complete verse (Matthew 11:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 11:4:

  • Uma: “When Yesus heard that question, he said to the messenger: ‘Return, say to him there all that you have heard and seen:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then Isa answered the disciples of Yahiya, he said, ‘Go and tell Yahiya what you have heard me say and what you have seen me do.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus answered, ‘Go back to John and tell him what you’ve seen that I have done and what you’ve heard that I have spoken. What you should tell him is that because of me the blind can already see, the lame can already walk, lepers are cured, and deaf people are now able to hear. I have raised the dead, and I have caused the Good News to be understood by poor people. Far better off is the person who does not doubt that I am the one God sent.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus said, ‘Return to Juan to tell him what you saw and heard,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied, saying, ‘Go back to Juan and tell him what you have heard and seen,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said to them: ‘Go back now, tell John what you have seen happening. Tell him the words you have heard me speak.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

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