The Challenge Of Bible Translation

This collection of 21 essays by leading scholars brings together the carefully nuanced insights of years of experience devoted to the challenges of responsible biblical interpretation and translation.

Recent controversies have rocked evangelicalism on the question: Is gender-inclusive language for human beings faithful and helpful in Bible translation, or does it distort and obscure God's Word? Distorting Scripture? moves beyond sensationalism to the meaty core of an ongoing debate.

An In-Depth Look at Bible Translation ·The concerns, issues, and approaches ·The history ·The ins and outs of the translation task With a reach that covers the entire globe, the Bible is the best-selling, most earnestly studied book of all time. It has been translated into well over 1,000 languages, from those of global reach such as English, French, and Arabic, to a myriad of isolated tribal tongues. Yet while most readers of the English Bible have a favorite version, few understand how the different translations came about, or why there are so many, or what determines whether a particular translation is trustworthy. Written in tribute to one of today’s true translation luminaries, Dr. Ronald Youngblood, The Challenge of Bible Translation will open your eyes to the principles, the methods, the processes, and the intricacies of translating the Bible into language that communicates clearly, accurately, and powerfully to readers of many countries and cultures. This remarkable volume marshals the contributions of foremost translators and linguists. Never before has a single book shed so much light on Bible translation in so accessible a fashion. In three parts, this compendium gives scholars, students, and interested Bible readers an unprecedented grasp of: 1. The Theory of Bible Translation 2. The History of Bible Translation 3. The Practice of Bible Translation The Challenge of Bible Translation will give you a new respect for the diligence, knowledge, and care required to produce a good translation. It will awaken you to the enormous cost some have paid to bring the Bible to the world. And it will deepen your understanding of and appreciation for the priceless gift of God’s written Word. Contributors Kenneth L. Barker D. A. Carson Charles H. Cosgrove Kent A. Eaton Dick France David Noel Freedman Andreas J. Köstenberger David Miano Douglas J. Moo Glen G. Scorgie Moisés Silva James D. Smith III John H. Stek Mark L. Strauss Ronald A. Veenker Steven M. Voth Larry Lee Walker Bruce K. Waltke Walter W. Wessel Herbert M. Wolf

Given the wealth of English translations of the Bible available today, how can anyone know which is the right one for them? The options seem overwhelming. Biblical scholar Ron Rhodes provides an easy-to-read guide that takes the guesswork out of choosing a Bible. He critiques the prominent theories of translation, lets readers in on the debate about gender-inclusive language, and thoroughly covers the major English translations from the King James Version to the New Living Translation and everything in between, including the two most recent Bibles for Catholics. His examination of each version includes the story behind the translation the translation theory used the intended readership pluses and minuses comparisons with other translations A unique feature is Rhodes' look at secondary factors to keep in mind when choosing a Bible, such as the type size, the quality of the paper, the existence and placement of cross references and other study helps, and the types of bindings. The result is an indispensable guide to help readers through the maze of choosing the translation best suited for them.

The purpose of this book is to demonstrate how discourse, sociolinguistic and exegetical issues become integrated in the field of Bible translation. Philip C. Stine, Editor. Paperback. viii, 296 pages. 5 5/8 x 8 1/4 inches.

Recent controversies have rocked evangelicalism on the question: Is gender-inclusive language for human beings faithful and helpful in Bible translation, or does it distort and obscure God's Word? Distorting Scripture? moves beyond sensationalism to the meaty core of an ongoing debate.

The Bible has faced opposition from Satan’s world since the beginning, from supposed “friend” and foe alike. An innumerable number of faithful followers of God have paid with their lives to bring us the Bible in our language today. Even today, there is much pressure from the so-called Christian community and the scholarly world to be faithful to man as opposed to being faithful to God and the original language text when translating the Bible. The closing chapters will deal with that, for now, let’s look at the hazardous duty of Bible translation and the lives of three great men. TRANSLATING TRUTH will deal with the process of going from the original language critical text to the Bible translation in English. Also, it will address the differences as well, so the reader can know which translations are to be most trusted. There are rules and principles to Bible translation that will give the reader the closest English equivalent of what God’s Word had said in the original language of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It is art to be balanced in the application of these rules and principles. While Bible translators are no longer hung or burned at the stake, there is still enormous pressure on their lives. If a translator does not color within the lines of certain groups, they can be ostracized to the point of being unable to work. They are privately and publicly mocked. For example, the literal translators are wrongly viewed as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who cannot give up the dated way of translating the Word of God by the modern idealist way of carrying out the work of Bible translation by the dynamic equivalent, interpretive translators. Modern-day scholars and many within the so-called Christian community will treat the translator who is faithful to God and the original text with contempt, scorn, mockery, and derision, even outright hostility. The final section of chapters could never be exhaustive as to what could be said about the trustworthiness of our Bible but it is more than enough to give you a sense that what we have today is the closest to what we have ever had when it comes to our literal translations being a mirrorlike reflection of the originals in English.

With so many Bible translations available today, how can you find those that will be most useful to you? What is the difference between a translation that calls itself “literal” and one that is more “meaning-based”? And what difference does it make for you as a reader of God’s Word? How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth brings clarity and insight to the current debate over translations and translation theories. Written by two seasoned Bible translators, here is an authoritative guide through the maze of translations issues, written in language that everyday Bible readers can understand. Learn the truth about both the word-for-word and meaning-for-meaning translations approaches. Find out what goes into the whole process of translation, and what makes a translation accurate and reliable. Discover the strengths and potential weaknesses of different contemporary English Bible versions. In the midst of the present confusion over translations, this authoritative book speaks with an objective, fair-minded, and reassuring voice to help pastors, everyday Bible readers, and students make wise, well-informed choices about which Bible translations they can depend on and which will best meet their needs.