Following are a number of back-translations of John 11:18:
Uma: “Betania was close to Yerusalem, about three kilometers distance.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The village of Betani is close to Awrusalam, it is only about three kilometers.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The village of Bethany is just near the town of Jerusalem, about three kilometers away.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “This-aforementioned Betania, it was close to Jerusalem, its distance being about (lit. going to) three kilometers.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The distance to Jerusalem from Betania was only three kilometers,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “There at the town of Bethany it was only about two and a half kilometers from Jerusalem.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
The concepts of distance that are translated in English with “long,” “wide,” and “high/tall” are translated in Kwere with one word: utali. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
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®).
Less than two miles (New English Bible “just under two miles”; Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible “about two miles”) is literally “fifteen stadia.” A “stade” was a Roman measurement of a little more than six hundred feet, and so fifteen “stadia” is a little less than two miles or “about three kilometers.” It seems probable that the close distance between Bethany and Jerusalem is indicated to explain the large number of Jews in Bethany (see verse 19).
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now here introduces some background information about Bethany. It is not a time word. Many English translations do not translate this word. God’s Word puts this verse in parentheses to indicate that it is background information. NET Bible Bible does the same thing with both verses 18 and 19. Indicate that verse 18 (and verse 19) is background information in a way that is natural in your language.
Bethany:Bethany is the name of the village where Lazarus had been living. See 11:1a. In some languages it is more natural to identify it as a village. For example:
the village of Bethany
-or-
the village called Bethany
Jerusalem:Jerusalem was the city where the temple was. This is where the Jewish leaders had the most power and influence.
a little less than two miles away: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a little less than two miles away is more literally “about fifteen (15) stadia away.” A “stadion” was what Romans called a distance of about 200 meters (or 600 feet). Fifteen stadia was a little less than three kilometers, or about two miles. The distance is not meant to be exact but indicates that Bethany was near Jerusalem. Indicate this in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
near Jerusalem, less than three kilometers away
-or-
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