complete verse (Romans 7:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 7:19:

  • Uma: “I do not do the good behavior that I like. What I continually do is the evil behavior that I don’t like.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For I do not do the good which I want to do. But what I do is the bad which I don’t want/like.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For what I do is not the good that I want to do, but rather it’s evil that I am disgusted to do.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Thus I am not able-to-do the good I want to do and simultaneously I am doing the evil that I dislike.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I didn’t do the good I wanted to do, rather the evil I didn’t look well upon is what I did.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Romans 7:19 – 7:20

Verse 19 brings into sharper focus the thoughts of verse 15, while the same conclusion is reached in verse 20 as in verse 17.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .