The Greek terms that are translated into English as “preach” or “proclaim” are regularly rendered into Aari as “speaking the word of salvation.” (Source: Loren Bliese)
Other languages (back-) translate it in the following manner:
- Mandarin Chinese: chuándào/傳道 or “hand down the Way [or: the Logos]”)
- Kekchí: “declare the word”
- Kpelle: “speak God’s word”
- Tzeltal: “he explains, they hear” (“the goal of all preachers”)
- Copainalá Zoque: “a preacher is ‘one who speaks-scatters'” (a figure based on the scattering of seed in the process of sowing) (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
- Shilluk: “declare the word of of God” (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning:
- For Acts 9:20, 10:42: nakotnohora: “talk about” (“The generic term for preaching.”)
- For Acts 8:4, 8:5, 8:25: rodkiota-ralde’etnohora — “bring words, give news about.” (“This term is used when the preacher is moving from place to place to preach.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 8:4:
- Uma: “So, those followers of Yesus who fled from Yerusalem, wherever they went they kept announcing the Word of the Lord.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “The ones trusting in Isa who were scattered, they went throughout all the places and they proclaimed the good news about Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Those believers who were scattered out when they ran away, they caused the word of God to be understood in the villages.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Those-aforementioned-ones who separated-from-each-other, wherever they went, they preached the word of God concerning Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Well, as for those scattered ones, each place they came to, they were teaching to people the word of God.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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Sung version of Acts 9 >>
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