WHAT IS THE BEST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE?

by Utopian_Raindrops 50 Replies latest jw friends

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  Utopian_Raindrops

  1 st I want to say THANK-YOU , THANK-YOU, THANK-YOU, to everyone for all your help!!

  In case anyone was wondering what translation I picked..it is the NIV!

  I have been given a few so the children and I are going to start our study!

  This will be an interesting study as my oldest is turning 17 and my middle child is very astute when it comes to scripture. The middle child has her own very STRONG opinions about scripture and has really surprised me of late! She actually took me to scripture about Steven and said I should do as he did and tell the elders what they have been doing! I was surprised of this since she had been worried of loosing her JW friends for sometime. So I pointed out how Steven was stoned. She in turn pointed out that although many supported Jesus they did not want it known because they would be expelled. She has basically for about a week now been bringing me scripture to show me what to do. Based on her understanding of the Bible she still loves her friends but no longer cares what they think.

  My oldest has been doing the same except showing me scripture about FLEEING and GETTING OUT!

  Studying with these people of mine is going to be a pleasure!

  I am going to be perusing secondhand bookstores looking for many of the Translations suggested here!

  Thank-You AlanF for the in depth description of each one you have used. I have an idea of which ones I wish to get in what order because of that list! I have questions though. You wrote, New World Translation: The most literal that I regularly use. Sometimes wooden and sometimes overly literal to the point of unintelligibility. Extremely accurate word for word except when JW theology dictates an exception. I thought the men who translated the NWT were not qualified? How could they have produced such a literal translation?

  Dede, your always so understanding and have such an empathetic heart. Thank-you my friend for your kind and insightful words. You said, When I started reading the Bible back then,,,,,,,,, things started coming off of the pages I look forward to having this same experience.

  Navigator I have been interested in those so-called extra books so I will be obtaining a Jerusalem Bible soon. Thanx for the recommendation.

  Guest77 I completely agree! Actions do speak louder then words! So knowledge is not as important as wisdom and love in motion. Ty for your thought.

  Outaservice, ty for your vote. Good call and The New Living Translation will be added to my library soon!

  ((((((hugs)))) jgnat!! Thank-you so much for the wonderful site! By the way I love your all WTS Threads! One of my daughters wants to go back to KH and use your work in her comments! So youre an inspiration!

  Hey Big Tex! As Always its wonderful to see your adorable profile pic!

  Thank-you Athanasius for your recommendation " like the Revised English Bible and the New Revised Standard Version. The Stone Edition Tanach, published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd. is the best translation of the Old Testament."

  Very much appreciated by me.

  Gizmo, Thank-You so much for this Bible Study Site!! I just had to share it with everyone!!http://www.biblestudyguide.org/study-resources/resources-page.htm

  Once again THANK-YOU! You have helped more then you know. I am printing out everything to keep for reference in my notebook as well as printing out the out line provided by Newlight2 for my children and me.

  Agape all,

  Ciao 4 now,

  Utopian_Raindrops

  Para mis amigos.....

  Edited by - Utopian_Raindrops on 17 January 2003 4:47:48

  Edited by - Utopian_Raindrops on 17 January 2003 4:48:36

  Edited by - Utopian_Raindrops on 17 January 2003 4:51:59

  Edited by - Utopian_Raindrops on 17 January 2003 4:53:23
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  jgnat

  Awwww. I am an inspiration? I am touched. I think I can answer your question about the NWT being the most "literal". Any translation will be flawed, because we are trying to capture nuances and meanings from one language to another. For instance, the pot calling the kettle black makes perfect sense in English, but drives Yizuman (being a native ASL speaker) around the bend. Similarly, there is idiomatic language in Hebrew and Greek.

  One does not have to be a great scholar to do an accurate literal, word-for-word translation. Such a translation will not be best, however, because the original meaning can be lost (Pot? Black? Pots can't speak). So Alan F is perfectly right to say,

  Sometimes wooden and sometimes overly literal to the point of unintelligibility. Extremely accurate word for word except when JW theology dictates an exception
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  Utopian_Raindrops

  Got ya jgnat!

  I have to say most here could translate the bible in that manor.

  AlanF had said, Extremely accurate word for word except when JW theology dictates an exception, isnt it sad they did exactly what they accuse other bible translators of doing? So deceptive. Even right down to the smallest of their teachings.

  Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with very much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. ( Luke 16:10 ) NIV

  Thank-you jgnat for all your help! Para ti bonita....

  Agape,

  U_R
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  LyinEyes

  Thanks for your kind words UR,,,,,,,,, you know our kids are sharp arent they? My son was 14 when we left,,,,,, or began our exodus..........he is 16 now . He had a perspective of the JW's long before we even knew about, and when he opened his mouth to speak and tell us what he thought of it all, God ,the bible , the jw religion......... Wild and I looked at each other with jaws dropped.

  Truly out of the mouth of babes.......... this generation of young people are very free thinkers. I am glad my son saw it,,,,,,,, but he wasnt quiet sure how to tell us.

  He is living a wonderful life now and has made real friends. He loves school, he loves football, he is a good kid all in all,,,,,,,minus a few teenage boy infractions....lol...... so despite what the JW's will say not all kids getting out of JW ,,,,,,, want to run and commit fornication, do drugs, and steal , or join gangs. My son has girlfriends here and there,,,,,but most kids in our area do not go steady with just one person. THey are more like a group and hang together,,,,,,,,,, he is a smart kid and knows he is not ready to be commit in a relationship because he says he is not ready for that.

  But his dad did do the "protection" and safe sex talk ,,,,,,,,,,,just in case...... I know it is bound to happen sooner or later,,,,,,,, but thank goodness, we are now open minded enough to educate him on what to do, rather than let something bad happen that he really is not ready for. So far I think he is still more interested in sports and his friends, and looking GQ,,,,,,,,,,hehee,,,,,, but ya never know .

  Tell your daughter I said hi,,,,,,,,, and I am happy of the choice she is making.
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  AlanF

  Hi UR:

  : I thought the men who translated the NWT were not qualified? How could they have produced such a literal translation?

  Good question. If they weren't qualified, they couldn't. Which proves that charges that they were unqualified are wrong.

  In actual fact, only one man on the New World Translation Committee had any qualifications -- Fred Franz, who was self-taught in biblical Greek and Hebrew. Being self-taught, he had no academic credentials, but worse, he would not have had the necessary one-on-one with knowledgeable instructors that would have given him a much better grasp of translation principles. I suspect that Franz translated mainly by using many lexicons and other language resources, but of course he would have become familiar with the target languages as he worked through the entire Bible. Raymond Franz once told me that he observed his uncle Freddie at a museum, intently reading an ancient Hebrew inscription on a display item, and a friend of mine who worked with the NWT Committee back in the 1950s filled me in on what others on the Committed actually did. Franz did all the real translation work; the others did necessary busywork such as cross-referencing, commenting on English renderings, typing Fred's handwritten manuscipts and so forth. Interestingly, because the members of the NWT Committee did not want to be known, helpers such as my friend were strictly charged with the responsibility of removing all traces of handwritten notes, or any other identifying clues, from the final written material that was sent to the printing department.

  : isnt it sad they did exactly what they accuse other bible translators of doing? So deceptive. Even right down to the smallest of their teachings.

  That's right. But you see, they're allowed to do all sorts of hypocritical things because they're divinely directed and are the earthly leaders of God's people.

  AlanF
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  Utopian_Raindrops

  Dede,

  We do have WONDERFUL children dont we? Cant help but be full of pride over them!

  As for your son working at Looking GQ..he needs no work what so ever! My daughter thinks hes a Hottie! Which I am sure he already knows of himself.

  Para ti bonita.....

  AlanF,

  Thank-you, for the background history.

  I actually have no problem with Self Made Men. But in this case with as you stated, "he would not have had the necessary one-on-one with knowledgeable instructors that would have given him a much better grasp of translation principles."

  In the case of all languages a person needs to practice with native speakers in order to obtain fluidity and understanding. With out this what Franz did was most likely as you suggest" I suspect that Franz translated mainly by using many lexicons and other language resources."

  This would make The NWT a very cold and unfeeling translation. Much like listening to Ben Stein read Shakespeare.

  For you Alan.....a nice cold one

  THANK-YOU again everyone for all your help!

  Agape,

  Utopian_Raindrops
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  AlanF

  Hi UR,

  : This would make The NWT a very cold and unfeeling translation. Much like listening to Ben Stein read Shakespeare.

  You got that right! While it certainly contains some good passages, a good deal of it is very cold and unfeeling.

  I recently browsed through a book by Alan Duthie called something like How To Choose Your Bible Wisely. It contains descriptions of most of the translations available today. I highly recommend it. The author's favorite Bible is Today's English Version (a.k.a The Good News Bible) and his favorite NT-only is the Translator's New Testament. I read over a few passages in both of these, and I have to agree with Duthie that these are excellent, and very nice to read. In his estimation they most accurately convey the original meaning, but don't slavishly use literal word for word renderings.

  AlanF
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  Sargon

  I rate th NWT right up there next to the Geneva bible.
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  Nowhere

  I like King James Version. Very nice reading, I like that old language, it's beautiful. But you will also need a good, new interlinear translation to keep up with modern rendering of the new testament. The New Greek English Interlinear New Testament is my choice, the greek text is UBS 4th edition. (Nestle-Aland 26th).

  Edited by - Nowhere on 19 January 2003 16:20:3
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  Nowhere

  and I want to add, to you who favor the NWT translation. AlanF, you said that the NWT is good because of the very litteral rendering. But when can you trust the rendering? My experience is that you have to dubble-check every word to see if the translation has used JW-rendering or not. Why not use an interlinear translation when you want to be litteral? even the NWT interlinear is good.