self-control

The Greek that is typically translated as “self-control” in English is translated in Yamba and Bulu as “(a) cool heart.” (Source: W. Reyburn in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 1ff. )

In Eastern Highland Otomi it is translated as “be careful what one does,” in Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac as “determine that they cannot do the things that are not good, and in Highland Popoluca as “not do like our evil thoughts want.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

justice

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)


“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

Felix

The name that is transliterated as “Felix” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that signifies the fact that he was a governor (of Judea) and corrupt (see Acts 24:26), and also to the clothes worn by politicians at the time. (Source: Missão Kophós )


“Felix” in Libras (source )

More information about Felix .

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

complete verse (Acts 24:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 24:25:

  • Uma: “In Paulus’ speech, he said to Feliks like this: We must have straight deeds, and we must control our own desires, for there will come the Kiama Day, when God judges the cases of all mankind. Hearing this, Feliks became afraid, he said: ‘Enough for now! I will call you (sing.) again, when I have opportunity.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Paul also taught that a person should do what is straight/right and should not indulge his greedy-desires/lust. He taught about the judgment that God will soon cause to arrive on mankind in the future/in the near future. When Pilik heard this teaching of Paul, he was afraid, and he said to Paul, ‘You may leave now. If I have the time, I will call you again.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And while Paul was teaching him about righteous works and moderation of action and his expectancy of the day of punishment, Felix became afraid, and he said, ‘That’s enough for us right now. I will call you when I have time.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But while Pablo was teaching concerning righteous behavior, a person’s controlling himself and the coming day when-God -will-judge the many-people, Felix became-afraid and said, ‘That’s enough, you (sing.) just (lit. even if you) go now, so that on another occasion if I have opportunity, I will then again have-you (sing.) -called.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When Pablo arrived, he explained everything, what the lifestyle is like which is righteous in God’s sight, that it’s necessary to control oneself. He also taught that the day really will come when God will judge people. When Felix heard that, his-hair-stood-on-end-with-fear. He caused Pablo to stop, saying, ‘Well now, we’ll separate now but on another day I will have you fetched again.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

righteous, righteousness

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The Greek, Hebrew, and Latin terms that are translated in English mostly as “righteous” as an adjective or personified noun or “righteousness” (also as “justice”) are most commonly expressed with concept of “straightness,” though this may be expressed in a number of ways. (Click or tap here to see the details)

Following is a list of (back-) translations of various languages:

  • Bambara, Southern Bobo Madaré, Chokwe (ululi), Amganad Ifugao, Chol, Eastern Maninkakan, Toraja-Sa’dan, Pamona, Batak Toba, Bilua, Tiv: “be straight”
  • Laka: “follow the straight way” or “to straight-straight” (a reduplicated form for emphasis)
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl, Kekchí, Muna: “have a straight heart”
  • Kipsigis: “do the truth”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “do according to the truth”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “have truth”
  • Yine: “fulfill what one should do”
  • Indonesian: “be true”
  • Navajo: “do just so”
  • Anuak: “do as it should be”
  • Mossi: “have a white stomach” (see also happiness / joy)
  • Paasaal: “white heart” (source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • Nuer: “way of right” (“there is a complex concept of “right” vs. ‘left’ in Nuer where ‘right’ indicates that which is masculine, strong, good, and moral, and ‘left’ denotes what is feminine, weak, and sinful (a strictly masculine viewpoint!) The ‘way of right’ is therefore righteousness, but of course women may also attain this way, for the opposition is more classificatory than descriptive.”) (This and all above from Bratcher / Nida except for Bilua: Carl Gross; Tiv: Rob Koops; Muna: René van den Berg)
  • Central Subanen: “wise-good” (source: Robert Brichoux in OPTAT 1988/2, p. 80ff. )
  • Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “live well”
  • Mezquital Otomi: “goodness before the face of God” (source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl: “the result of heart-straightening” (source: Nida 1947, p. 224)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “entirely good” (when referred to God), “do good” or “not be a debtor as God sees one” (when referred to people)
  • Carib: “level”
  • Tzotzil: “straight-hearted”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “right and straight”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “walk straight” (source for this and four previous: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Makonde: “doing what God wants” (in a context of us doing) and “be good in God’s eyes” (in the context of being made righteous by God) (note that justify / justification is translated as “to be made good in the eyes of God.” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Aari: The Pauline word for “righteous” is generally rendered by “makes one without sin” in the Aari, sometimes “before God” is added for clarity. (Source: Loren Bliese)
  • North Alaskan Inupiatun: “having sin taken away” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 144)
  • Nyamwezi: wa lole: “just” or “someone who follows the law of God” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Venda: “nothing wrong, OK” (Source: J.A. van Roy in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 418ff. )
  • Ekari: maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (the same word that is also used for “truth“; 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. ).
  • Guhu-Samane: pobi or “right” (also: “right (side),” “(legal) right,” “straightness,” “correction,” “south,” “possession,” “pertinence,” “kingdom,” “fame,” “information,” or “speech” — “According to [Guhu-Samane] thinking there is a common core of meaning among all these glosses. Even from an English point of view the first five can be seen to be closely related, simply because of their similarity in English. However, from that point the nuances of meaning are not so apparent. They relate in some such a fashion as this: As one faces the morning sun, south lies to the right hand (as north lies to the left); then at one’s right hand are his possessions and whatever pertains to him; thus, a rich man’s many possessions and scope of power and influence is his kingdom; so, the rich and other important people encounter fame; and all of this spreads as information and forms most of the framework of the people’s speech.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in Notes on Translation 1964, p. 11ff.)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Gerechtheit, a neologism to differentiate it from the commonly-used Gerechtigkeit which can mean “righteousness” but is more often used in modern German as “fairness” (Berger / Nord especially use Gerechtheit in Letter to the Romans) or Gerechtestun, also a neologism, meaning “righteous deeds” (especially in Letter to the Ephesians)

See also respectable, righteous, righteous (person), and She is more in the right(eous) than I.

Translation commentary on Acts 24:25

Goodness translates the word generally rendered “righteousness” (see An American Translation* “uprightness” and Revised Standard Version “justice”). Some understand it to be limited to the more specific idea of “morality” (Moffatt) or “morals” (New English Bible), while the Good News Translation has understood it in the more general sense of goodness. In some languages there is no noun “goodness,” but one can employ an expression such as “discussed what it meant to be good.”

The other two topics which Paul discussed, self-control and the coming Day of Judgment, are understood in most translations in precisely the same manner that the Good News Translation has taken them. Self-control is rendered in some languages as “the ability to command one’s self,” “being able to say no to one’s own desires,” or “holding one’s self down.” The coming Day of Judgment may be rendered as “the day when God would judge everyone” or “the day when God would judge all the good and bad things people have done.”

You may leave now is in Greek an imperative, which a number of translators have also taken in this softened sense (note An American Translation*, Moffatt, and Jerusalem Bible “you may go for the present”). Now must be taken to mean “for the present time.”

Felix’s reply to Paul should be understood either in the sense of when I get the chance (Revised Standard Version “when I have an opportunity”) or with the meaning of “when I have time” (see Moffatt “when I can find a moment”). Felix was not putting Paul off, as might be implied by such a translation as “when I find it convenient I will send for you again” (New English Bible; see also Jerusalem Bible), and An American Translation* is probably correct in making this into an unqualified statement: “I will find time later to send for you.” Despite all the other characteristics that the Herodian family may have possessed, Luke always gives the impression that they were interested in persons connected with the Christian faith. See, for example, Luke 9.9 and 23.8.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Acts 24:25

24:25a

As Paul expounded: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as expounded refers to discussing topics and explaining one’s views on them. Other ways to translate this Greek word are:

as he was discussing (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
as he reasoned (English Standard Version)
-or-
Paul talked/explained for some time

The Greek tense on the verb probably indicates that Paul talked with Felix (and possibly Drusilla) for some time.

righteousness: This word refers to doing what is right and good in God’s sight. A righteous person has good morals and integrity. He does what God requires him to do. Other ways to translate this word are:

uprightness (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
straight ways
-or-
what God wants people to do

See how you translated this Greek word in 10:35 (“what is right”).

self-control: This word refers to a person choosing to not do something that he believed is not right to do, even though he is tempted to do it. Other ways to translate this word are:

controlling one’s desires
-or-
self-discipline

24:25b

the coming judgment: This phrase refers to a time in the future when God will judge all people for what they have done while living on the earth. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

future judgment (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the coming Day of Judgment (Good News Translation)
-or-
when God will judge all people

24:25c

Felix became frightened: Felix became afraid based on the things Paul was saying about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come. For example:

Felix was afraid (New International Version)

24:25d

You may go for now: This phrase in Greek is literally “having the now, go.” “Having the now” is an idiom that means “at the present time.” It compares the present time to another time when something happened.

Felix wanted to end the discussion at this time, and he wanted Paul to leave, implying that he would talk with Paul again later. Other ways to translate these words are:

Go/Leave, for now
-or-
Today, go ⌊back⌋ ⌊to your room⌋
-or-
That’s enough for us right now. Go.

You may go for now: The Greek clause is a polite command to go. As governor, Felix had the authority to tell people to leave. See the above examples.

This command probably implies rejection of Paul’s message at this time.

24:25e

When I find the time: This clause in Greek is literally “having found time.” It indicates that later when Felix found some spare time, he would talk to Paul again. Other ways to translate this clause are:

When I find it convenient (New International Version)
-or-
when I have an opportunity (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
when I get the chance (Good News Translation)

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