My Opinion on Bible Translations {Plus a New Bible Review}

“The goal of the New International Version (NIV) is to enable English-Speaking people from around the world to read and hear God’s eternal Word in their own language. Our work as translators is motivated by our conviction that the Bible is God’s Word in written form. We believe that the Bible contains divine answers to the deeps need of humanity.”

Bible translations are certainly a theme that generates much discussion and diverging opinions among believers. Not long ago, I received a message on a social media platform from an avid defender of the King James translation. I appreciate the sentiments of those who firmly hold on to the oldest translation of the original manuscripts to English, but I take issue when someone goes as far as to state that all other translations are trash. This person went as far as saying that all other translations are the work of Satan. Good Heavens! He certainly needs prayers.

My first English bible was a gift from my husband when we started dating. The first time I visited him and his family in America, he gave me the most beautiful bible I had ever laid eyes on. Leather-bound and with my maiden name engraved on its cover, the Life-Principles bible became my first bible “commentary.” I was a fairly new Christian and did not own any books or bibles containing applications of explanations of passages of Scriptures. That Bible is a treasure to me to this day, and it stays in my War Room.

BUT… I have to say, when I opened to read it, I honestly could not understand it.

For those who follow my blog for a while, you know that I am originally from Brazil. Even though I had been an ESL teacher for many years when I met Steve, I certainly had not been exposed to 17th century English! Yikes! I might as well be reading straight from Hebrew or Greek.

When I started searching for a good American translation of the Bible, my pastor introduced me to the New American Standard Bible. It is the modern American translation that is truest to the original manuscripts in a “word-for-word” sense, and so I’ve used it for my daily devotionals and writings for the past 20 years.

As my children became teenagers, I realized that many kids in their generation and pastors use the New Internation Version. When I started a bible study with my daughters on Proverbs, I realized that the translation seemed to miss certain important words. While doing some research on the NIV translation, I found the following quote in a helpful article by Ra McLaughlin, Vice President of Finance and Administration at Third Millennium Ministries:

“The NIV is a very good translation. It is, however, a “dynamic equivalent” translation. That is, they translate “thought for thought” rather than “word for word.” That makes it more “readable” than the NASB and other “word for word” translations. This means that in some cases its translations do not precisely correspond to the actual Hebrew/Greek/Aramaic words. For instance, “mountains of God” is translated “mighty mountains” (Ps. 36:6), since most scholars agree that “mountains of God” is simply a superlative form of “mountains.”  

So, should I be concerned if my kids are not reading a “word for word” translation of the bible?

The answer is a resounding NO.

Should I be concerned if my kids are not reading a 'word for word' translation of the bible? The answer is a resounding NO. #BibleGatewayPartner #Bibletranslation Click To Tweet

Do you know what our concern should be? We should be concerned if our children do not open God’s Word. Period.

Since the mission of Soaring with Him Ministries is to instill in the heart of God’s people the desire to commit to studying and obeying the full counsel of God’s Word, bible translations are certainly important. But from that perspective, I firmly believe that provided that the translation contains the full counsel of God’s Word and is translated by a group of scholars using the original texts, we should simply embrace the fact that our children open God’s Word, in any credible translation.

If a bible translation contains the full counsel of God's Word and is done by a group of scholars using the original texts, we should simply embrace the fact that our children open God's Word. #BibleGatewayPartner #Bibletranslation Click To Tweet

The NIV was first published in 1978 and was translated by over a hundred scholars working directly with the best available Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. It offers an international scope since it involved translators from England, Australia, the United States, Canada and New Zeland.

As a BibleGateway Blogger Grid partner, I have been invited to review several bibles in the past year. Bible Gateway has sent me FREE copies of newly published bibles for my review. This time, I was sent a free copy of Zondervan’s new Artisan Collection Bible for girls.

When I opened the box, I immediately thought of a friend’s daughter, whom I will be giving this copy to after my review. It is the prettiest cover I have ever seen for a young girl or teenager. The marble look uses a layering technique, making this an exquisite bible for a one-of-a-kind girl I know. Among its features, you will find:

• Stunning marble-look cover designed in a durable cloth (the pictures really don’t do it justice!)
• Page edges with shimmering foil art gilding
• Lined, wide margins for journaling (something my girls absolutely LOVE – and so do I).
• Words of Jesus in Red (love me those Red Letters!)
• Comfort print makes reading easy for an early reader (9.5 print size).

All in all, another great quality product by Zondervan and a wonderful idea for a gift! My little friend just turned 9, so I can’t wait to see her beautiful face when I give her this beauty.

You can also find this beautiful bible in different colors – and for adults as well. A must-see indeed! Here’s where you can buy it: BibleGateway Store

 

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