This is the resultant pattern after looking at the shared material and picking out the specifics. The version I used here is the ISV as that is what was loaded into E-Sword’s Interlinear Harmony and I didn’t notice at the time. I would like to actually do it again using either the Greek text (which would only lose most of you) or a more literal version like the NASB. But I will settle for this for now. Notice that you can change the version you use for the Harmony which is a wonderful flexibility to have. You just have to notice unlike me which version is loaded at the time. This will suffice for now. I think I will switch to the NASB just to show you the difference in the next Gem. It is better to use a more literal version.
By using the ISV we have a rather mixed pattern of changes. There is less standardization of elements which I think may be eliminated by using the NASB which would show us more clearly where the stand out features are. But I have spent the time on it now and don’t have the time to do it again before I need to send this Gem out. So it may well serve to show us the difference between using a literal version as compared with a dynamic equivalence version. My overlooking which version was loaded in my Harmony has led me to talking about this today. But perhaps it is necessary because I haven’t spelled out this before in Bible Gems. I do deal with it in Deeper Bible as the current class know. So I had better do things thoroughly and dot my i’s and cross my t’s. So here goes.
What appears below is a table showing the range of Bible versions available in E-Sword which I have loaded plus a couple of others that we are using in Deeper Bible (including Indonesian versions [in red] for those of you who are just English speakers).
Literal Translations follow as closely as possible to the original text, using words that mean the same as the original text. They follow the sentence structure and word order of the original, including idioms and historical anachronisms. A literal translation tends to be more of a word for word approach to the text and because of that doesn’t produce an easy to read free flowing translation.
Dynamic Equivalence Translations translate the words including the idioms and the meaning of the original text into the most appropriate natural form of the receptor language including even if it means changing the words and structure of the sentence in the target language. Dynamic translations will always attempt to preserve accuracy of the facts and the meaning but will attempt to express the concept in the most idiomatic, natural way as possible.
Free Translations translate words and idioms in the most colloquial natural form of the reptor language but are not necessarily intent on preserving all the form of the original. As a result accuracy can be lost or a portion of meaning of the original may be omitted. Often a particular part of the text can be lost in the attempt to express one particular nuance of the original text. The letters CPV, TAB and NIKV are three extreme Free translations which I have used as novelty examples in Deeper Bible – The Cotton Patch Version. The Aussie Bible and the New International Kiwi Version. You can ignore those ones as they are overly free.
Just in case you don’t know some of the others here is a key to them all.
LITV – Literal Version of the Bible; PBI – Perjanjian Baru Interlinear; NASB – New American Standard Bible; KJV – King James Version; NKJV – New Jing James Version; MKJV – Modern King James Version; EMTV – English Majority Text Version; TL – Terjemahan Lama; RV – Revised Version; RSV – Revised Standard Version; NRSV – New Revised Standard Version; TB – Terjemahan Baru; NIV – New International Version; NAB – New American Bible; Jerusalem Bible; ISV – International Standard Version; Phillips – J B Phillips Version; NEB – New English Bible; CEV – Contemporary English Version; GNB – Good News Bible; BBE – Bible In Basic English; FAH – Firman Allah yang Hidup; GW – God’s Word; NLT – New Living Translation; BIS – Bahasa Indonesia Sehari-hari / BIMK – Bahasa Indonesia Masa Kini (the new name for the BIS); TSI – Terjemahan Sederhana Indonesia; There is one version which has dropped off my continuum at this point that have just I noticed. That is the LB – Living Bible; MSG – The Message.
Next Gem I will change the comparison to the NASB or LITV depending which I think is the best. In many ways I am pleased this oversight on my part forced me to take this diversion because it will add to your understanding. A little bit of Deeper Bible slotted into the Gems.
Sometimes we have to look up mutely to God and say, “I don’t understand it at all, but go on with what You are doing.”
Oswald Chambers
What we can or can’t do, what we consider possible or impossible, is rarely a function of our true capacity? Usually it’s a belief we hold!
Rick Godwin
Why IMITATE when you could INITIATE?
Brian Houston
Mistakes are painful when they happen, but years later a collection of mistakes is what is called experience.
Denis Waitley