Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 1:17:
- Uma: “In the Good news God tells us the way to become straight in his sight. The way is only by faith in God , there is no other way. As is written in the Holy Book long ago: ‘The people who are straight in God’s sight, they are the people who get good life forever because of their faith.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “From this good news we (dual) know as to how (it is/what is needed) in order for God to consider human beings as straight. They must only/simply trust whole-heartedly/entirely in Isa Almasi. It is written in the holy-book about this, saying, ‘Whoever trusts in God, God considers straight and he will live.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For by means of the Good News, God makes known to us the way that he can regard us as righteous. And this way is only by means of faith. For there is a written word of God which says, ‘The person who is made righteous by means of his faith, he is the one who will be given life forever.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because this good news, it makes-known God’s plan to make-people -righteous in his sight. This righteousness from God, it is based on faith alone. Because this indeed also is what God caused-to-be-written which says, ‘The person whom God has made-righteous on account of his faith, he has life that has no end.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “This good news causes our hearts to understand that God clears the sins of people just by their believing. It is like it says in the Holy Book, it says: ‘He who believes in God is that one who gets his sins cleared and is given a new life.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Central Mazahua: “The good words show us how God can say now we are right (good). That God will say we are right (good) it is necessary that we put (plant) him in our hearts and continually we will believe-obey him. Thus says the good words: the one who will plant God in his heart and God will say he is now right, that one will live always.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 1:20:
- Uma: “For even though we cannot see the appearance of God, from the beginning of the making of the world it has been knowable/evident to men what God is like. For from all that he made, we see the bigness of his life [i.e., glory] and we also see his power that has no end. So there is no one who can say: ‘I didn’t know!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Since (the time) the world was created by God, it is clear to the people that God has power that doesn’t leave even if they cannot/didn’t happen-to-see his power and it is also clear to them that he is the true God even though they cannot see him. The people can understand about God and about his power by the various-things he has created. That’s why they cannot give excuses/excuse themselves for/because-of their deeds.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For as for God, even though He cannot be seen, beginning from His creation of the world, He is apparent just the same by means of all the things that he created by means of His very great power which has no end, and by means of what is called His being God. That’s why nobody can say they do not know whether there is a God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because since-the-time when God created the world, it has been easy for people to understand concerning his godhood and his power which has no limit, even though he cannot be seen, because what he created can be seen. So they have absolutely no excuse for not knowing the truth.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “And now, no one sees God, but that which he made is what we see. From this it is apparent that God lives. When the world began to exist, then it was apparent that God lives and that he has his power forever. It isn’t possible then that people say that they do not know that God lives.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Isthmus Zapotec: “Even though we cannot see the power of God which shall never end, nor can we see what he is like, yet from the day the world was created it has been clearly seen who he is (or what he is like) because of all he has done. Therefore they cannot say they do not know.”
- Hopi: “For people understand clearly the things about God that are unseen. He alone is God and continually has power. And the people understand who he is and that he has power through the things here that are made. Since the time that the world was made they understood these things and therefore they have no way of escape.”
- Central Mazahua: “What God is and his power no one can see with their eyes. But they can know [in their thoughts] because it is seen in the things that God made since the world was made. Therefore when God will judge them they can’t say they didn’t know how he is.” (Source for this and two above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 1:26:
- Uma: “So, because they refused to worship him, that’s why he just allowed them to follow the shameful desires of their heart. Even women no longer behaved like the behavior of ordinary mankind. The women wived [i.e., married or had intercourse with, normally used of men to women] other fellow women.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Therefore God abandoned them to do shameful things indulging/giving-into the desire of their bodies. Even the women do not like/want a man. That is what they want their fellow female and/so-that they do evil/bad. But this is not right/proper.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since people pay no attention to God, He also pays no attention to them so that they might carry out their very ugly desires. Even the women, it’s no longer men that they sleep with, but they become sexually aroused by other women.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “That’s the reason God has let-them-alone so that they do the shameful-things their bodies desire. Even the women, they have changed what their bodies properly desire so that it’s their fellow women whom they sleep-with, not men.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Therefore God gives the road to the people to do the shameful things they walk by. The women do not want to marry and live with husbands, rather with their fellow women they do shameful things.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “Therefore God abandoned them that they should do ugly things like their hearts wanted them to do. The women left off talking with the men [polite term for intercourse] and they talked among themselves in a very dirty way.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 1:27:
- Uma: “Men [i.e., males] did the same also: they did not wive women, but desired only their fellow men. Men did behavior that is not fitting with fellow men, and in the end they received punishment that is in keeping with that wrong behavior of theirs.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Likewise also the men no longer want/like/desire women but what they desire/want is their fellow males and/so that they do evil/bad together. Male does shameful things with male. The repayment to them matches these their evil deeds.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And in the same way also the men; it’s no longer women they sleep with but they become sexually aroused by even other men. And it’s very shameful what they do with their bodies. And by means of their wicked behavior, they destroy their bodies and this becomes a punishment for them which cannot be avoided.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “So also with the men. They have turned-their-backs-on their proper sleeping-with women so that it’s their fellow men whom they exceedingly crave to sleep-with. Therefore they are undergoing the punishment that is fitting for the filthy-things they have been doing.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Also like this the men do. They do not want to marry and live with wives. Rather they do shameful things with their fellowmen. But concerning how these people live, there is a payment in that their manner of life is all ruined.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “And that’s what the men began to do also, because they left off talking with the women and they began to lust each one after his fellow and very ugly things they did among themselves, man with man. Therefore on account of this sin they suffer punishment because they have left the road of God.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 2:7:
- Uma: “There are some people who keep behaving good, because they want to get praise, honor and life that has no end from God. To people like that God gives good life forever.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “There are people who persevere in doing good because their aim is (that) God praises them and he honors them. They also aim/aspire that God give them life without end. These people God really will give life in heaven without end.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But there are some people who hold fast to good behavior because what they’re always thinking about is God’s praising them in the future and making them immortal and His honoring them. And life forever is what He will give to them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “The people who have persisted in doing good so that God will praise them and they will live where God is forever, God will give them life that has no end.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “God will give the new life to whoever does only what is good, looking for how God will look well upon him and earnestly seeking how to enter where God rules forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Yatzachi Zapotec: “God will give us eternal life if we continually do good, because we so very much want to find out how to arrive where he is, and how to cause him to give us honor, and cause us to live forever.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 2:9:
- Uma: “Every person who does evil will suffer/groan and have difficulty, beginning with the Jews, down to [lit., arrive-arrive at] the people who are not Jews also.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “All who do bad are given trouble by God and they are made to suffer/be-in-tight-place. Not only the Yahudi but including the other tribes/nations also.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For everyone who does wickedly, especially Jews extending to non-Jews, hardship and trouble is what He will punish them with.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Yes, all who do evil will experience extreme pain and hardship/suffering, especially the Jews but so also the Gentiles.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Great suffering will be what comes to all who live in evil. Not only for Jews, but also those who are not Jews, overflowing will be the pain.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Teutila Cuicatec: “Sinners of all nations, especially those of the nation of Israel, will suffer, God punishing them.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 2:11:
- Uma: “For God does not discriminate [lit., look-at the face/appearance of people].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Because God does not treat differently human beings; they are all the same in his sight no matter what his tribe is.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “for God, He does not show favorites to anybody.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because there is no person whom God will favor in his judging of them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Because God will judge each and every person very well.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Central Tarahumara: “For with God all peoples are the same.”
- Isthmus Zapotec: “Because before God’s face all people are worth the same.”
- Huehuetla Tepehua: “God looks at all men alike.”
- Teutila Cuicatec: “That’s how it will be because God judges the same for all.” (Source for this and three above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 2:12:
- Uma: “People who don’t know the Lord’s Law, if they sin, they are still/nonetheless guilty and fit to be separated from God. God punishes them because of their sins, but he does not punish them because of their breaking of the Lord’s Law. So also people who know the Lord’s Law. If they sin, God will punish them as well, but them he will punish because of their breaking of the Lord’s Law.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “The people not Yahudi they do not know the law of God written by Musa. When/if they sin God punishes them and they go to hell. But their punishment is not as is said in the law. The Yahudi, the ones who were given the law, when/if they sin they are judged (by) whether they were able to follow/obey the law or not. If they did not follow/obey, God punishes them like/as is said in the law.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for the people who are not Jews, they do not know what is commanded by the Law that Moses left behind, and when they do evil, they will be judged just the same in the future by God. However, He will not use the Law in His judging them, but He will punish them with death which is forever. And as for the people who are Jews, they by contrast know what is commanded by the Law, and if they do evil, God will judge them according to what they have transgressed there in the Law.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Because all who have sinned, they will be separated from God to be punished forever. As for the Gentiles, they don’t know the law of Moses, so that will not be the basis for God’s condemning them, but they will be punished nevertheless. As for the Jews by-contrast, they do know the law of Moses, so God will use that law in condemning them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Now then, all people have sins and God will judge them. Concerning the people who do not know the law which the Jews follow, they also will be judged according to what they know. But concerning the people who know what is said in the law which the Jews follow, they will be judged according to that word which is written in the law.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
- Teutila Cuicatec: “All those who owe sin, who do not know the law that Moses wrote, it will not be that law that will rule what punishment they have, but they will be punished. Also all those who do know that law but owe sin, they will have to be punished as that law commands.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
