Question:
true bible translation?
E
2010-07-27 14:07:12 UTC
OK first before I get into all of this iwant to apolize for spelling and grmmer errors and for this being so lengthy. I do believe in GOD FATHER SON and HOLY SPIRIT. now on to my qustions. how can I be sure that modern day bible translation are correct, and yes I even mean KJV. the reason i ask this is even though the bible is the word of GOD and insprirde by GOD, there change of words and meanings of words through out the time (example; thou shall not suffer a witch to live, is actualy thoushall not suffer a poisoner to live, so witch craft is actuully poisoncraft. also another example thou shall not kill actually means thuo shall not murder in cold blood) these are just faw examples. Now please do not get me wrong I do believe in the 'spirit' of the bible ateachings but I am trying to figure out the intentionaly corupted translations that is given by people who are afraid to give the true words of GOD to the people. there are so many things I could put in here to ask but I hope I am getting my question clear enough to get an answer back. Also if there is anyone out there that wants to have a more in depth explanation or dissussion about my question you can contact me at e201081@yahoo.com
Eleven answers:
Tiberia
2010-07-27 14:10:03 UTC
All translations are inherently "wrong." The original Hebrew, Greek, and Latin is the best way to go.

====

Hebrew and Greek are certainly *not* dead. They may not be the same as they were hundreds of years ago, but the basics are still the same. Latin isn't completely dead yet either.



You asked a translation that is the most accurate and uncorrupted. No translation is as accurate and uncorrupted as the original text, and the ones that come closest mangle the English language.



Having said that, I recommend Young's Literal Translation: http://www.ccel.org/bible/ylt/ylt.htm It's the closest to the original that I've found.
anonymous
2010-07-27 17:38:56 UTC
OK - first (grin) you are correct about the original languages. Imagine me - unfamiliar with the original languages but very well educated and an amateur Bible scholar - trying to use the original language text to unearth a translation that is better (more accurate) than a translation that was created by an entire TEAM of accredited, experienced scholars paid to do that very thing.



Would you trust me if I told you " 'witch' is not the correct translation - don't believe the scholars who have spent years earning a doctorate in ancient Hebrew, additional years gaining experience in translating Biblical Hebrew, and have succeeded so far in their efforts that people are willing to pay them to be part of a team translating Hebrew. Believe me instead."?



So the original language thing - though it **can** be very useful in gaining a more *precise* translation, is usually no help in getting a more accurate translation unless you have earned a doctorate in the appropriate language yourself.



So - how to know if a translation can be trusted, short of spending the next decade or so earning doctorates in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek?



Very nearly all modern Bibles are translated from the most reliable, critically-edited original language source texts available. Nearly all modern Bibles are translated from these peerless source texts by one or more teams of appropriately-accredited scholars. So, very nearly all modern Bibles are *extremely* trustworthy (particularly in comparison to older Bibles) - but they all have shortcomings, and here is a list of a few of them:





* bias - some include very obvious sectarian bias; some are very "ecumenical", which means that very many Christian sects that are very different in teachings had representatives vote on which precise wording was used in the Bible - a sort of democratic Bible. Some - the best - are less ecumenical but concerned primarily with conveying the original meaning rather than with making the Bible agree with what they believe. It's not always easy to tell them apart - especially since the reader (you or I) is *also* biased.



* translation oversight: some Bibles are translated by an individual (the worst case); some are translated by committee, which means that no one man decides the wording of any one verse and that it must be agreed upon by several scholars; some are translated by multiple committees, each responsible for a particular portion of the Bible that is the field of their specialty.



* inclusive language: this is for people who are concerned with very specific issues regarding Biblical doctrine. In the original languages of the Bible, as in English until about 30 years ago, standard practice was to use the masculine pronoun when the author meant *either* a man or woman. Example: "A driver should bring his car to a complete stop." - the old method in English, and the method common to Biblical languages. Clearly, "a driver" might be a man OR a woman, but the grammatical convention in such cases is to use the masculine.



As you can imagine, sometimes it's tricky to determine if the author meant "men only" or "either men or women". In the Bible, when translators use words that mean "man or woman" in places where the original language uses only the masculine is called "inclusive language". Some Bibles are very conservative, only using inclusive language when that meaning is absolutely certain. Too conservative an approach actually leads to problems in accurately conveying the meaning. Other Bibles are very liberal in using inclusive language - some intentionally use it in every place that it might possibly be correct, even when it is not likely that it is correct. The best Bibles are pretty careful about using it ONLY when it is *very likely* that it should be used. The reason this is best is that it allows the reader to determine if inclusive language is meant where the question is uncertain - that is, it leaves the interpretation up to the reader.



Now - here is a chart that displays all of this info for some of the more popular Bibles and many of the best Bibles available in English today.

http://www.bible-reviews.com/charts_accuracy.html



What you will find is that all of the most highly-regarded Bibles - from a scholarship standpoint - use "witch", "sorceress", etc. instead of "poisoner" in Exo 22:18. You have, it seems, been misled on that score. If you look up the word in a Hebrew lexicon (the word is transliterated "kashaph", and it is identified by Strong's number 3784), you will find that "poisoner" is not a definition commonly accepted by Hebrew scholars. Here's one such:

http://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Lexicon.show/ID/H3784/kashaph.htm



On the other hand, you are largely correct about "thou shalt not kill". Although it certainly does NOT mean "you shall not murder in cold blood", what it does mean is "you shall not murder" - or, to word it another way, "you shall not kill another human illegally". Notice that "thou shalt not kill" is *VERY* close to the more precise meaning, but that the more precise translation is - obviously - the better translation.





So: which version? I'm afraid that you have not given us enough information. Still, this web site will help you to narrow down the versions to just a few

http://www.BibleSelector.com/

when you've done that, you can contact me (here or from that web site) and I can give you a full run-down of the pros and cons of the few versions you are considering. If that's too much work, the best (most accurate) English Bible at the current time in my opinion is the New Jerusalem Bible. There are other excellent translations, though - so I really recommend that you step through the above web site and narrow down your choices before coming to a final decision.



Jim
The Man
2010-07-27 14:15:38 UTC
There are so many different translations of the bible because there are so many different dialects of English to pick one language out

.

In the United States there are how many different dialects of English

Southern

New York

Western

.

Each has its own slang and words that can be used to describe something

.

Like

.

Man that is Bad

.

That can mean bad as in evil

,

Or

,

Bad as in

That is a bad looking shirt you got where did you get that nasty thing

,

So it is with translations the slang of the Greek Hebrew that the text is written in is almost lost as to its meaning and to put it into today's way of saying things

.

Is just such a challenge

And there are even more on the way with the way it is said today

.

And who knows how it will be said in 50 years

.

So the bible does have to keep up with the times and not stuck in the

.

Thee and thou way of speaking King James English

.
cordell
2016-12-15 20:42:03 UTC
The True Bible Version
skepsis
2010-07-27 14:11:37 UTC
I can only suggest that you get familiar with Biblical Greek and Hebrew. Short of that, you should look into an interlinear Bible to see how a verse was put together. The links below include two such sources.
anonymous
2010-07-27 14:27:17 UTC
The King James version (as well as the Douay Rheims) actually has quite a few mistakes, compared to modern translations. The KJV, was great for it's day, and is useful today. People should read it, in my opinion, along with other translations. But, modern translations (i.e. NIV, RSV, ) have teams of highly trained scholars analyzing every word, every implication to see if it fits with modern implications, and word usages. Most bibles have a description of how they were produced. You'll still do well to learn a little ancient Greek, and refer to a Greek translation of the New Testament from time to time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_version

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIV

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Standard_Version

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_News_Bible

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Standard_Version

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Annotated_Bible

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_Bible

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_American_Bible

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Revised_Standard_Version



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douay-Rheims_Bible
anonymous
2010-07-27 14:13:57 UTC
if you dont trusted anyone you could learn greek and hebrew , but could you trust them that teach you that ...hmmmm you need to keep it simple... here is the good news your a sinner Jesus can save your soul..or would you like to know how i know that ? who knows maybe when you die your just going to hell
anonymous
2010-07-27 14:08:48 UTC
the best way is by comparison and you will end up with the gist of what is being spoken
anonymous
2010-07-27 14:12:27 UTC
you're best off learning hebrew, greek, aramaic, and latin. can't go wrong that way.
?
2010-07-27 14:08:22 UTC
Block of text. No want.
?
2010-07-27 14:30:20 UTC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik2Y0k0Ims0&feature=related


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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