Mark 14:1-11 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 14:1-11 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

There are two Jewish holidays: Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They were two days away. The chief priests and teachers of the law gathered and plotted how they could seize Jesus secretly and kill him. They were afraid that if they seized Jesus right now, during these days, the people would hear about it and there might be a riot.

Here is the village of Bethany. There is a house there belonging to a man named Simon. In the past, this man had leprosy and was covered with sores. In this house, Jesus and other people were sitting around a table and were feasting.

A woman had a jug in her hands, and in it was a very expensive fragrant oil made from the nard plant. The woman opened the jug and began to pour the oil on Jesus’ head. The oil began to flow down his face and drip onto his clothes. Everyone around looked at this with displeasure and became angry. They said to each other:

— Why is this woman pouring out such expensive oil? It costs a lot, it could be sold and make a lot of money to give it to the poor, help them.

Everyone was angry and reproached her. Jesus said:

— Leave this woman alone. Stop judging her and scolding her. Don’t. This woman did a good deed for me. You will always have many beggars, but I will not always be. This woman anointed my head with oil, when I will die, I will be wrapped in burial shrouds and anointed with oil. That’s what she did. I tell you for sure: throughout the whole earth they will proclaim about me, and they will always tell about this woman, what she did for me. The story of this woman will never disappear.

One of the 12 disciples named Judas Iscariot stood up and went to the chief priests and made a deal with them to hand over Jesus to them. The chief priests were delighted and promised to give him money for this. He began to wait for a convenient time to hand over Jesus.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

Есть два еврейских праздника: Пасха и Праздник пресных хлебов. До них оставалось два дня. Первосвященники и учителя закона собрались и замышляли, как бы им тайно схватить Иисуса и убить. Они боялись, что если они схватят Иисуса прямо сейчас, в эти дни, народ прослышит об этом, и может случиться волнение.

Вот селение Вифания. Там есть дом, принадлежащий человеку по имени Симон. В прошлом этот человек болел проказой и весь был покрыт язвами. В этом доме Иисус и другие люди сидели вокруг стола и пировали.

У одной женщины в руках был кувшин, а в нем находилось очень дорогое благоуханное масло, сделанное из растения «нард». Женщина открыла кувшин, и стала выливать масло на голову Иисуса. Масло стало стекать по лицу и капать на одежду. Все вокруг смотрели на это с неудовольствием и сердились. Они говорили друг другу:

— Зачем эта женщина выливает такое дорогое масло? Оно стоит очень много, его можно было бы продать, получить много денег и раздать их бедным, помочь им.

Все злились и упрекали ее. Иисус сказал:

— Оставьте эту женщину в покое. Хватит вам ее осуждать и ругать ее. Не надо. Эта женщина сделала доброе дело ради меня. У вас всегда будет много нищих, а я буду не всегда. Эта женщина помазала мою голову маслом, потом я умру, меня завернут в погребальные пелены и помажут маслом. Вот она это и сделала. Я говорю вам точно: по всей земле будут возвещать обо мне, и всегда будут также рассказывать и об этой женщине, что она сделала для меня. Никогда история об этой женщине не исчезнет.

Один из 12 учеников по имени Иуда Искариот встал и пошел к первосвященникам и сговорился с ними, что выдаст им Иисуса. Первосвященники обрадовались и обещали дать ему денег за это. Он стал выжидать удобное время, чтобы выдать Иисуса.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 13:32-37 in Russian Sign Language
Mark 14:12-26 in Russian Sign Language >>

Mark 14:3 - 11 in Mexican Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 14:3-11 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath:


© La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)

En Betania, en la casa de un hombre que se llamaba Simón, que había estado enfermo de lepra pero ahora estaba sano, en este mismo casa Jesús y los discípulos y otras personas estaban sentados alrededor de la mesa.

Vino una mujer cargando un frasco de piedra, de marmol, con un perfume muy caro y fino, rompió el cuello del frasco y vertió el frasco y derramó el perfume sobre la cabeza de Jesús

Algunas personas estaban furiosas y dijeron: “Tú derramaste el perfume, qué perdida, ¿para qué? Mejor lo habrías vendido, te habrían pagado 300 monedas de plata que tú habrías (podido) repartir a los pobres.” La regañaban.

Jesús los detuvo: “¿Porqué la regañan? dejala, esta mujer me ha tratado bien, siempre habrá personas pobres de ahora en adelante y uds pueden ayudarlos libremente.

Pero yo no vivo aquí para siempre, dentro de poco yo moriré y mi cuerpo estará acostado, esta mujer ya antes lo ha preparado y ha derramado el perfume para alistar mi cuerpo.

Esta mujer ha hecho bien, yo les digo la verdad en el futuro las personas se dispersarán a evangelizar y advertir las buenas noticias a todas las personas del mundo, y recordarán que esta mujer me ha tratado y ha derramado perfume sobre mi cabeza.”

Después, uno de las personas, Judas, se fue a platicar con los líderes de los sacerdotes. Judas dijo: “Yo he decidido a traicionar a Jesús, para que uds lo puedan arrestar.”

Los sacerdotes (dijeron): “¡Qué bien!, nosotros te pagaremos, lo prometimos.” Judas (dijo): “¿De acuerdo?, perfecto”, y se fue.

Judas esperaba el día oportuno para avisarles que podían arrestar a Jesús.


In Bethany, in the house owned by a man named Simon, who had been ill with leprosy but was now healed, in that same house Jesus and the disciples and other people were present seated around the table.

A woman came up carrying a jar of stone, of marble, with a very expensive and fine perfume, she broke the neck off the jar and poured out the perfume on Jesus’ head.

Some people were furious and said: “You poured out the perfume, what a loss, what for? It would have been better to sell the perfume, they would have paid you 300 silver coins and you (could) have handed them out to the poor.” They told her off.

Jesus told them to stop: “Why are you telling her off? Leave her, this woman has treated me well, there will always continue to be poor people and you are free to help them.

“But I do not live here forever, in a little while I will die and my body will be laid out, this woman has already prepared it and has poured out the perfume to make my body ready.

“This woman has done something good, I tell you the truth, in the future people will disperse to tell the gospel and make the good news known to all the people of the world, and they will remember that this woman has cared for me and poured perfume over my head.”

Afterwards, one of the people, Judas, went to talk to the leaders of the priests. Judas said: “I have decided to betray Jesus so you can arrest him.”

The priests (went): “How wonderful, we will pay you, we promise.” Judas (went): “It’s agreed then? Good!” and he left.

Judas waited for the right day to tell them that they could arrest Jesus.

Source: La Biblia en LSM / La Palabra de Dios

<< Mark 14:1-2 in Mexican Sign Language
Mark 14:12-21 in Mexican Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 14:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 14:7:

  • Uma: “For the poor, they are always with you. If you want to help them, you always have opportunity. But I, I won’t always be with you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For the poor,’ Isa said, ‘will not go-away from you, and whenever you want to, you can help them. But I, I will not remain here with you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You can always help the poor people for you can never get away from them, but as for me, I will soon leave you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because there are always poor-people where you are, and whatever hour you want, you can help them, but as for me, I will not always be with you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For all time the poor are your companions and you can aid them at whatever hour you wish. But as for me, I won’t be your companion for much longer.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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 shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Mark 14:7

Exegesis:

pantote (only here in Mark) ‘all times,’ ‘always.’

hotan (cf. 11.19) ‘whenever,’ indicating here more than one definite occasion.

eu poiēsai (only here in the N.T.; cf. agathopoiēsai 3.4) ‘to do good.’

Translation:

The expression have … with may require recasting in some such form as ‘the poor people are always with you’ or ‘there are always poor people where you are.’

In contrast with the Greek and English of the two clauses whenever … to them, some languages require the first of the two clauses to be the full one and the second one the elliptical one, e.g. ‘whenever you want to do good to them, you can’ or ‘if ever you want to do good to such people, you are able to.’

Have me must be recast in much the same way as the first clause of this verse, e.g. ‘I will not always be here with you’ (Tzeltal) or ‘I will not always be here where you are.’

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .