Language-specific Insights

complete verse (John 3:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:8:

  • Lalana Chinantec: “‘The wind blows just wherever it wants to. We hear the sound but we do not know where it comes from. We do not know where it is going. And that is what the person whom the great Spirit of God has caused to be alive is like. It is evident that he is alive, even though we do not know how it is that that has happened.’ That’s what Jesus said to Nicodemus.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “For example wind, it blows wherever it goes. We just hear its rustling, we do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So also with a person who is born from/by the power of the Spirit of God.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘An example/a figure is the wind. The wind blows wherever it wants to. It is not known where the wind comes from or where it goes to but you hear it’s sound. Like that is also a person when he is born from the Spirit of God, it is not known as to how (it happens) but (that it is) true.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for the wind, it goes just any old where, and we can tell because we can hear its noise. But we cannot tell where it comes from or where it’s going. It is the same way also with the power of the Holy Spirit in a person who is born by means of his power because this cannot be understood by a mere person.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because even though the way it happens can not be understood, it happens nonetheless. It’s like the wind. We don’t know where-it-comes-from and where-it-goes, because what it does is up-to-it, but we feel-it nevertheless. It’s the same with all who are born by the Holy Spirit.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Consider this. The wind blows wherever it wishes. We can hear the rustle and see the movement of things it is blowing, like a sign of its strength. But we can’t see this wind. We don’t know where it is going and where it came from. Well, it’s like that indeed when someone is given birth to by the Espiritu Santo. For the work/activity of the Espiritu Santo, it’s just like the activity of the wind. We can’t control him and we can’t see him. We can only see natures/ways he has made new in people who have been given birth to again.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “You know that the wind goes anywhere it wants to go. You hear it blowing but you don’t know where it comes from or where it goes. In like manner the Holy Spirit who gives new life to people, you do not see.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:9:

  • Uma: “Nikodemus said: ‘How can that be?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘How is this possible?’ said Nikodemus.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Nicodemus asked, ‘How can this be?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Nicodemus again inquired, ‘How perhaps can this happen?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Nicodemo asked again, saying, ‘Respectfully I beg your pardon, how can like that be done?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Nicodemus said, ‘I do not understand about this you speak of.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:10:

  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘You (sing.) are a respected teacher of the Israel people, yet you (sing.) do not know the meaning of my words!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa answered, he said, ‘You do not understand this and you are a famous teacher here in our (incl.) tribe of Isra’il?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘You are a ruling teacher here among our companion descendants of Israel and evidently you do not understand this that I am saying?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus said, ‘You (sing.) are one of the honored teachers here in Israel, but you (sing.) don’t understand?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus answered, ‘Why can’t you understand these things since you are a well-known teacher here in the nation of Israel?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said, ‘Here you are a teacher among the Jews and yet you don’t understand what I am speaking about.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:11:

  • Uma: “These my words are very true: We(excl.) say what we (excl.) know, We(excl.) say/speak what we (excl.) see. But you do not believe our (excl.) words.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Truly I tell you, we (excl.), that is what we (excl.) tell, what we (excl.) know and that is what we (excl.) testify about what we (excl.) have seen. But you (pl.) do not believe our (excl.) testimony.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It is true what I tell you that what we say is not a lie because we know that what we cause people to understand is true because we have seen it. However you don’t believe what we say.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “This that I say is true that what we (excl.) talk-about is what we (excl.) know and have seen. But you however, you don’t receive/accept what we (excl.) are saying.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It’s the truth I say to you. This which we (excl.) testify about to you (pl.), we (excl.) really know and have seen. But well, you don’t believe this testimony of ours(excl.).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Truly I tell you, we talk about what we know. We affirm what we have seen. But you don’t believe what we speak.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:12:

  • Uma: “When I tell you what happens in the world, you do not believe. Even more so [you will not believe] when I tell you what will happen in heaven.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “How can you (pl.) believe my teaching about heaven if even my teaching about the world you (pl.) do not believe?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if you do not believe me when I explain to you things that happen here on earth, how then can you believe if I explain to you the things which take place in heaven?” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Here I have made-known to you concerning this earth, but you don’t believe-it. If that is so, how perhaps will you believe if I relate something concerning in heaven?” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Since you (pl.) don’t believe these which I’ve told you which are things which you can comprehend here under the heavens, how will you believe it if I tell you about how it is in heaven and what is done there?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “And so if I speak of things of what will be here on the earth and you don’t believe me, how can I tell you about heaven for you to believe me?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:13:

  • Uma: “There is no-one in the world who has climbed up to heaven. Only I know what happens in heaven, because I am the Child of Mankind who has dwelt in heaven from long ago and who has come here from heaven.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Nobody has gone to heaven except I the Son of Mankind. I have come down from heaven.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Who has gone to heaven? I, the older sibling of mankind, am the only one because I came from heaven.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “No one emphatically has ascended to heaven except only I who am Child of a Person who descended from heaven.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There’s no-one who knows how it is in heaven because there’s no one who has been able to go there to find out. But I who am the One From Heaven Born of Man am the one who knows because there is where I came from.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “No one here has returned from heaven. Only the Man who came from heaven is able to tell about it because he has his home there.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:14:

  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “Moses hung up the snake out where it was quiet. Well, also in the same way it is necessary that I should be hung up, I who am the friend of all men.”
  • Alekano: “Just like Moses a long time ago in the wilderness lifted up the thing made to look like a snake, they will surely lift up me the true man.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “‘Long ago in the wilderness, the prophet Musa made an image of a snake from brass, and he put it on the end of a wooden pole and stuck it in the ground to stand it up. Whoever was bitten by a snake, if they looked up at that brass image of a snake, they would live. So, like that brass snake was made high long ago, so also I the Child of Mankind must be made high,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Musa in old times, at the time when he was there in the lonely place together with the tribe of Isra’il, he made (a thing) in the shape of a snake from brass and lifted it up and hung it onto a post so that when the people who had been bitten looked at that snake would get well. Likewise I, the Son of Mankind, I also have to be lifted up onto a post and be killed,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus said again, ‘Long ago when Moses was still out in the land where nobody lives, he made a brass snake and he put it on wood and he raised it up. As for me, the older sibling of mankind, that is the same thing that is going to happen to me in the future because I also will be fastened to a wood and raised up.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And what will happen to me, it is like what happened to the imitation/fake snake which Moses fastened-to and raised-up on a post when they were walking through the place with no inhabitants. Because I also who am Child of a Person, I must be fastened-to the cross and be-raised-up” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And in the way in which Moises put-up-high what he’d made which was like a snake there in the wilderness, putting it on wood/tree which he set up, like that indeed is what will be done to me who am the One From Heaven Born of Man. They will nail me to a cross and then put-up-high like that snake which was made.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “There in the wilds, Moses made a metal snake and standing up a pole he raised it high. In like manner it will happen to the Man who came from heaven, it is necessary that the cross be stood up with him on it.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 3:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 3:15:

  • Uma: “so that whoever believes in me will receive good life until forever.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “so that all who trust in me will live forever there in the presence of God.’ This is what Isa spoke to Nikodemus.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason this will happen is so that all who believe in me will be given life forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “in order that whoever believes in me, he will have life that has no end,’ said Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But this is the will of God so that whoever will believe-in/obey me, that I only am the one he is trusting-in/relying-on, it’s certain he will be given life which has no ending.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He must be killed in order that everyone who believes in him should not be lost, rather he will have the new life forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)