Language-specific Insights

complete verse (1 John 5:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:8:

  • Uma: “So, this is the way God makes-clear to us that Yesus is his Child: the Holy Spirit testifies that he is God’s Child. And what happened when he was baptized and when he died also makes-clear that he is God’s Child. These three things have the same purpose, that Yesus is God’s Child.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “God’s Spirit, the water and the blood, these three their witness is the same.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The first is the Holy Spirit; another is the baptism of Jesus Christ, and the other is the flow of His blood. The witness of these three agree.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When Jesu Cristo came to this earth, there were three-things which confirmed that he was the Child of God. The one, it was his being baptized in/with water. But it wasn’t only his being baptized which confirmed-it but rather his blood as well which flowed-down at his death. As for the third, it was the Holy Spirit, and all that he says is true. These three, what they confirmed regarding Jesu Cristo was the same.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “These three are the Espiritu Santo, the water and the blood. And these three are-fully-in-agreement.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Now there are three words here on earth by which we know for sure that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The first, the Holy Spirit causes our hearts to know about it. The second, it was seen clearly when there was the baptism. The third, it was known clearly when Jesus Christ died. All three now, the very same they say that he is the Son of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “Likewise three witnesses are on this earth. The Spirit speaks of Jesus Christ. And his being baptized and the shedding of his blood when he died likewise speak of him. And the words which these things speak agree with the words which the Spirit speaks.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “And there are three who witness here on earth, who say the same thing about Jesus Christ. One is God’s Good Spirit, one is the baptism of Jesus Christ, one is the death of Jesus Christ. And all three say the same thing, that Jesus Christ is God’s Chosen-One.”
  • Tzotzil: “There are three here in the world that tell us about Jesus Christ. They are the Holy Spirit and that Jesus Christ was baptized, and that he shed his blood on the cross. Each one says the same thing about him that Jesus Christ is God’s Son.” (Source for this and two 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.)

complete verse (1 John 5:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:10:

  • Uma: “People who believe in God’s Child, they know in their hearts that God’s testimony is true. Whoever doesn’t believe God, they are actually calling-a-liar God, for they haven’t believed God’s testimony that talks about his Child.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Whoever trusts in the Son of God, he knows in his liver that Isa is really God’s Son. But the one who doesn’t believe God, it is as if he says that God is lying because he does not believe the witness of God about his Son.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, he has become convinced by the witness of God. Anyone who will not believe in the witness of God, he thinks of God as a liar, for he has not believed the witness of God about his Son Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Whoever then believes in the Child of God, what God confirmed concerning him has been stored-away in his mind, but as for the one who doesn’t believe what God said, he turns-God -into a liar, because of course he doesn’t believe what he said.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore whoever believes-in/obeys and trusts the Son of God, he is sure in his mind/inner-being that this testimony of God is really true. But as for the one who doesn’t believe this testimony of God, he is doing none other than saying God is lying, because he isn’t believing what he is testifying concerning his Son.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who believes the Son of God already knows in his own heart that what he believes is true. He who does not believe what God says, this person calls God a liar because he does not believe the word God has said about who his Son is.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we trust in God’s son, God speaks about his son in our head-hearts. If we do not believe God’s words, we treat God like a liar, because we do not believe his words which he speaks about his son.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who believes God’s Son, has been given understanding, and knows, himself, in his heart what is true. But he who doesn’t believe God, he looks on God as a liar, because he didn’t believe what God said about his Son.”
  • Tzotzil: “If we believe the word of the Son of God, thus we know that it is true what God has told us about his Son. If we do not believe the word of God’s Son, we think wrongly that God lies because we do not believe what God has told us about his Son.”
  • Sayula Popoluca: “He who believes God’s Son, he knows that it is true that which God says. And he who doesn’t believe God, he says that God lies, because he doesn’t believe what God says so we can know his Son.” (Source for this and three above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 5:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:11:

  • Uma: “This is God’s testimony: he gave us good life forever, and this life we get only from his Child.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This is the witness of God that he has given us (incl.) life without end and this everlasting life is given to us (dual) because of his Son.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “God has said that He would give us life without end; and this life comes from His Son Jesus. This is God’s witness to us (incl.).” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “What he said is this: he has given us the life that has no end, and the source of this life is his Child.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because this is what his testimony is. Life which is without ending is the gift of God to us, and this can be ours through our believing-in/obeying and trust in this Son of his.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “And God testifies to us that he gives us the new life forever and this new life he gives us when we believe the Son of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “This word is what God says: He has given us eternal life, and we have eternal life because we are joined together with his son.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “And here is the Word that was spoken: That God gave us the new life of our hearts that will never end, and his Son gave us this life.”
  • Tzotzil: “Thus God has told us that he has given us life forever. It is on account of His Son that there is our life forever.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 5:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:12:

  • Uma: “Whoever is connected to his Child, they get that life. Whoever is not connected with God’s Child, they don’t get that life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore whoever has God’s Son (lit. is the there-place of God’s Son) has this life. But whoever has not God’s Son (lit. is not the there-place of God’s Son) does not have everlasting life.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Anyone who has become one with the Son of God has life without end. Anyone who has not become one with the Son of God, he has no life without end.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So the one who has been joined to the Child of God, he has in him the life that has no end, but as for the one who was not joined to his Child, neither will he enjoy/gain this life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for the one who is now united/tied-together with this Son of God, he is the one who has that life which is without ending. But as for the one who is not united with this Son of God, he certainly hasn’t got it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who walks with the Son of God now has the new life. But whoever does not walk with the Son of God now does not have the new life.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “If we trust in God’s son we have eternal life. If we do not trust in him, we do not have eternal life.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “He who lives with God’s Son has (possesses) the new life, but he who doesn’t live with God’s Son doesn’t have the new life.”
  • Tzotzil: “If God’s Son is in our hearts, thus we will live forever. If God’s Son is not in our hearts, thus we will not live forever.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

complete verse (1 John 5:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:13:

  • Uma: “To you who believe in God’s Child I write this letter, so that you truly know that you have received good life forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I write this to you so that you will be assured that you have everlasting life. This writing is for you the ones who trust in God’s Son.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You who have believed in the Son of God, I write to you so that you might know that you already have life without end.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I have written these-things to you who believe in the Child of God so that you will come-to-know that you have in you the life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for these things, I’m writing them to you who believe-in/obey and trust the Son of God, so that you can be sure that as for you, you have life which is without ending.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I write these words in the letter here that those who believe the Son of God will know that they have the new life forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “I have written these things to you, who now trust in God’s son, so you will know that you have eternal life.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “This I am writing to you so that you will know that you possess the new life, because (in that) you believe God’s Son.”
  • Tzotzil: “Therefore I wrote you this, you (pl.) who have also believed the word of God’s Son in order that thus you know that you will live forever.” (Source for this and two 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 5:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 John 5:15:

  • Uma: “And if we know that he hears our requests, we also know that we have received whatever we request of him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And because we (dual) know that he hears our (dual) requests to him, we (dual) also know that he has already given us (dual) what we (dual) ask of him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He always listens to us when we pray, and because of that, we know also that He will give what we ask for.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And if we know that he hears what we request, we also know that it is already ours.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well since we know now that he responds-positively to us, we also know now that he gives us whatever it is that we are asking for from him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “If we know that God pays attention to whatever we ask for, then we know that whatever we ask for will be given to us when we pray to him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And if we know that he heeds us whatever we ask him, likewise we know that truly he will do what we ask him.”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “And if we know that he hears well, then also we know that he will give us what we ask for.”
  • Tzotzil: “If we know that he grabs our words, thus we know also that he will give us what we ask him.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)