Language-specific Insights

complete verse (2 John 1:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 John 1:13:

  • Uma: “Many greetings from all the children of your (sing.) female relative here, who is chosen by God. Finish here.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The children of your sibling send word that they love/remember you. Wassalam” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The children of your sister here who are also chosen by God send you greetings.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The children of the woman who is your (sing.) sibling/cousin whom God also chose greet you (pl.). Only this is what I am able to say.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “You (sing.) are greeted by the children of your (sing.) sister who also has been chosen by God like you (sing.).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Also greeting you are the sons of our sister who also is chosen by God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “The children of your sister, greet you. Your sister also and her children have been chosen and God has saved them. Amen.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “They send their greetings the children of your sister (a woman’s sister), she also chosen of God. This is what I tell you now.”
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “The children of your sister (term for spiritual sister, not relative) whom God chose send greetings to you (sg.). Amen.”
  • Garifuna: “Your (younger) sister’s children/offspring greet you, the one (feminine) whom God chose. Here is the end of my writing to you. (A closing greeting that is used in the culture).” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (2 John 1:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 John 1:3:

  • Uma: “God the Father and Yesus Kristus his Child bless us from his white insides [i.e., grace], show us his love, and give us goodness of life [i.e., peace, well-being]. All this is our portion with a heart that is upright and loving.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “May we (incl.) be cared for and be given mercy/pity by our (incl.) Father God and by Isa Almasi, his Son and may they cause peace in our (incl.) livers. All this is for us (incl.) who follow/obey the truth and love each other.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for our Father God and Jesus Christ His Son, may They show kindness to us (incl.), may They show us mercy, and give us a peaceful situation. This can be because we (incl.) have held tight to the true doctrine, and we (incl.) love our companions.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If we continue to follow the true teaching and to love-one-another, we will gain/enjoy the help, mercy/grace/kindness and peace that come-from God our Father and Jesu Cristo his Child.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And the truth is, the grace/mercy, pitying help and peace/protection of mind/inner-being which God the Father and his Son (lit.Child) Jesu-Cristo give can always be ours. As for these things, God will really give them to those who have now recognized/acknowledged the truth and who value one another.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “May God our Father and also his Son Jesus Christ give us a blessing and have mercy on us, and give us peace of heart. They will cause that we will follow the true word and that we will love our fellow-believers.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “I ask before our father God and his son our Lord Jesus Christ that they will help you and pity you and cause you to be well off in your head-hearts (be at peace) because you are acquainted with what is true and you love your fellows each of you the other.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “My siblings, we all believe the same true Word, and also we love one another. And will remain in our hearts God’s blessing, and God’s favor, and continually will rest our hearts God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.”
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to us and will have pity on us and quiet ourhearts. And truly they love us.”
  • Garifuna: “From within the true belief and love, God the one who is (our) Father will give kindness to you, pity/compassion, and tranquility (peace). Also (our) owner (our Lord) Jesus Christ the one who is (our) Father’s offspring will give it.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (2 John 1:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 John 1:2:

  • Uma: “We(excl.) love you because we (incl.) believe in the true teaching, and that true teaching we hold-on-to forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “because the true teaching remains in out (incl.) livers and will remain with us (incl.) forever.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason we (excl.) hold you all dear is because we (incl.) hold tight to the true doctrine, and as for this true doctrine, it will never be removed from us (incl.) forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “We love-one-another because the true teaching which remains in our minds forever has been stored in our minds.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “We(excl.) hold you dear because this truth has now been able to take root in our mind/inner-being, and it won’t separate from us till forever.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because all of us now have the identical belief. And we know certainly that this is true. This we will believe forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “We (ex) love you because we know what is true and we will walk with it forever.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “We (ex) love you because you plant in your hearts the true Word, which resides in our hearts, and will never be lost.”
  • Isthmus Zapotec: “We (ex) love you because we are acquainted with that which is true now. And we will never forget it.”
  • Garifuna: “From within the belief which we are within, we have come to love you (the source of our love for you is our belief). This belief will be with us forever.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 1:2)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 1:2:

  • Uma: “The one who gives life, he appeared in this world, and we (excl.) saw [emphatic] him. That’s why we (excl.) make-clear [i.e., explain] to you who he is, and testify that he is the one who gives good life forever. From the first he already was with God the Father, and he appeared to us (excl.).” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He was shown/revealed in the shape/form of a human/mankind. We (excl.) really saw him therefore we (excl.) witness telling you about the one who gives life which has no end. In the beginning he was there with his Father God, and he was shown/revealed to us (excl.).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When this source of life came down here to the earth, we (excl.) saw Him, and because of that we will tell you what we have seen. We will explain to you about the One titled Life Without End. He was the companion of our Father God before, and then He was revealed to us (excl.) here on the earth.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Yes indeed, he who is the source of life, he was made evident to us (excl.). We(excl.) really saw him. That’s why we (excl.) now testify about him, and we (excl.) are now teaching you concerning him who is alive without ending. From long ago, he was already there in the presence of God the Father, and now/today, he has been made evident to us (excl.).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This one who gives the new life caused it to be known who he was. And we saw him and now we give our witness that we saw him. Now we tell you that this one who gives the new life has no beginning and has no ending to his life. He was living there where his Father is, but he came here so that we saw him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “He revealed himself to us and we saw him and we say that he lives eternally. And we proclaim to you (pl.) that he is with our (in) father God and how he revealed himself to us.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “And he the Word who gives the new life showed himself to us in that he became a person. And we saw that he really became a person. So that’s what we are telling you now, that he is the one who was living, and lives now, and will never end. He was living with his Father and later came into the world and showed himself to us.”
  • Tzotzil: “He showed himself that he is the giver of life. We saw him. Therefore we tell you (pl.) what he is like the giver of everlasting life, who was there with our (inclusive) Father God. Afterwards he came and showed himself before us.”
  • Garifuna: “The one who gives life has been shown to us…” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 5:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:20:

  • Uma: “What we know: God’s Child arrived in the world, and he made-clear [i.e., enlightened] our hearts so that we know God who is true. We are in harmony with that God who is true, for we are in harmony with Yesus Kristus his Child. He is the God who is true. From him we get good life forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (incl.) know that God’s Son has come and has given us (incl.) understanding therefore we (incl.) know now the true God. And we (incl.) are really now one with the true God because we (dual) are one now with his Son, Isa Almasi. He is the true God and is the one giving everlasting life.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “We (incl.) also know that the Son of God has come here to the world, and He has given to us (incl.) understanding so that we might be the friends of the true God. We (incl.) have become one with the true God, for we have become one with His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God; He is the source of life without end.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Third, we know that God’s Child came to this earth and he has illuminated our minds so that we can know the true God. Therefore we have been joined to the true God for we have been joined to his Child who is Jesu Cristo. He is the true God just the same and the source of life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And we really know that the Son of God came down here to us, and he has now given us the ability to understand, so that we will really recognize/know the true God. Today we are now in harmony with God because we are now united/tied-together with his Son Jesu-Cristo. The truth is, as for this Jesu-Cristo, he really is the true God who is the source of life which is without ending.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now we know that the Son of God has come here and given us understanding so that we know who was the true God. Now we walk with the true God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This one truly is God and he gives the new life forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And we know that God’s son has come and has caused us to understand in order that we know the person who is truly God. And we are joined together with the person who is truly God in that we are joined together with Jesus Christ.The true God is Jesus Christ’s father and he gives eternal life.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “And we know that God’s Son really arrived in the world. And he caused us to know God, the true (who is really) God. And we live with the real God because we live with Jesus Christ. And he is truly God, He who gives us the new life of our hearts that will never end.”
  • Tzotzil: “We know also that the Son of God came. Because he has given us the wisdom of our hearts therefore we have come to know the true God. We are in the presence of the true God because we are in the presence of his Son, that is Jesus Christ. He is the true God. He gives us our life forever.”
  • Garifuna: “We know that God’s offspring has come in the world. Then he caused us to know the genuine God. We are with (progressive) the genuine God, the one who is Jesus Christ God’s offspring. That God is the genuine one. Also he is the one who gives the life which does not end to us.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 5:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:18:

  • Uma: “What we know: all people who are-children of God, they no longer do sins, for God’s Child guards them and the King of Evil-ones is not able to defeat them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (incl.) know that if a person is a child of God, he no longer sins because he is cared for by God’s Son and he is not carried-along/influenced by the leader of demons.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “We (incl.) know that there is one who has become a child of God who continually does evil, for he has been stregthened about by the Son of God, and Satan can no longer meddle with him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore there are three things that we know. The first, we know that no child of God continues to sin, because the Child of God who is Jesu Cristo protects him, and Satanas has no way of touching him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “We really know now that as for those who have been as-it-were given birth to by God, they don­t just go on doing sin, because they are now being taken care of by Jesu-Cristo who is the Son of God. It’s no longer possible/acceptable (for them) to be taken over again by Satanas.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “We know that the person who has God for his Father does not now live in the sin that he had been doing. Because the Son of God helps him where he goes, he does not let the devil spoil the person’s heart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “We know that any of us if we are children of God we are not evil doers, because Jesus Christ God’s son is covering-protecting us in order that the deceiver will not win out over us (in) causing us to believe (obey) him.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “We know that all whoever are born anew by God, don’t reside in sin. But God’s Son guards them, and the big-evil-one can’t remove them from God;”
  • Tzotzil: “We know that if we have been born again in the presence of God thus we do not now seek sin. Because God’s Son is caring for us thus the devil cannot molest us.”
  • Garifuna: “We know that the one who has become God’s offspring does not come to have the custom of sinning. God’s offspring will take care of that person. It is impossible for the devil to do anything with him.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 5:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:14:

  • Uma: “We are brave to call out to God, for we know that he hears our request, as long as our request is according to his will.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (dual) are not afraid to come close to/approach God, because we (dual) are assured that whatever we (dual) ask of him he will really hear us (dual) if-only/as-long-as our (dual) requests follow his wishes/will.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for us (incl.) who have believed, our faith when we pray to God is big. We (incl.) know that if there is anything that we (incl.) ask for which is not contrary to what He wants, He will give it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “We also have boldness to pray to God, because we know for-sure that whatever we request from him that is in harmony with what he wants, he hears it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And there’s no more need for us to be holding back from approaching him because we are now sure that, whatever we ask for which is in harmony with his will, he really will respond-positively.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When we pray to God now we are brave, because we know for sure that if we ask for something that God wants to give us, then God will pay attention to what we say.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And we are not afraid to pray before God, because God heeds us so long as what we ask is worthy of our asking him.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “We don’t fear to come near to God, because if what we ask for is in accordance with God’s will, we know that he hears well our word.”
  • Tzotzil: “Because our hearts are the same with God (we are of the same mind as God), thus we are not afraid when we talk to him. We know that he grabs our words.”
  • Garifuna: “Here is what we know/are sure God will do: If we ask with him as by means of his desire (in accordance with his will), he will hear us.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 5:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:9:

  • Uma: “Even mankind’s testimony we believe, how much more the testimony of God himself. For that is God’s testimony talking about his Child.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (incl.) believe the witness of humans/men. God’s witness is stronger and this is God’s witness about his Son.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “We (incl.) can be convinced by the witness of mere people, however the witness of God is greater than that, and because of that it is necessary that we believe it. He has testified that Jesus is His Son.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “We admittedly believe what people confirm, but if we believe that, we should especially believe these three which were God’s means-of-confirming concerning his Child, because what God says is of course more important/valuable.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “If we believe the testimony of man, the testimony of God is much sturdier, therefore of course it’s necessary that we believe it. And as-was-said, God is really testifying that Jesu-Cristo really is his Son.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “If a person says a word and we believe what he says, won’t we then believe what God says? And it is God who gives testimony who his Son is.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we believe the words of people, why the words God speaks are of greater value. The words which all three witnesses speak are the words which God speaks of his son.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “If we believe the word of people, but then it is more important (necessary) to believe God’s Word, because in it God witnesses about his Son.”
  • Tzotzil: “If we believe the word of people here in the world, more it needs we believe God’s word. God has told us that Jesus Christ is his Son.”
  • Garifuna: “God said the same to us about his offspring. If we receive people’s word (message, saying), God’s word (message) is bigger in order /for we receive it.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)