Language-specific Insights

complete verse (John 12:37)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:37:

  • Uma: “Although Yesus did many miracles in the sight of the Yahudi people, they still did not believe in him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Even though Isa had done many wonder-causing deeds in the presence of the people there, they still did not believe in him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Even though they had seen many miracles that he had done, they did not believe in him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Even though Jesus had already been showing them many amazing signs, they still didn’t believe in him,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Although many now were the signs which were amazing things which were done by Jesus which had been seen by those people, they were not believing-in/obeying him at all.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Even though the people saw that Jesus did many signs which no one else can do, they didn’t believe him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 12:38)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:38:

  • Uma: “So, the words of the prophet Yesaya long ago were fulfilled, which said: ‘Lord, there is no-one who believed the news that we (excl.)brought. Although you (sing.) showed them your (sing.) power, they still did not believe.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “It is really true what Nabi Isaya wrote in the holy-book. He said there hep, ‘O God, nobody believes in what we (excl.) say. The people who see your power, few of them understand (it).'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For by means of them, the prophecy of Isaiah the prophet of God was fulfilled. For Isaiah said, ‘Lord, no one believes what we preach. No one knows that you have already showed them your power.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “in order that what Isaias prophesied would be-fulfilled which says, ‘Lord, why have only a few believed what we (excl.) were saying? Why are there few who accepted/understood your (sing.) power that you (sing.) have been showing?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It was like that so that what was said by the prophet Isaias would be fulfilled, which said, ‘God, it’s like no-one has acknowledged as true this which was related to/among us (excl.). It’s like no one has understood the real meaning of these things being done through the strength of your supernatural-power.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Such was to come about just like what the prophet Isaiah wrote, ‘Lord. What person came to believe the word I spoke? What person came to know that God showed his power?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 12:39)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:39:

  • Uma: “So, they are not able to believe, because there is also the Word of God that was written by the prophet Yesaya long ago, that says:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “More yet, Nabi Isaya also wrote the reason as to why they don’t believe. Isaya says,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The reason it was not possible for them to believe, Isaias also wrote that saying,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well since they weren’t wanting to believe/obey, that’s why they were no longer able to believe/obey, like something else Isaias said, saying,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Isaiah also wrote why they didn’t believe. He said,” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 12:40)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:40:

  • Asháninka: “He will cause them to be blind; he will erase from them their understanding, lest they see, lest they know, lest they turn to me, lest I save them.”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “God made the men blind in their understanding, and he made their hearts hard. In that way they couldn’t understand with their understanding, and they couldn’t believe anything in their hearts, and they couldn’t think differently in their hearts so that I could make their hearts better.”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “God has caused the hearts of these people to be unresponsive, so that they are unheeding. He has caused them to see but not to realize what that which they are seeing means, and to hear but not to understand what that which they are hearing means. They would perhaps repent of their sins and permit God to renew their hearts if they understood it and if they realized what it meant.” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “‘The Lord God says: ‘I purposely made them blind, so they couldn’t see. I made their hearts hard, so their hearts were not clear. That’s why they won’t be given goodness [salvation] by me.’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Their eyes are made blind by God so that they do not see, and he made their minds dull so that they do not understand. So-then their livers are not changed, says God, therefore I do not take their sins away.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Isaiah also said, ‘As for God, he caused them to become blind so they couldn’t see. He also caused that their breaths become hard so that they may not believe because they might give up evil and call on him for help.’ That’s why they didn’t believe in Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘God has blinded them and has hardened their minds lest they be able-to-see and able-to-understand and they face him so that he will heal them.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘He blinded their eyes and he made their heads hard so that they wouldn’t be able to see or understand, or be able to return to him so that he might make them well.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “‘God covered their sight in order that they would not see with their eyes. And he covered their hearts in order that their hearts would not find (understand) how the word is. And their hearts won’t change to follow God, so that he won’t forgive them.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 12:41)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:41:

  • Uma: “Those words were written by the prophet Yesaya long ago, because he had seen the power of Yesus and he foretold it.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This was said by Nabi Isaya because he saw the brightness of Isa and he said this about Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason Isaiah said these words is because he knew long ago that Jesus would have great power, and Jesus was the one he was talking about there.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Isaias said that, because Jesus’ godhood was shown to him before, and it was Jesus moreover that he was speaking-about.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Isaias spoke like that because it had been shown to him how great was the praiseworthiness/glory of the coming Cristo, therefore he spoke like that concerning him,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Isaiah spoke this word because he knew that Jesus was the greatest, therefore he spoke about him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 12:42)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:42:

  • Uma: “But even so, there were many Yahudi leaders who believed in Yesus. But they just believed secretly, because they were afraid lest the Parisi people expel them from the house of prayer.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But even though it was like that, many of the Yahudi leaders believed in Isa but they did not speak openly about this, because they were afraid that perhaps the Pariseo would know it and then they would no longer be allowed in the prayer-house.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In spite of that, many of the rulers of the Jews believed in Jesus, but they didn’t say that they believed in him because they were afraid of the Pharisees because their right to enter the churches might be taken away from them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Many nonetheless of the leaders of the Jews believed in Jesus. But they didn’t admit their belief on-account-of their fear that the Pharisees would punish them by their not being-counted among their fellow Jews.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “However even though it was like that now, even the leaders of the Judio, there were now many who believed-in/obeyed Jesus. But their belief was only in secret, they weren’t admitting it, for they were evading the Pariseo, because maybe they would be removed from the place-for-worship, no longer included as being a Judio.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “However, many Jews who had authority believed in Jesus. Yet they didn’t tell the people what they believed because they feared the Pharisees and wanted to keep from having their names taken out of the church.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 12:43)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:43:

  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “For greater was their desire for the greatness among men than for God to make them great.”
  • Aguaruna: “They thought more about what people said, ignoring what God said.”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “They wanted only a little for God to praise them. They really wanted people to praise them.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “Because their desire, they wanted to be praised by their fellow companions, they did not consider/pay attention to praise that is from God.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For they were yet happy when mankind/humans were pleased with them over when God was pleased with them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason they didn’t say anything is because they liked better people’s praise of them, not God’s praise of them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because what they valued was their companions’ honoring/praising them more than God’s honoring/praising.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “They still wanted their fellow men to be pleased with them, not indeed that God would be the one to be pleased with them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “They thought it better to have the people look favorably on them than to have God tell them, ‘It is good what you do.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (John 12:44)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:44:

  • Uma: “Yesus called loudly, he said: ‘People who believe in me, it is not just I in whom they believe. They also believe in the Lord God who sent me.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then Isa spoke loudly, he said, ‘The one who believes in me, is not just believing in me only, but he also believes in God the one who sent me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus spoke loudly saying, ‘He who believes in me does not just believe in me alone, but rather he also believes in God who sent me.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When Jesus again spoke to the many-people, he did-it-loudly saying, ‘Whoever believes in me, it is not I alone whom he has believed but rather also the one who sent me.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus then shouted out, saying, ‘That one who believes-in/obeys and trusts-in/relies-on me, it’s not only I who am being believed-in/obeyed and trusted-in/relied-on by him, but on the contrary including him who sent me to come here.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said loudly, ‘He who believes in me doesn’t just believe in me but also he believes in my Father who sent me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)