My favorite story in the show isn't even in the script, though it's referred to.
One of the most difficult passages to translate was from John 3:16 "shall not perish." Doming and Jo threw many ideas around, such as "shall not pass away" (like floating down a river?), "shall not be swept down the river" (what if they need to go down the river, and the Bible told them not to), and "shall not expire" (Like lettuce? Like wilt?). Nothing ever seemed to fit.
Later, Jo was at home with her friend Tekla and her children. In a culture of headhunters, it wasn't strange for an exasperated parent to tell their children, "I'm going to kill you!" Jo didn't feel comfortable with that, so she told a child she was going to "throw you away!" In a culture where face to face confrontations weren't acceptable, Tekla turned on her and told her never to say that to a child.
Jo was mystified. Tekla explained that killing someone took purpose and intent. To throw something away meant that it was essentially meaningless and without value. Jo had finally found the right word.
"Creator-God so loved the people of the world he gave his only child, that whosoever believes/obeys him will not be thrown away, but live forever with him."
