Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:20:
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “He said to them clearly, ‘I am not the Christ, the person whom God is to send to help the nation of us Israelites.'”
- Ojitlán Chinantec: “He said, ‘I am not the Christ, the chosen of God for a particular task.’ John showed the truth. He did not speak lies.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “Well he admitted the truth. He immediately made it plain to them that he wasn’t Christ whom it was said God would send.”
- Mezquital Otomi: “. . . I am not the Christ, whom God chose.”
- Alekano: “Then not denying it, revealing it, he told them this: ‘I am not the Christ.'”
- Chol: “John did not keep it a secret . . . ” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
- Uma: “Yohanes answered them plainly, he said to them: ‘I am not the Redeemer King.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Yahiya did not hide (anything) instead really confessed/spoke the truth, he said, ‘I am not the Almasi.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And this is what John said because he did not hide it. He said, ‘As for me, I am not the one chosen by God to rule.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Juan didn’t deny the truth of it but rather he admitted saying, ‘I am not the Messiah.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “He really didn’t make-claims for himself but on the contrary he told the truth, saying, ‘It’s not I who am the Cristo who is that promised Savior King.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “John straightly spoke. He said, ‘I am not the Christ whom God appointed to rule.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of James 5:4:
- Uma: “The people who work in your gardens, you didn’t/don’t give them salary. Listen to their groaning/suffering! The workers who harvest in your gardens cry out requesting help, and their cry is heard by the Lord God, the Leader of the soldiers of heaven.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “You, the rich people, you did not pay wages to the people working in your field. Listen to their complaints. The people you told to harvest your fields really complain and they are heard by the Most Powerful God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The money which you did not use to pay those who worked in your fields will be evidence against you before God. The accusation of those who harvested on your land has been heard by the powerful Lord.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “And God who is all powerful, he has most-definitely seen the money you withheld that you should have paid-as-salary to those who worked-by-the-day harvesting in your fields. He has also heard their pleas-for-mercy.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “For look at this, as for the wages which you didn’t give to those you caused to harvest in your fields, it’s like they are noising-loudly. (They are) asking for help against you. It’s true that the pathetic-lamentings of these whom you caused to work can reach to God who is almighty (lit. of superior supernatural-power).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “The workers who work in your fields, you haven’t given them their wages. They accuse you that you haven’t paid them. God who alone rules all things hears what the workers say as they accuse you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Mezquital Otomi: “Hear the cries of your workers, those who harvested your fields. They are crying because you have deceived them and you haven’t paid them as they were deserving. But our Lord, indeed the King of all the many angels in heaven, has heard the cries of those your workers.”
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “Think how you did with your laborers, those poor men who harvested your harvest. You deceived them so they would work for you and you did not pay them their full wages. And in that you owe them it is apparent that you are evil-doers. God will hear the laborers, in their mourning, God who rules the angels in heaven.”
- Alekano: “After they had done sweaty work cutting the grass in the garden, and you had unfairly not given them pay, the workers cried, and God saw that sin . . .” (Source for this and two above: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation July, 1967, p. 5ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 15:8:
- Uma: “Consider this: Kristus came to the earth to help Jewish people, in order that the promises of God to the ancestors of Jews would be fulfilled, with the result that is would be clear to all people that God’s Word is true.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “For I tell you that the reason Isa Almasi came to help us (excl.) the Yahudi, is so that he could show that God is trustworthy and so that God’s promises to our (excl.) ancestors would be fulfilled,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It’s true what I say to you, that as for Christ, He was made to be like a servant to the Jews so that He might show them that it’s really true that God is going to fulfill the promises He made long ago to their ancestors.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Don’t forget that Cristo came to help the Jews in order to show that God is trustworthy, because he fulfilled what God promised their ancestors.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “You see that Christ came in order to bless the Jews. Concerning the word which was promised to our ancestors long ago, he came to bring it to happen. Thus it is seen that God does not forget the word he has promised to bring about.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Mezquital Otomi: “But I declare that the Lord Jesus Christ worked among the Jews so it would be seen that God truly fulfilled what he promised to their grandfathers.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “This is what I want to tell you. Jesus Christ came here to this world for the purpose of helping the Israelites. In that way it would be shown that God tells the truth and fulfills what he promised to our ancient fathers.”
- Teutila Cuicatec: “I tell you that our Lord Jesus Christ proclaimed God’s Word among the people of the nation of Israel showing that God kept his promise that he gave to their forefathers.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 14:7:
- Uma: “For there is not one of us who lives following our own desires. Nor is there one of us who dies following our own desires.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “All of us (incl.) belong to Isa Almasi, our (incl.) Leader. That’s why in our (incl.) life and in our (incl.) death we (incl.) ought to please him not ourselves (incl.).” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For there isn’t any one of us believers that doesn’t belong to God while he’s still on the earth or whether he is already dead. For while we are still alive we are subjects of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because all of us who believe, it is not our being-honored/praised that we are searching for in our living and even in our dying,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “No one can decide on his own how he will live, because all of us are in the hand of our Lord Jesus Christ. While we are living we are in his hand. When we have died we are in his hand.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Mezquital Otomi: “Because not one of us lives to do what we want to do ourselves, and not one of us dies according to our own will.”
- Highland Totonac: “Because no one of us is our own boss in our living, and neither is any of us our own boss when we die.”
- Sayula Popoluca: “We don’t live just for ourselves, nor will we die because we want to.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 13:11:
- Uma: “We must do all this, relatives, because we know what is proper for us to do in this time. Let’s wake up from our sleep, because the time has almost arrived for the Lord Yesus to come lift us from this evil world. From the first of our believing in the Lord until now, the time of the Lord Yesus’ arrival has gotten closer-and-closer.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “That’s why you ought to do that, especially because you know that not long and Isa Almasi arrives again. At the beginning of our (dual) believing in Isa Almasi, it was as if the day when God will rescue/save us (dual) was still somewhat distant but now it is already very near. If you are figuratively people who are sleeping you ought/must now awake.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It’s necessary that we do this for we know what is the proper thing to do at this time. Because starting from now, the time in the future when God will finish His setting us free is nearer than it was at the time long ago when we believed. And because of this, we must not be like people who have fallen asleep, but we must be like people who are on their guard.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “We must do this, because we know that the time in which we are now living is valuable/important. If I compare this time to the night, I say that we must wake-up, because our salvation is nearer than when we believed at first.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “These then are the words by which you must walk. Now be aware, concerning the day when you believed the good news, it has now well gone past. Now day by day comes nearer the day when Christ our Savior will come. We should not be just taking it easy.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Mezquital Otomi: “All this is what we ought to do because we know that the hour has come for seeking God more. And soon our Savior will come to take us away from this world. The time is nearer than when we first believed.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “It is necessary that you do all that these words say because it is now late. The day when we believed it appeared that it lacked yet much time but now already is coming rapidly the day when God is to save us.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 10:10:
- Uma: “For we believe in Yesus with our hearts, with the result that God says we are straight in his sight. And we admit/confess Yesus with our lips, with the result that we are lifted from the punishment of our sins.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Because if we (dual) really believe wholeheartedly and we (dual) confess/say-it-is-true to people, we (dual) are forgiven and considered straight by God and we (dual) are saved/rescued.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For by means of our (incl.) minds we believe, and God considers us to be righteous. And then we tell someone else about our faith and then our being set free from punishment is made sure.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because due to our sincere faith, God counts us as righteous, and because of our admitting what we believe, we will be saved.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Because God clears us when we believe in our hearts. And when we tell people that we believe the Lord Jesus Christ, then we are saved.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Mezquital Otomi : “The person has to believe in his heart so that God will say that person doesn’t owe anything. Also, to be saved, he has to declare that Jesus is his Savior.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “Because for him who has believed from his heart there is no longer any guilt over him, and he who tells it before people, will be saved.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “If anyone has confidence in Christ in his heart, he is seen as if his life is straight. And if by his mouth he says that he has confidence in Christ, he will be saved.” (Source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 10:3:
- Uma: “They close their eyes to the way that God prepared. They refuse to submit to Kristus in order to become straight in God’s sight, they prefer to follow their own way, wanting to make themselves straight in their following of the Lord’s Law.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “They do not understand as to how people can be forgiven and considered straight by God. They think-mistakenly that they will be forgiven because-of their following the law. And they are not willing to follow what God said as to how he forgives them and considers them straight.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For they would not accept God’s way for people to become righteous. Rather what they used was their own way which was their obedience to the Law; and they did not follow the way of God, for Him to consider people righteous.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because they have been ignoring God’s plan to count people as righteous and simultaneously they have been trying to-be-made-righteous through the good that they have been doing, so they have not humbled (lit. lowered) themselves to receive the righteousness that comes from God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Because they do not know how God determined to clear people. They think they will seek on their own how to bring about their getting right with God. Therefore they do not want to believe the way God clears people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Mezquital Otomi: “Because they do not know for themselves the road that God has appointed so that one may live well with him, and they are putting forth every effort to walk well by themselves (contrary to the right road) in the sight of God. For that reason they have not wanted to believe God and so he was not able to say they were righteous.”
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “They do not know how it is that God can say that our hearts are straight, and they wish to bring about themselves that their hearts will be straight, and so they do not obey the word which God has said.” (Source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 9:20:
- Uma: “Let’s not say things like that, relatives! It is not appropriate [lit., it doesn’t hit the road] if we mankind talk-back like that to God. Is it appropriate for a pot say to the person who made it like this: ‘What did you (sing.) make me like this for!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Don’t say that. Who are you (sing.) that you (sing.) talk-back-to/defy God and-what’s-more you are just human? Can the paliyuk (clay pot) say to the person who makes it, ‘Why do you (sing.) make me like this?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And what I say to that is: can we, his created beings, answer back to God? Can we who are just made, ask Him who made us, saying ‘why did you make me this way?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “But what I reply is, you (sing.) who are a mere person, where perhaps do you (sing.) get your (sing.) authority to argue-with God? Can a pot perhaps say to the one who shaped it, ‘Why did you make me like this?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “I suppose that there is someone who wants to say to me: ‘How come then God says that the people have sin? Because no one can go against what God has determined’ they will say to me. Now we, being just people, who are we to say that we do not look well upon what God has determined? Take a pot, for instance, can it say to the maker of pots: ‘I do not look well upon the form in which you have made me’ it will say.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Mezquital Otomi: “But I answer them: Who are you to stand up to God? Should the bowl made of hard clay complain to him who made it: Why did you make me this way?”
Isthmus Zapotec: “But man, who are you that you shouldn’t be agreeable to what God does? As though a pot has the right to say to the one who made it: Why did you make me like this?!”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “No, man, don’t talk like that. Who are you that you can talk back to God? A clay cup, can it say to a maker: Why did you make me like this?” (Source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
