complete verse (2 Corinthians 12:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 12:3:

  • Uma: “What I clearly know [is], this person was pulled-up to a dwelling that was no kidding good, named Firdaus. (Again I say, I don’t know if he was really pulled-up, or if was just a vision. Only God knows.) While there, he heard talk that was very good, which has not yet been heard by mankind’s ears, and mankind isn’t even permitted to utter it.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But I know that he was taken there to heaven, there where God is. I repeat, I do not know if he really went there or if heaven was shown to him in a vision. God only knows it.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The only thing I know is he entered there in the very beautiful town of God and I will say again that I do not know whether his body went there or whether God just showed this to him by means of a dream; the only one who knows is God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There is that which happened to a believer in Cristo whom I know. Starting from when it happened until now, fourteen years have gone. That aforementioned happening, he was raised to heaven where God is. I admittedly don’t know whether it was only his spirit that went or his body was included. Only God knows that. But I know that that person was raised to Paradise (RL Paraiso),” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “This acquaintance of mine, he really was taken to the place where there is an unsurpassably good-situation. But, just like I said, I am not sure if it was just his soul or his body that was taken. God is the only one who knows.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He it is who knows whether my body also went or not.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

know (Japanese honorifics)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God or a person or persons to be greatly honored, the honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) can be used, as in go-zonji (ご存じ), a combination of “know” (zonji) and the honorific prefix go-.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )