the Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “sword” in English is translated in Tepeuxila Cuicatec as “machete that is sharp on two sides,” in Lalana Chinantec as “machete” and in San Mateo del Mar Huave as “knife.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated with “clothes” or similar in English is translated in Enlhet as “crawling-in-stuff” (source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1971, p. 169ff. ) and in Noongar as bwoka or “Kangaroo skin” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sell” in English is translated in Noongar as wort-bangal or “away-barter.” Note that “buy” is translated as bangal-barranga or “get-barter.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 22:36:
Noongar: “‘But now,’ Jesus said, ‘the person with a purse or a bag must take it; and the one who does not have a spear must sell his clothes and buy a spear.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “They answered, ‘No.’ Yesus said: ‘But now, whoever of you has money or food-bundles must carry them. And whoever of you does not have a sword, sell your shirt/clothes to buy a sword.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then he said to them, ‘But now, if you have money and clothes for a change take it on your journey. And the one who doesn’t have a sword let him sell his jacket and buy a sword.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘That’s really true because then I was loved by the people, however, starting now, it’s different what they think about me. And if you have money and a change of clothes, you take them along. And he who has no sword should sell his shirt and buy one.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘But now however,’ said Jesus, ‘the one who has money and backpack, he may-as-well (lit. never-mind-if he) take-it-along, and the one who has no sword, he must go buy, even if it is necessary for him to sell his outer garment so that he will have something-to-pay-with.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘But today/now,’ said Jesus, ‘it’s good if you go prepared. If you have money or something to put into, take them along. The one who has no bolo and nothing to buy one with, it would be good if he sell his cloak to buy his bolo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “buy,” “acquire,” or “purchase” in English is translated in Noongar as bangal-barranga or “get-barter.” Note that “sell” is translated as wort-bangal or “away-barter.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese show different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.
eipen de autois, Alla nun ‘then he said to them, “But now…” .’ The introductory clause serves to emphasize the contrast between then and now to which alla nun refers.
ho echōn ballantion aratō ‘he who has a purse must take it along.’
homoiōs kai pēran ‘in the same way also a knapsack,’ short for homoiōs kai ho echōn pēran aratō ‘and in the same way he who has a knapsack must take it along.’
kai ho mē echōn ‘and he who has not…’ with either ballantion ‘purse,’ i.e. ‘money,’ or, machairan ‘sword’ understood. The latter is preferable.
pōlēsatō to himation autou kai agorasatō machairan ‘must sell his cloak and buy a sword.’ For himation cf. on 6.29.
Translation:
Let him who has … take, or, ‘if a man has … he must take,’ “if you have … take” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation).
Sword may be described as, ‘huge knife,’ ‘large knife of war.’
Mantle, see on “cloak” in 6.29.
Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.