14King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’s name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and for this reason these powers are at work in him.”
Following is the translation of Mark 6:14-16 into Mexican Sign Language with back-translations into Spanish and English underneath (note that verses 14-16 are located after verse 29 in Mexican Sign Language):
Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)
Después de un tiemo el Rey Herodes oía que el nombre de Jesús era famoso.
Veía (lo que se decía alrededor); algunas personas decían: “Jesús puede hacer milagros. ¿Cómo es? Pensamos que es Juan el Bautista que ha resucitado y vive otra vez, por eso, Jesús es él mismo.”
Otras personas (decían): “No, él es Elías” y otras personas lo veían (y decían): “No, él es un profeta de hace mucho, Jesús es como un profeta.”
El Rey Herodes veía las diferentes opiniones y pensaba: “No, yo creo que él es Juan el Bautista, porque fue decapitado y murió, él ha resucitado y vive otra vez, por eso es el mismo.”
After a time King Herod heard about the name of Jesus, which became famous.
He saw (what people around said); some people said: “Jesus can do miracles, how is that? We think he is John the Baptist who has risen and lives again, that’s why, Jesus is John himself.”
Other people (said): “No, he is Elijah” and other people who saw him (said): “No, he is a prophet from long ago, Jesus is like a prophet.”
King Herod saw the different opinions and thought: “No, I believe he is John the Baptist because he was beheaded and died, he has risen and is alive again, that’s why he’s the same.”
The Greek that is translated as “miraculous powers are at work in him” in English is translated in Ixcatlán Mazatec with a phrase that means “he is able (has the power) to work miracles.”
The Greek that is translated as “was raised from the dead” is translated as “rose from the dead” (Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac), “came up again from where he was buried” (Huehuetla Tepehua) or “returned from among the dead” (Ojitlán Chinantec). (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
While translating Mark 6:14-16 into Enga the translators had to decide on the nature of evidence that is quoted here.
Adam Boyd on his blog) explains: “”When drawing conclusions in Enga, a person has to state whether the evidence for the conclusion is visual or non-visual. So, for example, with King Herod, it is clear that his conclusion that Jesus was John the Baptist was based on non-visual evidence, namely, the reports that he had been hearing. But what about the other people who concluded that Jesus was Elijah or one of the prophets? Were their conclusions based on seeing Jesus in action or were their conclusions based only on reports that they had heard about Jesus. The text of Scripture doesn’t tell us, but in Enga, we are required to answer this question. So we decided that the reports of others were based on visual evidence, assuming that the reports had come, at least initially, from people who had been eye-witnesses of Jesus’ miraculous works.”
“John the Baptist” in Mexican Sign Language (source: BSLM )
In German Sign Language (Catholic) it is translated with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying a Catholic baptism by sprinkling on the head.
In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for the letter J and the sign signifying “shout,” referring to John 1:23. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“John” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign for leaping in the womb (see Luke 1:41) and baptism. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)
A question of cultural assumptions arose in Tuvan. The instinctive way to translate this name denotatively would be “John the Dipper,” but this would carry the highly misleading connotation that he drowned people. It was therefore decided that his label should focus on the other major aspect of his work, that is, proclaiming that the Messiah would soon succeed him. (Compare his title in Russian Orthodox translation “Иоанн Предтеча” — “John the Forerunner.”) So he became “John the Announcer,” which fortunately did not seem to give rise to any confusion with radio newsreaders! (Source: David Clark in The Bible Translator 2015, p. 117ff. )
In Noongar it is translated as John-Kakaloorniny or “John Washing” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).
A new oral translation into Yao / Ciyawo, spoken in Mozambique, uses John the one who ceremoniously washes/pours water, using a term (kusingula) that “indicates a ceremonial washing or pouring of water on a person in the Yawo’s expression of Islam which can be used for an act done in repentance of sin.” (Source: Houston 2025, p. 236)
The Greek and Hebrew that are often translated as “miracles” or “miraculous powers” into English are translated as “thing which no one has ever seen before” (San Blas Kuna), “thing marveled at” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “breathtaking thing” (Ngäbere), “long-necked thing” (referring to the onlookers who stretch their necks to see) (Huautla Mazatec), “sign done by God’s power” (Mossi), “supernatural power” (Javanese), “thing that has heaven-strength” (Highland Totonac) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida), “amazing thing” (Muna) (source: René van den Berg), “sign no one else could do” (Tenango Otomi) (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125), or “impossible thing” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter 2004).
The Greek that is transliterated as “Herod (Antipas)” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for king and and a sign depicting cutting off the head (of John the Baptist), referring to Matthew 14:10 et al. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
The region of Galilee. King Herod ruled there. Earlier he had captured and imprisoned the messenger John. For what reason? King Herod had a brother named Philip. Philip had a wife named Herodias. Herod stole his brother’s wife and married Herodias. The messenger John rebuked Herod directly and said, “What have you done?”
King Herod did not like this, and he put John in prison. Herodias, the king’s wife, hated John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do it because the king feared John. The king saw that John was righteous. So the king did not want to kill him, even though he put him in prison. Although John rebuked the king directly, yet the king liked to listen to John.
Some time later it was Herod’s birthday. The king had gathered many guests, men of nobility and wealth, people famous in Galilee, and military leaders. They were all feasting at the table.
The daughter of Herodias, Herod’s wife, came. She danced very beautifully. All the guests admired, and the king himself admired. The king said:
— Ask of me whatever you wish! I’ll give you everything. I promise to give you half of my kingdom.
Herodias’ daughter went to her mother and asked her:
— The king has promised me half of the kingdom. What shall I ask of him?
Herodias said:
— I want John’s head cut off. Go and demand of King Herod that John’s head be brought on a platter.
The girl went and demanded of the king:
— Bring me the head of John the messenger on a platter!
Herod was saddened. He thought:
— I wanted to preserve John’s life. But I promised before many witnesses, and I cannot cancel my promise. So the king ordered the soldiers to cut off John’s head and bring the head on a platter. The soldiers obeyed and went to the prison and cut off John’s head and brought the head on a platter. The daughter took the platter with the head and carried it to her mother.
The disciples who used to follow John the messenger heard that his head had been cut off. They came and asked for John’s body, took the body, wrapped it and buried it. After a while, King Herod heard about Jesus, because the name Jesus became known all over the neighborhood, because Jesus worked miracles, healed people, made them well. Some people said:
— This is John the messenger, who died and now is risen.
And others said:
— This is the prophet Elijah.
And others said:
— No, this is a different prophet.
They all said different things. But King Herod thought:
— I am sure that Jesus is John the messenger, whom I had executed, and now he has risen again.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Область Галилея. Там правил царь Ирод. Ранее он схватил и посадил в тюрьму вестника Иоанна. По какой причине? У царя Ирода есть брат по имени Филипп. У Филиппа была жена по имени Иродиада. Ирод увел у брата жену и женился на Иродиаде. Вестник Иоанн прямо обличал Ирода и говорил: «Что ты сделал?!»
Царю Ироду это не нравилось, и он посадил Иоанна в тюрьму. Жена царя Иродиада ненавидела Иоанна и хотела его убить. Но это у нее не получалось, потому что царь опасался Иоанна. Царь видел, что Иоанн был праведным. Поэтому царь не хотел его убивать, хотя и посадил в тюрьму. Хотя Иоанн обличал царя прямо, однако царю нравилось слушать Иоанна.
Через какое-то время был день рождения Ирода. Царь собрал множество гостей, людей знатных и богатых, известных в Галилее, военачальников. Они все пировали за столом.
Пришла дочь Иродиады, жены Ирода. Она очень красиво танцевала. Все гости восхищались, и сам царь восхищался. Царь сказал:
— Проси у меня, что пожелаешь! Я тебе все дам. Обещаю, что подарю тебе половину моего царства.
Дочь Иродиады пошла к своей матери и спросила у нее:
— Царь обещал мне половину царства. Что мне попросить у него?
Иродиада сказала:
— Я хочу, чтобы Иоанну отрубили голову. Иди и требуй у царя Ирода, чтобы голову Иоанна принесли на блюде.
Девушка пошла и потребовала от царя:
— Принесите мне голову Иоанна-вестника на блюде!
Ирод опечалился. Он подумал:
— Я хотел сохранить жизнь Иоанна. Но я обещал перед многими свидетелями, и отменить свое обещание я не могу. И царь приказал солдатам отрубить Иоанну голову и принести голову на блюде. Солдаты повиновались, пошли в тюрьму и отрубили голову Иоанну и принесли на блюде голову. Дочь взяла блюдо с головой и понесла матери.
Ученики, которые раньше следовали за Иоанном-вестником, услышали, что ему отрубили голову. Они пришли и попросили тело Иоанна, забрали тело, запеленали и похоронили. Спустя какое-то время, царь Ирод услыхал об Иисусе, потому что имя Иисус стало известно по всей округе, ведь Иисус творил чудеса, исцелял людей, делал их здоровыми. Некоторые говорили:
— Это Иоанн-вестник, который умер, а теперь воскрес.
А другие говорили:
— Это пророк Илия.
А третьи говорили:
— Нет, это другой пророк.
Все говорили по-разному. Но царь Ирод подумал:
— Я уверен, что Иисус — это Иоанн-вестник, которого я казнил, а теперь он воскрес.
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