Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Acts 4:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:11:

  • Uma: “He is the one that the words of the Holy Book aim at that say like this: ‘The rock that you [emphatic] house-builders discarded, that very rock is the one that became the main foundation-stone.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “About Isa hep it is said in the holy-book, ‘The stone which you, the experts in building stone houses, rejected because you mistakenly-thought it useless, now that one is already the stone of ultimate/greatest use.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus is that stone which was prophesied in the word of God written long ago which says, ‘The stone which is used for building the house, you carpenters threw it away because you thought mistakenly that it had no purpose. However it has become today the stone which is the only one that can be used to finish this house.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He is also the one who was illustrated by what God caused-to-be-written that says, ‘The stone that you rejected, you who are building a house, that’s what God caused-to-become the most-valued stone that makes-firm the house.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And he is the one meant as being like a stone in this which is written, saying, ‘The stone which was not acceptable to the house builders, that after all was the one which was used as the main-support of the house.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Acts 4:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:12:

  • Uma: “There is no other way to receive salvation from God, only Yesus. Because in all the world there is no other person, only Yesus whom God provided for man, only he has power to lift us from the punishment of our sin.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And really he is the only one who can save us (incl.). Because here in this whole world, there is no other/nothing else given by God that can save us (incl.) except only Isa.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It is only Jesus who can set us free from punishment,’ said Peter, ‘because here in all the world there is no other person who is able to do it which God has given.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It is only Jesus who can save us. Because there is no other in the entire world that God has sent to save us except him.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It’s true, there really is no-one at all from whom salvation can be gotten from the punishment for sin, except this Jesu-Cristo only. For there is no-one else here under the heavens who has been given by God who can save us, but on the contrary this one only.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Chuj: “‘There is no other person who can save us; because there is no other person whom God has shown to people on this earth who can save us. Only Jesus,’ said Peter.”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “‘Only Jesus is able to save people. Only Jesus did God give. All over the world there is no one else who is able to save people.’ That’s what Peter said.”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “Another person cannot save us. But Jesus Christ can. For no other person in this world has been appointed to save us.”
  • Totontepec Mixe: “No one else is able that he forgive the sins of the earth people. Jesus alone is able to forgive our sins. God has sent no one else to forgive sins.”
  • Teutila Cuicatec: “There is not a single person who can save us apart from him, the one who has the authority to save the people on this earth.” (source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

complete verse (Acts 4:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:13:

  • Uma: “Those judges were surprised to hear Petrus and Yohanes speak without any uneasiness. For Petrus and Yohanes, they were just ordinary people who were not highly schooled. And they recognized them, that they ones that followed Yesus previously [lit., yesterday].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then the councilors were greatly amazed when they saw that Petros and Yahiya spoke boldly, and-what’s-more/yet they were men of little (lit. short) education/study and of low social standing. So-then they remembered that these had been companions of Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when those leaders of the Jews there, when they saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak and when they knew that they were not highly educated, and they were not high in rank, they were very amazed. And then they recognized that Peter and John were companions long ago of Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When the leaders of the Jews saw the boldness of Pedro and Juan in answering, they were surprised, because they knew that they were low-status people who were not educated. Then they remembered that they had-been-going-in-a-group-with Jesus,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When those leaders of the Jews observed that the speech of Pedro and Juan wasn’t halting, they were amazed, knowing too that as for those two, they hadn’t had schooling, being yet low-class. And they recognized too that as for those two, they had been companions of Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Desano: “Hearing the answer of Peter and John, the authorities said, ‘where did they get their boldness?’ They knew them that they had very little knowledge of paper and knew that they were people without prestige. ‘They were with Jesus, and maybe that’s why they know,’ they were saying.”
  • Tataltepec Chatino: “They heard the word Peter said, and they looked at Peter and John. ‘Why aren’t they afraid, speaking to us?’ they said. ‘Not great people are they, not people who know paper.’ Then those elders realized that they had been walking with Jesus.” (Source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).

complete verse (Acts 4:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:14:

  • Uma: “But those judges, they did not dare refute. Because that lame one who had been healed was also there standing together with Petrus and Yohanes.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But they could say nothing to argue with them because they could see there the man who had been crippled standing beside Petros and Yahiya.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They wanted to speak against that miracle which Peter and company had done, however since the man who was cured was there also, there wasn’t anything they could say.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “but they did not answer anything, because there was the one whose lameness was removed standing-with them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Also, because they could see that person who had been made well standing alongside Pedro-and-companion, they couldn’t find anything as a response.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Acts 4:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:15:

  • Uma: “That is why they put those apostles of the Lord Yesus out of their meeting, and they made-plans,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore they sent them out of the judgment room and the councilors conferred among themselves.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore there in the room in which they were gathered, they told Peter and company that they should go outside for a while. And then they discussed it saying,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “That being so, they had-plural Pedro -go-out so they the leaders would-be-alone to converse.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore they caused Pedro-and-companion to go out of their gathering-place, so that they could discuss what would be good to do.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “They sent the disciples outside because they wanted to talk among themselves about them.”
  • Lalana Chinantec: “They told Peter and John to go outside for a while. When Peter and John had gone outside they discussed by themselves, just the people who judged.”
  • Chuj: “But those rulers said that Peter and John must go out from their faces (presence). After they were taken out, those rulers talked together alone.”
  • Chichimeca-Jonaz: “Then they commanded them to go outside from where the elders were assembled, and they alone went to talking together.” (Source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

complete verse (Acts 4:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:16:

  • Uma: “they said: ‘What shall we do to those two? Because all the people in Yerusalem know that they are the ones who did that big surprising sign. Yet we also cannot deny it.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘What on-earth (ente’) shall we (incl.) do to these men?’ they said. ‘It is well-known here in Awrusalam that they have done a powerful work. And we (incl.) cannot deny this.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “‘What are we going to do with those people because it is really true that they have done a miracle, and it has become famous here in the town of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then they said, ‘Now what shall we do with those, because all the people here in Jerusalem know the amazing miracle that they did, and it is impossible for us to say it is not true.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “They were saying, ‘What would be good for us to do to these people? For it’s obvious to all the taga Jerusalem that they have been able to do a sign which is an amazing thing. Of course, we can’t say that it’s only a lie.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

complete verse (Acts 4:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:17:

  • Uma: “But so that not all the people hear their teaching, it is better that we threaten/scare them and forbid them, so they no longer continue to teach anyone mentioning Yesus.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But,’ they said, ‘in order that this will not become any further known, let us (incl.) instruct them that they should not speak to anyone about Isa.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Let’s tell them that they must no longer teach the believing in the name of Jesus to anybody so that this, their teaching, may not spread to the people.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Let’s threaten them so they do not repeat to say the name of Jesus when they are talking to the many-people, lest others increasingly find-out-about-it.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Of course we don’t want the number to increase very much of those who will know this, therefore what would be good is, we will tell them strictly not to teach anyone any more concerning that Jesus.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Lalana Chinantec: “But there is great danger of the word of Jesus spreading. We’ll tell those people that never again should they speak about Jesus. ‘We’ll just see what will happen,’ we will say, ‘if you continue to speak with people about Jesus.’ That’s the agreement that the people who judge reached.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)

complete verse (Acts 4:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 4:18:

  • Uma: “So, after that, they called Petrus and Yohanes back in again, and they said to them: ‘We(excl.) really forbid you, don’t you any longer to teach or mention the name of Yesus.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So they called Petros and Yahiya again and instructed/warned them telling them really not to speak or teach about Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then they had Peter and company come back, and they threatened them saying, ‘Don’t you teach faith in the name of Jesus anymore.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then they called Pedro and Juan and emphatically commanded them saying, ‘Absolutely do not repeat to tell the name of Jesus. Neither are you to teach concerning him to even any person.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Without anything further, they again called for Pedro-and-companion and told them plainly that they were not to relate or teach again concerning Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)