Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:2:
Uma: “From the first He was with God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Since the beginning the Word and God were certainly one.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There at the creation of all things he already was before a companion of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Since forever, that aforementioned Word existed as God’s companion.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He really was already there-together-with God from long ago.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Before the world was made, he already was the companion of God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:3:
Uma: “He is the one God used-as-his-hands to cause-to-be all that was caused-to-be. There is not one thing that became without Him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Everything was created by the Word by/from the command of God. There was nothing created whatever here in this world/universe if not from the Word.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “All the things that God created were through this Word, and there was nothing that was created if it wasn’t by means of him, the Word of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He was the one whom God had-make all that exists, and absolutely nothing was made except (lit. if not) through him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “By the strength of his supernatural-power, all things were laid-down/spread-out (i.e.existed). The truth is, there was nothing at all which was created-supernaturally of which he wasn’t the one who created.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “He made all the things there are as God wanted them to be. Of all the things there are, there isn’t one that he didn’t make.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:4:
Uma: “He is the source of life, and He is the light that enlightens the hearts of mankind.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The Word is the source of life and this life gives light to the thinking/mind of mankind.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And this Word of God, he also is the source of life which is forever. And this life is like light because it illuminates the darkness in the minds of all mankind.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “It is also he who is the source of life who/which can-be-compared to a light which illuminates the minds of people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This one who is called Word, his life is far-from-ordinary, it being the source of life of all people. And this one is the like-a-light/most-important-light so that people will be enlightened.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “He is that one who gives the new life. He is that one who opens the hearts of (= who gives understanding to) the people so that they know what is true. He who gives the new life is like a light that opens the hearts of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:5:
Huehuetla Tepehua: “That one who gives understanding to the minds of men, he was like a light that shines where it is dark. But the one who walks where it is dark (the devil) couldn’t overcome him.”
Ojitlán Chinantec: “For people are in the evil way, as if to say, they are in darkness. But he illuminates people. The evil one did not prevail over that one who illuminates people.”
Xicotepec De Juárez Totonac: “He is like a light which illuminates where it is dark. And the devil, he is of the darkness but he cannot conquer the light.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “The person who is the word has light for the hearts of mankind. Even though there is very much evil in this world where he arrived, the evil did not shut off his light.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Chol: “The light of the world shows itself in the midst of a very dark world. This very dark world was not able to put out the light.” Wilbur Aulie (in The Bible Translator 1957, p. 109ff. ) explains the use of “put out the light” (click here to display)
“The problem of multiple meanings is often involved in the rendering of figures. Some hold that Greek katelaben in John 1:5 means both ‘to grasp with the mind’ (i.e., ‘to comprehend’) and ‘to grasp with the hand’ (i.e., to overcome’). Many translators are obliged to make a choice here. In Chol there is no choice, since the darkness cannot comprehend, even metaphorically speaking. It was therefore rendered: ‘The darkness did not put out the light’.”
Uma: “That light shone/shines in the darkness, and the darkness was/is not able to kill it/him [NOTE: The verb ‘kill’ can be used of putting out a light or fire]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This light shines in darkness and the light can really not be put out by the darkness.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That light has illumined the darkness here upon the earth, and the light was not defeated by this darkness.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “He has-been-steadily-illuminating the darkness, and the darkness, it is not able-to-defeat the light.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He gives-light/makes-clear like a light/lamp in darkness, but those who are in darkness, they don’t want to be shined-on by this light.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “The light shines in darkness and it is not able to be put out.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:7:
Uma: “Upon Yohanes’s arrival, / When Yohanes arrived, he became/was a witness who spread that light to all people, so that they would all hear his witness and believe in that light.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “He was commanded by God to come here to tell about this light, in order that all people could hear what he said and believe/obey.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason God sent this John was so that he might teach people that Jesus Christ is that true light, and by means of that teaching it would be possible for all mankind to believe.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “God sent him to go confirm/verify to the many-people concerning the light in order that all people would believe koma on-account-of what he confirmed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He was caused-to-be-a-person so that he could testify about this light, so that this one referred to as the light would be understood-about and believed-in/obeyed by all people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “He sent him to tell the people about the Son of God. He wanted that all the people believe in him who can open the hearts of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:8:
Uma: “Yohanes, it was not he who was that light. The reason he came was to spread that light to all people.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Yahiya was not this light. But his mission/purpose for coming here was to tell about the light.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for this John, he is not the one who is that light, but rather he is the one who explains who the light is.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Juan was not the light itself, but rather the one who came to confirm/verify concerning the light.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “It isn’t that he was the one who was the light. He was caused-to-be-a-person because he would be testifying about this light.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “John is not that one who opens the hearts of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Ojitlán Chinantec: “John was not the one who illuminates people. He came to point out that one.”
Yatzachi Zapotec: “It wasn’t John who brought light, but rather he came speaking about the person who brings light for mankind.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:9:
Yatzachi Zapotec: “The light of God has arrived in this world, to enter into the hearts of mankind; and it shines for all of them.”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “The one who is the true one, who can give understanding, came here to this earth. He gives understanding to the minds of all men.”
Alekano: “The father of light, who enlightens the people all over, appeared and remained on earth.”
Lalana Chinantec: “The rays of the real Light were beginning to shine, causing the path on which all men walk to become lit.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “That Word, He was the true light that shone on the hearts of all people, he arrived in the world.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This true light, that means the Word, has come here already to the world giving light to the thoughts/minds of all mankind.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “At that time Christ arrived here on the earth, that true light. He is the one who illumines the minds of all mankind.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The proper/real light, it was the one who came to the earth to go illuminate (the particle ‘go’ is commonly used with verbs of motion such as ‘come’) the minds of all people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “That one who really is this light, who gives light to all people, he was now arriving here under the heavens/sky.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “That one who came to the earth is truly the one who opens the hearts of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
