The Greek and Hebrew terms that are often translated as “leprosy (or: defiling/skin disease)” or “leprous (person)” in English is translated in Mairasi as “the bad sickness,” since “leprosy is very common in the Mairasi area” (source: Enggavoter 2004).
Usila Chinantec “sickness like mal de pinta” (a skin disease involving discoloration by loss of pigment) (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Hiligaynon: “dangerous skin disease” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “fearful skin disease” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “terrible rotting” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Newari: “infectious skin disease” (source: Newari Back Translation)
Targumim (or: Targums) are translations of the Hebrew Bible into Aramaic. They were translated and used when Jewish congregations increasingly could not understand the biblical Hebrew anymore. Targum Onqelos (also: Onkelos) is the name of the Aramaic translation of the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) probably composed in Israel/Palestine in the 1st or 2nd century CE and later edited in Babylon in the 4th or 5th century, making it reflect Jewish Babylonian Aramaic. It is the most famous Aramaic translation and was widely used throughout the Jewish communities. In Leviticus 13 and 14 it translates tzaraat as a “quarantining affliction” — focusing “on what occurs to individuals after they suffer the affliction; the person is isolated from the community.” (Source: Israel Drazin in this article ). Similarly, the English Jewish Orthodox ArtScroll Tanach translation (publ. 2011) transliterates it as tzaraat affliction.
Following are a number of back-translations of John 1:17:
Yatzachi Zapotec: “Moses taught the ancestors of us Israelites the law of God, but Jesus Christ came to teach that God loves mankind, and he teaches us all the true words of God.”
Huehuetla Tepehua: “The law about the things of God, the one who gave it was Moses. But the love which was to us and the truth came into being because of Jesus Christ.”
Umiray Dumaget Agta: “Even though Moses was caused to speak the rules of God, Jesus Christ was the one appointed to show mercy and to declare the truth.”
Guerrero Amuzgo: “. . . but Jesus Christ is the source of all favor and of the words that are true.”
Chol: “Jesus Christ came and gave us the goodness of his heart and truth.”
Tenango Otomi: “By means of Moses the law of God is known. But by means of Jesus Christ the love of God and the true word are known.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Uma: “From the prophet Musa we received the Law of the Lord God. But [it is] from Yesus Kristus that we really know God, and his grace to us.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The law of God was given/sent to mankind by Musa but God’s love and the truth are given to mankind by Isa Almasi, he is the one called the Word of God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And by means of Moses, God brought down to earth the laws. But by means of Jesus, God brought down to earth his love/grace for us and the true doctrine.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because God made-known his law through Moses, but his mercy/kindness and the truth concerning him, he made-known to us through Jesu Cristo.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because God gave his laws to Moises which he was commanding us, but that grace/mercy of his and truth concerning himself, he caused us to comprehend through Jesu-Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The Law was-given by God to us (incl.) through Moises, but mercy and truth arrived to us (incl.) through Jesus-Christ.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Mairasi: “We have already received the prohibitions Belonging to Above-One, we received them from Musa himself. But His good insides and tuber were revealed in Yesus Kristus.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Bariai: “For the law came about by Moses’ hand, and then the action of kindness and true talk came about by Iesus Kristus’ hand.” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “Moses gave us the laws and the Savior Jesus brought for us love and the words of truth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “In the beginning” is translated in Lisu as ꓬꓲ ꓚꓰ ꓬꓲ ꓪꓴꓸ — yi tshe yi vu: “In very early times, when there were no people.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. The same phrase is also used as a title for the book of “Genesis.” (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 58)
In the most widely used Mandarin Chinese Bible translation, the Union Version, the term 太初 — tàichū is used in John 1:1 (but not for Gen. 1:1) — vice versa in the Yue Chinese (Cantonese)New Cantonese Bible of 1997, whereas in Hakka Chinese, 太初 — thai-chhû in Hakka — is used in both cases). Tàichū originally was used in early Daoist writings (Liezi, Zhuangzi — both 5th century BC) which is remarkable because of the connection with “dào” (道) in the same verse (see Word / Logos), suggesting connections between Chinese culture and John 1:1. (Source: Zetzsche)
Other translations include:
Jamaican Patois: “when time started” (wen taim did staat); similarly the English translation by James A. Kleist (1954): when time began or Knox (1949): at the beginning of time
Bariai: “prior to the coming forth of everything” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When before still in the past” (source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Kölsch: “in the beginning of everything” (translation by Boch, 2017)
German: “primordial beginning” (Urbeginn) (translation by Fridolin Stier, 1989)
English translation of the gospels of Sarah Ruden (2021, p. xlii): “inauguration” which “echoes similar connotations of a Hebrew word in Genesis”
The Hebrew that is often translated as “seraphs” or “seraphim” in English is translated in Hiligaynon as “heavenly creatures.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:1:
Noongar: “Now, a relative of Naomi, he was named Boaz. He was a relative of Naomi’s husband, famous in the tribe of Elimelech.” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Eastern Bru: “Naomi had a person from the clan of her husband Elimelech. That person was named Boaz, and he was a person who had great authority, and he was also rich.” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: (verses 1-3) “One day, Ruth said to Noemi, ‘Allow me to go to the field to glean the heads-of-grain of a man who will-allow me to do it.’ Noemi said to her, ‘Okay child, you(sg) go.’ So Ruth went-out and gleaned the heads-of-grain that were-left-behind by the harvesters. And it-so-happened that she gleaned there at the field of Boaz the relative of Elimelec. Boaz was a wealthy and famous man.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “There was a man in Bethlehem who belonged to the clan of Naomi’s dead husband, Elimelech. He was rich and well-known/influential. His name was Boaz.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:2-2:5:
Noongar: “Ruth of Moab said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the wheat-field and gather seed. I can go behind people who are kind to me.’ Naomi said to her, ‘Go, my daughter.’ So Ruth went to the wheat-fields and gathered wheat behind the wheat workers. Now, Boaz owned this wheat-field. He was Elimelech’s relative. Just then, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. He said to the wheat workers, ‘God stays with you!’. They replied, ‘God bless you!’ Then Boaz asked the boss of the wheat workers, ‘This woman, who are her people?’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Eastern Bru: “Ruth, the Moabite, said to Naomi: ‘Let me go glean in the fields. If the owner of the field is pleased with me, then I will glean in that field..’ And Naomi answered: ‘All right, child. Go, go.’ So Ruth went to glean in the fields following those who were harvesting. She did not know she had come to the field of Boaz. Boaz was from the clan of Elimelech. So Boaz came from Bethlehem, and he said to his harvesters: ‘God be with you.’ They answered: ‘Yes. And God give to you blessings also.’ Then Boaz asked the person who oversaw the people who harvested for him: ‘That young woman is whose child?’ (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: (verses 4-5) “Now, Boaz arrived from Betlehem and he greeted the harvesters, ‘May the LORD help you(pl)!’ The harvesters replied, ‘May the LORD bless you(sg)!’ Then Boaz asked the servant whom he entrusted to supervise the harvesters, ‘Who is that young lady/woman?’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “One day Ruth said to Naomi, ‘Let me go to the fields and pick up the grain left behind by the workers.’ Naomi replied, ‘Go ahead, my daughter.’ So Ruth went to the fields and began to pick up some of the left-over grain. And it happened that she was working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the man from the clan of her dead father-in-law, Elimelech! Just then, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem. He greeted the men who were harvesting the grain, saying, ‘I want Yahweh to bless you!’ They replied, ‘We want Yahweh to bless you, too!’ Then Boaz saw Ruth, and asked the foreman/man in charge of the other workmen, ‘Whose daughter is that young woman?’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 2:6-2:9:
Noongar: “The boss of the wheat workers replied, ‘This one is from Moab. She returned with Naomi from Moab. The woman said, ‘Let me gather my wheat behind the wheat workers’, and she has worked here from sunrise and not stopped.’ Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Listen, my daughter, don’t go to another wheat field, don’t go away but stay close to my young women. Watch the wheat field and stay close to the wheat workers. I have told my young men not to bother you. If you must drink water, take the water my young men have brought.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Eastern Bru: “And the person who worked for him answered: ‘She is a Moabite. She came from the country of Moab with Naomi to come to this place. The young woman asked me to allow her to glean following those who are harvesting the grain. She asked to follow and pick up the grain from the bundles. She came very early. She has been working until now. She rested only briefly in that shelter.’ After that Boaz said to Ruth: ‘Young woman. Listen to what I say. Don’t go and glean in other fields, and don’t go far from this place. But you stay with the women who work for me. And you watch what field these women are harvesting. Then you follow them and go to that field also. I have told the men who work for me not to do anything to you. If you are thirsty, you can drink from the gourds that the men have drawn.'” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “The servant replied, ‘She is the Moabnon who came-together with Noemi when she returned from Moab. She asked me to allow her to glean some of the remaining heads-of-grain of the harvesters. She really works steadily from (this) morning until now. She just rested for-a-short-time in the roofed-shelter.’ Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Day (an address to a young lady), you(sg) do- not -go anymore to another field to glean heads-of-grain. You(pl) just glean here with my female servant. Watch where my men are-harvesting and you(pl) follow-along-after the female servant. I have- already -told my men that they will- not -harm you(sg). And when you(sg) are thirsty, just drink from the jars that my men have-filled-with-water.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “The foreman replied, ‘She is the woman from Moab who returned from there with her mother-in-law Naomi. She said to me, ‘Please let me walk behind the men who are harvesting the grain and pick up some of the grain they leave behind.’ I gave her permission, and she went into the field, and she has been working from this morning until now. The only time she did not work was when she rested for a short time in the shelter.’ So Boaz went over to Ruth and said to her, ‘Young lady, listen to me. Don’t go and pick up grain in another field. Do not go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. Watch where the men are harvesting, and follow along behind the servant girls. I will tell the men who are working not to touch/molest you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get some water to drink from the jars that the men have filled.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
Following are a number of back-translations of Ruth 3:16-18:
Noongar: “When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked her, ‘How did everything turn out, my daughter?’ Then Ruth told Naomi all that Boaz had done for her. She said, ‘Boaz gave me six baskets of wheat because he said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law holding nothing in your hands.’ ‘ Naomi replied, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you know what happens, because this man will not lie down this day, only when these things happen.’” (Source: Bardip Ruth-Ang 2020)
Eastern Bru: “Ruth went home to her mother in law, and her mother in law asked her: ‘How is it, child?’ And Ruth told her mother in law everything that Boaz had done. And Ruth said: ‘Here are six measures of grain he gave me to bring home to you. And he told me: ‘Don’t go home empty handed to your mother in law.’‘ Then Naomi answered: ‘ Child! Now we will wait until we know what will happen about this. Boaz is thinking about what to say to his kinsmen. But surely today he will finish this.’” (Source: Bru Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “When Ruth arrived to her mother-in-law, she was-asked, ‘How-are-you(sg), child?’ Then Ruth told her everything Boaz had-done to/for her. And Ruth also said, ‘Boaz does- not -want me to go-home to you empty-handed/[lit. without nothing to bring], so he gave me these approximately/roughly six kilos of barley.’ Noemi said, ‘You(sg) just wait, child, until you(sg) will-know what really will-happen, for Boaz will- not [emphasis marker] -stop until he can facilitate this very day what you(sg) had-asked-for from him.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “When Ruth arrived home, her mother-in-law asked her, ‘My daughter, how did things go/Boaz act toward you?’ Then Ruth told her everything that Boaz had done for her and said to her. She also said to Naomi, ‘He gave me all this barley, saying ‘I do not want you to return to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’’ Then Naomi said, ‘My daughter, just wait until we see what happens. I am sure that Boaz will take care of the matter of your marriage today.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)
