term that does not only refer to the future, but is “speak on behalf of God” (source: Robert Bascom).
Other translations include: “God making someone to show something in advance” (Ojitlán Chinantec), “God causing someone to think and then say it” (Aguaruna), “speaking God’s thoughts” (Shipibo-Conibo), “God made someone say something” “Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac) (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125), “proclaim God’s message” (Teutila Cuicatec), “speak for God” (Chichimeca-Jonaz), “preach the Word of God” (Lalana Chinantec), “speak God’s words” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “that which God’s Spirit will cause one to say one will say” (Mayo) (source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “say what God wants people to hear” (tell people God wod dat e gii oona fa say) (Gullah) (source: Robert Bascom), and “bring God’s mouth” (Bariai) (source: Bariai Back Translation).
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:
- For Acts 3:18, 3:21, 3:25: nurwowohora — “mouth says words that don’t come from one’s own mind.” (“This term refers to an individual’s speaking words that are not his because either a good or bad spirit is at work through him. The speaker is not in control of himself.”)
- For Acts 19:6, Acts 21:9: nakotnohora — “talk about.” (“The focus of this term is on telling God’s message for the present as opposed to the future.”)
- For Acts 21:11: rora — “foretell” (“The focus of this term is giving God’s message concerning the future. The person who speaks is aware of what he is doing and he is using his own mind, yet it is with God’s power that he foretells the future.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
See also prophet and prophesy / prophetic frenzy.
what each should take
The Greek in Mark 15:24 that is typically translated as “what each should take” is translated in Quetzaltepec Mixe as “what each one that won would take” (assuming there were more soldiers than garments).
perfect understanding
The Greek in Wisdom 6:15 that is translated in English as “perfect understanding” is translated in Chol as “complete understanding.”
birth (Matthew 1:18)
The Greek in Matthew 1:18 that is rendered into English as “birth” is translated into Sierra Totonac as lakatunkuwi: “born to see the morning.” (The Sierra Totonac word for Christmas is lakatunkuwit.) (2nd translation into Sierra Totonac of 1999.)
See also bear (child), give birth.
harem
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “harem” in English is translated in North Alaskan Inupiatun as relating to a group of women rather than a place (source: Robert Bascom), whereas in Kwere it is translated as “the house of the women/wives of the king.” (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)