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Brief Overview of English Bible Translations Types of Translations Word for Word

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Brief Overview of English Bible Translations Types of Translations Word for Word (Literal; Formal Equivalence): Translates the Hebrew/Greek words into English words as closely as possible, sometimes resulting in a “wooden” translation that does not read smoothly in English. Pros: easy to identify certain words that recur in the original language. Cons: sometimes difficult to understand, especially when rendering Hebrew/Greek idioms. Thought for Thought (Dynamic; Functional Equivalence): Translates the Hebrew/Greek phrases or concepts into modern English, changing the wording as needed to convey the idea accurately. Pros: easy to read and understand. Cons: harder to identify specific words that appear in various places; may involve a degree of interpretation on the part of the translators. Paraphrase (Free): Renders the biblical text in contemporary, colloquial English, focusing entirely on the concepts conveyed by the text with little attention to preserving the wording or vocabulary. Pros: very easy to understand, especially for a reader not familiar with Christian terminology. Cons: highly interpretive on the part of the translators; hard to follow when reading in comparison with other versions. Word for Word ------------------------------- Thought for Thought ------------------------------ Paraphrase NASB KJV RSV JB NEB LB NKJV HCSB NRSV CEB NAB NIV GNB NJB GW NLT REB CEV MSG ESV Abbreviations (with date of original translation or latest revision) CEB Common English Bible (2011) NAB New American Bible (1970) CEV Contemporary English Version (1995) NASB New American Standard Bible (1995) ESV English Standard Version (2001) NEB New English Bible (1961) GNB Good News Bible (1992) NIV New International Version (2011) GW God’s Word Translation (1995) NJB New Jerusalem Bible (1985) HCSB Holman Christian Standard Bible (2003) NKJV New King James Version (1982) JB Jerusalem Bible (1966) NLT New Living Translation (1997) KJV King James Version (1611) NRSV New Revised Standard Version (1991) LB The Living Bible (1971) REB Revised English Bible (1989) MSG The Message (2002) RSV Revised Standard Version (1952) So, which version should I read? There is no single “right” translation. The pew Bibles at St. Matthew are NRSV, so that version will be most familiar to you from church. It is best to use a version that is the easiest for you to understand, but during study and devotions consult footnotes in a study Bible or commentaries, and compare your version to one or two versions that are different (e.g., if you read the NASB, compare a more thought-for-thought translation, such as the NIV). Online tools and apps can compare several versions for you. Examples of Bible Versions Compared John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (KJV) Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. (NIV) Don’t waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last. (MSG) Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. (NASB) You set a table for me right in front of my enemies. You bathe my head in oil; my cup is so full it spills over! (CEB) You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow! (LB) 1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. (NKJV) When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. (NRSV) Friends, when I came and told you the mystery that God had shared with us, I didn’t use big words or try to sound wise. (CEV) Resources https://www.biblegateway.com (Contains multiple Bible versions, allows comparison by verse) http://www.biblestudytools.com (Contains multiple Bible versions, allows comparison by verse) http://www.mardel.com/bible-translation-guide.aspx (Chart comparing Bible translations and translation continuum) http://www.cokesbury.com/FreeDownloads/BibleTransGuide.pdf (Chart comparing Bible translations) http://www.notjustanotherbook.com/biblecomparison.htm (Translation continuum) http://www.christianbook.com/page/bibles/about-bibles/about-translations (Translation continuum and links to other resources) G. Fee and D. Stuart, “The Basic Tool: A Good Translation,” in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (4th ed.; Zondervan, 2014) G. Fee and M. Strauss, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth (Zondervan, 2007) .
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