complete verse (Acts 16:39)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 16:39:

  • Uma: “They went asking forgiveness of Paulus and Silas and they escorted them outside, and they said to them: ‘It is better if you leave our (excl.) town.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore they went and asked forgiveness from Paul and company. Then they brought Paul and company out from the prison and they entreated them telling them to leave now from that town.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore they went there and they begged their forgiveness. And they took them outside the prison and begged them that they might leave the town.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So they went to the prison to go apologize to them. After that they led (them) outside, and requested that they leave that town.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Without anything further, they hurried and went there and asked forgiveness. And then when they had released them, they kept on asking Pablo-and-companion that hopefully they wouldn’t stay there but would now leave.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 16:39

Apologized may be rendered as “asked them to forgive them” or (perhaps better) “asked them to overlook.” In some languages the equivalent is “they said to them, We are sorry for what we did.”

The final verb expression asked them to leave the city may need to be expressed as direct discourse in some languages—for example, “said to them, Please leave the city.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .