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Do We Have Enough Bibles Yet? English Bible Translations and the Transitions Through Time

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Do We Have Enough Bibles Yet? English Bible Translations and the Transitions Through Time Southeastern University FireScholars Selected Honors Theses Fall 2019 DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BIBLES YET? ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATIONS AND THE TRANSITIONS THROUGH TIME Allison C. Stephan Southeastern University - Lakeland Follow this and additional works at: https://firescholars.seu.edu/honors Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, English Language and Literature Commons, Language Interpretation and Translation Commons, and the Translation Studies Commons Recommended Citation Stephan, Allison C., "DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BIBLES YET? ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATIONS AND THE TRANSITIONS THROUGH TIME" (2019). Selected Honors Theses. 112. https://firescholars.seu.edu/honors/112 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by FireScholars. It has been accepted for inclusion in Selected Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of FireScholars. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DO WE HAVE ENOUGH BIBLES YET? ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATIONS AND THE TRANSITIONS THROUGH TIME by Allison Stephan Submitted to the School of Honors Committee in partial fulfillment of the requirements for University Honors Scholars Southeastern University 2019 Stephan ii Copyright by Allison Stephan 2019 Stephan iii Abstract The Bible is read in a variety of contexts, but with the hundreds of translations in English and controversy over which is “most accurate” or “best,” this thesis examines a brief history of Bible translation, a few translation theories such as formal and functional equivalence, what to look for in a Bible translation, and some of the most common English Bible translations. A study was conducted with college students, focusing primarily on the purpose of each translation and the people who read a specified version. Finally, this thesis supports the usage of different translations in different contexts, according to the purpose and audience. The discussion affirms the idea that the Bible is the Word of God, inerrant and inspired by God, and it should be our final authority. KEY WORDS: accuracy, Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), formal equivalence, functional equivalence, Good News Bible (GNB), King James Version (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), New International Version (NIV), New King James Version (NKJV), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), Revised Standard Version (RSV), The Message (MSG), The Passion Translation (TPT), translation. Stephan iv Acknowledgments This work would not have been possible without the help of my boss and advisor, Professor Amy Beatty. I am grateful for being able to use her office space and for her support throughout this research project. She has been both a friend and mentor, remaining confident in my ability to complete this project to the best of my ability. She additionally provided both professional and personal guidance about research and life. I am also thankful for the support from my family, especially my mother Melissa Stephan for her wise counsel and for posing challenging questions that encouraged me to further investigate this topic. She remained constant and pushed me to do better. I could not have completed this thesis without both Amy Beatty and Melissa Stephan and will be forever grateful that they have such pronounced influences in my life. Stephan v Table of Contents I. A Personal Note..……………………………………………………….……………………….1 II. Introduction…...…………………………………………………………………………….….3 III. Literature Review...………………………………………………………………………...….6 Major Bible translation theories……………………………………………...…...……….9 Formal equivalence translations…………………………………………………………11 Intermediate translations…………………………………………………….…………...16 Functional equivalence translations……………………………………………….……..17 Surveys regarding English Bible translations……………………………………...…….20 Choosing a translation…………………………………………………………..………..21 IV. Methodology.………….……………………………………………………………………..24 V. Analysis of Data……………..………………………………………………………………..27 VI. Conclusion……………………………………………..……………………………..……...42 Appendix A..…………………………………………..……………………………..…………..44 Appendix B………………………………………………………………………………...…….45 Works Cited………………....…………………………………………………………………...46 Stephan 1 I. A PERSONAL NOTE As one who has been exposed to church lingo for the entirety of my lifetime, I have been exposed to a variety of denominations and translations, particularly the Lutheran denomination with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and the New International version (NIV). However, I began reading the New Living Translation (NLT) and the English Standard Version (ESV) in high school in order to better understand passages using a different vocabulary and wording. I often had the impression that more meaning-based translations were taboo to read as they were seen as “inaccurate,” and the NLT was the “furthest” I could sway from more literal translations without jeopardizing the accuracy of Scripture. Throughout the research and writing of this thesis, my own perspective regarding Bible translations in English shifted from being frustrated at the plethora of translations in our own language about which we are so selective, to only liking certain translations, to finally, now, understanding the purposes of each version in the proper context. I encourage the reader to glean with an open mind and think beyond his/her set beliefs. In the process of learning about Bible translations in languages other than English and understanding the amount of research and work that the translators put into these smaller language groups’ translations, I have come to recognize similar efforts in the English Bible translations. I had the opportunity during the summer of 2019 to be in Southeast Asia and talk with several translators of minority language groups about their past and current work in various languages. The linguists and mother-tongue translators used a second or third common language to communicate (L2 or L3), and I taught the mother-tongue translators English in order to assist with communication during the translation process. My students were very eager to learn, and Stephan 2 each knew three to six languages, including now English. One of my students was a pastor and had read the Bible five times but not in his first language, as they are currently working on a translation for his native tongue. In class, however, we read the Gospel of Luke in the Good News Translation (GNT), also called the Good News Bible (GNB) and Today’s English Version (TEV). It is a simpler and easier version of the English Bible to read, using the dynamic equivalence method of translation, and it was what was suggested for us to read (“Good News Bible”). It also contains occasional drawings that are small and simple, adding to the passages. In comparing the GNB and the ESV, a more literal translation, I noticed many differences in wording. These differences, however, do not necessarily take away from the meaning, but rather the GNB merely has a lower level of vocabulary. For example, instead of “repent,” the phrase “turn away from your sins” is used (Good News Bible: The Bible in Today’s English Version). To a biblical scholar, these concepts arguably mean something somewhat different, but for an individual learning English, it makes more sense and is the first step to understanding the full concept of repentance, especially if the person does not know the word at all and is unfamiliar with Christianity. The everyday language use is suitable in this case. I was able to see firsthand how a translation that I, being a native speaker of English and having been raised in a Christian home, would not personally use, does, in fact, have a very important purpose and is useful in learning both English and Scripture. I will definitely continue to use the GNB in the future when teaching children, to people who do not know about Scripture, and to individuals whose first language is not English. Overall, it also encouraged me to study other English Bible translations and better understand the purposes of each, even if I personally would not prefer to use them. Stephan 3 Do We Have Enough Bibles Yet? English Bible Translations and the Transitions Through Time II. INTRODUCTION Unlike the early churchgoer, today’s attendee has numerous versions of the Bible from which to choose. This thesis includes a literature review focused on analyzing various English Bible translations collected from online databases, libraries, websites of mission organizations, and videos from individuals educated in English translations of Scripture, including the translators themselves. I examined literature from scholarly authors, teachers, missionaries, and experts in the field in order to collect and analyze the most reliable and thorough data. From about 1600 to 1993, over 290 versions of the Bible were translated into English, and therefore most of my information comes from this time period and in the years after (Vance). A majority of the information is geographically based in Western cultures where English is the people’s first language. The literature review provides a concise history of Bible translation in English and defines a few translation theories that are most commonly used. An overview of some well- known Bible translations is presented, discussing the translators, their purposes and the people who read the translations. Strengths and weaknesses of some versions are presented in order to bring awareness to the uses of the translations, and specific elements are recommended regarding criteria to keep in mind when choosing a translation. This thesis also includes a survey of college students
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