Here is an example of varied translations: -- Catholic Friends Forum

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Date Posted: 06:47:14 09/05/07 Wed
Author: Catie
Author Host/IP: h69.42.91.75.ip.alltel.net / 75.91.42.69
Subject: Here is an example of varied translations:
In reply to: Catie 's message, "On the subject of bible translations. I have found a lot of interesting info." on 06:42:39 09/05/07 Wed

King James Version

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

English Standard Version
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

The Message
The Way Of Love
If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.
If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.
If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Sample verse (Romans 10:4-10)

The Message is a new translation and the book is presented not as the Bible, but The Message. Interesting. It's in Contemporary Language, written by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002, is a paraphrase of the original languages of the Holy Bible and "crafted to present its tone, rhythm, events, and ideas in everyday language." Peterson notes that in the course of the project, he realized that this was exactly what he had been doing in his thirty-five years as a pastor, "always looking for an English way to make the biblical text relevant to the conditions of the people."

Some criticisms: The Message has drawn criticism on several fronts. Some Christians oppose it because it tends towards theological points of view that are incompatible with their theological beliefs. One site lists some of the things that the author believes are wrong with it, including things such as the following: It distorts the relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son, or it deletes words that imply occult spirituality and substitutes more finite and human influences.[1] Another site criticizes it for being unduly influenced by New Age beliefs.

I think there could be concerns with all "interpretations".

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Replies:

[> [> Men put in, Men take away... -- Lynn, 07:10:15 09/05/07 Wed [1] (ip72-193-232-42.lv.lv.cox.net/72.193.232.42)

If we were to learn the original translations Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic etc, we would know exactly what the bible says. Unfortunately for most of us, we depend on the translations, and because of that, we are not getting the full message. I have noticed that the Old Testament has not changed that much when reading different bibles. It's when I get to reading the New Testament that everthing changes.

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[> [> [> Re: Men put in, Men take away... -- Joan, 10:12:31 09/05/07 Wed [1] (ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net/68.0.253.131)

The NAB (Catholic) translation.

(NAB)
1 Cor 13:1-13
1 "...If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal.
2 And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.

"If we were to learn the original translations Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic etc, we would know exactly what the bible says. Unfortunately for most of us, we depend on the translations, and because of that, we are not getting the full message."

We would still have trouble. The trouble is in the translation from the very old languages to English. If we learned the old languages, but don't understand the context, purpose, litrary devises, or the vocabulary as it was then, we would still be in the dark. Even today, biblical scholars struggle w/ translating. Some words are mysteries. What in the heck is "gopher" wood? :-) We don't know, so we just use the word they use, "gopher". But other words are more important, and we *realy* need to know what the words meant then. "Brother" is the most obvious example. They didn't have a word that translates to our "brother". Their word can mean cousin, uncle, brother, or other male relative. So how to we interpret "brother" when we see it in the NT? We have to try to figure out what the writers meant to say then, and try not to decide what we *want* it to say today. We see "brother", and naturally want to assume it means what brother means today.

And what about "horned". We think horns. It's hard not to think of animal-like horns growing from the head. But horned means rays of light--it did then, anyway. :-)

It's tough business, this translating/interpreting thing. I think that, though we should read the Bible and study it, we need the experts' help in understanding what we're reading. Otherwise, we might all think that horns are horns, that brother means brother, or that a flood really did cover the whole Earth. :-)

Joan

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[> [> [> Re: Lynn, I think I may have an explanation for that. -- Phil, 10:18:35 09/05/07 Wed [1] (71-223-16-142.phnx.qwest.net/71.223.16.142)

According to what I've read from several sources, the ancient Israelites copied their stuff from the oldest source(s) they could find. Thus, the consistency in translations and similarity in manuscripts. As for the New Testament, I'm less sure how it was done.

Take care, God Bless,

Phil from AZ

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