pour out Spirit

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “pour out (my) Spirit” in English is translated in the following ways:

  • “spread Spirit” (has idea of distribution without exhausting the source, as light may be spread from person and the total amount of light increased) in Coatlán Mixe
  • “send Spirit, he will enter the hearts of all people” in Central Pame and Lalana Chinantec
  • “give Spirit” in Isthmus Mixe
  • “send Spirit to possess people” in Teutila Cuicatec
  • “put on you the Holy Spirit of God” in Eastern Highland Otomi
  • “give-down Spirit” in Chuj(source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

in the last days

The Greek in Acts 2:17 that is translated as “in the last days” in English is translated as

  • “there will be a day” (Eastern Highland Otomi)
  • “when the world is about to turn around” (Isthmus Mixe)
  • “when the time comes that the sky will soon perish” (Lalana Chinantec)
  • “when it will nearly be time for the world to come to an end” (Chichimeca-Jonaz)
  • “while the last day is near” (Tzotzil)
  • “close to when the end comes” (Huichol) (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • “at the [time of] the end of the world (Uma) (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • “day later and very much later” (Bariai) (source: Bariai Back Translation)

prophesy

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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.

vision

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin and Greek that is translated as “vision” in English is translated in a variety in the following languages:

  • Chol: “as if in a dream” (source: Robert Bascom)
  • Obolo: ilaak ọkpọchieen̄ or “dreaming awake” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “a showing like dreams”
  • Desano: “see in a dream what God will send”
  • Rincón Zapotec: “see what God shows”
  • Mayo: “see things from God as in a dream”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “dream how it is going to be”
  • Chuj: “like dreaming they see”
  • San Mateo del Mar Huave: “understand what they see as if in a dream”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “see that which will happen” (source for this and seven above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Tagbanwa: “being caused to dream by God” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Chichewa: azidzaona zinthu m’masomphenya: “they will see things as if face-to-face” (interconfessional translation, publ. 1999) (Source: Wendland 1998, p. 69)
  • Mandarin Chinese: yì xiàng (异象 / 異象), lit. “different (or: strange) appearance.” (Source: Zetzsche)

The Greek in the books of Revelation and Acts is translated as obq-rmwible: “look-dream” in Natügu. Brenda Boerger (in Beerle-Moor / Voinov, p. 162ff.) tells the story of that translation: “In the book of Revelation, the author, John, talks about having visions. Mr. Simon [the native language translator] and I discussed what this meant and he invented the compound verb obq-rmwible ‘look-dream’ to express it. Interestingly, during village testing no one ever had to ask what this neologism meant.”

See also see a vision.

sons and daughters

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “(your / their) sons and daughters” is translated in Tibetan as “children,” because it sound more naturally. (Source: David Clark in Clark / Desnitsky 2009 , p. 22)

quote from Joel in Acts 2

The Old Testament quote from Joel in Acts 2:17-21 is amended by what is translated in English as “In the last days, God declares.” Many translations don’t show this as an addition by Peter or Luke to the original quote but the Swedish Bibel 2000 manages to distinguish the different sources by a differentiation in italics vs. regular script: Det skall ske i de sista dagarna, säger Gud, att jag utgjuter min ande över alla människor. (…)” (Source: Christer Åsberg in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 71ff. )