Sledgehammer subtlety: The insidious reworking of Micah 6:8 (page 4)

Jon Preston

Lol comatose. Something to look forward to...

Ih and who cares how they changed the RNWT....the POINT is it is more flip flop changing from them....

There are a lot of changes to the the text of the NWT that I dislike, and I suspect sometimes may be done for effect. They are close enough so that you cannot say they are wrong, but just give a different flavour of meaning to the dub in the congregation - like changing older man to "elder" . This verse in Micah 6.8 is another one , and i thank the O/P

I have to attend sometimes and I prefer to use my old copy of the NWT, I can then play "spot the difference" , which passes the time..

Jazzbo

Nice thread. Micah 6:8 has always been my favorite text and it was the first thing I looked at in the new translation. Not happy about at all. No problem with "requiring" but "cherish loyalty" is so obviously agenda driven. I did examine the original wording and considerations of the translation but I think it's fairly difficult to justify making the change even though there are some grounds. The organization never does this kind of thing simply to be more accurate. It's always about pursuing organizational goals.

nugget

how can cherish loyalty be a better translation of love kindness they are not remotely similar. However this reflects the harsher and harder environment that JWs worship in. This is where obedience and control is more important than love and compassion. So glad to be out.

GLTirebiter

Another word that doesn't fit the context is "loyalty." Chapter 6 addresses dishonesty and cheating, it is not a call for loyalty to the leaders (leaders whose corruption was condemned in Micah 3). From the NABR translation:

"You have been told, O mortal, what is good,

and what the L ORD requires of you:

Only to do justice and to love goodness,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Only to do justice and to love goodness,

and to walk humbly with your God.

The LORD cries aloud to the city

(It is prudent to fear your name!):

Hear, O tribe and city assembly,

Am I to bear criminal hoarding

and the accursed short ephah?*

Shall I acquit crooked scales,

bags of false weights?

You whose wealthy are full of violence,

whose inhabitants speak falsehood

with deceitful tongues in their mouths!

I have begun to strike you

with devastation because of your sins."

Apognophos

Interesting point, but I don't think that (assuming "loyalty" was the intended meaning of the writer) it was loyalty towards leaders being called for, but loyalty to God. Note that the BibleHub literal translation that I linked to on page 1 gives the meaning as "covenant loyalty".

problemaddict

Just to clarify my position, I think "require" is a perfectly reasonable replacement to "asking back from you" since it takes less liberties. Cherish loyalty, does not seem out of the realm of possibility, but it clearly to me is not the best use of the phrase. That is what I was taking the long way to say. In other words, I don't think they can be accused of outright falsehood in translation on this verse, as one change is perfectly fine and probably an improvement, and the other one is probably ran by bias and not the best use of the original phrase, but is also at least a (slim) possibility when considering the translation.

snowbird

The Message Bible

Micah 6:8 But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women.

It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love,

And don't take yourself too seriously - take God seriously.

We all of us, WT included, could benefit from the admonition in the final verse.

Sylvia

Sledgehammer subtlety: The insidious reworking of Micah 6:8