Why are there so many different Bibles?

GodLovesCats

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.
 

FutureAndAHope

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.

The reason for the many translations is varied, but it comes down to a few reasons:

a) people need to understand the bible, so try to simplify it
b) people have specific doctrinal bents, or feelings about God, and some times feel people have mistranslated so translate to suit their belief

As an example, I tend to stick with "soft" translations of the following scripture, where as others take a harsher view:

There is one verse in the bible that some claim justifies rape of an unmarried woman. Some bibles even translate the verse to say if an unmarried woman is raped she must marry the man who raped her. However a study of the scripture, and the original language, will show that the word rape does not even occur. The reason for this thought is the following verse, taken from the King James Bible:

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; - Deu 22:28

The reason many people think this means rape is that the word “lay hold of” is taken to mean grabs with force, against the persons will. However the Hebrew scripture that it is translated from does not actually say that. The word translated in the King James as “Lay hold on”, just means to take something. It has not innate meaning of force. To prove this, the following scripture also uses the same word.

And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. - Genisis 4:21

Note the scripture translates the same word as handle, to handle a harp, which is a musical instrument. There is no indication that the word means to forcefully take something, the very opposite is true. You handle a harp gently.

So the verse about the unmarried woman could just as easily be translated as:

If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed and take her consensually, and lie with her, and they be found.

One translator of the OT the CEV even goes as far as translating this verse as:

Suppose a woman isn't engaged to be married, and a man talks her into sleeping with him. If they are caught, they will be forced to get married. - Deuteronomy 22:28

So we see my doctrinal bent, guides my translation of the above verse, others would translate it differently.
 
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The Liturgist

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.

The main reason there are multiple versions of the Bible in some languages is because in the process of making the Bible easy to understand, this involves multiple iterations over time. And consider, someone who is British might have trouble understanding an American translation, because there are fairly dramatic differences between some American dialects and some British dialects. I sometimes have trouble understanding people from the North of England and parts of Wales and Scotland in conversation, especially people from North Yorkshire, and also some Canadians from Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. So a Bible written in those dialects might confuse me. Conversely, a Bible written in the rural Western American accent I speak might confuse them.
 
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disciple Clint

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.
You answered your own question, there are different Bibles because different translations appeal to different people for different reasons.
 
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Bible Highlighter

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.

I love using Biblehub for my reading and quoting. But there are over 450 English translations, my friend. Biblehub only appears to have about 36 English translations.
 
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Bible Highlighter

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.

I use Modern Translations but the KJB is my final Word of authority. I believe the answer to your question is complicated. I believe that the devil attacked God's Word, but yet at the same time, I believe God allowed such a thing to happen because the Modern Translations do offer a clarity in other ways in updating the language of the 1600's. I believe the answer is in 2 Timothy 2:15 in the KJB (Which is altered in Modern Translations).

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.”

We are called kings and priests in Revelation 1:6. So it is up to us to search out the matter in God's Word that which is concealed in His Word.
 
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Tolworth John

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I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it,

May I suggest then that you study how we got the Bible and why there are different versions.
Do you know why you use the version you do use?
 
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Jonaitis

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The primary goal of a translation is to transfer the same information from one language to another so that the native speakers of the other language may understand. However, Koine Greek and Hebrew doesn't translate smoothly into Modern English, and its attempt to convey as close as possible what the original languages is saying in its depth and meaning is not entirely easy (although, not impossible either).

The other reason is that some translations focus heavily on literal word-for-word, leaving the reader a rough reading that may sound awkward in a everyday conversation, while some translations attempt to balance the best of both worlds, while others focus solely on conveying the information without staying true to the original words (such as the NLT). There are even some that I wouldn't call a translation at all, where you may find the recipe for chocolate-chip cookies somewhere therein. These are a few of the main reasons, but that doesn't mean that they are false. A Christian should be willing to use multiple translations to better understand what the Scriptures say.
 
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Silly Uncle Wayne

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.
If by 'easy to read' you mean paraphrased like The Message or The Passion Translation, you are likely to be led into error.

If translation were a matter of one word in Hebrew/Greek meaning one definitive word in English we would still need someone to translate since Hebrew is written backwards and Greek sentences are written in a different form from English.

That is part of the reason for multiple translations. The other is the fact that English is an ever changing language. Meanings of words change and as such updates are necessary to English translations. That is another reason for multiple translations.

If you are intending to read the word of God then one simple translation is good enough. If you are intending to study the word of God (and you should be) then a simple translation is not good enough. Ideally you need to know Greek and Hebrew, but in the absence of those skills multiple translations are a far better route.

If you are adamant about one English Translation, then I recommend the NET Bible for its readability, but mostly for its translation notes where it includes indicators about disagreements, alternatives and reasons for changing idioms from one language to the other.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12
 
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GreekOrthodox

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Updating translations is critical. During one service last week, I had to retranslate a phrase on the fly that was written using early 20th century phrasing.

"God is Very High on the burning of incense of our prayers." uhhhh... yeah

Psalm 50, reads in 19th century English, "You will be pleased with holocausts". Today, that just has a completely different meaning to those of us post-WW2. Nowadays, that reads "You will be pleased with whole burnt offerings" which is the actual meaning of holo (whole) caust (burnt).
 
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GreekOrthodox

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FYI, part of my concern is that as Greek Orthodox, not only do we have to deal with Scriptural translations, but entire services that are in Greek and have been translated into English. For example, this is the service book for just for Holy Week and Easter (500 pages). It was translated in the 1960s and uses English from the 1901 American Standard Version and the 1952 RSV. The translation of hymns and liturgy are awkward at best so it does not read or sing easily.

81+xeyb6c5L.jpg
 
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The Liturgist

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For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword.

Note that quote from Hebrews should be read both in the context of Scripture and the person of our Lord, who is the Word of God (John 1). What makes the word alive is that it is a verbal icon of the incarnate Word.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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Bible Hub offers every English translation, including the Aporyhpa, and the same Bible in other languages, including Greek and Hebrew. It also has a New World Translation, which only exists for people who deny Jesus is more than a human who called himself the Son of God.

Because God knows everything and never changes, there should be only one version of it in all languages.

I have stated repeatedly nothing matters if I cannot understand it, which happens every time I see British English. My avatar is specifically about trusting what I understand from easy to read Bibles.
Textual criticism. A necessary evolution that constantly takes place in the evolution of scripture. The Greek language ,( the original language of first century Christians) , was basically unknown to the Western world until the late 15th century. Once discovered, the Latin Vulgate came into scrutiny as there were many errors and mistranslations. This was the beginning of scripture purification. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls also contributed to the purity of scripture. This being said, while translations strive to be authentic, there are always new versions trying to be relative causing corruption . So the moral of the story is to do your research and choose what is pure. Be blessed.
 
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The Liturgist

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Indeed. I am actively opposed to some of the commercial aspects surrounding the “Bible industry” and also the Christian music industry. For example, I think its a scandal that in Great Britain, the KJV is under copyright protection, and in the 2000s the university that now owns the Queen’s Printer and has thus acquired a monopoly on printing the KJV toyed with the idea of charging royalties to churches that used it, but there was a huge backlash. I feel the British government should renounce the Crown Copyright on the Authorized Version (King James Version) and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, in the interests of maximizing religious freedom.
 
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The Liturgist

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Textual criticism. A necessary evolution that constantly takes place in the evolution of scripture. The Greek language ,( the original language of first century Christians) , was basically unknown to the Western world until the late 15th century. Once discovered, the Latin Vulgate came into scrutiny as there were many errors and mistranslations.

Actually, that’s untrue. The reason why the Protestant churches issued new translations was so they would exist in the vernacular, not due to any intrinsic flaw with the Vulgate; indeed the Vulgate was one of several texts consulted in the translation of the King James Version.

The Vulgate generally aligns with the Byzantine Text Type as far as the New Testament is concerned. Jerome disagreed with using the Greek Septuagint for the Old Testament and instead translated directly from the Hebrew and Aramaic sources. The Protestant reformers followed him in this regard.

Furthermore, the Vulgate and the Syriac Peshitta, the other translation from antiquity, tend to agree with each other and disagree with the so-called Alexandrian Text Type or Minority Text, and this in turn lends credibility to the Byzantine text type favored by the Protestant reformers in the Textus Receptus.

This was the beginning of scripture purification.

Umm what? There has never been an issue of protracted “scriptural impurity.” The only prominent case I am aware of that remotely falls into what you are describing is the Vetus Latina, the original 2nd century Latin translation the Vulgate was commissioned to replace, which was known to contain errors, as well as a few of the early English Bibles, which were stopgaps, and of course, the New World Translation and a few other bibles translated with a false agenda.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls also contributed to the purity of scripture.

How do you figure?
 
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Maria Billingsley

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Actually, that’s untrue. The reason why the Protestant churches issued new translations was so they would exist in the vernacular, not due to any intrinsic flaw with the Vulgate; indeed the Vulgate was one of several texts consulted in the translation of the King James Version.

The Vulgate generally aligns with the Byzantine Text Type as far as the New Testament is concerned. Jerome disagreed with using the Greek Septuagint for the Old Testament and instead translated directly from the Hebrew and Aramaic sources. The Protestant reformers followed him in this regard.

Furthermore, the Vulgate and the Syriac Peshitta, the other translation from antiquity, tend to agree with each other and disagree with the so-called Alexandrian Text Type or Minority Text, and this in turn lends credibility to the Byzantine text type favored by the Protestant reformers in the Textus Receptus.



Umm what? There has never been an issue of protracted “scriptural impurity.” The only prominent case I am aware of that remotely falls into what you are describing is the Vetus Latina, the original 2nd century Latin translation the Vulgate was commissioned to replace, which was known to contain errors, as well as a few of the early English Bibles, which were stopgaps, and of course, the New World Translation and a few other bibles translated with a false agenda.



How do you figure?
Everything I have stated is common knowlege. Thanks for engaging.
Be blessed.
 
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The Liturgist

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FYI, part of my concern is that as Greek Orthodox, not only do we have to deal with Scriptural translations, but entire services that are in Greek and have been translated into English. For example, this is the service book for just for Holy Week and Easter (500 pages). It was translated in the 1960s and uses English from the 1901 American Standard Version and the 1952 RSV. The translation of hymns and liturgy are awkward at best so it does not read or sing easily.

81+xeyb6c5L.jpg

I have a copy of that service book and its actually somewhat notoriously problematic. Two friends of mine who are working with me on some liturgical projects have argued the best approach is to, if using traditional English translations of scripture, and using the chant systems that Russian parishes have, to use the Triodion translated by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware and Mother Mary, the new Pentecostarion translated by St. John of Kronstadt Press, and the standard traditional language liturgikons. If one is using Byzantine chant, however, the Pentecostarion and other service books from Holy Transfiguration Monastery are said to be preferrable as they have the /// notation, and some nuns also published a free traditional language Triodion online, using the same /// notation. And there is the “Nasser Five Pounder”, the anthologion translated by Fr. Seraphim Nasser, which can fill in the blanks. I feel, having looked at the source materials, they are correct in this respect.

For modern language purposes, I really like the translations done by Archimandrite Ephrem Lash in the UK (memory eternal).
 
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Maria Billingsley

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Actually, that’s untrue. The reason why the Protestant churches issued new translations was so they would exist in the vernacular, not due to any intrinsic flaw with the Vulgate; indeed the Vulgate was one of several texts consulted in the translation of the King James Version.

The Vulgate generally aligns with the Byzantine Text Type as far as the New Testament is concerned. Jerome disagreed with using the Greek Septuagint for the Old Testament and instead translated directly from the Hebrew and Aramaic sources. The Protestant reformers followed him in this regard.

Furthermore, the Vulgate and the Syriac Peshitta, the other translation from antiquity, tend to agree with each other and disagree with the so-called Alexandrian Text Type or Minority Text, and this in turn lends credibility to the Byzantine text type favored by the Protestant reformers in the Textus Receptus.



Umm what? There has never been an issue of protracted “scriptural impurity.” The only prominent case I am aware of that remotely falls into what you are describing is the Vetus Latina, the original 2nd century Latin translation the Vulgate was commissioned to replace, which was known to contain errors, as well as a few of the early English Bibles, which were stopgaps, and of course, the New World Translation and a few other bibles translated with a false agenda.



How do you figure?
How do I figure? The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls proved the accurate preservation of Hebrew scripture. With the discovery of the scrolls, we now have manuscripts that predate the Masoretic Text by about one thousand years.
 
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