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Information on Translations Page 14 of the study book gives a timeline for various Bible versions.

Questions to and answers from Pastor Rachel regarding . Q: Is there a preferred translation? A: It depends on who is doing the preferring.

Q: I have heard that the (KJV) is preferred. A: To Biblical scholars, the KJV is not a good translation. The New KJV is not much better. This is because: 1. The translation is not as faithful to the original manuscripts. In other words, the manuscripts used to make the translation were not consistent with each other. There were many copying errors. 2. The KJV does not include the Dead Sea Scrolls. These manuscripts have few errors and those that exist do not affect the meaning. 3. The Shakespearean-era English used at the time the KJV was written makes it difficult for many people to understand the meaning today.

Q: Any comments on the New American Standard Bible (NASB) version that is used in the study material? A: “The NASB is a literal translation, meaning that it takes the Greek and Hebrew and makes it as literally close to the original language’s meaning as possible. What can be lost then is English flow and poetic sense.”

Q: What translation do you suggest? A: “The New International Version (NIV) is a good general translation. I think a good, more recent translation (than the NIV) is the New Living (NLT), which is what I use for my devotions. It is faithful to the original languages but also uses contemporary English which makes it very understandable. So, to me the NIV or NLT are the best choices.”

Note about translations: Bible translations fall on a spectrum known as word-for-word to thought-for- thought. Word-for-word translations focus on the original Greek and Hebrew. They use, as much as possible, original word order, grammar and syntax. Examples of word-for-word translations include the King James, New King James and English Standard versions and the New American Standard Bible.

Thought-for thought translations are at the other end of the spectrum from word- for-word. The focus is on putting the meaning of the Scriptures in a conversational language familiar to the reader. Examples of thought-for-thought translations include The Philips in Modern English, and .

Translations in the middle of the spectrum try to balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought. Examples include the New International Version, Holman Christian Standard Bible, and the .

To read more on this topic and view a graphic showing where various versions of the Bible fall on the spectrum go to the link for #2 below on understanding and comparing translations.

Resources Bible Gateway: Many versions of the Bible available online. Also use “passage look-up” to compare Scripture verses from different versions. https://www.biblegateway.com/

Christian Book Distributors: 1. Information on choosing a Bible – very helpful if you are considering buying a new Bible. https://www.christianbook.com/page/bibles/about-bibles/choosing-a- bible?navcat=Bibles|Choosing-a-Bible

2. Information about understanding and comparing various translations. https://www.christianbook.com/page/bibles/about-bibles/about-translations

Prepared by Cathy Guffey, March 2018