Since the words for “fire” and “grass” are homonyms in Khakas, the translators decided to translate “fire” as “burning fire” in Luke 17:29 to avoid confusion. (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )
God is love
The Greek that is translated as “God is love” in most English versions is translated in Arrernte as “God always shows his love to people” (source: Carl Gross), in Mairasi as “Above-One Himself (=God) is ‘The Person Who Desires People’s Faces (=Love)'” (source: Enggavoter 2004), and in Ekari as Ugatame kidi ipa bokouto kouja or “God is enormous love” (bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).
See also love (by God) and complete verse (1John 4:8).
use of metaphors (Mark 10:38)
The translation of Mark 10:38 into Avaric demanded a particularly difficult decision. [In it] we are faced with two metaphors, for which literal translation is impossible, since the expressions “drink the cup” and “be immersed in water, be washed” are, for the Avar, in no way connected with the idea of suffering and death. Nevertheless there is an equivalent for the first metaphor; in the Avaric language there is an idiomatic expression “to drink from the horn of death,” which is identical to the idea of the Gospels’ “cup.” For the second metaphor the translator used a less obvious equivalent: “to cross the river” (‘or baxine) — an expression which can express “to experience hardship, suffering” and at the same time contains the idea of immersion in water. (Source: Magomed-Kamil Gimbatov and Yakov Testelets in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 434ff. )
In Kumyk, the connotation of “lending one’s own cup to a disciple is a gesture of special honour and high approval from a teacher. So the (…) translator chose to add one word to the text, ‘bitter [cup],’ showing the implied connotation of suffering.” (Source: Andrei S. Desnitsky in The Bible Translator 2018, p. 233ff. )
thunder
The Greek, Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated in English as “thunder” is translated in Q’anjob’al with the existing idiom “the sun trembles.” (Source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. )
In Matumbi njai means “thunder” and/or “lightning.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
be dressed for action
The Greek in Luke 12:35 that is translated as “be dressed for action” or literally as “gird your loins” in English is translated idiomatically in the French Nouvelle Français Courant as “roll up your sleeves” and in Yakut as “have your belts done up tight,” both of which are idioms in their respective languages. (Source: Katie Badie [French] and David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. ) [Yakut])
See also fasten his belt and the parallel passage in the Old Testament: loins girded.
porch, portico
The Greek that is translated as “portico” or “porch” in English is translated in Pa’o Karen with the traditional term “where the elephant enters.” (Source: Gordon Luce in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 153f. ).
full of the spirit of wisdom
The Hebrew in Deuteronomy 34:9 that is translated as “full of the spirit of wisdom” or similar in English is translated in Indonesian as “filled to overflowing with wisdom” (Common Language Translation) (source: Daniel Arichea in The Bible Translator 1983, p. 209ff. )
hold my lot
The Hebrew in Psalm 16:5 that is translated as “you hold my lot” or “you support my lot” in English is rendered in Medumba as “you guard the back of me,” “that is to say my posterior from my head to my heels. The predominant idea in this expression is one of protection, while continuing action is indicated by the verb ‘to keep.'”
Source: Jan de Waard in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 143ff.