serve (Igede)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also serve.

desert, wilderness

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The Greek that is translated as “desert” or “wilderness” in English is translated in a number of ways:

Note that in Luke 15:4, usually a term is used that denotes pastoral land, such as “eating/grazing-place” in Tagbanwa (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation).

See also wilderness and desolate wilderness.

Satan

The Greek that is typically transliterated in English as “Satan” is transliterated in Kipsigis as “Setani.” This is interesting because it is not only a transliteration that approximates the Greek sound but it is also an existing Kipsigis word with the meaning of “ugly” and “sneaking.” (Source: Earl Anderson in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 85ff. )

In Morelos Nahuatl it is translated as “envious one” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.) and in Tibetan: bdud (བདུད།), lit. “chief devil” (except in Rev. 20:2, where it is transliterated) (source: gSungrab website ).

tempted by Satan

The Greek that is translated as “tempted by Satan” in most English translations is translated in Tlahuitoltepec Mixe as “and the devil was wanting to cause him to sin, and not once did Jesus obey.” An addition was necessary to indicate that the devil’s desire was frustrated. (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also tempt

tempt, temptation

The Greek that is typically translated as “tempt” or “temptation” in English is translated in Noongar as djona-karra or “reveal conduct” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang) and in Tibetan as nyams sad (ཉམས་​སད།), lit. “soul + test,” or in some cases as slu (སླུ།) or “lure / lead astray” (for instance in 1 Cor. 7:5 or Gal 6:1) (source: gSungrab website )

See also tempted by Satan.

Mark 1:9-13 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 1:9-13 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

There was a town called Nazareth in the region of Galilee. That’s where Jesus lived. Here is the Jordan River. John the messenger was near it. Jesus came from Nazareth to the Jordan River. There He dipped into the water. Then He came out of the water and looked up into heaven. The clouds had parted in different directions. The Spirit of God descended on Jesus in the form of a bird. God from heaven looked at Jesus and said:

— I am very glad! You are my beloved son!

Jesus looked at heaven, then at the desert around him. Then the Spirit of God took Jesus and carried him far away into the desert. Jesus stayed there for 40 days.

In that place was Satan, who was persecuting Jesus. Satan hoped to tempt Jesus to make an accidental mistake. But the angels of God were protecting Jesus. There were some ravenous beasts around, Jesus walked among them. But the angels of God protected Jesus on every side.

Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):

В области Галилея был город Назарет. Там жил Иисус. Вот река Иордан. Возле нее находился вестник Иоанн. Вот Иисус пришел из Назарета к реке Иордан. Там он погрузился в воду. Потом Он вышел из воды и посмотрел на небо. Облака разошлись в разные стороны. Дух Божий в виде птицы спустился на Иисуса. Бог с небес посмотрел на Иисуса и сказал:

— Я очень рад! Ты — мой сын любимый!

Иисус посмотрел на небо, потом на пустыню вокруг. Тут Дух Божий взял Иисуса и унес далеко в пустыню. Иисус там находился в течение 40 дней.

В том месте был Сатана, который преследовал Иисуса. Сатана надеялся искусить Иисуса, чтобы тот случайно ошибся. Но ангелы Божьи оберегали Иисуса. Были там и хищные звери вокруг, Иисус ходил среди них. Но ангелы Божьи оберегали Иисуса со всех сторон.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

<< Mark 1:1-8 in Russian Sign Language

Mark 1:14-20 in Russian Sign Language >>

angel

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The Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic that is translated as “angel” in English versions is translated in many ways:

  • Pintupi-Luritja: ngaṉka ngurrara: “one who belongs in the sky” (source: Ken Hansen quoted in Steven 1984a, p. 116.)
  • Tetela, Kpelle, Balinese, and Mandarin Chinese: “heavenly messenger”
  • Shilluk / Igede: “spirit messenger”
  • Mashco Piro: “messenger of God”
  • Batak Toba: “envoy, messenger”
  • Navajo: “holy servant” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida 1961; Igede: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
  • Central Mazahua: “God’s worker” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.)
  • Saramaccan: basia u Masa Gaangadu köndë or “messenger from God’s country” (source: Jabini 2015, p. 86)
  • Mairasi: atatnyev nyaa or “sent-one” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “word bringer” (source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Apali: “God’s one with talk from the head” (“basically God’s messenger since head refers to any leader’s talk”) (source: Martha Wade)
  • Michoacán Nahuatl: “clean helper of God” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: Hdjin-djin-kwabba or “spirit good” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Wè Northern (Wɛɛ): Kea ‘a “sooa or “the Lord’s soldier” (also: “God’s soldier” or “his soldier”) (source: Drew Maust)
  • Iwaidja: “a man sent with a message” (Sam Freney explains the genesis of this term [in this article): “For example, in Darwin last year, as we were working on a new translation of Luke 2:6–12 in Iwaidja, a Northern Territory language, the translators had written ‘angel’ as ‘a man with eagle wings’. Even before getting to the question of whether this was an accurate term (or one that imported some other information in), the word for ‘eagle’ started getting discussed. One of the translators had her teenage granddaughter with her, and this word didn’t mean anything to her at all. She’d never heard of it, as it was an archaic term that younger people didn’t use anymore. They ended up changing the translation of ‘angel’ to something like ‘a man sent with a message’, which is both more accurate and clear.”)

See also angel (Acts 12:15) and this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Mark 1:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:13:

  • Uma: “Forty days he was there. While he was in that field, the King of Evil-ones tempted him. Wild animals were with him, and angels took care of him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Forty days (and nights) he was tempted there by the leader of demons. There were also forest animals there but Isa was cared for by the angels.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus stayed there for forty days, and Satan tested him to see if he might sin. And there were also there harmful beasts, but the angels of God came to Jesus and took care of him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He stayed there for forty days while-simultaneously also Satanas (Satan) tried-repeatedly to tempt him. There were also fierce animals where he was, but (reassurance particle) there were angels who were helping him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Forty days was how long he was there. He was tempted/tested by Satanas as to whether he could-be-caused- by him -to-fall (into sin, fig.). There in that place there were wild animals, but Jesus was being served by angels.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Then he was where no house is, forty days. While there, Satan wanted to make him do evil. He was also among biting things. Then the word bringers made him eat.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “Forty nights long He was in the barren field, tempted by Sang [‘Sang’ is a personal article that is often attached to the names of persons or powers that are characteristic of the normal, human, every-day world] Satan. There He was in the midst of wild beasts, served by the heavenly messengers.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950 p. 75ff. )