complete verse (Romans 1:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 1:24:

  • Uma: “So, because men did not want to worship God, that’s why he just allowed them to follow the desire of their hearts, to behave evilly, with the result that they do behavior that is shameful with each other.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore God abandoned them to do the dirty-things their livers want to do. They do shameful things with their companions.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of this, God no longer pays any attention to them so that they might do all the filthy things that they want to do. And very shameful are the things which each one of them do to their bodies.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore God has let-them -alone so that they obey/fulfil the evil-things their minds desire so that they do whatever kind of filthiness that shames their bodies/themselves.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because this is what the people do, God separated from them, he gave them the road to do whatever evil settles in their hearts to do. Concerning these people, it is shameful about what they do to each other.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 1:24

Beginning in this verse Paul describes the moral depravity which results from the rejection of God and the consequent worship of idols. Because men are such fools renders a strong transitional particle in Greek, which appears in the New English Bible as “for this reason” and in the Jerusalem Bible “that is why.” God has given them over is repeated in verses 26 and 28; it describes God’s judgment in abandoning men to their own sinful resources. The implication is that God has deserted them and let them go their own way. The filthy things their hearts desire is a reference to the moral and spiritual depravity of man. This depravity results in the misuse of their bodies: they do shameful things with each other (see also vv. 26-27).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .