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[quote=Wardendresden;37635586]All translations of Greek, Latin, or Hebrew have problems. In every case the translators brought their biases to the texts they rendered.
...to translate from one language into another systematically retaining the original intent. However, every translator does indeed bring their own world view, their own culture, and their own presuppositions to the task at hand. So all those scribbling scribes in every land know all too well that much can get lost in translation. So they say..."Il traduttore e un traditore"...the translator is a traitor.
Then you would not want to read the KJV. It is one of the "earlier" English translations, however since it was translated much earlier Greek and Hebrew manuscripts have been discovered--ones that were written before the tenth century translation on which the KJV is based.
The KJV gets it wrong---a lot!!. Not that other translations are perfect, because they aren't. One biblical textual critic suggests the RSV is probably closer than any others.
Again, I reiterate from my last post, the best way to read scripture is to read a parallel bible. I use the New Layman's Parallel Bible that has the KJV, the NIV, the RSV, AND the Living Bible. Believe it or not the Living Bible, published in 1971, was revised into the New Living Translation in 1996.
There is also "literal" translations out there, such as Young's Literal Translation. Literal translations are sometimes difficult to read--not always, but sometimes.
Here is an example of a verse of scripture translated literally, by the KJV, by the Living Bible, and by the New Living Translation. It is Job 1:8
KJV:
And the Lord said unto Satan, "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"
Literal translation:
And Jehovah said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?"
Living Bible:
Then the Lord asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth---
a good man who fears God and will have nothing to do with evil."
The New Living Translation:
"Then the Lord asked Satan, "Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth---
a man of complete integrity. He fears God and will have nothing to do with evil."
I deliberately chose a "non-controversial" verse of scripture to highlight the differences in linguistic style as opposed to possible theological differentiation. If you really want to READ the Bible, select one that will make it easy for you to do. The KJV because of its ancient linguistic style just doesn't do that. I still use the KJV along with other translations because I was an English major and the occasional Shakespearian linguistic is appealing to me. However in terms of accuracy, it is much more far afield than translations that relied on the earlier manuscripts that were discovered in 1947.
Another "translation" problem that exists today in EVERY English bible, is the book of Jeremiah. The manuscripts found in Qumran in 1947 included an earlier version of Jeremiah by several hundred years. It is much shorter---indicating that what we have in our bibles today is a heavily edited Palestinian Jewish version of that earlier manuscript. The older manuscript is much shorter, contains some differences, but the majority of the text remains essentially the same--there is just not as much of it. The literary critic realizes that others have come along and "added" to the writing. That is generally the approach of any redacted ancient literature. Discovering what has been "added" is much easier than discovering what has been taken out.
So when you choose a bible, choose carefully and study even more carefully--reading what numerous commentators have to say and picking opposing views. Those opposing views exist on every single one of the 66 books in the Protestant bible.
When someone like the OP states that it is the version HE accepts that is correct--look out. His or her view is shaped by his belief.
Wow, I had no idea there was so much controversy about the different Bibles. I too was an English major, and in one or maybe two of my English classes we did study a few stories from the Bible, but I don't remember which Bible it was taken from.
I was thinking of getting the Bible the Catholic church reads from during Mass but I have no idea which one that is.
The Catholic church has it's own translation from it's own manuscripts. It also has more books than most English translations. I think some of the more recent translation may have included the Catholic manuscripts in their translation process but I am not aware of any that use it as its main source.
Thank you. I did not know this. I did want to get the Bible the Catholic church uses because that is what I heard in church, but apparently this is not something I can buy?
Thank you. I did not know this. I did want to get the Bible the Catholic church uses because that is what I heard in church, but apparently this is not something I can buy?
I am sure you can buy a Catholic bible. I just did a quick search and from one site I find this:
Quote:
The Catholic Bible includes books of the Old Testament and New Testament and several books excluded by Protestant Bibles. The specific richness and history of our Catholic faith can be found in several Roman Catholic Bible translations. One of the most popular Catholic Bibles is the New American Bible (NAB). Some earlier translations include the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition (RSV-CE), the Douay-Rheims (the earliest translation from the original Latin), and the Navarre Bible. Our Catholic Bibles make great gift ideas for weddings, Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation or any occasion. The Catholic Bible comes in a variety of kinds and styles as well. There are Catholic Bibles for children as well as Bibles for teens or adults.
I did want to get the Bible the Catholic church uses because that is what I heard in church, but apparently this is not something I can buy?
Ashleyn, During Mass priests read from a Lectionary which has readings from the Bible.
Most bookstores carry Bibles labeled "Catholic Bibles". Amazon has them. There are various translations. You might also look at something like the Catholic Women's Devotional Bible, which is New Revised Standard Version with a daily meditation and study plan.
If there is a Catholic bookstore or gift shop in your area they will have them. They'll also have the Lectionary. The clerks/owners are usually devout Catholics and will be happy to help you.
p.s. The daily readings from the Lectionary are on various sites on-line.
Thank you. I did not know this. I did want to get the Bible the Catholic church uses because that is what I heard in church, but apparently this is not something I can buy?
The Latin Vulgate was penned by Jerome in the late 4th century. Pope Damasus had ordered the work to be done to standardize the Latin text. There were many Latin translations of the Old and New Testament around at the time. The word "vulgate" means "common". Jerome's translation didn't receive immediate acceptance. It became the most popular by the 8th century. Jerome's Latin translation was first was called the Latin Vulgate in the 13th century. The Council of Trent in 1546 was when it officially termed the Latin Vulgate.
Pope Clement VIII in 1592 was the last to revise the Latin Vulgate. Between 1582-1610 an English translation from the Latin Vulgate was made called the Rheims-Douay English Version. In 1966 the Catholic church published an English translation called the Jerusalem Bible based on the same family of manuscripts that most modern English bibles use rather than the Latin Vulgate. The Latin Vulgate is still the official Catholic text. I have owned both a Rheims-Douay and Jerusalem Bible. They are both available. My Rheims-Douay translation was called the "Confraternity Version".
Today I study from the King James Bible. I'm not Catholic so don't see them as the keeper of sacred scriptures. With the exception of the King James Version most modern translations rely heavily on 3 older manuscripts: Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus, and Codex Alexandrinus. These manuscripts are corrupt. They don't even agree with one another. They are older because they were never used.
Every Greek manuscript has copying errors that have crept in over the centuries. These are easily spotted because they will only effect one branch of manuscripts. Sometimes the monks who copied the text couldn't read Greek. This lead to some misspellings. Again easy to identify and correct. The differences in the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and Alexandrinus were not of that nature. They are corrupt and should have no influence in translating.
Every Greek manuscript has copying errors that have crept in over the centuries. These are easily spotted because they will only effect one branch of manuscripts. Sometimes the monks who copied the text couldn't read Greek. This lead to some misspellings. Again easy to identify and correct. The differences in the Vaticanus, Sinaiticus, and Alexandrinus were not of that nature. They are corrupt and should have no influence in translating.
You obviously have no knowledge of manuscripts or their validity. Your proof?
Ashleyn, During Mass priests read from a Lectionary which has readings from the Bible.
Most bookstores carry Bibles labeled "Catholic Bibles". Amazon has them. There are various translations. You might also look at something like the Catholic Women's Devotional Bible, which is New Revised Standard Version with a daily meditation and study plan.
If there is a Catholic bookstore or gift shop in your area they will have them. They'll also have the Lectionary. The clerks/owners are usually devout Catholics and will be happy to help you.
p.s. The daily readings from the Lectionary are on various sites on-line.
Thank you. I am sure there are Catholic book stores in my area, and I will look into this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
Sure you can. Go to Amazon.
I shop often on Amazon and if I can't find a local Catholic book store that carries what I want I will buy on Amazon. Thank you.
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