Mark 2:13-17 in Russian Sign Language

Following is the translation of Mark 2:13-17 into Russian Sign Language with a back-translation underneath:


Source: Russian Bible Society / Российское Библейское Общество

There is a lake in Galilee. Jesus went back again to this lake. The crowds followed Jesus everywhere. Jesus was teaching the people. Then Jesus went on his way and passed by the place where the tax collectors sit. There was a man there named Levi. His father’s name was Alphaeus. Jesus was walking by, saw Levi and said: “Follow me.” Levi decided to leave his occupation and followed Jesus. After a while, Jesus and his disciples entered Levi’s house. A large table with food was prepared there. Jesus sat down at the table. The disciples, the tax collectors, and the sinners also sat down. Where were these people from? They were all those who had followed Jesus. They ate together, drank together, socialized together.

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees found out that Jesus was eating and drinking with the tax collectors and with the sinners. “How is this possible,” they began to say. They turned to Jesus’ disciples:

— Your teacher eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners. How can he do this? It is an abomination.

Jesus heard and said:

— Here is a doctor. Does he need to go to healthy people to treat them? No! A doctor needs to go to sick people to treat them. So do I — I don’t need to go to the righteous, I need to go to sinners to call them.

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

В Галилее есть озеро. Иисус вернулся снова к этому озеру. Толпа народа повсюду шла за Иисусом. Иисус учил народ. Потом Иисус отправился в путь и проходил мимо места, где сидят сборщики налогов. Там был человек по имени Левий. Имя его отца — Алфей. Иисус шел мимо, увидел Левия и сказал: «Следуй за мной». Левий решил оставить свое занятие и последовал за Иисусом. Спустя какое-то время Иисус вместе с учениками вошли в дом Левия. Там был приготовлен большой стол с едой. Иисус сел за стол. Сели также ученики, сборщики налогов, а также грешники. Откуда были эти люди? Это все те, кто следовали за Иисусом. Они вместе ели, пили, общались.

Учителя закона и фарисеи узнали, что Иисус ест и пьет вместе со сборщиками налогов и с грешниками. «Как же это возможно» — стали говорить они. Они обратились к ученикам Иисуса:

— Ваш учитель ест и пьет вместе со сборщиками налогов и грешниками. Как он может так поступать? Это мерзко.

Иисус услышал и сказал:

— Вот врач. Разве нужно ему идти к здоровым людям, их лечить? Нет! Врачу нужно идти к больным, чтобы их лечить. Так же и я — мне не нужно мне идти к праведникам, мне нужно идти к грешникам, чтобы призвать их.

Back-translation by Luka Manevich

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Mark 2:18-22 in Russian Sign Language >>

complete verse (Mark 2:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 2:14:

  • Uma: “While he walked, he saw a tax collector named Lewi the child of Alfeus, while he was sitting in his office. Yesus said saying to him, ‘Follow me!’ Lewi stood up and immediately followed him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na when he proceeded, he saw Libi, the son of Alpa, sitting there in his office for paying taxes. Isa said to him, ‘Come, follow me.’ So-then Libi stood up and followed now Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “After that, Jesus continued along and on his way was the office of the tax collector. There he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus the tax collector sitting. And he said to Levi, ‘Follow me (as a disciple).’ And then Levi stood up and followed Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “A little later, Jesus was passing-by the office where-they -paid taxes, and he saw Levi the child of Alfeus sitting there. ‘You (sing.) right-now become my disciple,’ said Jesus. Levi stood-right-up and went-with him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “From there, in his walking Jesus came upon Levi who was the son of Alfeo. Levi was sitting at the payment-receiving-place for payment to the government, for his job/responsibility was official-receiver-of-payment. When Jesus saw him, he said, ‘Come with me now.’ Levi stood up at once and followed-right-behind Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 2:14

Exegesis:

paragōn (cf. 1.16) ‘passing by.’

ton tou Alphaiou ‘the (son) of Alphaeus’: the regular way of denoting filial relationship.

kathēmenon epi ‘sitting at’ (not ‘upon’).

to telōnion ‘revenue office,’ ‘custom house,’ ‘toll house’: Translator’s New Testament “customs office.” This customs office in Capernaum would be in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee.

akolouthei moi ‘follow me (in discipleship)’ (cf. 1.18).

Translation:

In some languages the transition between taught them and passed on is somewhat too abrupt. This may require the addition of some temporal particle such as ‘then,’ so as to show the proper sequence of events and to avoid the words ‘passing on’ being confusedly taken as more or less part of the teaching.

The tax office is ‘where they received taxes’ (or ‘customs’). This does not refer to the collection of personal taxes on wealth, but to the collection of customs on produce being transported to or through Capernaum. The equivalent of this type of tax in many communities are the levies imposed on merchants or farmers from surrounding regions who come into a market town to sell their wares or produce.

For an adequate translation of follow see 1.17.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .