Camp Faith - Bible Translations

ABOUT BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

I don't know about you but for me just thinking about all of the various Bible translations can be overwhelming. I recently went shopping for a new Bible and I realized I needed to do some more research. I would like to share some information that I found during my research.

What exactly is a Bible translation? Translations, simply put, take the original Greek and Hebrew texts and put them into the English language.

There are a many accurate and high quality Bible translations available today. The translation method used for each Bible is what differentiates one Bible from another.

Translating the Bible is not easy.

Ask any Greek or Hebrew scholar and they’ll tell you that translation is a long and arduous process... one that takes years. For example, a committee of 13 of the most respected evangelical scholars in the world spent more than 10 years working on Today’s New International Version (TNIV), a readable, reliable translation for today’s generation. Prior to that endeavor, the same committee spent roughly 13 years translating the New International Version (NIV), the most read, most trusted translation.

Well, for starters there’s no such thing as a word-for-word translation. Anytime you translate something from one language into another language, there is some degree of interpretation.

Take for example the Spanish phrase
“¿Como se llama?”

The most literal translation of that phrase is, “How you call?”

But a meaning-based translation is,
“What is your name?”

Which is more accurate?

The scholars who translated the TNIV and NIV would tell you the second phrase is much more accurate, because it captures the meaning of “¿Como se llama?” in everyday English. And we think most English speakers would agree.

Therefore, the goal of Bible translation is not simply to swap words, but to translate the text in a way that conveys the original, intended meaning.

But why do we need to keep translating the Bible into English? Don’t we have enough versions already?

Before you answer that, consider this: In only 10 years, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary made 100,000 changes and added 10,000 new words.

Language changes—and it changes quickly.

Whether it’s advancements in biblical scholarship or just plain clearer English, there will always be new Bible translations as well as a variety of translations available for you to choose from.

There are three basic approaches to translation including:

Word-for-Word:
As much as possible, biblical scholars take each "word" from the original Greek or Hebrew text and an English word in its place.

Thought-for-Thought:
Translators take the "meaning" of the original language and rewrite it in modern language that's easy to read and understand.

Balanced Approach:
Scholars translate word-for-word where it results in a translation that’s both clear and accurate. But where a word-for-word approach might result in an unclear or inaccurate translation (take the ¿Como se llama? example above), these translations use the most natural English possible to clearly and accurately communicate the meaning.

Paraphrases help people who are new to the Bible understand it. And literal translations are helpful for people who want to study each word. The NIV and TNIV are literal where possible and "thought-for-thought" where necessary to help the reader understand. The NIV and TNIV are the best balance between accuracy and readability.

The graphic below can help you understand how each translation fits into the philosophies.

There are five main translation families that make up over 90 percent of all Bibles sold. The main translation families include:

1. The New International Version Family: New International Verion (NIV), Today's New International Version (TNIV), New International Reader's Version (NIrV), and La Bíblia Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI).

2. The King James Version Family: King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV).

3. The New Living Translation (NLT).

4. The New American Standard Bible (NASB).

5. Paraphrase Bibles such as The Message.

In addition to these five translation families, there are a number of other translations available.

Bible Version Abbreviations
Translation Name	Abbreviation
Amplified Version	AMP
Contemporary English Version	CEV
English Standard Version	ESV
Good News Version	GNV
God’s Word	GW
Holman Christian Standard	HCSB
Jewish Publication Society	JPS
International Children’s	IC
Interlinear	IL
Jerusalem	NJB
King James Version	KJV
Living Bible	LB
Message	Message
New American Bible	NAB
New American Standard Bible	NASB
New Century Version	NCB
New English Bible	NEB
New International Readers Version	NIrV
New International Version	NIV
New Jerusalem Bible	NJB
New King James Version	NKJV
New Life	NL
New Living Translation	NLT
New Revised Standard Version	NRSV
Other English	Other English
Parallel	PR
Revised English Version	REB
Revised Standard Version	RSV
Schocken	Schocken
Today’s English (Good News) Version	TEV
The Living Bible	TLB
Today's New International Version	TNIV

Translation	Abbr.	Date Completed	Sample Verse	Reading Level	Translation Information	Comments
American Standard Version	ASV	1901	1 Peter 3:15: ...but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: [being] ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meakness and fear...	12th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	This translation was the work of the American committee which had consulted on the English Revised Version (1885), which was itself a revision of the King James Version
Amplified Bible	AMP	New Testament 1958; Old Testament 1964; Revised 1987	1 Peter 3:15: But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.	11th Grade	Type: Dynamic Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 13	This translation is really a mini-commentary which features a system of verse-end alternate translations and comments on different shades of meaning in the original languages.
Contemporary English Version	CEV	New Testament 1991; Old Testament 1995	1 Peter 3:15: Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope.	4th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 100+	This version seeks to be readable, yet faithful to the meaning of the original texts. Nouns describing God's actions (righteousness, salvation, etc.) are rendered in varying ways. This version avoids complicated language, obscure vocabulary and difficult sentence structure to produce a translation understandable to a wide variety of modern readers.
English Standard Version	ESV	Fall 2001	1 Peter 3:15: but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.	8th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 100+	The ESV uses the classic principles of word-for-word translation and literary excellence as exemplified by the KJV and most recently the RSV. Highly accurate, the ESV closely reflects the original meaning of the text in clear, readable, enduring English.
God's Word	GW	New Testament 1988; Old Testament 1995	1 Peter 3:15: But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect.	4th-5th Grade	Type: Dynamic Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	This revision utilizes the translation process employed by global mission organizations for translating the Bible into new foreign languages. The goal is to express the meaning of what appears in the forms of the original biblical languages into those expressing essentially the same meaning in modern English.
Good News Version	GNV	New Testament 1966; Old Testament 1974, Revised 1993	1 Peter 3:15: But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you.	7th Grade	Type: Emphasis on Functional Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 7	A thought-for-thought translation theory called dynamic equivalence was used for this version. It uses common English throughout, and modern idioms are sometimes substituted for ancient ones in the interest of clarity.
Holman Christian Standard Bible	HCSB	New Testament 2001; Old Testament 2003	1 Peter 3:15: but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.	NT 7th-8th Grade. When OT is available, it will be re-evaluated.	Type: Optimal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 90	The HCSB is a combination of word-for-word and dynamic renderings that is both faithful to the words God inspired and user friendly to modern readers.
Jerusalem Bible	JB	1966	1 Peter 3:15: Simply reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have.	7th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 36	Based on the French Bible de Jerusalem (1956), this Roman Catholic Bible is noted for its fine literary style, and is used across denominational lines.
King James Version	KJV	1611; Revised 1768	1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.	12th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: High Number of Translators: 54	Commissioned by King James I of England, this translation is still recognized for the beauty of its language which dates from the time of William Shakespeare.
Living Bible	TLB	New Testament 1962; Old Testament 1971	1 Peter 3:15: Quietly trust yourself to Christ the Lord and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way.	8th Grade	Type: Paraphrase Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	This paraphrase of the American Standard Version was an attempt by Kenneth L. Taylor to put the Bible in G73a language his children could understand. It is useful for introducing the Bible to people who are unfamiliar with it.
The Message	Message	New Testament 1993; Psalms 1994; Complete Bible, July 2002	1 Peter 3:15: Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy.	7th Grade	Type: Paraphrase Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 1	Pastor and biblical scholar Eugene H. Peterson's aim in developing this contemporary language version is to transfer the informal and earthy flavor of the Greek into the rhythms and idiom of everyday English.
New American Bible	NAB	1970; NT revised 1986; Psalms revised 1992	1 Peter 3:15: . . . But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope.	11th Grade	Type: Dynamic Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 55	This is the first complete American Catholic Bible translated from the original languages. Its style is more direct than that of the Jerusalem Bible.
New American Standard Bible	NASB	New Testament 1963; Whole Bible 1971, Revised 1995	1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.	11th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Medium Number of Translators: 54	Especially popular among Evangelicals and others who want a word-for-word translation of the original manuscripts, this translation was prepared as an update of the 1901 American Standard Version (ASV).
New Century Version	NCB	New Testament 1978; Old Testament 1986	1 Peter 3:15: But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope that you have.	3rd Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	Also called the International Children's Version, this conservative evangelical translation is in very simple English, designed for those with a limited vocabulary.
New English Bible	NEB	New Testament 1961; Old Testament 1970	1 Peter 3:15: do not be perfurbed, but hold the Lord Christ in reverence in your hearts. Be always ready with your defence whenever you are called to account for the hope that is in you, but make that defense with modesty and respect.	8th Grade	Type: Dynamic Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	The first British Bible to be translated from the original languages since the King James Version, this is a thought-by-thought translation in modern British English. It has been replaced, for the most part, by the Revised English Bible.
New International Version	NIV	New Testament 1973; Old Testament 1978	1 Peter 3:15: But in your hearts set aside Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.	7th Grade	Type: Primarily functional equivalence with some attention to formal considerations Reference Support Materials: High Number of Translators: 115	Called "international" because it is transde-nominational and contains the work of many scholars from many English-speaking nations, the NIV is a straightforward translation in contemporary English.
New International Readers' Version	NIrV	1996	1 Peter 3:15: But make sure in your hearts that Christ is Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect.	3rd Grade	Type: Simple Functional Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low, but NIV materials may be used Number of Translators: 11	The NIrV is a simplified version of the NIV, developed by the same translation team that prepared the NIV. Very easy reading, designed for children as a stepping stone to the NIV, as well as those for whom English is a second language.
New Jerusalem Bible	NJB	1985	1 Peter 3:15: Simply proclaim the Lord Christ holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have.	9th Grade	Tytpe: Primarily functional equivalence with some attention to formal considerations Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 36	An update of the Jerusalem Bible, with revised footnotes and more dignified language.
New King James Version	NKJV	1982	1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.	8th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Medium, but some KJV materials may be used Number of Translators: 130	This translation updates the language of the King James Version, changing archaic inflections and obsolete words, while preserving its basic literary structure.
New Living Translation	NLT	1996	I Peter 3:15: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.	6th-7th Grades	Type: Functional Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 90	Using Kenneth Taylor's paraphrase, The Living Bible, as a base, a team of 90 Bible scholars worked for seven years, carefully comparing each verse with the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures to produce a true translation that is accurate and easy to understand.
New Revised Standard Version	NRSV	1990	1 Peter 3:15: ... But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you.	10th Grade	Type: Emphasis on Functional Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Medium Number of Translators: 30	An update of the Revised Standard Version (1952), this translation incorporates changes resulting from archaeological and textual discoveries in recent decades.
Revised English Bible	REB	1989	1 Peter 3:15: ...but hold Christ in your hearts in reverence as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense when anyone challenges you to justify the hope which is in you. But do so with courtesy and respect.	6th Grade	Type: Emphasis on Functional Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	This revision of the New English Bible, which began in 1973, features clear, contemporary international English. This text is intended for both private reading and public worship.
Revised Standard Version	RSV	New Testament 1946; Old Testament 1952, Revised 1971	1 Peter 3:15: ...but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence;	7th Grade	Type: Formal Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	A revision of the American Standard Version (1901), the RSV was intended to preserve the best of that version while incorporating modern English.
The Schocken Bible Volume 1: The Five Books of Moses	Schocken	1983, 1986, 1990, 1995	Not Available	10th Grade	Type: Emphasis on Functional Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	Translated by Everett Fox, this translation seeks to retain the full force of the rhetoric and poetry of the original languages and recover layers of meaning that have been lost in other recent translations.
Today's New International Version	TNIV	New Testament 2001; Old Testament 2005	1 Peter 3:15: Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.	8th Grade	Type: Primarily functional equivalence with some attention to formal considerations Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: 115	A revision of the New International Version, begun in the late 1980s, features clear, contemporary English. Specifically aimed at 18- to 34-year-olds.
Tyndale New Testament	OE	1525, Revised 1534	1 Peter 3:15: ...but fancifye the Lorde God in your hartes. Be redy alwayes to geve an anfwere to every man that axeth you a refon of the hope that is in you/and that with meaknes and feare...	College	Type: Emphasis on Functional Equivalence Reference Support Materials: Low Number of Translators: Not known	William Tyndale's determination to produce a translation readable by common people eventually led to his death. Although controversial, the Tyndale New Testament had a great impact on the language of the KJV.

Modern Translation Efforts

The Bible continues to be the most translated book in the world. The following numbers are approximations. As of 2005, at least one book of the Bible has been translated into 2,400 of the 6,900 languages listed by SIL, including 680 languages in Africa, followed by 590 in Asia, 420 in Oceania, 420 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 210 in Europe, and 75 in North America. The United Bible Societies are presently assisting in over 600 Bible translation projects. The Bible is available in whole or in part to some 98 percent of the world's population in a language in which they are fluent.

The United Bible Society announced, that as of 31 December 2007 The Bible, with Duetercanonical material was available in 123 languages. The Tanakh and New Testament were available in 438 languages. The New Testament was available in 1168 languages, and portions of the Bible were available in 848 languages, for a total of 2,454 languages.

In 1999, Wycliffe Bible Translators announced Vision 2025. This project aims to see Bible translation begun by 2025 in every remaining language community that needs it. They currently estimate that 2,251 languages, representing 193 million people, need a Bible translation.

Modern Approaches

A variety of linguistic, philological and ideological approaches to translation have been used, including:

Dynamic equivalence translation
Formal equivalence translation (similar to literal translation)
Idiomatic, or Paraphrastic translation, as used by the late Kenneth Livingston

A great deal of debate occurs over which approach most accurately communicates the message of the biblical languages' source texts into target languages. Despite these debates, however, many who study the Bible intellectually or devotionally find that selecting more than one translation approach is useful in interpreting and applying what they read. For example, a very literal translation may be useful for individual word or topical study, while a paraphrase may be employed for grasping initial meaning of a passage.

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