The Greek that is translated as “chamberlain” or “high official” or similar in English is translated as “an authority for the king” in Morelos Nahuatl or as “worker who had much power” in Eastern Highland Otomi. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
elder
The Greek that is translated as “elder” in most English versions is translated as “Old-Man Leader” in Eastern Highland Otomi (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22) and in Bacama as mi kpan-kpani vɨnə hiutə: “big/old person of house of prayer” (source: David Frank in this blog post).
Other translations include “the people who command among the people of Jesus” in Lalana Chinantec, “the old men who watched over the believers” in Morelos Nahuatl, or the ones guarding the brethren” in Isthmus Mixe. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
See also elders of the church.
ankle
The Greek 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.)
census
The Greek and Hebrew that is typically translated as “census” in English is translated in these ways:
- Teutila Cuicatec: “registration”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “counting of the people”
- Lalana Chinantec: “writing down all the people”
- Isthmus Mixe: “writing how many people there are”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “when the names are given”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “recording of the names” (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
- Uma: counting of the people” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
fornication, sexual immorality
The Greek that is translated as “sexual immorality” or “fornication” or similar is translated much more specifically in some languages. Morelos Nahuatl has “let a man not yield himself to another woman except only to his wife. Also let a woman not yield herself to another man except only to her husband” or in Lalana Chinantec as “not proper for them to mix themselves with other women. The same is true of women for other men also. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
fear (of God)
The Hebrew and Greek that are translated as “fear (of God)” (or: “honor,” “worship,” or “respect”) is translated as “to have respect/reverence for” (Southern Subanen, Western Highland Purepecha, Navajo, Javanese, Tboli), “to make great before oneself” (Ngäbere), “fear-devotion” (Kannada — currently used as a description of the life of piety), “those-with-whom he-is-holy” (those who fear God) (Western Apache) (source for this and above: Reiling / Swellengrebel), “revere God” Lalana Chinantec, “worship God” (Palantla Chinantec) (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), “obey” (Nyanja) (source: Ernst Wendland), or with a term that communicates awe (rather than fear of an evil source) (Chol) (source: Robert Bascom).
receive my spirit
The Greek that is translation as “receive my spirit” in English is translated as “receive me” in San Mateo del Mar Huave, as “take up [referring to a living thing] my spirit” in Chichimeca-Jonaz, or as “take my heart” in Lalana Chinantec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
baptize with the Holy Spirit
The Greek that is translated in English as “baptize with the Holy Spirit” is translated in Ixcatlán Mazatec as “(baptize so that) the Holy Spirit will come upon/enter you” (source: Robert Bascom) and in Mairasi as “wash with the Holy Spirit” (“water” baptism is “wash with water”) (source: Enggavoter 2004).
Other languages translate as follows:
- Rincón Zapotec: “be baptized with the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit will come to be with you”
- Teutila Cuicatec: “God’s Holy Spirit will possess you”
- Chuj: “God’s Spirit will be given to you”
- Mezquital Otomi: “be baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit”
- Mayo: “receive the Holy Spirit in the same way you receive baptism”
- Lalana Chinantec: “the Great Spirit will enter your hearts” (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
See also Holy Spirit and baptism / baptize.
Pentecost
The Greek that is translated as “Pentecost” in English is translated in Huichol as “festival of the 7th week” It was rendered thus because the name of Pentecost would be equated with a sect only, and a harvest festival in late May would strain credibility. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
voice of a god
The Greek that is translated as “voice of a god” in English is translated as “God is speaking” in Lalana Chinantec, as “that one who is addressing us is God” in Teutila Cuicatec, or as “this is the word of God” in Tepeuxila Cuicatec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
author of life
The Greek that is translated as “author of life” in English is translated as “the one who give eternal life” in Rincón Zapotec, as “the one who gave us (incl.) our life” in Chichimeca-Jonaz, as “the Lord that gives life” in Eastern Highland Otomi, as “him who causes us to live” in Morelos Nahuatl, as “that man who has caused everything to be that there is” in San Mateo del Mar Huave, or as “gives life to people” Tepeuxila Cuicatec. (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
serve tables, wait at tables
The Greek that is often translated as “serve tables” or “wait at tables is translated in the following ways:
- Desano: “feed the people”
- Lalana Chinantec: “distribute what (the widows) will eat”
- San Mateo del Mar Huave: “distribute food”
- Ayutla Mixtec: “arrange that which we eat”
- Morelos Nahuatl: “feed our brothers”
- Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “give that they eat”
- Eastern Highland Otomi: “give what to eat to the people”
- Chichimeca-Jonaz: “watch over the tables”
- Garifuna: “attend to these things” (Source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)