The Greek that is translated “scripture” or “scriptures” in English is translated as “God’s word which people wrote” in Guerrero Amuzgo (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125) and “paper writings” in Copainalá Zoque (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.).
While the term “Bible,” often used as a synonym, does not appear in the Bible itself, there’s an interesting translation of that word in Dehu. Missionaries had translated “Bible” as “Container of the Word” until they realized that this was also used for “penis sheath.” (Source: Clifford 1992, p. 87)
For other translations of scripture see all scripture is inspired by God and examined the scriptures.
The Greek that is translated in English as “examined the scriptures” or similar is translated in Isthmus Mixe as “hunted in the written Word of God” and in Teutila Cuicatec as “looked at the paper on which was written down the Word of God.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
See also scripture and all scripture is inspired by God.
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 17:11:
- Uma: “The Yahudi people in Berea had good hearts, not like those in Tesalonika. They were happy to hear the News of Yesus, and every day they examined the Holy Book so that they would know if the words of Paulus were true or not.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “The Yahudi there, their livers were more tender/pliable than the Yahudi in Tessalonika. They were very glad to listen to the teaching/preaching of Paul and company and every day they studied the holy-book to see/watch if the teaching of Paul was really true.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for these Jews here in Berea, they were better than the Jews in Thessalonica because they were generous/kind/friendly. They really liked to listen to what was preached to them, and every day they looked in the written word of God because they would find out whether what Paul was teaching was true.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “The Jews in Berea, they were more receptive/open-minded than those-from-Tessalonica, because they very-much-liked to hear the word of God, and they read it daily to see if what Pablo was teaching was true.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Well, the ways/nature of the taga Berea were really good, better than the taga Tesalonica. For they listened happily to that teaching of Pablo-and-co, and every day they were really studying well the writings which are the word of God, as to whether all that which was being said was true.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)