2Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
The Greek in Romans 12:2 that is translated in English as some form of “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” is translated into Bilua as “you must not follow this generation’s behavior, but you must allow God in your heart that he make you new in your life and thinking.”
The first part of this phrase (“(don’t be) conformed to this world”) is translated as “live doing as other people do who live here in the world” in Central Tarahumara, as “do like mankind does, people who are here on the earth” in Yatzachi Zapotec, aw “do like people in this sinful world” in Chicahuaxtla Triqui, and “the life of those who walk in sin” in Mezquital Otomi.
The second part (“be transformed by the renewal of your mind”) is translated as “let the way you think become new and changed” in Chicahuaxtla Triqui, as “change so that what you think may become new” in Sayula Popoluca, as “let God change your head-hearts in order that your thoughts will he changed” in Yatzachi Zapotec, as “be different since the Holy Spirit has made your mind new” in Huehuetla Tepehua, and as “in a different way think well” in Central Tarahumara. (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
The Greek that is typically translated as “mind” in English is translated in Warao as obojona, a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. )
In Elhomwe it is often translated as “heart,” “because all thoughts come from heart in Elhomwe thought.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “world” in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese with shìjiè (世界). While shìjiè is now the commonly used term for “world” in Chinese, it was popularized as such by Chinese Bible translations. (Source: Mak 2017, p. 241ff.)
The Greek that is typically translated as “will” in English is translated in Warao as obojona, a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. .) See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.
In Mairasi, it is translated with “throat.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 12:2:
Uma: “Don’t follow the character of people who don’t know God. Allow God to change your character by making your thoughts new. For if it is like that, you will really know God’s purpose in your life. You will know that his purpose is good, that which pleases his heart and that which has no lack/deficiency.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Don’t do like most (people)/the masses here in the world do. But let God renew your thinking/mind in order that your livers be changed. So-then you really know what God wants/wishes. His will/wish is what is good and what pleases him and what has no fault.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t you imitate the behavior of those people who are enemies of God, but rather, you allow God to change you by means of making your minds new; and then you will understand at last the will of God, which is to say, you will understand what is righteous behavior which God likes and He will not rebuke.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Don’t take-after the behavior/customs of non believers but rather continue to let-God -make-your minds -new so that your way-of-life will be made-new. Because if you do that, you will come-to-know and agree-with what God wants you to do which is what is good and what pleases-him and is exactly right.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “And now change your thinking. Do not do like the sinners do here on earth. Do that you live in a new way. Therefore you can know well what the will of God is. Concerning the good God wants you to live in, that is what you will do.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Kuwaataay: “Do not imitate the ways of those on this earth; let God give you new thinking, so that you may be new people. If you do so, you may understand what he wants. It’s what’s good, what’s pleasing to him, and what’s very pure.” (Source: Kuwaataay Back Translation)
Bariai: “You can’t be following the practices of the people of the earth and so become like them. But you must yield yourselves to God, in order that he cause your heads and your interiors to become new. And so by this way, your actions also will change and become new. When it’s like that, you will be able to evaluate well what thing(s) God likes/wants, and know well what thing(s) are very upright and cause him to be happy.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Mairasi: “Then do not live like ordinary people here in this world! But change your throats [minds] with the result that you have new throats. By doing this you will definitely come to know: ‘This is definitely what is Above-One’s throat’ you will say. That throat of His is good, in Above-One’s vision, and definitely straight. ” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Low German translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006: “And then don’t do as they in the world do! No, you shall become a different kind of people. You shall look at everything with different eyes, so that you know exactly what is God’s will, what is truly good and what he likes and what is perfect.”
The Greek in the referenced verses that is typically translated as “age,” “(for)ever / eternity / eternal / permanent,” “of old / long ago” in English is translated in the German translation by Fridolin Stier (1989) consistenty as “world (or: “cosmic”) time” (Weltzeit).
Sarah Ruden (2021, p. lxii) explains the complexities of the translation of aiōn: “Trickiest of all [the words relating to time] is aion, most simply an ‘age’ or ‘era’ but sometimes denoting either the whole present world or the whole world to come. The same word can allude to all the limits of material existence (or to dangerous worldly distractions in particular), or to their absence in the eternal age to come. Looking forward, especially to ‘ages of ages’ (in the pattern of ‘King of Kings’), the meaning is ‘eternity.’”
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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. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kokoro (みこころ) or “will (of God)” in the referenced verses. Two verses (Ezra 10:11 and Ephesians 1:9) use mi-mune (みむね) with the same honorific prefix and meaning.
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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 benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, kaete (変えて) or “change” is used in combination with itadaku (いただく), a humble form of the benefactive morau (もらう). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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