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Abstract
Translation is an art that demands translators to be proficient in both languages they are working with, encompassing linguistic components as well as cultural norms and practices. The current study investigated the translation difficulties and their underlying reasons in religious texts. The examples were derived from an English religious source that was translated into Kiswahili. The study utilized a qualitative approach to explain and provide specific examples and reasons for the existing translation issues in religious texts. The case study design was improved to thoroughly investigate the findings. The documentary was utilized for data collection, and thematic analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data. Linguistic variations, including language use, tenses, semantics, and morphology, led to overtranslation, undertranslation, and mistranslation in the translated text. The translator did not follow translation methods, such as revising and test-retesting the translation text, to determine the equivalent effects between the source and target texts. The translated text deviated significantly from the source material, resulting in the omission of crucial information. The results cause translation effects for leaders, including misleading readers, distorting religious content, and creating conflicts of interest. Translators should follow strict translation procedures and guidelines to avoid translation issues and their consequences.