complete verse (Acts 25:25)

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

  • Uma: “But I do not find any wrong that he has done for which it is appropriate to condemn him to death. But after that also, he requested that his case be taken-up to Kaisar. That also is why I decided to send him to Kaisar.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But when I examined/investigated, I did not find any reason for him to be killed. And because he wanted to be judged by the Leader King, I have decided/I am thinking to have him brought there.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However when I investigated him, I could not find out about anything that he had done that was worthy of killing him. And since he has appealed for help to our king there in Rome, I decided that I would send him to the king.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As for me, I have come-to-know of no crime of his that would suffice for his being-killed, but since he has appealed his case to the Emperor in Roma, I decided to have-him-be-taken there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But since there’s nothing which I have found that he has done for which it’s essential that he be sentenced to death, and since, also, he wants to appeal to the Impiradur, therefore I decided to send him to Roma.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Acts 25:25

But I is very emphatic in the Greek sentence.

Anything for which he deserved the death sentence may be rendered as “any crime which would cause him to be killed” or “any crime for which it would be right for us to execute him.”

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 .