Because as more and more manuscripts became available, we updated our Bibles to reflect the new information Following are the 24 books according to the traditional Jewish Canon 1 Genesis
2 Exodus 3 Leviticus 4 Numbers 5 Deuteronomy The Prophets 6 Joshua 7 Judges 8 Samuel [First and Second together as one book] 9 Kings [First and Second together as one book 10 Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 12 Ezekiel 13 The Twelve Prophets [Hosea. Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, as one book. The inspired Hebrew Scriptures were completed in the fifth century, Before the Common Era
Jewish tradition credits Ezra with beginning the compilation and cataloging of the Canon of Hebrew Scriptures, and it says that this was completed by Nehemiah, There is no reason to doubt the traditional view that the canon of the Hebrew Scriptures was fixed by the end of the fifth century BCE. Today we list 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures, the traditional Jewish canon, while including these same books, counts them as 24, Some authorities by putting Ruth with Judges and Lamentations with Jeremiah, counting the number of letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
The Writings 14 Psalms 15 Proverbs 16 Job 17 The Song of Solomon 18 Ruth 19 Lamentations 20 Ecclesiastes 21 Esther 22 Daniel 23 Ezra [Nehemiah was included with Ezra 24 Chronicles [First and Second together as one book.
The Roman Catholic Church claim responsibility for the decision as to which books should be included in the Bible canon, and reference is made to the Council of Carthage 397 C.E. where a catalog of books was formulated. The opposite is true, because the canon, including the list of books making up the Christian Greek Scripture was already settled by then, that is not by the decree of any council but by the direction of God's holy spirit--the same spirit that inspired the writing of those books in the first place.
Outstanding Early Catalogs of the Christian Greek Scriptures
Muratorian fragment, Italy Irenaeus, Asia Minor , Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, N. Africa
Origen, Alexandra, Eusebius, Palestine, Cyril of Jerusalem, Cheltenham List, N. Africa Athanasius, Alexandris, Epiphanius -Palestine Gregory Nazianzus, Asia Minor Philaster, Italy, Jerome, Italy, Augustine, N. Africa, Third Council of Carthage, N. Afric
Earliest Translated Versions:
The Aramatic Targums: The Greek Septuagint:
Sources for the Test of the New World Translation
Aramaic Targums: Dead Sea Scrolls: Hebrew Consonantal Text: Samaritan Pentateuch ; Greek Septuagint: Old Latin Coptic Ethiopic Armenian: Latin Vugate Greek Versions: Aquila Theodotion, Symmachus: Syriac Peshitta: Masoretic Text : Cairo Codex Petersburg Codex of the Prophets Aleppo Codex Codes Leningrad B19A Biblia Hebraica [BHK] Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia [BHS] Ginsburg's Hebrew Text
Sources for the Text of the New World Translation Christian Greek Scriptures; Original Greek Writings and Early Copies
Coptic Versions Syriac Versions-Curetonian, Philoxenian, Harclean, Palestinian, Sinaitic Peshitta Armenian Version Old Latin; Latin Vulgate Sixtine and Clementine Revised Latin Texts Early Greek Uncial MSS Vatican 1209 [b] Sinaitic[x] Alexandrine [A] Ephraemi Syri rescriptus [C] Bezae [D] Greek Cursive MSS Erasmus Text Stephanus Text Textus Receptus Griesbach Greek Text Emphatic Diaglott Papyri {e.g. Chester Beatty P45, p46, p 47 Bodimer p66, p74, p75
Westcort and Hort Greek Text, Bover Greek Text Merk Greek Text Mestle Aland Greek Text, United Bible Societies Greek Text
23 Hebrew Versions [4th- 20th centuries] translated either from the Greek or from the Latin Vulgate, using Tetragrammation for divine name. Now you have your homework to do.
The NWT, is considered the best translation around, Cambridge University uses it. And According to Alex Trebek, it is considered the best translation out there. And it took a lot of the volunteers at Watchtower,NYC to make sure it got translated correctly, Jehovah's name should properly be in the Bible over 7,000 times
Also, unlike some other religions, we Witnessess NEVER pass a Plate or Basket around-- everything we do is free-will volunteering and donation. What other religion can claim that?