Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Revelation 21:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:15:

  • Uma: “The angel who spoke to me held a measuring stick of gold, he measured the village, its fort and its doors.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The angel who spoke to me carried a golden measure for his measuring that city and its doors and walls.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That angel who spoke to me carried a golden meter stick to measure the city, the wall and the gates.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The angel who was speaking to me, he was holding a gold measure in order to measure that town, along with its stonewall and entrances.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for that angel who was speaking to me, he was holding a gold measuring-instrument, for he was going to measure that city, its gates and its walls.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The angel who had spoken to me had a stick of gold for measuring the city. And also the doors it was to measure along with all the walls around the city.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:16:

  • Uma: “That village had four sides. Its length and its width were the same. He measured the village with his measuring stick: its length was two thousand four hundred kilometers. Its width and height were the same as its length.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “That city is four-cornered, its length and width is the same. The angel measured the city with his measure; it was two thousand and four hundred kilometers long. Its width and height was the same.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for that city, the measurement of its width was the same as the measurement of its length, and it was made square. The angel measured the city, and it was two thousand four hundred kilometers long. Its width and the height were also the same.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The town was square its length and its width being equal. When the angel measured it, its length and its width and likewise its height were two thousand four hundred kilometers.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That city was square. How ever much was its length, that indeed was its breadth. Well that angel measured the city. About two thousand four hundred kilumitru was the length of each side. Like that too was its height.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This city then had four corners and all four sides were the same. The angel measured the city with the stick he had. The measurement came out to be two thousand and two hundred kilometer in length. All four sides were the same length. Also the same was the height of the houses.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:17:

  • Uma: “He also measured the fort of the village: its height was one hundred forty-four cubits–or about sixty meters. The measure that the angel used is the same as the measure used by men.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The angel also measured the wall. Its height was forty deppe (60 meter) in our (dual) measure because he used a human measure for his measuring.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He measured the height of the wall, and its height was sixty meters according to our (incl.) way of measuring because that is what he used.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He also measured the stonewall of the town, and its height was sixty six meters. The meter which was the measure that the angel used, it was the same as the meter that people use-to-measure.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The angel also measured the walls, some sixty-five mitru, according to men’s measure for that was the kind of measure being used by that angel.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He measured the wall which went around the city then, with the measurements people use. It came out to be sixty-four meters.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:18:

  • Uma: “The fort was made from expensive stones, called yaspis. The village was made from nothing but gold [lit., gold dry], sparkling like smooth/clean glass.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “That wall was made of the precious-stone jasper. That city was made of unmixed/pure gold, but it was clear like glass.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The wall was made of precious stone jasper, and the city was made of gold which was very pure for our eyes could see through it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The city was made from pure gold which dazzled like glass, and its stonewall, it was made of haspe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Those expensive mined stones which were haspe were what was used for the wall, and that city was first-class gold, sparklingly-clear like mirror/glass.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the wall which went around the city, it was all of stones, very pretty ones, called jasper. The city itself was all of pure gold, it reflected the sunlight like glass does.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:19:

  • Uma: “Twelve kinds of beautiful stones were put on the foundation stones of the fort, each foundation stone was decorated differently [lit., each one kind its decoration]. The first a transparent and smooth stone called yaspis stone. The second a transparent and bright green/blue stone like deep-still water, called nilam stone. [NOTE: Uma has one term that covers blue and green.] The third a white and transparent stone called mirah stone. The fourth a transparent stone green/blue like grass, called zamrud stone.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The foundation stones for the wall of that city were adorned with all kinds of valuable precious-stones. One stone had the precious-stone jasper, the second had a blue precious-stone, the third one a precious-stone called kalkidun, the fourth one a green precious-stone,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The stones on which the wall rested were decorated with many beautiful precious stones. The first stone was jasper, the second was sapphire, the third was chalcedony, the fourth was emerald,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The rocks which were its foundation, they were decorated-all-over with all kinds of valuable stones. The first stone, it was decorated with haspe, the second safiro, the third kalsedonia, the fourth esmeralda,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The stabilizers of that wall were made beautiful with all kinds of first-class stones. Haspe was the first, the second sapiro, kalsedonia was the third, the fourth esmeralda,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the stones in the foundation of the wall, they were very beautiful. Each was of a different color. The first stone was a firestone called jasper. The stone was a blue stone called sapphire. The third stone was dark blue stone called agate. The fourth stone was a green stone called emerald.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:20:

  • Uma: “The fifth a striped white and reddish stone called unam stone. The sixth a dark red [lit., burnt red] stone called sardisstone. The seventh a shiny stone yellow like gold that is called ratna cempaka stone. The eighth stone is green/blue like the egg of a jikura’ bird, called beril stone. The ninth a bright yellow transparent stone called krisolitstone. The tenth a stone that is green/blue like the top of the banana-tree that has just opened, called krisopras stone. The eleventh is a stone that is grayish like the sky called lazuardi stone. [NOTE: Umas call the color of the sky gray, not blue/green], And the twelfth is a stone that is transparent and purple,called kecubung stone.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “the fifth one an orange precious-stone, the sixth one a red precious-stone, the seventh one a yellow precious-stone, the eighth one a green precious-stone with a pattern, the ninth one a bright yellow precious-stone, the tenth one a greenish-yellow precious-stone, the eleventh one a deep blue precious-stone and the twelfth one a really purple precious-stone.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the fifth was sardonyx, the sixth was carnelian, the seventh was chrysolite, the eighth was beryl, the ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was jacinth, and the twelfth was amethyst.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “the fifth sardonika, the sixth karnelia, the seventh krisolito, the eighth berilo, the ninth topasio, the tenth krisoprasio, the eleventh hasinto, and the twelfth amatista.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “onise was the fifth, the sixth kornalina, krisolito was the seventh, berilo was the eighth, the nineth topasyo, krisopraso was the tenth. The eleventh was hasinto, and amatista was the twelfth.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The fifth stone was a mixed stone mixed with white called onyx. The sixth stone was a red stone called carnelian. The seventh stone was yellow stone called quartz. The eighth stone was a green stone called beryl. The ninth stone was a yellow stone called topaz. The tenth stone was a greenish stone called chalcedony. The eleventh stone was a blue stone called turquoise. The twelfth stone was a purple stone called amethyst.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:21:

  • Uma: “The twelve doors were all of a stone that is fine and smooth like an egg, called pearl. Each door was made from one large pearl. The roads in the village were pure gold, shining like transparent glass.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And the twelve doors were made of twelve pearls. Each door was made of one pearl. And the streets in that city were of unmixed gold, clear like glass.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls for each gate was made of a single pearl. And the street in the city was very pure gold because like glass our eyes could see through it.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The twelve entrances also, they were made from one-pearl -each, and the streets of the town, they were cemented with pure gold which gleamed like glass.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Like oyster pearls were the twelve gates, each one made of one pearl. The streets of the city were first-class gold and sparklingly-clear like mirror/glass.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The twelve gates were all equipped with doors all of pearl. And just one pearl formed each of the doors. the streets of the city were all of gold. The streets reflected the sunlight like glass.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

complete verse (Revelation 21:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Revelation 21:22:

  • Uma: “I did not see a worship house in that village, because the whole village was like/considered a worship house to God whose power surpasses all, and to the Lamb.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I did not see a prayer-house in that city because God the Most-Powerful Lord and the Sheep are right there. Therefore there is no need for a prayer-house there.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I saw no church building in that city. A church building is not necessary there because God, the powerful Lord of all, and the young sheep, everybody worships them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I saw no temple in that city, because the Lord God who is all powerful and the Sheep, they themselves are its temple.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “I observed that there was no Temple in that city, because God who has surpassing supernatural-power and that one referred to as Young Sheep are always there, therefore in their presence is where-one-worships. There’s no longer any need to build a worship-place.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “There in the city there is no church that I saw. Because the Lord, God who has all power, is he who is all through the city. Also the Lamb lives all through the city.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)