”Translations are necessary for people who speak a language other than Greek or Hebrew, to understand what God is saying through his Word
Choosing a Bible translation can be complicated owing to the intimidatingly available wide range of choices. You may encounter The Open Bible, The Thompson Chain-Reference Study Bible, The NIV Study Bible, The NRSV Access Bible, The Life Application Study Bible, The ESV Reformation Study Bible, The NKJV Women’s Study Bible, The KJV Promise Keepers Men’s Study Bible, The HSCB Study Bible, The Spirit-Filled Life Bible, and about 50 other options.
What should you do? Thankfully, Duvall and Hays have taken the pain and indifference out of the process of getting yourself the best translation.
Choosing a Bible Translation with J. Duvall and J. Hays
Duvall and Hays suggest the following four (4) guidelines when it comes to choosing a Bible translation.
- Modern English
Given that languages change over time, it is important to choose a translation that uses modern English. It is noteworthy that the goal of a translation is to communicate the message of the original text in a language you can understand. Therefore, there are scholars and linguists who are committed to translating the message of the original text into a language that people can understand.
- Standard Hebrew and Greek Text
Choose a translation that is based on the standard Hebrew and Greek text. The Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (BHS) is the standard for the Old Testament while the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament (GNT) or Nestle -Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece.
- The Work of a Committee
Give preference to a translation by a committee over one by an individual. Bible translation demands an enormous amount of knowledge and skill. Thus, a group of qualified translators will definitely deliver expert work that is free from bias.
- Appropriate Translation
Choose a translation that is appropriate for your particular use at a particular time. When you want to:
- Read devotionally or to children, consider a simplified, functional (thought-for-thought) translation such as the New Living Translation (NLT) or the New Century Version.
- Read to non-traditional or unchurched people, consider the Contemporary English Version or The Message (which are functional translations).
- Read to people for whom English is a second language, and consider the Good News Bible (which is a functional translation).
- Read to a “King-James-only” church, consider the New King James (which is a literal or word-for-word translation).
- Engage in serious Bible study, Duvall and Hays suggest that you go with the New American Standard Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, the English Standard Version, the Holman Christian Standard Bible, the NET Bible, and the New International Version (2011). (With the exception of NIV, which is a middle-ground translation, the rest are literal translations).
