The Essential Guide To Bible Versions

Answers complex questions about accuracy and translation methods for the many different English Bible translations, and introduces readers to Bible manuscripts and textual criticism. --from publisher description.

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.

A Guide to Bible Translation offers a broad overview of theory and practice in Scripture translation from ancient times to the present day, with an eye to the future. Its 726 articles by 180 translators, publishing specialists, and scholars are addressed to a global readership of Bible translators, interpreters, students of culture and biblical studies, as well as interested church members and clerical leaders. This unprecedented Guide opens up and celebrates captivating stories of people, languages, and key topics of scholarship involved in over two millennia of Bible translation. Hearing a passage read from the new Gbaya language Bible, my Muslim friend declared with astonishment, "God really does speak our language!" Multiply that response by over 3,000 language communities where worshipers listen attentively to God's Word clearly translated and clearly read. We are grateful to the editors and authors whose life-long dedication to the communication of God's Word and to excellence in scholarship makes this Guide available to us. Thomas G. Christensen, Professor Emeritus Institut Luthérien de Théologie de Meiganga, Cameroun Bible translation has always allowed itself to be stirred and driven, not just by challenges, but also by new knowledge, new technologies, new ideas of presentation, dictates of different geographical locations, and the needs of the target audiences whether these were ecclesiastical, politico-cultural, or ideological in nature. And now through this Guide's easy narrative style, its categorization of topics, and the courage to allow diverse voices and languages to speak into this complex subject, the United Bible Societies has added one more innovative tool into Bible translation work. Professor Margaret Muthwii, Vice Chancellor Pan Africa Christian University, Kenya In the 1990s, translation studies, led by scholars such as Susan Bassnett, André Lefevere, and Mary Snell-Hornby, took the now famous "cultural turn," looking at how institutions of power influenced translation decisions. Right around the same period, Bible translators took the "translation studies turn," looking to translation studies scholars such as James Holmes, José Lambert, Ernst-August Gutt, Lawrence Venuti, and Cristiane Nord, to expand their theoretical base. Such interdisciplinary collaboration, taking place at colloquia around the world, can be seen everywhere in the United Bible Societies' A Guide to Bible Translation, which will appeal to students of Bible translation, translation studies, sacred text translation, the history of translation, and, especially, cultural studies. Professor Edwin Gentzler University of Massachusetts-Amherst, USA

David Dewey offers an easy-to-use handbook for digging through the mountain of Bible translation options until you find the right Bible for the right purpose.

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.

Four Four Bible experts make a case for using the modern English translation of Scripture he personally prefers; Douglas Moo (NIV 2011), Wayne Grudem (English Standard Version), Ray Clendenen (Holman Christian Standard Bible), and Philip Comfort (New Living Translation).

Dave Brunn has been an international Bible translator for many years. Here he divulges the inner workings of translation practice to help us sort out the many competing claims for superiority among English Bible translations. His professional assessments and conclusions will be a great help to all seeking truth in translation.

The Complete Guide to Bible Versions by Philip W. Comfort is written in an easy-to-read style in which the author explains how the Bible was first written and how English translations developed. Updated to include the New Living Translation.