complete verse (Acts 25:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 25:11:

  • Uma: “If for instance, I had indeed transgressed the law doing something for which I deserved to be put to death, I do not refuse to be killed. But if the accusations of the Yahudi people are not true, there is no-one who can hand me over into their hands. I appeal [lit., request-to-be-taken-up] my case to Kaisar!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If truly I have transgressed the law or if I have done anything deserving death, I am willing/submit to be killed. But if these accusation of theirs against me are not true, no man can deliver me into their hands/holding. I want to be judged by the Leader King (emperor).'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If I had disobeyed the law by means of doing something which is worthy of my being killed, then I will not avoid my punishment. However, if the things which they accuse me of are not true, there is no one who has power to turn me over to them. Therefore I desire that the one who investigates me be Caesar, our king in Rome.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore if I have a crime that suffices for my-being-killed, I do not plead-for-mercy that I may-escape-it. But if there is indeed nothing true in what they have accused-me -of, neither does anyone have authority to hand-me -over to them in order that they will be-made-happy. I appeal therefore my case to the Emperor.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Supposing it were true that there was evil which I had done, that what was fitting for me was to be killed, I wouldn’t say no to it. But since there’s no truth to any of this which they are coming out with against me, really no-one has the authority/right to hand me over to them. Therefore I now appeal to the Impiradur in Roma.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 25:11

Broken the law may be translated variously, as “violated the law,” “done contrary to the law,” “done what the law says I should not do,” or, idiomatically as in some languages, “twisted the law,” “bent the law,” or “went around the law.”

Done something for which I deserve the death penalty may be rendered as “done something which should cause me to be killed” or “… for which I should be punished by being killed.” The following clause, do not ask to escape it, may accordingly be rendered as “do not ask not to be killed” or “do not ask to escape death.”

A number of languages have no noun such as truth, but it is possible to employ an adjective in an expression such as “if the crimes they accuse me of are not true” or “if what they say that I have done is not true.”

No one can hand me over to them may possibly mean something like “no one can make a gift of me to them,” but the idea of “making a gift of someone” is difficult to carry over into translation (note New English Bible “it is not open to anyone to hand me over as a sop to them”; in verse 16 New English Bible has “hand over” for the same verb).

In many languages one must indicate clearly that an auxiliary verb such as can implies here “the right to,” not simply “the strength or power” to do something—for example, “no one has the right to turn me over to them” or “… to cause me to come before them.”

Very little is known about the details of an appeal to the Emperor, though apparently in Paul’s day it was something that only a Roman citizen could do, and perhaps only then in the case of the threat of capital punishment. In translating I appeal to the Emperor, it may be necessary to say “I ask that the Emperor judge my case” or “I ask that I be sent to the Emperor.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .