The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated/transliterated in English as “unclean spirit” or “evil spirit” is translated in Paasaal it is translated as gyɩŋbɔmɔ, which is also the term used for “demon.” Wyɩŋbɔmɔ are “beings that are in the wild and can only be seen when they choose to reveal themselves to certain people. They can ‘capture’ humans and keep them in hiding while they train the person in herbalism and divination. After the training period, which can range from a week to many years, the ‘captured’ individual is released to go back into society as a healer and a diviner. The gyɩŋbɔmɔ can also be evil, striking humans with mental diseases and causing individuals to get lost in the wild. The Pasaale worldview about demons is like that of others of the language groups in the area.” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Note that often the words for “demon” “unclean spirit” are being used interchangeably.
The Greek that is translated in English as “gave them authority over the unclean spirits” or similar is translated in Teutila Cuicatec as “gave them the work that they should take out evil spirits.” In Teutila Cuicatec, “authority” is never spoken of as being “given”. Rather it is considered to be the automatic possession of one who has been given a “work” by a recognized authority. (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Painting by Chen Yuandu 陳緣督 (1902-1967)
Housed in the Société des Auxiliaires des Missions Collection – Whitworth University
Image taken from Chinese Christian Posters . For more information on the “Ars Sacra Pekinensis” school of art, see this article , for other artworks of that school in TIPs, see here.
Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)
Jesús sabía que las personas no creían y se fue a otro pueblo, iba de lugar a lugar y enseñaba.
Jesús llamó todos los doce discípulos a que vinieran.
Jesús dijo: “Yo les doy la autoridad a que uds se vayan dos en dos a la gente que tiene adentro demonios, y que uds, los discípulos, expulsen los demonios.”
Jesús les advertía: “Cuando uds se vayan, no lleven ropa, chamarra ni pan en una bolsa, ni lleven dinero, nada de eso.
Uds pueden llevar un bastón para caminar y ropa y sandalias puestas.
También uds discípulos, si van a una casa quedense allá, y cuando salgan de allá para predicar regresen al mismo lugar, vayan y regresen y después cuando terminen, vayanse del pueblo.
Si los dos de uds van a un pueblo para predicar y las personas no quieren verlos, los rechazan y no los aceptan y los expulsan, entonces uds, los discípulos, digan: ‘Uds veanme y sean testigos’ y sacudan sus sandalias, quitando el polvo, y vayanse.”
Y Jesús advirtió: “Yo les digo la verdad, en el futuro en el día de juicio Sodoma y Gomorra serán castigados menos que este pueblo recien mencionado, que será castigado más fuertemente.”
Los discípulos estaban de acuerdo y se fueron dos en dos, iban a predicar que todas las personas deben arrepentirse.
Algunas personas tenían demonios adentro y los discípulos expulsaban los demonios, y ungían muchas personas enfermas con aceite, frotandolo en su cuerpo, y las personas fueron sanados.
Jesus knew that the people did not believe and he went to another village, he went from place to place teaching.
Jesus told all the twelve disciples to come to him.
Jesus said: “I give you the authority to go two by two to people who have demons inside and that you, the disciples, can throw out the demons.”
Jesus warned them: “When you go, don’t take clothes, a coat or bread in a bag, nor money in your pocket, none of that.
“You can take a walking stick with you and clothes and sandals that you have on.
“Also, you disciples, if you go to a house stay there, and when you leave there to preach, go back to the same place, go and come, and afterwards when you’re done, leave the village.
“If the two of you go to a village to preach and the people don’t want to see you, reject you and don’t accept you and throw you out, then you, the disciples, should say: ‘Watch me and be witnesses’ and shake the dirt off your sandals and go away.”
And Jesus warned: “I tell you the truth, in the future on the day of judgment, Sodom and Gomorrah will be punished less than that aforementioned village, which will be punished more strongly.”
The disciples agreed and they went two by two, they went out to preach that all the people had to repent.
Some people had demons inside and the disciples threw out the demons, and the disciples anointed many ill people with oil, rubbing the oil on their bodies, and they were healed.
Jesus called 12 disciples to Himself. He divided them into two and told them to go to different places to tell people that they needed to change their lives and be reconciled to God.
Jesus said to the disciples:
— I give you authority. If you see a person possessed by demons, you have authority to cast the demons out of that person. You can take only two things with you — sandals and a staff. You don’t need to take four things with you such as bread, a bag, money, and spare clothes. You do not need to take any of these things with you. If you see that the owners of the house call you to their house to hear the word, go in there and be there until the end: teach, fellowship with them. You don’t need to go to another place and teach them until you finish the matter, then only can you go to another place.
If you go and people in some house do not want to hear about God, they will drive you out, then calmly go away from there. Shake the dust off your sandals as a sign that God will punish those people in the future.
The twelve disciples listened and went to different places two by two.
Jesus’ disciples said to the people:
— Change your life! Make peace with God!
The other disciples cast out demons if there were people possessed by evil spirits in that place. The evil spirits obeyed and left. Some of the disciples came across people who were sick with various illnesses; they put oil on them and healed them; they became well.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Иисус призвал к себе 12 учеников. Разделил их по два человека и велел им идти по разным местам, чтобы рассказывать людям о том, что они должны изменить свою жизнь и примириться с Богом.
Иисус сказал ученикам:
— Я даю вам власть. Если вы увидите человека, одержимого бесами, вы имеете власть, изгнать бесов из этого человека. Вы можете взять с собой только две вещи — сандалии и посох. Не нужно брать с собой такие четыре вещи: хлеб, сумку, деньги и запасную одежду. Ничего этого брать с собой не нужно. Если вы увидите, что хозяева дома зовут вас к себе, чтобы послушать слово, заходите туда и будьте там до конца: учите, общайтесь с ними. Не нужно переходить в другое место и учите их, пока не закончите дело, тогда только можете переходить в другое место.
Если вы будете идти, а люди в каком-то доме не захотят слушать о Боге, будут вас выгонять, тогда спокойно уходите оттуда. С сандалий стряхните пыль, это будет знаком, что в будущем Бог накажет этих людей.
Двенадцать учеников послушали и разошлись по разным местам по два человека.
Ученики Иисуса говорили людям:
— Измените свою жизнь! Примиритесь с Богом!
Другие ученики изгоняли бесов, если в том месте были одержимые злыми духами. Злые духи повиновались и уходили. Некоторым ученикам попадались больные с различными болезнями; ученики таких людей мазали маслом и исцеляли; те становились здоровыми.
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 6:7:
Uma: “He called his twelve disciples, he sent [with a message–implied in verb; this is the root word we use for "apostle"] them in groups of two, and he gave them authority to expel evil-spirits.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then he called his twelve disciples to him and he told/commanded them to go two-together to proclaim the word/message of God. He also gave them power to cast out demons.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He gathered together his twelve disciples to send them out. He divided them up by twos, and he also gave them power to drive away demons.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Then he called/invited his twelve disciples to send them by-twos. He gave them authority to make-evil-spirits -leave” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “And then he gathered together his twelve disciples for he was going to send them out in twos. He gave them authority with which to drive out evil spirits from the people being possessed.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “bestow” or “give” in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-sazuke (お授け), combining “bestow” (sazuke) with the respectful prefix o-. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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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